June 26, 2015
by Jason Ford
Ford on Food
Coffee may not be food, but my life is unsustainable without it.
It’s my greatest vice .. and somehow, I don’t think I’m alone.
These days I drink straight 30ml shots of espresso – no milk or sugar.
It allows me to really taste the qualities of the coffee grind and all the subtle flavour profiles.
Besides, it means the coffee is faster to make and I get to drink it immediately from the espresso machine, which satisfies my caffeine deficiencies.
If you thought beer was the most consumed beverage in the Western world, then you thought wrong.
Beer actually comes second to coffee in national consumption, which goes some way towards explaining the record sales of home espresso machines and the boom in coffee making courses.
The coffee tree is indigenous to Africa, but is now grown in many tropical and sub-tropical countries.
The tree produces a red coloured bean, which is washed, fermented, de-husked, dried-out and then roasted.
Before grinding, beans of various origins are often blended to give a more complex and full flavour.
There are two main varieties of coffee:
- Arabica is the finest and most expensive, it has little acidity and the richest flavour
- Robusta is an inferior variety of bean which is cheaper and has less flavour, but more caffeine
* * *
Kicking Affogato
Affogato means ‘flooded’.
Ingredients:
- 1 large scoop of vanila ice cream
- 1 tbspn honey
- 1 nip Tawny Port
- 1 shot freshly-made espresso coffee
Method:
- Place the scoop of ice cream into a latte glass
- Drizzle with a tablespoon of honey.
- Pour in a nip of Tawny Port and then…
- Flood the whole lot with a shot of strong freshly made espresso
Enjoy!
