Specialty Coffees

In the 1930s, physicists started discovering a whole zoo full of exotic atomic particles. There were muons and kaons and who-knows-whatelse-ons. When told of these, the famous physicist Enrico Fermi said: 'If I wanted to remember all that I would have become a botanist.' Ironically, later he invented the process used in atomic bombs.

I feel the same way about coffee. It may be fascinating and delicious and even romantic, but sheesh - all those names!

There's the elegant and simple Frappe, but with a silent 'e'. Widely consumed in Europe and Latin America, it's a cold espresso made with two teaspoons of sugar and milk with crushed ice cubes. For a nice variation, add a quarter cup each of brandy and crème de cacao. Since it's served with a straw, I just wish those drinking it were silent, too.

The counterpart to the innocent Frappe is the wicked Cappuccino Borgia, named for the famed poisoner. You'll just die for one of these quarter-cup peeled orange, one and a half cup chocolate ice cream dreams. Add also six tablespoons of orange juice and a quarter-cup milk to an espresso, blend and start speaking 15th century Italian.

Re-enter the 21st century and jet to the Caribbean for a Calypso Cooler. A cup of chilled, extra strength coffee gets subjected to a couple of ripe bananas and two cups of coffee ice cream. Add four tablespoons of rum and lose your luggage.

While we're adding alcohol to our coffee, let's not forget the mysterious Latin: Caffee Zabaglone. A quarter cup of dry Marsala with a quarter cup of sugar starts the feast. Add a pinch of salt and four egg yolks, then wisk and cook until thick. Add a cup of Italian roast at room temperature and you've got a drink, breakfast and a hangover cure all in one.

But the ancestors of Rome have nothing on those of France in modern New Orleans. Add double strength American roast to a half-cup each of heavy cream, eggnog and bourbon and you have a Mardi Gras, with a silent 's'. Too bad the crowd isn't silent - it's 4 a.m. and I'm trying to sleep.

Ordinary Turkish coffee is famous for its dark, strong flavor cut with cardamom. But they're not the only ones to have discovered a good use for this ancient spice. Scandinavians make a Cardamom Kaffee.

Start with an eighth-cup of cognac and add two teaspoons of curacao, a teaspoon of sugar and a cardamom pod (cracked and seeded). Heat in the microwave for about ten seconds then light with a match. Pour on a half-cup of extra strength coffee and be prepared to douse a four-alarm fire.

Despite all the names, I have to give credit to the many creative inventors of all those different mixtures. They may not have invented huge bombs, but their products sure do give you a jolt!

How to specialize in specialty coffee

You’ve made the move to specialty coffee. You’ve made a bold move to enter the world of the tastiest, freshest coffee that there is. Specialty coffee typically have gone from the roaster to your brewed cup as fast as humanly possible. After all, coffee is a perishable and delicate food. Its peak taste only has a short life span. It will lessen with time, air exposure, and moisture exposure. So speed in the entire coffee process, from when the beans were picked all the way to when your machine brews your pot, is essential.

Since specialty coffee is especially perishable items with a very limited shelf life, make to keep up your end of the bargain when you get it home. Store it in airtight containers or a tightly closed coffee bag like you get from the supermarket or gourmet store when you first buy the coffee. Heat, light, air and moisture all can make your coffee taste stale. That’s because all of these factors hasten the release of the coffee’s aromatic gases over time. Refrigerating or freezing the coffee may slow this process, but it won't completely prevent it.

Also make certain to grind your specialty coffee just before brewing. Coffee beans are like little containers that hold in the coffee oils and aromatic compounds. The flavor is exposed once a bean is ground. If brewing doesn't happen right away, however, the exquisite flavor and aroma can be lost. In other words, grinding coffee yourself is the second step to experiencing the most out of your coffee.

The third step is knowing exactly how long to let your specialty coffee brew. If you let water contact the grounds for too long, for instance, your coffee can end with an overly bitter coffee. On the other hand, if you let water contact the grounds for not long enough, your coffee may lack its full flavor.

The final step in good specialty coffee making comes after your coffee is brewed. Don’t let your coffee sit on a burner or hotplate too long afterwards. More than 20 minutes is too long because the coffee’s taste will start to become bitter. Your taste buds, and your stomach, will thank you.