How to Make Authentic Turkish Coffee

Growing up as a Lebanese American, usually on special occasion's I remember the adults making Turkish Coffee after a meal. When I asked for some they would always tell me, "Oh no, It is too strong for you".

I grew up with this mystique of Turkish Coffee. One of my Aunt's would read everyone's fortune after they were done drinking their coffee. This is done by turning the cup over in its saucer and letting the remaining coffee drip down the insides of the cup. Forming different patterns. This is all done in fun.

In Lebanon, Turkish Coffee is called qahwah or ahweh. It is not referred to as, "Turkish Coffee". The variants of "Turkish Coffee","Lebanese coffee,""Egyptian coffee," "Syrian coffee," and "Iraqi coffee" are completely different in the flavor, preparation and how it is served. Lebanese and Syrian coffee are fairly close.

Turkish coffee is a method of preparation, not a kind of coffee. I have blended a combination of Colombian and French that turned out really well. Yemeni coffee is a common bean used in Lebanon. One can find Turkish coffee already ground with or without cardamom in middle eastern grocery stores.

There is really no special type of bean. It is how they are ground. Beans for Turkish coffee are ground or pounded to the finest possible powder; finer than even for espresso. The grinding is done either by pounding in a mortar (the original method) or using a burr mill.

Desserts That Are Served With Coffee

My favorite part of a meal, is of course dessert! My husband and I love entertaining, and when we do we try to make dessert the most spectacular part of the meal. We always strive to serve something sweet and decadent that goes well with a delicious cup of gourmet coffee, such as Jamaican Blue Mountain or Kona coffee. This is actually quite simple to do as many desserts are meant to be served with an after dinner cup of gourmet coffee.

Let me start by saying my all time favorite dessert, with or without coffee, and that would be Tiramisu. Tiramisu is an Italian cake dessert that is literally translated to me "pick me up" or "make me happy". This dessert will definitely make anyone happy as it incorporates ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks and mascarpone, and flavored with liquor and cocoa. It truly is the perfect pick up after a meal, and even though it is a very decadent dessert, the coffee in it truly does pick you up a bit. I like to serve the Tiramisu with the same type of coffee that was used in the recipe. This makes for a cohesive dessert that is amazing from start to finish!

Another idea for a great dessert that is perfect with a cup of gourmet coffee, would be a rich chocolate mousse. Chocolate desserts really do shine when a bit of coffee is added to them, and the light fluffy texture of the mousse is a perfect ending to a stellar meal. When making a mousse, think about adding a touch of coffee to the recipe. The subtle flavors of it will bring out the natural flavors of the chocolate and the result is a truly rich and wonderful dessert!

One might say the most obvious dessert that goes with coffee, is of course coffee cake. Personally, I am not a big fan of this dessert unless it is made a little different. The best coffee cake recipes I have tried are blueberry crumble coffee cake, and a raspberry cream cheese pastry coffee cake. These were different spins on the typical coffee cake, and seemed to be so much richer and more delicious! Other great dessert ideas would include: cobblers, cakes, cookie bars, biscotti and cheese cake!

The History Of Making Espresso Coffee: From My Family To Yours

An Italian tradition is drinking espresso being brewed with an espresso machine. Growing up in an Italian family drinking espresso and cappuccino daily was the normal. When company came, out came the stove top espresso maker. Milk was steamed on the stove and temperature watched. Years later, out came the electric home espresso coffee machine that sat on the counter.

Did you know that the first Espresso Maker were built and patented in Turin, Italy in 1884 by Angelo Moriondo? It was the first espresso maker made. It was at the Turin General Exposition of 1884 as an instantaneous confection of coffee beverage.

Here are four variants that exist in making coffee in a home espresso machine; the drive mechanism along with the fineness of the grind, along with the varying, amount of pressure used to tamp the grinds, the heat of the water, and the type of espresso bean used. Also make sure the home espresso machines and a frothing wand to heat the milk to make the cappuccino or hot chocolate

Some Baristas service put espresso in preheated demitasse cups or shot glasses to keep the temperature hot. A few at home use espresso machines have a heating base to keep cups hot.

There are four drive mechanisms:

What the Heck Is Healthy (or Gano or Ganoderma or Reishi) Coffee?

If you drink coffee, here's something that you may be interested in: a healthier coffee!

Coffee is the most consumed beverage on the planet and is the second-most traded commodity on the stock exchanges, after oil, and more and more people are getting into the coffee business as distributors and affiliates.

And, as I said, the market is huge.

There are over 108 million coffee consumers in the United States making coffee consumption $50 billion-a-year.

The dietary supplement industry sales total $20 billion-a-year.

The health and wellness industry reached $68 billion in 2004.

The "healthy coffee" market combines all three of these industries into one Great Cup of Coffee!

So, what is "Healthy coffee?" Healthy coffee is just great-tasting, black, Brazilian coffee that is mixed with Ganaderma, the "King" of the herbs. The Chinese name for Ganoderma is Lingzhi and in Japan this same herb is called Reishi.

By combining the second largest traded commodity on earth along with the benefits of Ganoderma (Red Mushroom), "healthy coffee" is quickly becoming the healthy beverage of choice!

Gaggia Titanium Espresso Machine - Advantages And Disadvantages

There has been quite a lot of news recently in Gaggia Titanium espresso machine assessments with regards to the caliber of the coffee it makes. Just like any machine, there are both positives and negatives but in this situation the disadvantages are minimal.

The Pros
One of the many plus points is that this espresso device is super lightweight weighing only 26 pounds. The stainless steel construction can make it easy to clean up. This great automatic espresso equipment is ideal for people who enjoy freshly produced coffee every day, as it constantly grinds and produces great coffee all the time.

The Titanium blue LCD display~blue titanium LCD display is easy-to-read and seven push buttons which function the functions are simple to utilize. The LCD display manages various temperature options, a clock and on/off timer, three coffee volume adjustments, pre-infusion as well as the pre-grinding feature.

Grinders For The Best Coffee And The Best Espresso Makers

For coffee and espresso drinkers alike there are several choices when selecting a grinder. Some grinders may be suitable for drip coffee only while other, more expensive grinders are great for drip, French press and even for the best espresso makers. Today we will create a basic understanding of these grinders and their applications so that consumers of these coffee grinders can make the best possible selection. The coffee makers today are classified two different ways. One way is the mode of operation, and that is either manual or electrical. The second way to classify them is by the type of grinding mechanisms used and they are burr or blade.

The first mode of operation is really straight forward and self-explanatory. The manual grinders operate by means of turning a hand crank on top of the mechanism which rotates the burrs against a plate thus grinding the coffee beans. There is some human energy required as some of the finer grinds can take up to 250 turns of the crank and as long as 2 minutes for 14-20 grams of coffee. The better quality grinders produce a very good grind and are capable of the entire range from the extra fine Turkish grind all the way to the extra coarse French Press.