Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

specialty

Browsing
Food

Poutine: Specialty Conquers Fast Food Lovers

In Canada, it has been the fast-food par excellence for several decades: poutine. The dish consists of French fries, pieces of cheese, and gravy and is slowly conquering the counters of various kitchens around the world. The calorie count doesn’t say thank you after eating poutine, but it’s still a taste highlight.

What is poutine?

Poutine first went over a restaurant counter in Canada in the 1950s. Today, all sorts of what “poutine” means when translated, is considered a fast-food specialty and is even offered in Canadian McDonald’s and Burger King branches. The ingredients are relatively simple – the taste should still be bombastic.

Roughly cut potatoes are fried for classic poutine, which makes them crispy on the outside and golden in color, but soft on the inside. Cheddar is traditionally used as a piece of cheese, it does not run and squeaks when chewed. Hot gravy is then poured over the fries and cheese and the poutine is ready.

Of course, there are also restaurants in Canada that specialize in poutine and offer various variations of the classic. There, the fast-food dish is offered with sauerkraut, gherkins, minced meat, or mushrooms, for example, as well as numerous sauces.

Not an easy pleasure

A serving of poutine hits the calorie account with a whopping 500 calories. This makes poutine a pleasure that you can of course treat yourself to every now and then – but the Canadian specialty should not become a regular occurrence.

The Poutine Recipe

Ingredients for four people

  • 30 g cornstarch
  • 90 grams of butter
  • 60 grams of flour
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 550 ml beef broth
  • 300 ml chicken broth
  • pepper
  • about 10 potatoes
  • rapeseed oil
  • 300g cheddar

The preparation

  1. For the gravy, mix the cornstarch in 30ml water until it dissolves.
  2. Now melt the butter in a large pan. Then add the flour and simmer, stirring, for about five minutes until it turns golden brown.
  3. Peel the garlic cloves, cut them into small pieces, and add to the roux and sauté briefly.
  4. In another bowl, add the beef and chicken broth, stir in the roux and simmer until the sauce thickens about 5 minutes. Season with pepper and keep warm.
  5. Wash the potatoes and cut them into finger-width wedges. Then heat plenty of rapeseed oil in a saucepan and fry the potato wedges in it until they are golden yellow in color. Then drain on kitchen paper. For that extra portion of crispiness, it can also be fried a second time.
  6. Cut the cheddar into bite-sized pieces.
  7. Now place the finished fries on a large, deep plate, pour over the gravy, and spread the pieces of cheese over them.
Keep Reading
By
Cooking Tips

Make Cappuccino Yourself: This is How the Italian Specialty Succeeds

Creamy coffee just like in Bella Italia: With the right recipe and professional know-how, you can make your own cappuccino at home, the taste of which will immediately take you back to your last holiday in Italy.

Warming rays of sunshine, the hustle and bustle on the piazza and a cappuccino with perfect milk foam topping – the ingredients for a relaxing holiday! At least the luxurious drink can easily be taken home. Because the recipe for classic Italian cappuccino is very simple: it consists of equal parts espresso, milk and milk froth.

Already knew?

Italians only drink cappuccino in the morning. Due to its high milk content, it is considered to be stomach-filling. In Germany, on the other hand, we enjoy it all day long: with a long breakfast or in the afternoon with pastries.

It all comes down to the beans

First things first: The espresso beans should be of the best quality so that the cappuccino really tastes as good as it does on holiday. You are guaranteed to be on the right track with the high-quality coffees from Mamis Caffè. Which variety you choose is up to your personal preferences.

Gran Crema impresses with the fine crema of the Arabica beans from Brazil, which settles perfectly on the milk.
The full-bodied espresso crema has a soft, intense crema, which unfolds its aroma in the interplay of Arabica beans with a strong Robusta note.
The sweet Amabile with its generous, soft body brings together seductive Dolce Vita with aromatic notes from India and South America.
Dolce Vita already carries the pleasure in the name. Sweet and with a certain spice, Arabica and Robusta beans bring the Italian attitude to life into your cup.
The smooth Deca Coffee is suitable for a delicious decaffeinated cappuccino variant.

What else makes a good cappuccino? That’s right: a creamy, dense foam. For this to succeed, you need milk with a high fat content. Whole milk with a fat content of 3.5 percent is ideal. Without fat, the foam will be watery and won’t stay solid.

All good things come in threes: the cappuccino recipe

Everything together? Now it depends on the mixing ratio. A cup of cappuccino consists of:

⅓ espresso
⅓ warm milk
⅓ milk froth.
For this you need:

Espresso (approx. 25 – 30 milliliters)
milk (approx. 100 – 150 milliliters)

Cappuccino preparation: start with the espresso

Professionals brew their espresso in a portafilter machine. Such a high-end coffee machine has its price and requires a relatively large amount of effort to prepare. However, if you regularly enjoy cappuccino at barista level, the investment can be worth it. You like it less complicated? A small espresso pot for the stove, a so-called Bialetti, also does a good job. The espresso is quick and easy with a fully automatic coffee machine, a pad or capsule machine.

Of course, you know best which method best suits your everyday life. At Mamis Caffè you will find your favorite variety for every type of preparation: as a whole bean, ground coffee, pad or capsule.

It’s all in the milk: this is how the perfect milk froth succeeds

In order to produce a stable milk froth, it is important that the milk is not too hot. As the owner of a portafilter machine with a steam nozzle, you are on the safe side. Here you use hot steam to heat milk in a jug and froth it at the same time. It’s even easier with a fully automatic machine. Most models conjure up a decent amount of milk foam at the touch of a button.

Alternatively, simply heat the milk on the stove. A temperature below 65 degrees is ideal, it should never boil.

You can then either froth the warm milk with a special milk frother or use a hand blender or a whisk. What actually works: a sufficiently large, empty mason jar. Pour in the warm milk and shake vigorously: a fine froth forms.

For your cappuccino you need milk froth, milk and espresso in equal parts. Froth until the volume of the milk has roughly doubled.

Expert tip: Professional baristas briefly knock the pot onto the table after heating the milk. In this way, unwanted bubbles escape from the milk and the froth becomes more even.

The final touch: Serve the cappuccino

Once you have prepared your espresso, first pour it into a preheated cup. Now it’s time for the milk, which you pour into the cup with a flourish. First hold back the foam with a spoon. You use it in the last step to crown your drink with it.

Et voilà: the homemade cappuccino is ready and tastes at least as good as in your favorite café in Milan or Rome.

Art in coffee: create latte art like a barista

Professionals refine the cappuccino with artistic motifs in the milk froth, the so-called latte art. The patterns in the crema are created when you pour the milk onto the espresso with a lot of energy and small, targeted movements. This requires finesse and practice. Would you like to surprise your guests with artistic masterpieces on milk froth? Most major cities have barista classes that will teach you the basics in just a few hours.

Keep Reading
By
Food

What is a Macchiato and How Does This Coffee Specialty from Italy Work?

A cup of macchiato promises coffee enjoyment like in Bella Italia. But what is the difference between an espresso macchiato and a latte macchiato – and how can the specialties be perfectly prepared?

The fine difference between espresso macchiato and latte macchiato

Espresso macchiato and latte macchiato sound similar in name, but they are two different drinks. The espresso macchiato (also known as macchiato for short) is a genuine Italian specialty. With this type of coffee, the espresso is “stained” with milk (macchiato). It is characteristic of the drink that the barista only adds a little milk froth to the espresso.

The latte macchiato, on the other hand, consists of espresso and significantly more milk. Conversely, with this variant, the milk is “stained” by the espresso.

How do you make latte macchiato?

The perfect latte macchiato is served in a glass, because this is how the color nuances of the espresso and the milk can be seen. The hot drink consists of a total of three layers: the milk is at the bottom of the glass, then the espresso follows in the middle and the relatively firm and creamy milk foam is enthroned at the top.

How can the layers be separated? Quite simply: When pouring espresso and milk froth, caution and the right order is required.

First pour the milk into the glass.
Now add the milk froth.
Finally, carefully pour the espresso through the milk froth.

Prepare espresso macchiato: Here’s how

The preparation of an espresso macchiato does not require quite as much skill as the latte. To serve the perfect espresso macchiato, first froth the milk. Tip: The froth is particularly firm and retains its consistency longer if you use milk with a high fat content.

Prepare the espresso separately. First pour the espresso into the cup and garnish it with the milk froth.
The delicious hot drink is available in different versions:

● Italians like to drink a doppio macchiato, which consists of twice the amount of espresso. This variation is also often served in a glass. Incidentally, an espresso macchiato tastes particularly good when the cup is warm.
● Cold macchiato is a pleasure, especially on warm summer days. This is prepared without foam. Instead, the espresso is simply mixed with some cold milk and called espresso macchiato freddo.

 

Keep Reading
By
Food

Specialty Coffee – for a Very Special Treat

What exactly is a specialty coffee? The term is protected by strict guidelines of the “Specialty Coffee Association of America” ​​(short: SCAA). The world’s largest specialty coffee organization tests the quality of a coffee bean based on very specific criteria. So-called Q-graders, professional coffee experts, evaluate and award the coffee. For this purpose, the SCAA has developed an evaluation system for the quality of green coffee, in which the coffee is evaluated physically and sensorially. The physical check is carried out, among other things, by identifying defects. From a sensory point of view, the coffee is evaluated in so-called cuppings (tastings) on a scale of up to a maximum of 100 points.

A specialty coffee must achieve 80 points or more on the SCA scale before it can bear this title. High quality is the most important factor, this is achieved through ecologically sustainable cultivation. However, complete transparency of the entire delivery process is also important, as well as direct communication channels from the roasters to the coffee farmers. In addition, fair wages and the promotion of social projects in the country of origin also play a major role in creating a specialty coffee.

High-quality standards for specialty coffee

The different quality differences of the coffee beans are classified in so-called grades from 1 to 5. Where 1 is the highest and 5 is the worst quality level. The types of coffee with the highest grade may then bear the title of specialty coffee. The classification is related to the number of defective beans.

With specialty coffee, only three broken, no unripe and no discolored coffee beans may be contained in 300 grams. The coffee is assessed using various criteria in order to find the best possible quality. For this purpose, five samples of one coffee are prepared in parallel in order to then evaluate the uniformity, the purity of taste and the sweetness. The coffee receives the best rating when all cups taste uniform, pure and sweet – then it is classified as a specialty coffee.

Evaluation of the coffee bean

The coffee is judged by the Specialty Coffee Organization in professional cuppings, also known as coffee tastings. This is based on the following classification:

Below 80 points: Conventional merchandise. This is ordinary coffee from the supermarket with no special taste and sometimes irregular roasting due to existing defects.
More than 80 points: This coffee is a specialty coffee. The coffee can only bear this title if it achieves more than 80 points.
80 – 84.99 points: Particularly good coffee with special taste characteristics. The aromas are finer and the coffee has no serious defects.
85 – 89.99 points: Excellent coffee with a refined taste, exceptional complexity and a special sweetness.
90 – 100 points: Absolute rarities, not even 1% of all coffees are rated that well. In this category there are only coffees with extraordinary aromas that clearly stand out from the other varieties.

The origin of a specialty coffee

The indication single origin refers to the origin of the coffee. The beans differ depending on the season and harvest time, so that they can definitely show differences in taste. For this reason, many manufacturers mix the coffee beans from different growing areas (blend) in order to retain the usual taste. However, this process loses some of the quality as many blends have a similar taste. Accordingly, a single origin, i.e. a single-variety coffee, is an indicator of the high quality of the beans and is therefore important for the production of specialty coffee.

The perfect cup of coffee: roasting and brewing

Did you know that coffee contains more than 800 aromas? During roasting, as many of these aromas as possible should unfold in order to get the best possible taste. It is important that when roasting specialty coffee, none of the special sensory properties are covered, because it is precisely these properties that make specialty coffee so special. Traditionally, the coffee is roasted gently and slowly (15-20 minutes) at a temperature of 200 to 230 degrees. Each coffee has its own roasting profile, which is precisely documented in order to bring out the special quality of the coffee bean.

Keep Reading
By
Food

International coffee enjoyment: this is how the specialty is drunk in different countries

Coffee is a popular drink around the world: Whether coffee from the espresso maker, coffee from the French press, coffee from the capsule machine, hand-brewed, with or without milk, schnapps, cream, ice cubes, warm, cold or something in between – all over the world they cultivate Coffee drinkers their own coffee rituals, drinking habits and preparation methods. Different coffee specialties have developed in the countries of the world, which are now internationally popular. We present some of them to you!

But coffee is more than just a hot pick-me-up. Internationally, coffee drinkers connect very differently. Find out what coffee lovers associate with their favorite pick-me-up and what a good cup of coffee really means to you.

International coffee specialties – Country 1: Italy

Italy is the home of espresso – internationally, the southern European country is also associated with delicious coffee specialties. For the Italians themselves, only coffee from the espresso maker is good coffee. There is hardly a coffee specialty that is not based on coffee from the espresso maker.

Simple caffè, caffè lungo, caffè macchiato or cappuccino are just a few of the variants that people like to drink frequently. In fact, Italy is the country with the most cafés in the world; unlike in other countries, the coffee from the espresso maker is not drunk in company or over a longer period of time, but rather quickly and while standing. That’s why the Italians also expect their coffee to be at the right drinking temperature straight from the espresso maker.

International coffee specialties – Country 2: Austria

In Austria, the espresso coffee machine is a guarantee for coffee drinks that provide warmth and energy. The Austrians have a long coffee tradition and attach great importance to the beloved little black dress. This is clearly shown in the many typical coffee houses that are internationally known.

Coffee machines are also popular, as Austrians love all kinds of coffee specialities. Just like the Germans, they associate warmth with the hot drink. What makes them different is that they see coffee as a source of energy. They really appreciate the waking effect.

International coffee specialties – Country 3: Switzerland

The Swiss are internationally known and valued for their high quality of life and excellent cuisine. For the Swiss, the love of coffee is simply part of it and therefore also associated with love. This is even more important to the Swiss than the positive quality as an energy supplier. Enjoying coffee is a matter of the heart for the Swiss.

So it is not surprising that this love is the mother of invention: Coffee from the capsule machine is very popular in European countries and internationally – and who invented it? Guessed correctly. A Swiss food company was the first to come up with the idea of ​​producing, portioning and packaging coffee for a capsule machine. In addition, the Swiss like to drink their coffee refined with cream, which is also known among connoisseurs as café mélange. But other coffee specialties are also popular in the country: Kafi Luz or Kafi GT – variants with herbal schnapps or liqueurs.

International coffee specialties – Country 4: Denmark

The Danes like it uncomplicated: coffee from the French press is the second most popular way of preparing coffee for the northerners. The “Stempelkande Kaffe” is portioned with a teaspoon of coffee in a cup of water.

For many Danes, the daily consumption of three to four cups of coffee from the French press is part of “hygge” – a term for a positive attitude to life, cosiness and well-being. The internationally popular coffee to go is not very common in Denmark. Instead, in cafés or restaurants, the coffee is served directly in a French press or in a thermos flask, from which you can help yourself.

International Coffee Specialties – Country 5: Poland

In Poland, the espresso coffee machine is used for a hot drink that arouses passion. Filter coffee machines are particularly common in this country. Many also appreciate the espresso coffee machine to prepare a strong espresso.

If you ask people in Poland about their associations with coffee, you will mostly hear passion as the answer. Coffee and espresso wake up tired spirits. The association with home is also very widespread. Wherever Poles enjoy a coffee, they feel at home and welcome.

International specialty coffees – Country 6: USA

The USA is internationally the country with the most coffee imports. Your constant thirst for the black gold is quenched with a wide variety of coffee specialties. The coffee is often drunk heavily: if you order a Black Eye, Bulls Eye, Red Eye or Dead Eye (depending on the region), you will usually receive two espressos in combination with black filter coffee.

Another popular variant, “Iced Coffee” is not the same as the German version “Eis Kaffee” – in the USA the glass is filled to the top with ice cubes instead of ice cream.

International coffee specialties – Country 7: Germany

In Germany, in addition to convenient preparation options such as coffee from the capsule machine, handmade coffees are also in vogue again: coffee from the French press, the hand filter or coffee from the espresso maker is finding more and more fans. The coffee does not necessarily have to be hot:

In some processes, the coffee is produced as a “cold brew” and the coffee also stays cold with one of the typical German coffee specialties: the iced coffee is consumed with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. The country’s coffee drinkers associate warmth, love, peace, joy and security with their favorite drink. The hot drink replaces the hustle and bustle of everyday life with relaxation and enjoyment, and Germans prefer to enjoy their coffee with their partner or alone.

International coffee specialties – Country 8: Czech Republic

In this country, coffee is highly valued and drunk a lot. For people, coffee means rest. It brings serenity to the stressful everyday life and creates a welcome moment to pause and calm down. Community is very important to coffee drinkers in the Czech Republic: they prefer to drink coffee together than alone.

International coffee specialties – Country 9: Eritrea

The Eritreans have a very special relationship with coffee, which is only common in a few international countries. They celebrate coffee in a traditional coffee ceremony, which takes place up to three times a day. Coffee is considered a true delicacy in Eritrea, which should be prepared with the utmost respect.

Part of the ceremony is therefore to freshly roast the coffee beans yourself. When dark enough, the roasted beans are placed on a rush mat and passed around to all the participants in the coffee ceremony, who fan the aroma with their hands. The coffee is then ground and poured into a special clay vessel called a jebena, into which cold water is then poured. Finally, along with some spices, the mixture is heated on the stove for 15 to 30 minutes and then cooled again so that the coffee does not boil over. When it is ready, Eritreans stick a tuft of horsehair into the spout of the vessel to separate the liquid from the remaining coffee grounds when pouring the coffee specialty.

Keep Reading
By