beverages – Page 2 – Sugar And Spice… Among Other Things

Food, Flame and Wine

Posted on February 18, 2020February 18, 2020 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

When the major Sunday luncheon is hosted at home, cooking for the week seems like a drag, especially when it includes packing school lunches. While lunch is managed by sandwiches, with esurient appetites dinner isn’t so light an affair. Moreover when one has an unexpected surprise when good old family friends pop over for a visit long overdue; the topic of dinner has to be a quick, palatable meal with few but good dishes. That’s when a couple of wine bottles ( in lieu of the holiday season), rice and chicken came in handy. The adding of wine to the flavours of food is like a sharp edged sword. Wine has the potential to enhance a meal or completely ruin it with a debatable concoction of flavours.

“If you do not have a good wine to use, it is far better to omit it, for a poor one can spoil a simple dish and utterly debase a noble one.” Julia Child

As far as wine is concerned, the drinking wine is good enough to be added to the cooking process instead of solely investing in cooking wine. In short if you like to drink it, then use it in meals. Else, just don’t. The drinkable wine should be clean, fresh and if it’s stored in the refrigerator uncorked even for two weeks, it can be used as long as long it is drinkable wine. Sweeter the wine, better in sauces and recipes, even desserts as well.

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Wine acts as a partial substitute for the use of oil in cooking. While the usual method is to saute vegetables in butter or oil (good for kids); a smaller amount of oil with some wine for flavor and moisture can do a subtle twist to the regular flavour. For marinades, most of the times decreasing the oil to half of the regular and replacing that amount with wine makes a good substitute for the dietary fat watchers.

As wine connoisseurs know, there are different types of drinking wines. They are the light and dark ones, the white and red wines as well as the sweet wines and dry ones as well. All these wines make their difference to the regular meals by their subtle flavours. Which is why, some wines are paired with certain foods. For instance, white wine works best with dishes based on melon, apple, mushrooms, pineapples, citrus and the vanilla flavoured desserts, whereas red wine goes well with cherries, peaches, plums, chocolate and coffee.

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Another general rule is that a light-flavored wine is paired best with delicately flavored foods. As far as meat is concerned, white wine works well dishes of chicken, turkey, fish or veal; white dark coloured wines especially red wine goes well with highly seasoned foods like beef, pork, duck or even goose. For the main course rice or pasta, it is question of light (or white) or dark (like red) wines, though the latter is best for heavier or spicier preparations. A less good wine is better for slow cooking recipes like stew than quick pan meals when deglazing which happens in minutes is the final touch. Another technique used by seasoned chefs is to add a small dash of better wine at the end of a long braise. The quandary in choosing which is the better wine will be solved when the entire recipe is taken into consideration.

As far as desserts are concerned, the cake batter can be given a more airy sweeter feel when a cup of white wine is added to it, replacing a little of the regular proportion of oil. Only concern with wine based desserts or even meals, is that it’s off limits for children, pregnancy and non-alcohol drinkers. In short, wine provides a delicious twist to the regular meal. Learning through experimentation during the quiet meals, helps one keep wine as a handy measure to add the twist when required. Which is why wine has a role in the simple, basic dishes of the kitchen to the major role between, before and after meals as well.

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Daily, Food, Stories Around the World

Third Wave and On…

Posted on January 18, 2020January 14, 2020 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Coffee is a hug in a mug.” Anonymous

On a long postponed visit to the extended family line, we had to put in a three hour journey to-and-back. While waiting in the traffic and not being in the principal driver’s seat was an added incentive for window shopping. Naturally the sign of “discount” had your truly squinting to make out the deals. But it was the special offer of “The Flying Squirrel” (exclusively bought online) and Seven Beans that had snared my attention. After seconds of hedging, my husband had the car in park while I made a quick dash for it. With our luck in alignment, the buy didn’t take much time and we were on back homeward bound.

“It’s amazing how the world begins to change through the eyes of a cup of coffee.” Donna A. Favors

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Interestingly “The Flying Squirrel” or “Seven Beans” is but two of the many brands caught in the “wave of coffee”. Entering into the artisanal food category, the third wave coffee movement is a retrospective entry of coffee wherein both coffee lovers and manufacturers share the joy and appreciation of high quality coffee. Like fine varieties of wine and cheese, the third wave of coffee explores the connoisseur-ship, stimulation of the senses and exploration of taste in a simple but buoyant cup of coffee. The unique characteristics of that simple coffee bean are highlighted, ranging from the diverse methods of growing, cultivation, processing, roasting as well as the practices and salient variables among the coffee bean cultivars and beverage preparation.

“The first wave of American coffee culture was probably the 19th-century surge that put Folgers on every table, and the second was the proliferation, starting in the 1960s at Peet’s and moving smartly through the Starbucks grande decaf latte, of espresso drinks and regionally labeled coffee. We are now in the third wave of coffee connoisseurship, where beans are sourced from farms instead of countries, roasting is about bringing out rather than incinerating the unique characteristics of each bean, and the flavor is clean and hard and pure.” Jonathan Gold, LA Weekly. (March 2008, Pulitzer Prize winning food critic on the third wave of coffee)

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Technically the terminology of “third wave coffee” was most widely attributed to Trish Rothgeb, a coffee professional in an article for the Roasters Guild newsletter titled “Norway and Coffee,” (2003) with the first mainstream media mention in an National Public Radio piece about barista competitions. Although there is a lesser known reference in an obscure trade publication called “Tea & Coffee Trade Journal Asia” (1999) by specialty coffee pioneer Timothy Castle obliquely referring to the same. While the first and second waves dealt in the ready availability and highlight the countries of origin with (or not) of their signature dark roast profile (respectively), the third wave coffee is often associated with the concept of ‘specialty coffee’ with reference to the specialty grades of green (raw and unroasted) coffee beans (distinct from commercial grade coffee) or specialty coffee beverages of high quality and craft. Though coined earlier (1974), “specialty coffee” was meant to refer to high-quality beans scoring 80 points or more on a 100-point scale.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re from – or how you feel… There’s always peace in a strong cup of coffee.” Gabriel Bá

There is something in a cup of coffee that is dearly enjoyed across all age groups, from different countries, professions and cultures. To add to one’s own special highlight to that cup of coffee, along with the coffee wave, the addition of a tinge of vanilla, whisky, chocolate, cinnamon, cardamom or hot chocolate, can do wonders. Not to forget the ice-cream for the kids. Little wonder then, one would chose to miss an opportunity to ride “that coffee wave”.

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Food, Photography Art, Stories Around the World

Flavoured, Festive and Wine

Posted on December 21, 2019November 16, 2019 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

No festive season is complete without the traditional accompaniment of wine. For winter, the entire holidays and Christmas centers around the mulled wine. Traditionally mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is usually made with red wine along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins which may be served warm. While most versions are alcoholic, there are many non-alcoholic variations especially for children during Christmas.

Tracing the origins of mulled wine, the second century Roman cuisine saw records of wine being spiced and heated in some areas. Although their era came to an end, certain aspects of the Roman cuisine had been merged with the local cuisine. As wine and viticulture spread along the rest of Europe and till the Scottish border, various variations and traditions with mulled wine entered into the local cuisine and culture. As recorded in the Medieval English cookbook “The forme of Curry” (1390) mentions “Pur fait Ypocras …” (mulled wine) to grind together cinnamon, ginger, galangal, cloves, long pepper, nutmeg, marjoram, cardamom, and grains of paradise (“spykenard de Spayn”, rosemary may be substituted), mix them with red wine and sugar (form and quantity unstated).

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Early variations include the concept of mulled wine being transferred to mulled ale, mulled cider or mulled apple juice. Though today recipes for mulled wine include the combination of orange, lemon, cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel seed (or star anise), cloves, cardamom, and ginger. Usually the spices are combined and boiled in a sugar syrup, then red wine is added, heated and served usually in small porcelain glass mugs.

A quick way to make it would be to add a tea bag of spices to red wine, which is heated along slices of orange or lemon. Common variations include the addition of brandy or ginger wine.Served with an orange or lemon slice garnish studded with cloves, cinnamon or star anise; this brings winter Christmas in a mug. Not just confined to wine; mulling spices can be added to beer and cider, as in the preparation of Wassail punch, a recipe since the Victorian Era.

While known as mulled wine in English based cuisine, other varieties are indigenous to the different cuisines with the difference ranging from the type of wine used, method of preparation as well as the spice mix. For instance Glühwein popular in German-speaking countries and Alsace (France) is made from red wine with the addition of vanilla pods to the spices. Glögg, gløgg or glögi, which is mulled wine in the Nordic countries (sometimes spelled as glog or glug) are made wiht stronger spirits like rum, vodka, brandy or just plain fruit juices. Vinho quente served in the Brazil is typically made with red wine, cinnamon sticks and cloves. On the other hand, greyano vino served in Bulgaria is made of red wine, homey and peppercorn.

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With the festive and holiday season in full swing, mulled wine essentially brings the warmth of the season in a cup. In fact, it is one of the best seasons to start the traditional family recipe of own. More than the experimentation, it is the memories that get passed on over the years.

TO MULL WINE.
INGREDIENTS.- To every pint of wine allow 1 large cupful of water, sugar and spice to taste.
Mode.-In making preparations like the above, it is very difficult to give the exact proportions of ingredients like sugar and spice, as what quantity might suit one person would be to another quite distasteful. Boil the spice in the water until the flavour is extracted, then add the wine and sugar, and bring the whole to the boiling-point, then serve with strips of crisp dry toast, or with biscuits. The spices usually used for mulled wine are cloves, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon or mace. Any kind of wine may be mulled, but port and claret are those usually selected for the purpose; and the latter requires a very large proportion of sugar. The vessel that the wine is boiled in must be delicately cleaned, and should be kept exclusively for the purpose. Small tin warmers may be purchased for a trifle, which are more suitable than saucepans, as, if the latter are not scrupulously clean; they spoil the wine, by imparting to it a very disagreeable flavour. These warmers should be used for no other purpose.
(Traditional recipe for Mulled Wine. Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management. 1869. Revised edition. Pg.929-930 (Paragraph 1961))

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Tea with a Difference

Posted on December 14, 2019October 13, 2019 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Catching up with the extended family cousins who have been seriously bitten by the “travel bug” leads to often enlightening conversations and interesting accounts. In the course of discussion was their recent rove into the Tibetan lands. Asides the details of their stay and visits, what caught the curiosity of yours truly was their tea culture.

“When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things. Where is beauty to be found? In great things that, like everything else, are doomed to die, or in small things that aspire to nothing, yet know how to set a jewel of infinity in a single moment?” Muriel Barbery (author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog)

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Interestingly the Tibetan tea culture primarily includes the butter tea and the sweet milk tea. Other varieties include the Pu’er Tea, green tea, milk tea and boiled black teas. The most favoured tea is the butter tea, known as po cha (Tibetan, Wylie: bod ja, “Tibetan tea”) or cha süma ( Eastern Tibet, Wylie: ja srub ma, “churned tea”) or suyóu chá (Mandarin Chinese) or gur gur (Ladakhi language). Made from tea leaves, yak butter, water, and salt in the traditional way, wherein the butter, milk and salt are added to the brewed tea. Although the variation today is to use the butter made from cow’s milk based on the latter’s wider availability and lower cost.Had by itself or used as an accompaniment for eating tsampa by pouring onto it or dipping the tsampa into it and mixing well.

The quality of the butter tea is enhanced by boiling the tea leaves to achieve a dark brown colour (takes almost half a day) or turns black (steep the tea leaves). One method involves skimmed the dark brown tea, pouring into a cylinder filled with fresh yak butter and salt and then the whole mix is shaken. The resulting thick liquid is then poured into tea pots or jars. Another method is to add salt to the steeped black tea, stirring the mix through the horse air (or reed) colander into the wooden butter churn with a large lump of butter then added to it. Then it is churned (or rapid stirring in wooden bowl) till the proper consistency of the tea is achieved and then transferred to copper pots kept warmed on a brazier. Modern day alternatives include tea bags, butter and blender.

$Source:https://www.tibettravel.org/tibetan-local-customs/tibetan-tea-culture.html\$

Source:https://www.tibettravel.org/tibetan-local-customs/tibetan-tea-culture.html\

$Source:https://www.tibettravel.org/tibetan-local-customs/tibetan-tea-culture.html\$

Source:https://www.tibettravel.org/tibetan-local-customs/tibetan-tea-culture.html\

$Source:https://www.tibettravel.org/tibetan-local-customs/tibetan-tea-culture.html\$

Source:https://www.tibettravel.org/tibetan-local-customs/tibetan-tea-culture.html\

Like the detailed preparation of butter tea, the Tibetan tea drinking culture has many rules. As per their custom, butter tea is drunk in separate sips. After each sip, the host refills the bowl to the brim. As a rule the guest never drains his bowl, instead it is to be constantly topped up. If the guest doesn’t wish to drink, the best thing to do is leave the tea untouched until the time comes to leave and then drain the bowl. This signifies the observance of etiquette, without any offense to the host. Another set of rules to follow is when one is invited to a house for tea. The host will first pour some highland barley wine. The guest must dip his finger in the wine and flick some away, which is done so three times to represent respect for the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Then the cup will be refilled two more times and on the last time it must be emptied or the host will be insulted. After this the host will present a gift of butter tea to the guest, who will accept it without touching the rim of the bowl. The guest will then pour a glass for himself, and must finish the glass or be seen as rude.

Not just limited to drinking but also serving butter tea has it’s own special set of tea-ware. From special porcelain cups to wooden bowls set with gold, silver or copper, or made from these metals as well jade, the Tibetan tea-ware is an art by itself. Interestingly like Tibet, most of the East Asian countries have their own special tea customs, so much so that the tea culture of each country has a rich and varied history behind it. That for tea connoisseurs is the beauty of tea, in itself and being a part of rich vibrant cultures, their customs and traditions, lending the subtle depth and significance to the art and concept of tea.

“The first cup moistens the throat;
The second shatters all feelings of solitude;
The third cleans the digestion, and brings to mind the wisdom of 5,000 volumes;
The fourth induces perspiration, evaporating all of life’s trials and tribulations;
With the fifth cup, body sharpens, crisp;
And the sixth cup is the first on the road to enlightenment;
The seventh cup sits steaming – it needn’t be drunk, as from head to feet one rises to the abode of the immortals.”
–Lu Tong, 9th century

Source:https://www.tibettravel.org/tibetan-tea/

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Daily, Food, Stories Around the World

Splash of White

Posted on November 19, 2019October 9, 2019 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee.” Carly Simon

For coffee connoisseurs around the globe, knowing the exact coffee-lingo is a must. Following the dictum of “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, coffee lingo too changes as per place. Be it the espresso macchiato or the Caffè macchiato (not the latte macchiato) or the “café pingado”, all routes lead to another coffee concoction.

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Known as espresso macchiato or Caffè macchiato (latter in Italy), it is essentially an espresso coffee drink with a small amount of milk (usually foamed) in it. The origin of this drink could be possibly attributed to the baristas which needed to show their serving waiters the difference between an espresso and the effect to it after a little bit of milk was added to it. The purpose was to just mark or stain the espresso. In Italian, macchiato means “stained” or “spotted” so the literal translation of caffè macchiato is “stained” or “marked coffee.” Moving over to the Portuguese version of this drink where it is renamed as “café pingado” literally translated to coffee with a drop. Although in Mexico, it is called a cortada, the latter terminology mayn’t be used in other countries as it meant for another coffee beverage with a higher amount of milk in it as compared to the macchinato.

“Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love.” Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

As compared with any other similar coffee drink with milk, the caffè macchiato has the highest ratio of espresso to milk. The key to a perfect macchiato lies in getting the quantities right. As the name suggests, this coffee should contain just a splash of milk, which is added to pure espresso. The traditional macchiato is about one and a quarter ounce that is one ounce of espresso with a small amount (around one to two teaspoons) of milk, the latter is mostly steamed with slight foam so there is a visible mark. The purpose of the milk is to enhance in moderation (rather than being overwhelming), preserving the bold flavour and the taste of the coffee while adding a delicate touch of sweetness (as an alternative to added sugar).

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For coffee cognoscente attention to details are required for the preferred coffee. While an average cappuccino has an 1:2 ratio and latte has a 1:3 ratio of espresso to milk, the average size espresso macchiato has a 2:1 ratio. To prepare the drink at home or in a semi-professional barista set-up, a single shot of espresso is poured into a demitasse (a small espresso cup) and then a splash of hot milk is added. Few recipes suggest adding 1–2 teaspoons (approx. 5 to 10 grams) of milk heated to 140 to 150°F (60–66°C). Heating the milk so, would introduce steam into the milk causing the fats to expand and develop a layer of little bubbles like a “micro-foam.” This is most often done using an espresso machine and a steam wand.

For a change, as the autumn showers run by and the cold wintry winds approaching soon, the scent and flavours of coffee maybe enjoyed the “macchiato” way. As any javaphile would agree, those little beans can liven up the day at any hour or moment of time.

“To espresso or to latte, that is the question…whether ’tis tastier on the palate to choose white mocha over plain…or to take a cup to go. Or a mug to stay, or extra cream, or have nothing, and by opposing the endless choice, end one’s heartache.” Jasper Fforde

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caff%C3%A8_macchiato#/media/File:Caff%C3%A8_Espresso_Macchiato_Schiumato.jpg

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caff%C3%A8_macchiato#/media/File:Caff%C3%A8_macchiato_in_glass,_Natick,_Massachusetts,_USA.jpg

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Daily, Food, Stories Around the World

The “Gin and Tonic” Way

Posted on October 22, 2019September 25, 2019 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way”
( Excerpt from the Lyrics of A Spoonful of Sugar in the movie Mary Poppins, an 1964 American musical fantasy film.)

The process of making any child take their medicine involves plenty of guile and quick action. Maybe such a trick was used by the Scottish doctor George Cleghorn to ensure that quinine had reached the officers in the malaria prone areas of the Indian subcontinent and other tropical regions (1700s).

“The gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the Empire.” Winston Churchill

To mark the bitter taste of quinine, a traditional cure for malaria, it was drunk in tonic water to mask the bitter taste. The early 19th century saw the British officers add a mixture of water, sugar, lime and gin to the quinine in order to make the drink more palatable, thus leading to the birth of gin and tonic. With the passage of years and evolution of modern medicine, the quinine in tonic water has been tapered down to a bare minimum. In hindsight, science has proved that essentially this practice of quinine intake was impractical for malaria prophylaxis or even treatment. Keeping those facts aside, it is the “gin and tonic” that stays on.

Source:https://www.liquor.com/recipes/spanish-gin-and-tonic/#gs.5ymqg6

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“When life gives you juniper berries, make gin!” Laurie Buchanan

Today gin and tonic serves as a highball cocktail with the ratio of gin to tonic varying as per taste, strength of the gin, the presence of other drink mixers; although most recipes mention a ratio between 1:1 to 1:3. The classical garnish was with a slice or wedge of lime. The mixers today include lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice, spiced simple syrup, grenadine, tea or a dash of champagne (the Parisian), super smokey whiskey (the Ol’ Smokey), peach liqueur and grapefruit bitters (Tonic Delight), mint bitters and chocolate liqueur (the Guilty Pleasure) and the like or simply mixed with a sorbet. From the classical lime wheel garnish to the orange peel, a slice of ginger, star anise, thyme-elder flower or the more exotic combinations of pink grapefruit and rosemary, mint and black peppercorns, strawberry and basil the evolution of the garnishes for gin and tonic is depending on own taste and local availability. The Spanish variation of gin and tonic has the drink from being fruit based or the use of herbs and vegetables served in a balloon glass as the latter helps to appreciate the aroma of the drink better.

Source:https://ingoodcompany.today/2016/11/10/gin-and-dubonnet/

Source:spoonforkbacon.com/blackberry-meyer-lemon-gin-tonics/

On similar lines to gin and tonic, the Dubonnet, a sweet, aromatised wine-based aperitif made as a blend of fortified wine, herbs, and spices with alcohol was first sold by Joseph Dubonnet (1846) to find a way of persuading French Foreign Legionnaires in North Africa to drink quinine. Likewise the “Lillet” and quinquina were similar aperitif wines initially made for medical reasons with the latter purpose made obsolete over time.

The popularity of the variations of the gin and tonic has led to the establishment of exclusive Gin-Tonic bars, in which customers can choose their preferred gin, tonic, and garnish from a menu. With the creativity streak coming to the forefront at gatherings especially when supplies are limited, the different variations of gin and tonic bring forth recipes and mixes worth the change.

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Self-made_gin_and_tonic_cropped.jpg

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Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A_Gin_Tonica_with_Fruit_Garnish_at_Cappuccino_Gin_Bar_in_Salou,_Spain,_June-2013.jpg

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Daily, Food, Stories Around the World

Of Coffee, Iced and “Frapped”

Posted on October 5, 2019September 6, 2019 by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Some of the best things of life occur not when everything goes by plan, or by mere accidental occurrences. Adding to the list, is the delightful flavours of coffee, chilled, icy and sweet; though meant or the hot summer days can be had at any occasion, day or time. Though the 19th century saw a variety of cold coffee drinks as “café frappé (à la glace)”, some were like iced coffee and others similar to slushes. Although special mention of the iced coffee drink, known as Frappé coffee (or Greek frappé or café frappé, frapés), has to be made as it became ingrained into the coffee culture.

“Iced coffee, on a hot day, can perform miracles.” Lish McBride

Although frappé with etymological origins from French means “chilled in crushed ice”; the discovery of the café frappé using instant coffee happened in Greece. As the narrative goes, at the Thessaloniki International Fair (1957), Giannis Dritsas (the Nestlé company representative) was exhibiting a new chocolate beverage produced instantly by mixing it with milk and shaking it in a shaker. With Dritsas’ employee Dimitris Vakondios looking for a way to have his usual instant coffee during his break and for the lack of hot water, he mixed the coffee with cold water and ice cubes in a shaker. With this experimentation, frappé was born and established with it’s Greek finish.

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The Greek frappé in Greece is available in various varieties depending on their degrees of sweetness and the amount of sugar used. These are mainly glykós (“sweet”, 2 teaspoons of coffee and 4 teaspoons of sugar); métrios ( “medium” with 1:1 ratio of coffee and sugar) and a skétos (“plain”) without sugar). The chocie of serving can be with evaporated milk, then known as frapógalo or “frappé-milk” or without any milk. At times water is substituted by milk for a very thick, milky coffee frappé (mostly a Cyprian variation). Over the years, further flavours like Kahlúa, Baileys Irish Cream or other liqueurs are used, along with a ball of vanilla ice-cream (not milk) or made blended with spoon. With the spread of frappé from Greece, further variations have been according to the local choice like the “hladen nas” (Serbian) made with milk or ice-cream and whipped cream often added on top or the Danish version of using cold milk on crushed ice with coffee in the shaker.

“I was taken by the power that savoring a simple cup of coffee can have to connect people and create community.” Howard Schultz

With the experimentation streak running high, homemade frappé can be had for a change from the regular. With a hand mixer or cocktail shaker, the homemade blend would be a welcome change from the regular sweet coffee. Moreover, it could be a start to a new frappé tradition of own choice, ingenuity and memorable moments.

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Source: https://miakouppa.com/2017/06/12/frappe-coffee-%CF%86%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%AD/

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One or two teaspoons of instant coffee (traditionally Nescafe), sugar (to taste) and a little water are blended (with a cocktail shaker or an appropriate mixer like the hand mixer) to form a foam, which is poured into a tall glass. To this is added cold water and ice cubes, and, optionally, milk (typically evaporated milk). The glass is served with a drinking straw.