The Coffee Lover's Handbook

Sounds more like a manual than a guide however if you love coffee than this would be a great book to have. Even if you are not a coffee lover or a coffee drinker there are a few recipes in this book to get one curious and loads of information to help you choose "the perfect cup of coffee." A hot cup of java provides a temperary perk to ones morning or afternoon however when temperatures rise reaching for an iced coffee brings instant refreshment. 

From it's humble utilitarian beginnings in Uganda to it's mainstream perfect roast, in-house coffeehouses, the coffee bean has played an important role throughout history. The first documented evidence of cultivating the coffee bean was by the Arabians in about 575 A.D. After time coffee became a cure for just about what ailed you and that it was first sold in European drugstores in 1615. By 1650 coffeehouses were open across Europe in such places as Venice, Paris, and London. The English coffeehouses were not as glamorous as the Turkish and French coffeehouses. Often being seen as a seditious place that catered to the literary. It is said that Alexander Pope, a famous poet and satirist, inhaled the steam from coffee to be relieved from his constant headaches. 
By the 1700's coffeehouses became a regular meeting place. It was not until the middle of the 18th century that coffeehouses were introduced to North America however by the middle of the 18th century the U.S. and England had nearly transformed all of their coffeehouses into taverns. High coffee taxes and the popularity of tea saw the diminish of the coffeehouse and it was not until the 1950's that the infamous coffeehouses made a comeback. As for today's coffeehouses they are as popular as ever still being a place to meet, relax, and enjoy a cup of coffee.   

I wanted to share a few recipes from the book in hopes that it will inspire, and refresh you. 

SOY NUT COFFEE CAKE

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Batter:

2 cups brown sugar

6 room temperature eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt, preferably sea salt

1/2 cup soy or vegetable oil

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup soy flour

3 teaspoons tartrate baking powder

1/2 cup milk

Filling and topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup what germ

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Beat sugar and eggs until thick and light. Beat in vanilla and salt. Fold in oil and butter. Sift remaining dry ingredients and fold into batter alternately with the milk. 

Combine filling ingredients in a small bowl Pour half the cake batter into an oiled 10" tube pan; sprinkle with 3/4 of nut mixture. Add remaining batter and nut mixture. Bake about 75 minutes at 325ºF. Serve slightly warm.

COFFEE ICE CREAM 

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(makes 1 gallon)

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

7 cups milk

3 cups whipping cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add coffee powder to vanilla and stir until dissolved. Beat eggs until light. Add sugar slowly, beating until thick. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Freeze in 5 quart ice cream freezer. 

MORNING PUNCH COFFEE BREAKFAST

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( makes 5, 1 cup servings )

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cold coffee, fresh or instant

3 eggs

2 cups cold milk

1 cup plain yogurt or vanilla ice cream

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon chocolate, if desired

1 tablespoon brewer's yeast, if desired

1 teaspoon grated orange or lemon peel

dash of cinnamon, cloves or ginger to taste

Put all the ingredients in the blender and mix at full speed until frothy. Serve immediately in tall, culled glasses. If you don't have a blender, use and egg beater to mix in a big bowl or shake in a covered container. Makes a great nutritious quickie breakfast. 


Hope everyone is having a great week. It has been a hot and very busy one for myself and it looks like the weekend will be too. Enjoy! -JD