Time for a coffee? I
was at our local Museum of Art down here on the South Coast for an art history
lecture on St Catherine’s Monastery, in the Sinai Peninsula … its official name
is Sacred Monastery of the God-Trodden
Mount Sinai …
I got to town early to do a few things and thought I’d have
a snack-lunch at the Towner Gallery before the talk …
I had nothing to read with me ... but the Coffee Lover’s
Magazine “Caffeine” was available for a browse through … and as always – a blog
post or two comes to light …
… so time for a coffee update … one of the articles is
called “The Summer of Cold Brew” – which takes me back to my childhood … and
cold coffee drinks …
… Wiki describes Camp Coffee as a British icon of nostalgia …
with many of us remembering it from our childhoods … I particularly remember
making coffee flavoured Victoria sponges, coffee mousses with boiled evaporated
milk …
… and then cold-milk coffees sitting on the lawn in
wonderful sunshine – as we have now and so too does the Wimbledon tennis …
 |
| A bumpy lawn .. with a few impediments around - we didn't have a pond ... |
… we had a bumpy grass court at home … and enjoyed the long
evenings playing tennis, running around … and drinking coffee – nothing stronger
for us (in those days) …
Now we can get Cold Brew … by taking the inspiration from
how you brew beer, to how you make coffee … there are a number of companies giving
us a cold brew …
 |
| Cold Milky Coffee |
Sandows will be brewing up some special editions …
especially from their pop-up bar situated on the South Bank of the Thames this
summer … it’s different to hot brewed coffee – one that shows many coffees in a
completely new light.
The tip is to drink it via a straw … back to those memories
again …
 |
| Sandows Cold Brew |
I did enjoy football back in the 1960s … but now I could do
without watching any of it … but this magazine also told me that football and
coffee were imports to Brazil.
 |
| Poster from the Sandow website |
Coffee was introduced in 1727, while football arrived 150
years later – when British businessmen who lived and worked in Brazil in the
latter part of the 1800s, brought balls over providing the early insight into
the ‘wonderful game’ …
Coffee was the driving force of the Brazilian economy at
this point and slowly the two cultures opened up their doors to all … as we
know today coffee and football are both ubiquitous cultures … though beer comes
in too!
Flour Power: now this is what really caught my eye … an ex
Starbucks man turns waste into a wonder food …
here’s an excellent 3 minute video showing the attributes of coffeeflour …
 |
| Coffee berries - the cherries ... these are the husks that are discarded and left to rot |
Many facts that I certainly didn’t know … more fibre than
whole grain wheat, three times more iron than fresh spinach, three times more
protein per gram than fresh kale, one ounce of coffee flour has twice the
potassium of a banana …
… the coffee cherries can be utilised and turned into an
alternative (gluten free) flour and be used in many different innovative ways …
The vast majority of cherries that surround the bean are
simply discarded, some are dried and sold to create cascara (a tea) and some
are used as fertiliser … but most is wasted and pollutes …
 |
| A farmer in Brazil |
Dan Belliveau is an engineer who designs factories and while
working for Starbucks came across the problem of coffee waste … instead of
leaving the cherries lying around rotting, filling up the water-ways … it can
now be turned into a value added product boosting the income of small coffee
farmers …
Watch this space I say … coffee flour appears to be an
excellent idea – a gluten free meal that can be used in a huge range of baking
applications in place of flour …
And now with the sunny day slowly setting its sun across the
Downs I shall quietly stand down, watch a little more Wimbledon Mixed Doubles …
and in 2015 the commercial roll out is set - I shall keep an eye out for this
Coffee Flour …
Happy Canada Day – one Canadian in the Women’s Finals on
Saturday, another Canadian with an opportunity tomorrow in the Men’s
Semi-Finals tomorrow …
 |
| "The Coffee Bearer" Orientalist painting by John Frederick Lewis (1857) |
… and Happy Fourth of July to all Americans …
…. though with thoughts to all those with trials and
tribulations going on for their near and dears …
Blessings to one and all … whoever said blue and green should never be seen? Wonderful green grass with blue sky and a shining yellow orb blasting out its heat ... we're enjoying our summer ..
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
38 comments:
Beautiful post highlighting one of my favorite subjects - coffee. I'm not familiar with the ColdBrew, but I'll try most things with coffee.
It's nice for Canadians to be showing up on the international radar. Thanks, Hilary!
Mmmm. Coffee.
Love blue and green together, reminds me of a tropical sea. Many facts here I didn't know, sadly I don't drink coffee. I love the smell but dislike the taste!
Flour out of coffee? Who knew?
Sorry, I'm just one of those weird people who doesn't like coffee. Smells good, tastes like tar.
I like the smell of Coffee, but cannot drink it. Our daughter in law tries all different ones. Here in the USA Gloria Jean is well known.
I like blue and green combinations too, even in clothing. It all depends on how they are blended.
Thanks for a nice informative blog on coffee.
Cheers
I've never heard of coffee mousses. They sound cool (if you'll forgive the pun).
I wonder what coffee berries taste like.
If they can make flour out of asparagus, why not out of coffee berries. Interesting post again.
Sorry Murray lost his game. Glad to see our Canadians doing so well.
Talk about nostalgia! I remember Camp Coffee from my younger days - my parents used it and it used to be the only coffee I would drink. Great as a flavoring and in cold milk too.
Great post. Always glad to hear about people making good use of waste products, we need more of that kind of thinking in the world.
Hi Hilary. I've never heard of Camp Coffee, but have a long fascination with the brew. I have books on its history and it's not a happy day when I don't have a flat white or two. (I hear coffee in the US is pretty horrible, so maybe Alex has never tasted the true deliciousness of the brew!)
Yes, you can make anything out of anything if you want. How about that ersatz coffee they drank during wartime? And tonight I'm going to eat a slice of Key Lime Pie made with avocado. Absolutely delicious.
Yes, Happy July 4th Americans.
Denise
@ DG - personally I'm not fond of coffee .. but I like things flavoured with it ... but know that coffee is a favourite of many. I will at some stage try the ColdBrew ..
Isn't it great to have new faces and two Canadians doing so well .. we'll see what happens later on in the tennis ..
@ Suzanne - I have coffee in the morning and usually that's it ... not my favourite ...
But blue and green - yesterday the colours were just lovely .. and we have wonderful colours along the seafront .. as you do too (I know!)
@ Alex - interesting that someone has taken the time to see if there's value in the coffee husk (cherry) waste ...
I agree with you - I'm not a coffee lover either ... I rarely have a cup .. I do drink it in the mornings, then that's it for the day ..
@ Munir - funny it seems a few of us aren't that fond of coffee .. yet some people, like your DIL, love it ..... but the coffee flour was what interested me .. and the remembrances of my childhood ..
Blue and green - great colours ...
@ Jeanne - it must have been cheap and cheerful way to make what we called 'pluffs' ... and I did prefer coffee flavoured foods to chocolate ones most of the time.
Those childhood foods were good and cool ... the summer of 1966 was very very hot .. the year we won the World Cup ...
Coffee berries are the husks .. so probably don't taste of anything much .. but the milled (cherry) flour is interesting I thought ..
@ Jo - I think I spotted your note on asparagus flour ... but thought what a waste - and how do they get so much left over ... as you need this year's crop for next year's crop ... now coffee husks - there's masses of tonnage around as waste .. the video was informative ...
Sadly Murray played really badly - and appeared very disinterested in the whole thing ... he can go that route occasionally - as Henman said he knows Murray struggles with adversity on a court .. ie if he starts losing, pulling himself up is difficult ...
Still we'll see what happens - he's too good to fade away ...
@ Ian - yes Camp Coffee - it's still good for some things. We did have Maxwell House as an early granule/powder coffee for a while ... I don't remember drinking Camp Coffee as coffee unless it was used as a flavouring or in Cold Coffee .... and wasn't it delicious!
Glad you picked up on the use of the coffee berry/husk waste piles and turning them into flour ... we wonder how we started eating some things today .. eg oysters, but who on earth would think there was value in coffee husks ... thank goodness some innovators think out of the box!!
@ Denise - ah! Camp Coffee is a staple of British life particularly after the War ..
I'm not keen on coffee, but I'd try one of your flat whites .. especially sitting by the Ocean!
I know little about Coffee, but I know many rave about it and the various qualities and tastes you can get .. this magazine was pretty full of the stuff!
Camp Coffee had 26 percent chicory essence with some coffee essence (four percent). Ersatz coffee was made from acorns, roasted chicory and grains ...
... other ingredients include almond, asparagus, malted barley, beechnut, beetroot, carrot, soybeans, cottonseed, dandelion root, fig and on ....
Your Key Lime Pie sounds delicious .. made with avocado - right colour and I guess must taste very good ... as you say so ..
Yes - Happy Fourth of July to one and all .. Happy Canada Day earlier in the week .. Cheers Hilary
Oh Camp coffee. The flavour of coffee cake. We never drank it as coffee - not sure anyone did - but my Mum's coffee and walnut cake was something special. Made with Camp!
First time I hear about coffee flour and its value.
Amazing!
Hilary, what an intriguing post on one of my favorite beverages - coffee. I enjoy coffee just about any way it's prepared. The coffee mousses sounds yummy.
So who knew coffee could be so interesting? I didn't know half of that Hilary - once again you are widening my knowledge :-) Yes, beautiful weather of late and that blue sky cannot be beaten :-)
Interesting post, Hilary!
I would like to have a coffee there and chat with you for a few minutes while we savor it.
Every time I hear Wimbledon I think of a friend of mine who has just moved there. She loves London.
I like the idea of using waste products. My idea is to try to reuse and recycle as much as I can... our fragile planet needs it.
@ Anne - if I baked I'd still use Camp Coffee .. and like you I'm not sure if anyone drank it as coffee .. but coffee and walnut cakes = delicious - too good ...
@ Karen - welcome back .. I don't like coffee much either! I do like it as a flavour, but not to drink ..
@ Rosaria - well I hadn't realised about coffee flour ... thought I'd mention its value and attributes ..
@ Mason - so many people love coffee and appreciate its nuances ... just not me, but I'm always interested in learning ..
The coffee mousse is more like a pluff - very unsophisticated, but good for kids with healthy appetites!
@ Debbie - nor did I ... so it gets put over into a post!
Our weather has broken .. but we were desperate for the rain - so I won't complain!!
@ Julia - it'd be a pleasure to sit and chat with you over a coffee at some stage .. well if you ever visit your friend let me know ... and if she loves London, she's in the right place isn't she?
I was so interested in the opportunity to recycle these husks of the coffee berry into something valuable - sounds pretty good value too with so many uses ..
Cheers everyone - have a happy weekend .. Hilary
My favorite cold coffee treat is coffee granita -- which is basically espresso coffee sweetened and put into the freezer, except that you constantly rake the ice crystals as they form causing them to make large, irregular crystals. These are layers in a parfait glass with whipped cream, and chocolate is shaved over top. Yum!
So sad that Eugenie lost this morning. But she's only 20, and will surely mature in her gifted field. The drinks look delectable, Hilary.
We used to have cold milky camp coffee in the summer (I never quite worked out why we had that cold and regular instant coffee hot - surely they'd both work just as well the other way round?)
I've never heard of coffee flour, but I use coffee grounds in my coffee and walnut cake. It gives it a good flavour and texture.
Aloha,
I used to love "normal" coffee and now I'm addicted to the K-pod idea (stick a little pod of coffee, press strength and Bob's your uncle!)
No mess, no fuss, but lots and lots of caffeine :)
Have a *great* week, Hilary :)
I always assumed soccer and coffee came from Brazil's neck of the planet. Ain't history cool? Interesting post, Hilary.
@ Dianne – I’ve never really taken to granitas .. but not living in a part of the world that gets regularly warm perhaps that’s why … and I don’t do much ‘interesting’ cooking now-a-days … but this idea sounds really good .. and yum – yes!
@ Joylene – yes it was sad – but Eugenie held her own considering how young she is and it was her first final – and Kvitova played so so well …
Cold drinks sometimes are just what’s called for ..
@ Patsy – I think the taste … I didn’t like Camp Coffee hot and I didn’t liked instant coffee cold … so I guess it was ‘normal’ taste … and no I don’t think they’d work as coffees the other way round …
Interesting use of coffee grounds … I’ve heard of brown bread ice-cream ... but not adding coffee grounds into your cakes – good idea …
@ Mark – good to see you – thankfully I’m not addicted to coffee ... but I don’t have 3 boys handle! (or is 4?). Those K-pods sound interesting I’ll have to keep an eye out for them ..
@ Milo – history seems to be very cool – strange old life .. as things tie in – I’d have thought coffee came from South America too – but it started out in the Middle East – Yemen area … also strange but true! Football was a posh boys’ game apparently at our boys’ schools and Oxford University ..
Thanks for your comments and interesting add ins .. cheers to you all - Hilary
Somehow the cold brew is better than the hot one. I am slowly switching over.
I think it's great that people have found ways to utilize all parts of the coffee bean. I will keep an eye out for coffee flour.
What on earth did people drink before coffee came along? I love the idea of coffee flour. That sounds like it would make an amazing cake.
Thanks for the Happy 4th wishes. It was a very nice celebration this year.
I had never heard of coffee flour before. Fascinating! I am a tea person myself, though :]
I agree that coffee flour sounds delicious! My favorite are the frozen coffee drinks that taste a lot like milkshakes. Hope you are enjoying Wimbledon, Hilary!
Julie
coffee flour is a new one to me. lol.
Happy 4th of July and happy Canada Day
@ Joe - there are so many choices and variants of coffee now - I'm not keen on coffee per se - but it was interesting to read about these changes ..
@ Sherry - I agree .. scientists and entrepreneurs are always looking at each natural product in different lights ... it'll be interesting to see what happens when coffee flour comes out ..
@ Lee - water from a fresh spring or brook, then when fire came it could be boiled .. and I suppose like us, they got bored with the status quo and started adding herbs for something different .. still it took millennia til tea and coffee became popular as our early morning drinks ..
Delighted you had a happy time .. and the coffee flour introduction will be interesting to see its take up ..
@ Matt - I've always been a morning coffee person, though I don't like it much! Tea I'll have occasionally .. but each to his own ..
@ Julie - the coffee flour is an interesting entrepreneurial product .. I hope it succeeds for the farmers ..
Oh I agree frozen coffee drinks are delicious ... but again I don't seem to have them often .. it's not often that warm here to tempt me ..
I've enjoyed Wimbledon .. some good matches - and good old fashioned Britishness ..
@ Lynda - coffee flour is new to me .. but I shall watch out for it now I know ..
Thanks re the 4th of July and Canada Day - have wonderful weeks everyone .. cheers Hilary
Hi Hilary,
After reading this, I think I might have another cup of coffee. Then again, do I really want my eyebrows stuck to the top of my forehead.
Pity about the two Canadians who came so close at Wimbledon. If you'd given them a puck it would of been no contest.
Ah yes, it was a good Canada Day and a super, duper, gosh darn Fourth of July. May North America strive for that peaceful positivity.
Cheers, Hilary.
Gary
Blog post ideas can pop up most anywhere, can't they? Somehow you have the knack for making it all interesting and fun, too. Hope you had a wonderful weekend, and have a great week ahead too! :)
@ Gary - thanks for coming over ... and strong coffee yes my forehead goes higher than usual drinking it!
Wimbledon was good - and we've new stars in the making ... they'll both improve ... but frankly I'm glad it's warmer than an ice puck!
Glad you had a good Canada Day and Fourth of July here in the UK ...
I agree peaceful positivity would be great ...
@ Karen - I do seem to write up some funny posts ... but as long as they're interesting to read, I can't really ask for more - many thanks ...
Cheers to you both - Hilary
What a delightful post. You sound very contented in this post. I can almost see you resting in some lovely park with the sun dappling through the trees. You'd be sipping your "Cold Milky Coffee" with a straw and wearing the special Hilary hat:~)
Happy day to you, my friend!
Hi Sara .. yes I was thinking of the family home times many years ago - when the long hot summer, tennis court and lovely days outside with cold milky coffee epitomised happiness ... they were good days ..
Thanks - and happy times to you too - cheers Hilary
I never knew about coffee cherries. I'm guaranteed to learn something new each time I visit your blog.
Hi Juliet - good to see you .. and those coffee cherry husks were an interesting find - and to realise that something valuable could be made from them ... their roll out in 2015 - will be interesting ..
Cheers Hilary
Eep! What a great post, Hilary! Thanks for recognising Canada Day. And coffee, yum, I love the stuff. Espresso over ice with cold milk, I haven't had that in ages...
And did you know I've shared that Coffee Bearer image on my blog before? That's what my character Ayten looks like!
And Ste Catherine's too - I'd love to hear more about the lecture. I've always been fascinated by that place. I keep it in the back of my head as the place to run away to if everything in my life collapses.
Hi Deniz - sorry the comment went off to moderation for some reason.
Pleasure in recognising Canada Day - I remember my visit at Lake Louise on that day ... about 17 years ago.
Cold coffee - I haven't it for ages either ... I was pleased to find that picture and it's one I didn't know. Ah - now I can see what Ayten looks like ... and must keep an eye out for her.
I must write about St Catherine's ... it sounds an amazing pilgrimage to make and place to visit ... stunning icons, artefacts etc inside ... I worry about it - with what is going on in the Middle East right now ...
Thanks though - lovely to have your interesting comment .. cheers Hilary
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