Coffee Drink Basics

Have you ever been to Coffeebean or a modern-day coffee-
house and had to struggle to order coffee? I have. Fret no
more as the article below will give you a lesson on the
different types of coffee available.

When you enter a coffee house, you have a multitude of drink
choices like latté, cappuccino, straight shot and caffé mocha
just to name a few.

Sometimes knowing what to order can be overwhelming
unless you know what you are getting. After all, who wants to
pay an outrageous amount of money for a mystery drink that
you may not even like?

So PerfectCoffees.Com has come to the rescue, and after you
read this, you'll have a basic understanding of how the most
popular coffee drinks are made and what they are made of.

Most coffee drinks start with espresso and espresso is just
coffee that is brewed a certain way. It is finely ground to
almost a powder then very hot water is forced through the
grounds under intense pressure. The brewing process is
timed so that the flavorful and aromatic oils are extracted
from the coffee and not the bitter components. This produces
a strong flavored, but not bitter, concentrated shot of coffee.

Straight Shot
The straight shot refers to espresso coffee and the secret to
good espresso is the extraction time, volume, and golden
crema which is a thick light brown layer of frothed coffee oils
that float on top of a properly extracted espresso.

The short shot or ristretto is extracted to a volume of three-
quarters of an ounce. The shorter restricted pour magnifies
the essence of the coffee and the chance of any bitter
elements being extracted is minimized. If you have ever
ordered an espresso shot in Europe they usually serve the
ristretto.

The long shot or lungo is extracted to a volume of one and
one-half ounces. The double shot is a 2 ounce shot using twice
as much coffee in the portafilter. The correct way to serve a
straight shot is to extract it directly into a warmed demitasse
cup. The warm demitasse cup will keep the straight shot warm
and prolong the crema. A straight shot is best enjoyed
immediately after brewing. It is rare to see people drinking
straight shots of espresso in the US. Most people here drink
variations using steamed milk mixed with the shots to make
the different coffee drinks listed here.

Espresso Macchiato
The Espresso Macchiato starts with a shot of espresso and
then a small amount of foamed milk is spooned over the shot.
Macchiato in Italian means "marked," as the espresso is
marked with foam.

Espresso Con Panna
This is an Espresso Macchiato using whipped cream in place
of the foamed milk. The drink gets its name Con Panna which
means "with cream."

Caffé Americano
The Caffé Americano is a drink similar to American brewed
coffee. It is made with a single or double shot of espresso
combined with 6 to 8 ounces of hot water out of an espresso
machine. The result is a very smooth cup of coffee that is
much hotter than brewed coffee.

Cappuccino
Cappuccino is made with a fluffy, wet foam, mixed with
espresso coffee upon the pour to create a blend of the two
flavors. Cold milk is essential, as is expertise in the foaming
process. Cappuccino has a large volume of foam making it a
lightweight drink and less filling.

Caffé Latté
Caffé Latté is similar to the cappuccino but with much less
foam and more steamed milk. A latté is made by holding back
the foam with a spoon while pouring the frothed milk from the
steaming pitcher. The caffé latté is completed by being topped
with a small amount of the held back foam. Caffé latté gets its
name from the addition of coffee to milk. For an iced latté,
cold milk is combined with the espresso and then the ice is
added.

Caffé Mocha
A caffé mocha is made by adding powdered or chocolate syrup
to a hot shot of espresso and blended. Steamed milk is then
added to the espresso-chocolate mixture and usually it is
topped with whipped cream. Iced mochas are made with cold
milk and the ice added after the coffee and chocolate have
been blended.

Flavored Coffee Drinks
Some popular coffee flavors are: vanilla, Irish creme, almond,
hazelnut, caramel and fruit flavors such as orange and
raspberry. These drinks usually start with a flavored syrup
that is mixed with hot espresso and stirred. Then steamed
milk is stirred in like in a latté. An iced version of these
flavored coffees made with cold milk instead of steamed
makes a delicious cold drink in the summer months.

So now that you know what's in the basic coffee drinks, try
one you haven't tasted yet. Who knows, you might find a new
favorite.

Copyright © 2004 PerfectCoffees.com. All Rights Reserved.
About The Author
Gary Gresham is the webmaster for www.perfectcoffees.com
where you can purchase quality coffee, tea, cups & mugs,
coffee gifts and delicious desserts online. He offers a free
monthly coffee newsletter at
www.perfectcoffees.com/newsletter.html.
Gary@perfectcoffees.com

Cooking - a chef's delight

How would you like to know 101 ways of cooking chicken
or have access to a shopping site for anything related to cooking
or get yr hands on ethnic cuisines by region or recipes by type
of dish or participate in a food lovers site? Well you can.
Just check out these cooking sites for more information.

A Cocktail Is Not A Cocktail Without Lime

(NC)-Citrus is the fruit of good health and well-being - and
indeed, for many of us there is nothing more rejuvenating than
the taste and aroma of freshly squeezed lime. It makes for great
cocktails too.

Vodka cocktails are very popular at any time of the year and
the makers of Finlandia, who have been producing vodka for
more than 400 years, tell us that the next time you plan to mix
your Limosa - or your Lime Mary, your Limedriver, Limetini,
or Key Lime Smoothie, and others - they now have the perfect
shortcut to the right taste every time.

New on the shelves this year is Finlandia Vodka Lime. You will
recognize it by the familiar red dot on the ice-crafted bottle,
except this new brand of icy-white vodka features a touch of
lime, on both the outside, and inside the bottle. Mix it with
soda, tonic, cranberry, grapefruit juice, or use it in any number
of vodka cocktails. The lime flavour required is already evenly
blended into a vodka that is hailed for its premium quality,
promising quick, less fuss, bartender-style results.

It would appear that making a premium vodka is far from
easy work however.

"The goal when distilling vodka is to produce a totally pure
spirit, one without the slightest trace of anything else," says
Corey Ball, group brand manager for Finlandia. "Ours follows
a set of rigorous steps, of which the most important include:
using the purest, glacial spring water; using six row barley,
the most expensive distillers grain; using home-grown yeast
to ensure freshness and consistency; and applying a
continuous, uninterrupted distillation process.

"And when you go looking for our newest family member,
Finlandia Vodka Lime," says Ball, "not only will you have
little trouble recognizing the bottle, but as it stands right now,
it is the only vodka on the shelves to offer this popular blend
of lime. It is the only one, we say, to give you a taste of the
arctic but with a hint of the tropics too."

About The Author
News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-
use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print,
Radio, and the Web.
News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering
access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media,
with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and
analysis are two more of our primary services. The service
supplies access to the national media for marketers in the
private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your
corporate and product news, consumer tips and information
are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are
made available to every Canadian media organization
including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial
television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites
Canadians visit most often.
Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Balance Your Moods With Food

Here is an interesting article on balancing moods with food.

(NC)-Here are some helpful hints on the nutrients you need
to stay "emotionally fit" and help prevent mood-swings. These
foods help keep you "hormonally" healthy - see Canada's Food
Guide to Healthy Eating to ensure that you get all of the
nutrients needed to maintain a well-balanced diet for optimal
overall health.

Before breakfast:
Start your day with greens+™, a balanced formula of 23
herbs, vitamins, minerals, organic and nutrient-rich foods to
help boost motivation and energy levels.

Breakfast:
This should include about one-third of foods that are high in
lean protein such as eggs, grains or low-fat yogurt and two-
thirds of low-density complex carbohydrates such as
vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Mid-morning snack:
Reach for some raw, very low-density complex carbohydrates
such as carrots, celery or zucchini.

Lunch:
Eat a balanced lunch including lean protein such as chicken or
fish with complex carbohydrates from veggies and leafy greens.

Mid-afternoon snack:
Choose fresh fruit as a low-density complex carbohydrate snack
to increase the level of serotonin in the body and help curb that
3 o'clock sugar craving.

Dinner:
This should be high in complex carbohydrates and low in
protein to provide enough serotonin to help calm hormones
during the evening for a good night's sleep.

About The Author
News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use
copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print,
Radio, and the Web. News Canada is a niche service in public
relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now
the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items.
Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services.
The service supplies access to the national media for marketers
in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your
corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are
packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made
available to every Canadian media organization including
weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television
stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit
most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC
services.

Healing power of natural juices

From time immemorial, many cultures have used fruits and
vegetables as health drinks. Many of these treasures of the soil
also have healing properties. They are used as alternative
treatments to detoxify the body, and also to assist in the
treatment of many ailments.

Most fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Recipes Goldmine

I don't know about you but for me it sometimes is difficult
to think about what food to lay on the table for the family.
Not anymore. I've found a few sites here with loads of recipes
that I could try out any time I'm in a fix. Happy trying.