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TYPES OF coffee
CAFE AU LAIT:
Café au lait is a typically French coffee which is made by pouring coffee and boiled milk simultaneously into a cup. Although traditionally a breakfast coffee, café au lait can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
CAFETIERE COFFEE:
For the perfect Cafétière coffee, use water that has just come off the boil as boiling water will scald the coffee and impair its flavour. Add 7g of ground coffee per cup. Moisten the grounds with a little of the water first to release the flavour before topping up to the desired level. Brew for about two minutes before pushing down the plunger.
CAFFE LATTE:
Latte means milk in Italian and is perfect for those who like a milky coffee that still has plenty of flavour. It is the ideal breakfast coffee but is great any time of day.
For the perfect Caffé Latte the base is espresso. Use one small cup of freshly brewed espresso per person as your base, topped up with hot milk, which you can froth if you prefer. Serve in tall, heatproof glasses.
CAPPUCCINO:
One-third coffee, one-third milk and one-third foam - the classic recipe for a coffee that is great to drink at breakfast or anytime of day.
The perfect cappuccino has just as much coffee flavour as a neat espresso, but is softened by adding frothy milk. You can froth the milk in a cappuccino creamer or simply heat it gently in a pan and whisk with a fork or hand whisk. Pour the frothy milk onto your hot black coffee and add the foam on the top with a spoon. Sprinkle with chocolate powder or ground cinnamon.
ESPRESSO COFFEE:
The classic, dark Italian coffee is the perfect pick-me-up and the ideal after-dinner coffee. A good espresso has a pure, rich flavour and irresistible smoky aroma. The word comes from the brewing method - hot water is pressed by means of a piston or pump through finely ground, firmly packed coffee - and is literally translated as 'made on the spur of the moment'.
Pour your coffee into small cups, add sugar if preferred, and if you want to drink it Italian style, allow it to cool a little and knock it back in one or two gulps!
An Americano is a style of coffee prepared by adding espresso to hot water, giving a similar strength but different flavour than filter coffee. The strength can be varied by increasing the number of shots of espresso added and the Americano can be served with or without milk.
ESPRESSO CON PANNA:
This luxurious espresso with cream is a real treat, especially if you add a drop or two of your favourite liqueur to the coffee before adding the cream. For the perfect Espresso Con Panna brew espresso in an espresso machine or coffee maker. Meanwhile, whip 2 tablespoons of double cream per cup. Pour the coffee into cups and top each with enough whipped cream to cover. Drink immediately before the cream melts!
IRISH COFFEE:
Joe Sheridan (1909 - 1962) was an obscure chef who created one of the world's favourite winter warmers for some cold, weary airline passengers.
In 1942, Joe Sheridan was a chef at the flying-boat seaport of Foynes. At this time all transatlantic passenger flights were undertaken by flying boat - a craft that enabled sea landings in the case of emergencies, such as poor weather or lack of fuel. The flying boats carried some thirty people in an unpressurised cabin. As the flights lasted up to eighteen hours disembarking passengers were invariably cold and uncomfortable. The catering manager, Brandan O'Regan, spotted a need for something to warm and cheer the frozen transatlantic passengers while they waited for their onward flights. He asked Sheridan to develop something hot, alcoholic and with an Irish flavour.
Joe Sheridan came up with Irish Coffee, a hot drink consisting of coffee mixed with whiskey and sugar then topped off with half an inch of cream, through which the coffee is drunk. Even after conventional planes replaced flying boats after World War II, Shannon airport was still used as a fuelling point and Irish Coffee continued to be extremely popular. In the 1950s, Stanford Delaplane, a travel writer from the San Francisco Chronicle, was in transit and liked Irish Coffee so much that he decided to import it to the USA. However, his best efforts to make the cream float separately on the top proved unsuccessful and he returned to Shannon for a lesson from Sheridan.
Sheridan had to teach him the proper method. This involved warming the glass to prevent it from cracking, and then combining hot coffee and a measure of Irish Whiskey. A tablespoon of sugar was mixed in, to sweeten. Finally the cream - double, probably slightly whipped - had to be poured over the back of a spoon to discourage mixing. Sheridan later went to California, where Irish Coffee is still extremely popular.
The Joe Sheridan Bar at Shannon Airport continues to serve Irish Coffees today.
MACCHIATO COFFEE:
A macchiato is an espresso marked with a teaspoon or two of foamed milk. In Italian, macchiato can be translated as ‘marked’, ‘stained’ or ‘spotted’.
MOCHA COFFEE:
Mocha is the name for the classic Italian stove-top pot. It is also a coffee with hot chocolate or chocolate syrup added. For the perfect mocha, use a mocha pot (available from most department stores) and fill the lower section with cold water up to the safety valve. Fill the filter compartment with coffee and lower into the water. Screw the top in place and bring to the boil (never heat to full power setting). When the top pot is full of coffee, stir and serve.
For mocha coffee, pour half a cup of espresso coffee, and half a cup of hot chocolate into a mug or tall, heatproof glass. Top with single cream, poured over the back of a spoon.
INSTANT COFFEE:
Instant coffee has been around since the 1950s and there are many different types and blends available nowadays. Whether you like it strong or weak, milky or black, with or without sugar is up to you! When you next make yourself a cup of coffee, try these top tips and then sit back and enjoy the perfect cup of instant coffee.
People typically use one rounded teaspoon of coffee, although you can use more or less depending on your taste preference. Pour in water that has just been boiled. Always use fresh water in your kettle and don’t let it sit for too long. Milk and / or sugar can be added before or after the water, depending on your tastes.
Also ensure your coffee is stored in an airtight container to preserve the aroma.
FRAPPES/COLD DRINKS:
For a cool refreshing drink this summer, take a tip from the Italians and chill out with an iced coffee. Keep it cool and classic, served chilled with milk or cream or on the rocks. Simple iced coffee makes a refreshing alternative to more traditional summertime drinks.
Here are some cool coffee drink ideas for you to try this summer - each makes one serving.
Vanilla Mocha Shake - a treat for everyone.
1 cup cooled, strong, black coffee
1 scoop coffee ice cream
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Dash of single cream
Blend the ingredients with crushed ice and if desired garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a coffee bean or two.
Frosted Coffee Frappe - coffee culture at home.
1 cup cooled, strong, black coffee
1 scoop chocolate ice cream
1 teaspoon sugar
Blend the ingredients together, pour over crushed ice and feel free to garnish with some chocolate sauce and a fresh strawberry.
Coffee Cola Float - for those with a sweet tooth.
1 cup of cooled, strong black, sweetened coffee
Cola to taste
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
Dash of milk
Pour the coffee and dash of milk into a tall glass and place the ice cream on top. Top up with cola and serve.
Frosted turkish delight - for something a little different.
1 cup cooled, strong, black, sweetened coffee
Dash of rose syrup
Add the rose syrup to the coffee and serve over crushed ice in a frosted martini glass.
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