Know Your Coffee

Coffee comes from a bean grown on a bush, almost always in a mountainous geographic region.  There are two major types of coffee beans: Robusta and Arabica. 

Robusta beans are grown at lower elevations, flatter terrain, making them easier to pick.  They often have twice as much caffeine.  Robusta tends to be the chosen bean for commercial coffee uses, including the food service industry.  Arabica beans are grown at higher elevations, have a smoother, richer flavor and usually cost more.

Roasting the beans is a major factor in the resulting taste.   Light roasts such as New England yield a mild flavor.  Medium roasts, like Viennese, produce a richer flavor.  Dark Roasts, such as French, can be quite robust.

Most specialty coffee is Arabica and is categorized three ways: by country of origin – Guatemala, Costa Rica; by blend – Mocha Java; by roast type – French Roast.

These days there are eco-symbols to look for as well.  Fair Trade means the beans were purchases directly from farms and that fair prices were paid for the beans.  Organic means that, at least, 95% of the beans must have been grown without using synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers.  Rainforest Alliance refers to a group of growers following strict standards for soil, water and fair labor practices.

Coffee, like wine, has different sensory components to evaluate:  acidity, aroma, body.  Acidity refers to the feeling of dryness at the back and around the edge of the tongue.  It’s a pleasantly bitter sensation.  This is not sourness.  Aroma is the smell and like wine there are common descriptors: nutty, fruity, earthy, caramel, buttery.  Body relates to how ‘heavy’ the brew feels in your mouth.  Think of a cabernet sauvignon wine vs a pinot noir.  Think of whole milk vs water.

Brewing method also affects coffee.  The usual method of making coffee in a restaurant is the automatic drip.  This method is used for making a whole pot.  The taste often deteriorated over time as the pot sat on the warmer to keep it hot.  The Double Eagle uses thermos pots hold hold coffee, sealing the coffee in, keeping it hot and preventing evaporation which would concentrate the bitter aspect into an unpleasant flavor.

Cones are used to make one or two cups of coffee at one time and so are not favored in restaurants.  A plastic or metal mesh cone shape is place over a mug or pitcher, a paper filter is added, then the ground beans, then hot water is poured over the grounds.  The method is used for immediate consumption.

The French Press is popular for home brewing and has made it’s way into some high end restaurants and coffee houses.  A tall glass coffee pot with a plunger/filter apparatus attached to a lid is used.  Coffee grounds are added to the pot, hot water poured over the grounds, swirling the grounds throughout the liquid allowing the coffee flavor to infuse into the hot water.  When ready, the plunger/filter is pressed through the liquid, straining out the grounds, pushing the grounds to the bottom of the pot, leaving the coffee above the compressed grounds.  This method is considered elegant and upscale.

Double Eagle/Peppers Café serves Seattle’s Best Coffee, a whole owned subsidiary of Starbucks.  Jerry chose Level Three Decaf.   Medium acidity, crisp with hints of nutty-ness, clean finish.  Best with butter-rich, higher fat foods.  Perfect with desserts.  Excellent for an afternoon coffee break.   Blends well with liqueurs.  This Decaf is processed using sparkling water instead of chemicals to remove the caffeine.

Jerry chose Level Four for regular coffee drinkers.  Darker, richer, elegant, even complex flavor profile. Nuttier, fuller bodied than the Decaf.  Definite after taste.  Lingers on the tongue cleansing the palate of other flavors, elbowing them aside to be King of the hill.  Almost like chocolate lingers and slowly dissipates, so too does this blend. 

What Does The Future Hold?  You know this is the time of year that people start prognosticating…predicting the future…what will happen next year so here goes mine…

 Skinny Cocktails will be more prominent in restaurants, bars and retail liquor stores.  Drinks with fewer than 250 calories will be ordered more frequently.  Women, especially, will have a second drink due to the ‘skinny’ concept.

 Touch Screen menus will be present at the table and customers can order

Directly or the Server will put in the order in his own touch screen tablet.

Food, cocktail menus, wine lists will all go high tech.  Fast Food and Fast Casual will see smart phone apps for ordering as well.

 Gluten Free foods will be advertised more.  Won’t be just salads any more.

All sorts of foods will be moved to gluten free.  Not just those with dietary intolerances will opt for the gluten free items.

 Nutritional information including calorie count and fat grams will become more prominent with basic numbers actually on the menu and more detailed information available separately on-line or through smart phone apps.  Customer choices will become more driven by these numbers so Chefs will be forced to trim fat, calories and still deliver taste.

 That being said, entire market segments will be built around indulgence.
“We use lard in our pie crusts”  vs “Our pie crusts are gluten free and use transfat free canola oil.”

 Mini Food/Sliders/Tapas will continue and even increase in menu space.  Small plates will increase for Happy Hours and group tables.  Grazing these small plates will substitute for standard dinners.  However, many will still

leave such events hungry..  People will be uncomfortable asking for these small plates to be passed around or taking the last bite of something, leaving food on the table and opt for a quick fast food burger on the way home.

 Emphasis on healthier kids meals will increase.  The kids won’t like it but Mom and Dad will insist.  Kids will continue to resist and Mom and Dad will give in.   Apple slices will be turning brown in the bag while Missy and Junior continue to chow down on sea salted French fries….

 Fast Food spots will offer more options for sides, pushing salads and fruit cups instead of fries.  But, fries will remain #1 choice. 

 QR Codes on paper menus will take customers to videos showing cooks prepping the item selected ending with the final result, allowing customers to see how the plate is prepared.

 Digital pocketbooks will offer pilot programs cutting out the banks/credit card processor fees or decreasing them dramatically.  The customer’s pocketbook would sync with the server’s hand held device, transferring payment directly from customer account to business account.

 Regional breweries, distilleries will grow.  Local and artisanal foods and beverages, including regional soft drinks will grow in popularity. 

 And, I’m sure much, much more will be in store for us in an ever more interesting 2012.

A real woman is a man’s best friend.

She will never stand him up and never let him down.

She will reassure him when he feels insecure and comfort him after a bad day.

She will inspire him to do things he never thought he could do; to live without fear and forget regret.

She will enable him to express his deepest emotions and give in to his most intimate desires.

She will make sure he always feels as though he’s the most handsome man in the room and will enable him to be the most confident, sexy,! seductive and invincible…

No…wait…Sorry.

That’s whiskey I’m thinking of….my mistake!

(copied off the internet…)

Win Has Gone Nuts…Or, Well, Hops, Really

Win Ritter, our Beverage Manager, has lost his mind!  We’ve all gotten caught up in the Holiday/Christmas spirit but when 6, count ‘em, 6 Christmas Beers showed up today.  Win has obviously gone nuts…or, since it’s beer, hops! 

When asked politely what the heck was he thinking…Win replied,”I just couldn’t make up my mind.  It’s so hard to choose just one or two.  All of them have unique character and flavor profiles.  I couldn’t resist!”

 So, now we have 6 really pretty amazing beers for Christmas! 

Shiner Bock Christmas:  From Shiner, Texas, they put peaches and pecans in this thing!  Crazy but it sure tastes good!

 Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale: those California boys shur know how to make beer: full bodied with plenty of hops for those Hop Heads

 Dos Equis Noche Buena: made seasonally since 1927 dark ruby red hue, exceptionally smooth drinkability  which you would expect and this beer delivers!

 Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Christmas Ale: thought of Mother England spring to mind, deep coppy color, malty up front, hints of fruit and holiday spice

 Delirium Noel:  a Belgian ale, definitely the biggest beer, in a big battle, in malt taste and in alcohol level…definitely a winter warmer

Rogue’s Santa’s Private Reserve Red Ale:  organic grains and hops from brewery owned farms.  This was what made the last beer dinner’s cheese soup so delectably delicious!

 Limited Availability.  Win was only able to get a few cases of each so they won’t last long…  Let the Holiday’s  BEGIN!

Double Eagle

Proudly Presents Our Fall Harvest Fest
Rogue Nation
Beer Tasting

Friday, November 25, 2011
Drop in any time between 6 PM and 9 PM 

Featuring Rogue Brewery’s
Limited Seasonal Releases 

Pumpkin Patch Pumpkin Ale – On Draft! 

Yellow Snow I P A – On Draft! 

Chipotle Ale – Bottle Tasting 

Chocolate Stout - Bottle Tasting 

Santa’s Private Reserve Red Ale
Bottle Tasting 

Dead Guy Ale - Bottle Tasting

$19.95 Per Person

Cheese, Crackers & Sausage Bites will be served
Reservations Recommended

Please give Jeannie a call at 575-523-6700
during office hours Mon-Fri

Remember when you knew stuff? I used to know stuff.  Important stuff like: liquor is white or brown, which do you want?  The color changed according to how long the liquor was held in ageing barrels before being slipped into bottles.  T. H. Strenk made this point in a recent article in Restaurant Business magazine. He said “Gin and Vodka were clear as the day the distillate emerged from the still; Whiskey and Tequila gained their amber hues from charred casks.”  Well, it’s not so any more.

 Tequila used to be produced in three types: blanco – white – right out of the distillery tap into the bottle; reposado – rested – aged a few months up to a year in oak barrels and anejo – aged – aged over a year.  Now, I see Anejo Claro – aged clear.  The rich mahogany color has been filtered out.

 Vodka used to be colorless, odorless and flavorless.  Perfect for ‘getting the job done’ easily and quickly.  Now, the array of flavors is too long to list and the colors are more reflective of an artist’s palette than a simple sparkling crystal.

 Gin – Dry Gin – is a distillate flavored with herbs and berries, including a distinctive tasting, smelling juniper berry.  Now comes Aged Gin.  Aged! Taking on the golden color and nips of oaky flavors coming through.

 Whiskey was the epitome of brown liquors.  The real American products of Bourbon and Rye were distinctive.  Suddenly, there is unaged ‘white’ whiskey.  This ‘white dog’ is straight from the still, clear in color and as raw as a sandpaper burn over the back of your hand.  Yes, the flavor of the grain of choice usually comes through more directly but, come on!  This is moonshine!

I just don’t understand.  Is this change for change sake?   I’m sure there are appropriate marketing angles the producers are working but I just get the feeling:  It ain’t right…..

Mr. Strenk’s article cites examples of specific producers but you can just google the key words to see for yourself.

For Immediate Release to News Media 

Mesilla –The city of San Francisco recently banned customer nudity in restaurants based upon the same strangely muddled reasoning which led them to allow it in the first place.  This surprising reversal caused well-known local steakhouse, The Double Eagle, to follow suit and begin to refuse service to nude customers as well. 

“We have tried to be accommodating to all members of society.  I mean ‘Can’t we all just get along’?” said General Manager Jerry Harrell. “It was a difficult decision.” Harrell noted the business had come to easily accommodate the occasional hot soup burn in ‘special places’ or problems a drip of red chile sauce could cause. “We have trained our employees in special ice pack wraps and how to hose down someone who has that zippy feeling from chile dropping onto sensitive areas.” he said. 

The real problem Harrell had with nude customers was the screaming.  “It’s just disturbing to be enjoying a special meal in a wonderful atmosphere, sipping some good wine, when suddenly there is a stream of drunken sailor language. Nothing against drunk sailors, of course.  But, some of the words you hear are, well, unappetizing.” he explained.  

On the good news side, the Double Eagle tradition of nude cooking will continue, however.  “I just feel so free.” said nude Line Cook Seth Coleman as he stood by the fryolator of scaling hot canola oil.  “Sure, sometimes, you get a little surprise but the rest of the time is fantastic!”  Pantry Cook Candi Petecolas commented that the chilled salad plates were her biggest problem when doing her job naked.  “We keep them in the freezer and if you lean over the counter too far when doing the prep sometimes things stick to them.” 

Minimal negative customer reaction is anticipated.  “I think when people realize that San Fransico did it, it will be OK.” Said Harrell

It’s very exciting to work with various breweries to put together a Beer Tasting Dinner.  Win Ritter, Beverage Manager, says Rogue has been very helpful and cooperative in trying to put this together.  Rogue has allowed Double Eagle an exclusive advance purchase of very limited issue beers for New Mexico.  This means only a few cases were allocated to New Mexico and Double Eagle got to pick and choose.  You won’t be seeing these in stores and markets, bars or brew pubs.  Ain’t happening!  But, you will get to taste an amazing assortment of Rogue’s production paired with some great food. 

Many people don’t really associate beer with food.  A big mistake.  Just like wine, the differences in beer recipes offer great opportunities to enjoy a wonderful array of foods in a convivial atmosphere.  Beer afficianados can  be just as snobby as wine nabobs!  That curl of the upper lip.   That haughty look down the nose.  That sneering expression.  All work quite well for both beer and wine.

Admittedly we were anxious about holding the event on a national holiday, Veterans Day, but we consulted several veterans and all assured us that drinking excellent beer and eating good food is a perfectly acceptable way of honoring those who have served our country.  Yes, the Navy guys said “Not A Problem”.  The Army guys said “Sure, good idea”  It was the two Marines we checked with who looked at us like we were nuts.  Apparently, they had never considered the possibility that some people were not honoring the holiday with great beer and food.   We did tell them that, although we would check to make sure, we were pretty confident in saying there was not  a law making drinking beer  mandatory on Veterans Day.  It’s entirely voluntary.  The Marines were a little shocked by this and I’m not sure they believed us.  

So, mark your calendar and hold the date for the Rogue Brewery Beer Tasting Dinner  November 11, 2011

Friday, November 11, 2011 6:30 PM

Featuring

Rogue Brewery
www.rogue.com

 First Course – Reception Social -Morimoto Soba Ale
Beer Braised Kielbasa Rounds        Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

 Second Course – Santa’s Private Reserve Red Ale
Wisconsin Winter Beer Cheese Soup

Third Course – Dead Guy Pale Ale
Spicy Pork Stir Fry

Fourth Course – Chipotle Amber Ale and Rogue Stout
together for a Mocha Black & Tan
Aged Beef Tips with a Stout Mole Sauce
Spanish Rice  Beer Soaked Black Beans

 Fifth Course – Mocha Porter
Chocolate Brownie

 $46.00 plus tax and tip
Call Jeannie for reservations – credit card required
575-523-6700
Credit Card will be charged at 3:00 PM on Fri, November 11
Jeannie available Monday-Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Can you believe it’s that time of year AGAIN!  Win Ritter, Beverage Manager, always puts together a wonderful
wine selection for Halloween.  And, he did it again this year.   This party is always a fun event with amazing
costumes.  The Characters really come out!  Please make your reservations early.  We always sell out!

Annual Halloween Wine Tasting
Costume Party and Dinner 

Featuring
A California Wine Tour  

Friday, October 28, 2011  6:30 PM   Isabela Room  

First Course-Reception
Mumm’s Napa Rose Sparkling & Conn Creek Herrick Red
Pecan Brie on Apple Slice
Red Wine & Garlic Marinated Spanish Chorizo

 Second Course – Soup
Sebragia Chardonnay – Sonoma
Pumpkin Soup with Crème Fraiche 

 Third Course – Fish
Artesa Pinot Noir – Carneros
Grilled Salmon Hollandaise    Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon  

Fourth Course – Beef 
Black Stallion Cabernet – Napa & Stags Leap “Hands of Time” Blend
Wine Braised Short Ribs
Mashed Potatoes           Baby Carrots  

Fifth Course – Dessert 
Rosenbloom Black Muscat
“The Chocolate Lady’s” Amazing Chocolate Truffles 

Seating is limited.  Advance reservations offered to our past attendees. 
We always sell out. Call today to book your seats/table with Jeannie 523-6700.
 $75.00 plus tax and tip Per Person ($95.85)

No, don’t say “God bless you.”  I didn’t sneeze.  Gruner Veltliner is a grape variety which is considered the national grape of Austria.  Who knew?   The winemaker claims this wine can pairwtih every food in the world?  Come on.  Any food?  What about those crispy grasshoppersin South America?  He says “Yes!”

 This 2010 bottling of Gruner Veltliner by Paragon Vineyards in California is far from conventional. The label “Zocker” is Austrian for gambler.   And, I admit the concept does seem like a gamble, but, having tasted the wine, I think it’s time to double down, baby.   Nice stuff.

 I can see the food pairing potential is definitely there.  Dry, medium bodied but with anexcellent mouth feel.  The first swirl yields aromas of earth, then the notes change to grassy, green  then tropical fruit notes appeared to me.  The first sip maybe not described quite as rich but certainly wealthy!  The winemaker calls the taste steely.   My taster says mineral. It’s crisp and clean with a zippy, almost peppery finish.  Lightly detectable fruit notes.  Very light to me.

There just before the swallow, I feel tropical fruit.

 I would recommend this wine with our Besame Chicken – spicy food and zippy wine.  MMMMM!