You will be right in thinking that there must be an alternative to drinking commercial beer that large factories containing huge copper containers manned by white-coated employees are churning out and for which you end up paying more than you wish to pay. The answer is simple. You should think about buying home beer brewing kits and brew your own beer at home which will help to save your money while experiencing the pleasure of drinking beer that (if made properly) will taste the way that you want it to taste. Make Two Gallons or More with a Kit With Microbrew home beer brewing kits you will find that you can make as much as two gallons of beer that should cost you a mere twelve dollars or so. With the typical home Microbrew home beer brewing... »View More
There is nothing great than sipping a hot cup of coffee in the chilly mornings. It simply feels great having the espresso. Yes, we are talking espresso, which is one of the most famous and preferred coffee types across the globe. Well, since we started talking about espresso, why not take a brief sneak peek into its history and what exactly it is. What do you say? Basically espresso is a flavorful and strong coffee beverage prepared when hot water is forced under a high pressure and made to pass through finely ground coffee beans. The color of the coffee is typically dark brown with brown/red colored foam on the top. Espresso is commonly served in small portions. Unlike other drip-brewed coffees, espresso is identified with its robust flavor... »View More
Since its introduction to the western world, tea has grown in popularity and is now the second most popular beverage in the world after water. Throughout its history tea demand has grown as a result of its good taste, health and medicinal properties and increasingly efficient channels of production and distribution. Perhaps the most important benefit of tea for tea drinker is that aura of good feeling and stress reduction for those who regularly consume the beverage. Tea growing and distribution became big business throughout the world as enterprising individuals and companies invested in tea plantations and distribution assets to meet the growing demand for tea. As the business grew, national governments saw tea as a valuable source of revenue.... »View More
The true origins of tea as a beverage are unknown, but it is believed that tea drinking began about 5,000 years ago in China, where the tea plant, “Camellia sinensis,” is native. It is perhaps because of this lack of verifiable information on the beginning of tea and tea drinking that a number of legends have sprung up around the creation of tea as a beverage. The World’s First Tea Drinker? One of the more popular legends of how tea drinking began center around “Shennong,” who was believed to be an ancient Chinese emperor, herbalist and farmer (in fact, his name means the Divine Farmer). Shennong was fairly knowledgeable about science in his day and he believed water should be boiled in order to make it safe enough... »View More
The history of tea is really quite fascinating. There are many myths that surround the creation of tea. One such popular myth is from a Chinese legend stating that tea was discovered in 2737 BC when Chinese emperor Chen Nung accidentally dropped the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. Not wanting to throw the water out, he took a sip and tea was born. One would think that tea would grow on vines in the ground. However, tea is actually grown from trees found in the hotter climates of the world. From China, tea was brought to Japan who incorporated it into their special occasions and into their holiday meals. When it reached England in sixteen sixty-two, tea was fully introduced to the world. England adapted tea as their national beverage and... »View More
It’s no surprise that cheese has been around for a long time. With estimates ranging from 5,000 years to 10,000 years old, cheese is actually older than history. The most accepted version of its origin is that it was likely the way that already sour milk was preserved. By waiting for the sour milk to separate, the solids could be removed, pressed and salted and then eaten. This probably happened in the Middle East. These early cheeses were probably very salty and acidic. At a later point someone discovered that milk stored in the stomach of a calf became better cheese and rennet, the enzyme that helps digest milk entered cheese history. Ancient to Modern Once cheese traveled to cooler climates, salt and acid became a little less important,... »View More
Buying presents is always tricky, particularly when the person you have to buy for seems to have exquisite taste in antique items and you feel you have neither the judgment nor the bank balance to buy them something they will love. I have always had this problem with my father, whose house is full of tasteful and valuable antiques. I did, however find the perfect gift totally by accident when clearing out the attic of my new house a couple of years ago. The previous owners had left a few boxes in the attic, we thought by accident. We contacted them to let them know their mistake but they said they didn’t want the contents and we should throw it away. Rather grumpily I set to removing and disposing of the items, after all we had enough... »View More
Can you make bread and buns in the mountains? We got a call from California this week, “I can make great bread in L.A. but at my cabin in Montana, it doesn’t turn out so well.” We would like to help. This summer, you might find yourself at a cabin or in an RV high in the mountains. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy great bread. Yeast products are not as sensitive to altitude as chemically leavened products. We have worked with yeasted breads at almost 11,000 feet in the Rockies. The trick is realizing that you are working with living creatures and giving them the culture that they need to thrive in—a warm, moist environment. In a healthy culture, yeast organisms feed on the sugars and starches in the dough, multiply rapidly, and... »View More