Everyone loves a good winery experience especially on a chilly Vic winter day. This is the arresting entrance to Tarrawarra Winery in the Yarra Valley. Through the kind referral by the winemaker, Clare Halloran we have been fortunate enough to supply the winery cafe for the past 2 years. I'm sure you'll have an experience to remember if you book a table in the cafe. When I do get a chance to deliver personally I feel inclined to take up residence on one of the tables overlooking the vines and pretend I own the place. I could phone down to the vineyard staff and give them directions. Darren and Lucy work in the cafe and will look after you I'm sure if you pay them a visit.
June 13, 2010
June 9, 2010
Indian Malobar Monsooned
Centuries ago, when coffee beans were transported from Asia to Europe in sailing ships, purely by accident a new coffee taste was discovered. Monsoon winds and high moisture levels below deck caused the beans to swell during their voyages across the sea, causing them to change colour and acquire a uniquely distinctive flavour.
Today, a handful of producers on the West Coast of Southern India with special open sided warehouses for ‘monsooning’ recreate the atmosphere of sending the beans across the sea. Raw, green beans harvested from December to February are spread across the floor of these special warehouses where moisture laden winds circulate around the coffee beans as the storms roll in from June to Sep.
This process dramatically increases the aging process - the beans turn pale yellow in color and swell in size, reducing their acidity. As the acidity levels drop, the beans take on a mellowed but consistent, musty flavour and impart a heavy syrupy flatness reminiscent of aged coffees. These ‘speciality’ coffees are predominantly used in blends to impart richness and body to fresher, more acidic full flavoured coffees.
Both Arabica and Robusta cherries (unwashed coffees) are used for the preparation of monsooned coffees. However, better quality beans make a significant difference to the final product. Monsooned beans are traditionally only available for shipment from September to March. The annual production in India ranges between 3,500 and 5,000 tonnes depending on that year’s general coffee production.
International demand for monsooned coffee has increased dramatically over the last few years. The monsooned style of coffee is extremely popular in Scandinavian countries, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, USA and Japan.Wikipedia
Monsooned Malabar is a variety of dry processed coffee beans. The harvested and processed beans are exposed to the monsoon winds for a period of about three to four months, causing the beans to swell and lose the original acidity, resulting in a sweet and syrupy brew.[1] The coffee is unique to the Malabar Karnataka and Kerala and has protected status under the Geographical Indications of Goods Act.[2][3] The name Monsooned Malabar is derived from exposure to the monsoon winds of the Malabar coast.[4] coast of India. The blend is heavy bodied, pungent and of monotone quality and is considered to be dry with a chocolatey aroma and a slightly sharp taste.[5][6] The blend has its origins from the times of the British Raj, when, during the months that the beans were transported by sea from India to Europe, the humidity and the sea winds combined to cause the coffee to ripen from the fresh green to a more aged pale yellow.[7]
June 7, 2010
June 3, 2010
Agents for Nectre Wood Ovens
Nectre Pizza Ovens are the best! You know Im a foodie and love spending time at cooking and enjoying company. I first saw these ovens four years ago and had the have one. My partner at the time thought it a waste of money and that we'd never use it. Wrong. Any season of the year you'll enjoy using this oven. In Winter it gets you outside to enjoy the fire and of course every other season you just want to cook in it and enjoy the flavours and gastronomic therapy.
If your wondering about weight and base type required for the Nectre Oven we can help. They weigh about 300kg and therefore need to be lifted by experience people with the right equipment. You will need space to do so and a solid ground to work on. The oven can be stripped of it's steel and bricks but is still super heavy. Once on the ground it is easy to move on a flat bed trolley. Your base can be any design or structural material providing it will carry the weight to an Australian Standard. The installation instructions require the oven to sit 100mm away from any flammable material to the side and rear and 100mm off a flammable base. In the pics below you can see us constructing a 100mm hearth contained in steel and made with stone set in colored mortar.
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