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Pure Kona Coffee is gourmet coffee grown only on the Island of Hawaii. It is grown on the dark volcanic lava rock slopes of Kona which is located on the west side of the Big Island. This area is approximately one mile wide by thirty miles long. It is situated between two volcanoes, Hualalai and Manua Loa. The elevation ranges from 500 to 3000 feet.

The unique island microclimate distinguishes pure Kona coffee from all others. Special care is taken throughout the process of creating the Kona coffee bean. The sunny mornings, cloud-covered rainy afternoons and mild nights create an ideal growing condition for the best Kona coffee.

The trees thrive in the fertile volcanic soil and natural shade provided by the mango and macadamia nut trees. This allows the Kona coffee bean to mature slowly and flourish.

Kona coffee is hand picked, pulped, dried and hulled then sorted by size and shape. It is sun dried and then roasted depending on desired results. A good roasting process can make a big difference in taste. Roasting is referred to as an “art form” by many in the trade.

Dark roasts are typically French Roast, Italian, or Expresso. Medium roasts include Vienna. Flavored coffee is usually sprayed immediately after roasting for the best absorption of flavor. Just after roasting the oxidation process begins and coffee is at its freshest.

Kona coffee is grown and processed with attention to every detail creating an end result of extraordinary coffee, delicate yet rich in flavor and aroma. This quality has made pure Kona coffee one of the most highly famous and valued coffees in the world.

Copyright © 2005 Perfect Coffees.com. All Rights Reserved

About the Author

This article is supplied by http://www.perfectcoffees.com where you can purchase quality coffee online, tea, cups, mugs, coffee makers, delicious desserts and sugar free desserts online. For a free monthly coffee newsletter with articles like these go to: http://www.perfectcoffees.com/newsletter.html

On one occasion I purchased a mocha coffee pack from a local coffee merchant and about a week and a half later found that the product was no good, quite understandably I was not best impressed and went back to the dealer to either secure a refund or trade my purchase for some other coffee related product or items. Now It turns out had been very careless and lost the cashiers receipt that the coffee vendors employee had supplied me, due to the fact that the employee had quit the day after I was left with a fairly useless bundle of merchandise and an empty space in my account.

Another reason to look after your payment receipt when ordering coffee products is lets presume you buy italian coffee blender and 4 days later a far superior product arrives on the scene, clearly the coffee vendor you sourced it from won’t give your funds back but all is not lost, a small loss will perhaps be incurred but the fact that the original coffee dealer gave you a payment receipt means that the day can still be saved. Due to the fact that your coffee product is so new it will definitely be worth offering it on an auction website that specializes in food and drink or coffee related merchandise, at the end of the day you are going to make a small cash loss but are not stuck with a product that you are not fully happy or pleased with.

Sales receipts are more valuable as you might suppose and they are closely connected with product insurance and your consumer rights, again imagine for a moment you buy an Italian coffee brewer or possibly a stainless steel coffee blender , then something happens and your coffee machine is destroyed, lost or stolen, if the coffee store receipt is safe then obtaining your insurance payment will be doubly fast when compared to if you had you lost that first cashiers slip.

When you are ordering items like cuban coffee samplers to glass coffee storage jars it might be that for some reason you will to take out some kind of warranty or further insurance, now this is all very well but 99% of all warranties will certainly require you to also produce a payment receipt with your warranty papers, now if you get a relatively expensive coffee then obviously it would be a catastrophe to lose your cashiers ticket as any possible warranty protection may be lost.

Even if you do not obtain a warranty when buying a coffee grinder or some other kind of coffee machine you will certainly need a receipt, there may be a number of reasons for you to return to the coffee merchant or electrical store and without a receipt you needn’t bother going. Coffee products are no different from any other item you might purchase so you must ensure you keep that sales ticket.

The Free coffee makers guide by Carol Hansonly the author of this article can be located at : www.bjcoffee.com

The artichoke was first developed in Sicily and was known to both the Greeks and the Romans. In 77 AD the Roman naturalist Pliny called the choke one of earth’s monstrosities, but many continued to eat them. Historical accounts show that wealthy Romans enjoyed artichokes prepared in honey and vinegar, seasoned with cumin, so that this treat would be available year round.

It was not until the early twentieth century that artichokes were grown in the United States. All artichokes commercially grown in the United States are grown in California and Castroville, California, claims to be the “Artichoke Capital of the World.” California even has an Artichoke Queen — the most famous queen was Marilyn Monroe in 1947. She inspired more people to eat artichokes in that year reign than any year before or after.

Artichokes are actually a flower bud - if allowed to flower, blossoms measure up to seven inches in diameter and are a violet-blue color. Artichokes are a close relative to the thistle.

Varieties
Green Globe: year round and peaks in spring.
Desert Globe: available from December through March and July to September.
Big Heart: year round, with a lull in April.
Imperial Star: year round and peaks in spring.

Selection
High-quality artichokes are usually compact and heavy for their size. Squeezed, a fresh artichoke will make a squeak. The thickness of each stalk should correspond to the size of the artichoke. Thin stalks signal dehydration, so look for stalks that are firm without “give.”

Storage
Artichokes remain fairly constant in appearance for weeks, but flavor is adversely affected from the moment they are cut from the stalk. For maximum taste and tenderness, cook as soon as possible. Do not stock up on artichokes. Refrigerate unwashed, in a plastic bag, for up to 1 week.

Preparation
Artichokes should be washed under cold running water. Pull off the lower petals and cut the stems to one inch or less. Cut the top quarter of each artichoke and snip off the sharp tips. Artichokes turn brown very quickly once they are cut. To preserve the green color, one may dip in lemon water.
Hardware

Artichokes can also stain the hands quite badly so it is recommended that rubber gloves be worn for cleaning and chopping.

Artichokes can be boiled, steamed, microwaved or sautéed. They can be eaten whole or added to other dishes.

Cooked artichokes may be refrigerated for several days in a covered container.

Microwave: cook 6 to 8 minutes or until a petal near the center pulls out easily.

Boiling: Stand artichokes in a large pan with 3 quarts boiling water. Cover and boil gently 20 to 40 minutes according to size, or until the petal near the center pulls out easily.

Small artichokes are good for pickling, stews, casseroles; medium size are good for salads and large size are good for stuffing.

To eat, pull off leaves and eat the fleshy ends attached to the plant. Lift out the cone and cut out the core, which is the fuzzy portion at the center. The heart is a true delicacy and will break easily with a fork.
General

Dip the leaves in lemon juice or try the low-fat dipping sauce in the recipe section.
Enjoy a healthy, tart treat-sprinkle lemon, lime and orange juices over steamed leaves.
Add artichoke hearts to your favorite pasta dish or salad.
Make your vegetable soup unique by adding artichoke hearts.
Try serving and/or stuffing artichokes for a different appetizer.

About the Author

Adam Fletcher is the webmaster of Hardware Software Articles http://www.hardwaresoftwarearticles.com .

Christmas recipe Serves: 6

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Calories per serving: 580

Not suitable for freezing

Christmas recipe ingredients:

* poussins, 3, about 700 g (1.5 lb) each

* salt and pepper

* kumquats, 225 g (8 oz)

* garlic cloves, 16

* olive oil, 30 ml (2 tbsp)

* unsalted butter, 25 g (1 oz)

* bay leaves, 2

* dry cider, 450 ml (15 fl oz)

* apple juice, 200 ml (7 fl oz)

* double cream, 200 ml (7 fl oz)

* garnish, thyme sprigs

Christmas recipe instructions:

1. Cook the unpeeled garlic cloves in salted boiling water for
about 5 minutes. Then cool and peel. Cut the kumquats in half.
Split the poussins in half along the breast bone, having removed
the backbone. Use about 10 ml (2 tsp) of salt to cover the skin
side.

2. Cook the poussin pieces skin side down in hot butter until
golden brown. Take out of the pan and replace with the garlic
and kumquats, cooking in the hot pan until a golden color. Put
the poussins back, add bay leaves and cover.

3. Now cook the poussins fully at gas mark 6 (200 degrees
centigrade, 400 F) for about 35 minutes. Take everything out of
the dish except 6 cloves, cover and keep warm.

4. Make a paste by crushing the remaining garlic and add apple
juice and cider. Heat to boiling and continue till syrup like.

5. Add the cream and season with salt and pepper. Heat to
boiling again and simmer for about a minute. Put the food back
that you removed in step 3 and cook for about two ot three
minutes.

6. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve.

Looking to have some fun with friends while sharing some wine? You should consider hosting a wine tasting party. It’s a really neat way to share your wine favorites and to be introduced to a variety of new and interesting wines. You can also add some spice to your fun by using a wine theme (”All About Reds”, “Blindfold Tasting”, etc.).

Party Size

You don´t need a lot of guests to have a great party. What I have found works best is to have about four to twelve people, and definitely include yourself as one of the registered guests. Also, I like to always have a contest during the party and give away a gift.

Theme Selection

Pick a fun theme, and remember the theme also determines what wines will be poured. You can name a theme like “The Great Italians”, “The Great Whites of California”, or whatever fits your mood. I would suggest being very creative, the possibilities are endless. If you tell your local wine merchant your theme, they can be a great source of help with wine and theme matching. Also, at a minimum make sure you have 4 to 6 different wine types to taste.

Food Choices

Have you heard the saying “First the wine, then your menu”? If you had a theme for your party and your wines followed that theme, you may want to carry it through with whatever food you serve. For example if you are tasting Italian Reds why not serve some Italian munchies to match.

While you do need to provide foods that complement the wines provided, the food should not the backbone of the party. Focus on the d´oeuvres such as: cheese, fruit, unsalted crackers, bread or other munchies you may have prepared for the evening. Don not forget to have lots of bottled room temperature water and optional spit buckets available.

When all the tasting is done, you may want to have plenty of coffee and desserts. This is also a great time to break out one of your favorite dessert wines.

To experience the full pleasure of the wine, it is important that you serve them at the correct temperature. Below are the basic temperature guidelines:

Temperature per Wine Types

37-43°F White Sweet Wines

41-45°F Champagne and Sparkling Wines

46-50°F White Dry Young Wines

48-54°F White Aged and Pink Wines

52-59°F Red Young Wines

54-63°F Port and Sherry

58-63°F Red Full-body Wines

59-65°F Red Aged Wines

Serving Considerations

There are important factors to consider when pouring the wine at a Wine Tasting Party.

1. Fill the glasses only one-third full. This will prevent anyone from swirling the wine on your tablecloth or carpeting.

2. Expect to serve about eight to twelve samples from each 750 ml bottle.

3. As a rule, serve white wines before red wines and dry wines before sweet.

4. Blush wines are served as you would serve a rose, in-between the white and the reds.

5. The serving order is more common sense than etiquette.

6. Sweet wines have a tendency to over power the taste buds giving a sensation of bitterness to the dry wines.

Sights

The first step in the tasting process is to examine the wine and take note of the color, clarity, and transparency of the wine. Young wines are typically very clear. Older blends may be expected to have a little sediment. There is a lot to this and it takes a bit of experience to understand which hues are right for each type.

Smell

The second step is in the pleasure of smelling the wine. Swirl the wine around in the glass which awakens its aromas or bouquets. It is important to take a good sniff of the bouquet and try to detect unique fragrances. If are new at this, don´t fret, you will get better over time.

Taste

Now the fun part of actually tasting the wine. Take a sip and roll the wine over your tongue. Different parts of the tongue will register different tastes so be sure to roll the wine around in your mouth. Try to focus on the characteristics of the wine, such as body, sweetness, tartness, bitterness, and fruitiness. You should also take notice the subtleties of the wine´s aftertaste.

About The Author

Contributor: Stuart Glasure [Designer, Fashion Artist, Creator: “Zany Wearables”, Wine Enthusiast]

www.ZanyGiftware.com

www.WineDefinitions.com

Do you have a passion for pineapples? Then this is your fruit drink. Enjoy a cool, refreshing Pineapple Delight Smoothie. It’s easy to make and will taste so good when you put it into a tall frosty glass.

All you need is some sliced pineapple, bananas, milk and honey. Now doesn’t that sound dreamy? This is a great way to enjoy a sweet, tropical fruit drink whenever you’re in the mood for pineapple.

Pineapple Delight Smoothie

• 2 cups nonfat milk
• 2 bananas, frozen and chunked
• 6 slices canned pineapple
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

In a blender, combine milk, frozen bananas, pineapple and honey. Blend until smooth.

About The Author

Copyright 2004

Donna Monday

Easy to make – fun to drink

http://www.1st-milkshake-n-smoothie-recipes.com

This is a mini guide to help you eat better, giving you some insider tips on getting that healthy lifestyle. This is not just about food but also about the way you cook.

Firstly the tools of the trade. We love the new cast iron range from Berghoff as stocked by simplykitchenware.com. This range is lightweight and contains an advanced non stick coating; not only preventing your food from getting stuck or burnt on but also preventing the need for non essential fats. We recommend 4 pans for your kitchen; grill pan, saute pan 18cm, Wok and deep saucepan. The range is light weight and has detachable handles which means you can put the item in the oven easily. We were amazed that in just a few moments in the washing bowl the pans were clean!

Top tip during cooking is to have some kitchen roll/paper on hand, you can use this to gently mop up those non essential oils released during cooking to make your food healthier and get rid of those non essential calories.

Top foods to cook in your Grill/Saute Pan - no oil or fats needed!
* Steak - top tip make sure the pan is hot before placing. The grill pan will give you a charring effect
* Chicken breast - put a whole chicken breast between 2 pieces of clingfilm, bash out with a rolling pin till flatten. season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon and rub in a teaspoon of balsamic oil.
* If you love fish with that grilling effect then again the grill pan is perfect and easy to clean afterwards! If you have more delicate fish use the sautepan and control the heat.

Top foods to cook in your Wok - no oil or fats needed unless adding as a flavour
Woks aren’t just for stir fry, why not use it to cook a curry or thai food? the dish is perfect to serve at a dinner table.
Consider the following for a healthier change;
* Creme fraiche of greek yogurt instead of cream
* Seasame oil instead of olive oil or sunflower oil for stirfrys, this also gives the vegetables another falvour
* This wok is perfect for cooking spices as you need no oil and therefore release the full flavor of the spice.
* Using your Wok for finishing pasta dishes will ensure you get sauce coated on all the strains of pasta. This is perfect for Spaghetti Carbonara.

And that about wraps it up! Berghoff pans and a little care mean FAR less calories in your food, effortlessly!

About the Author

Super Celeb Chef Helen Porter, cooks it up at www.simplyKitchenware.com