Recent Posts

  • Coffee Update #2 : How to clean a French press

    While French press coffee is easy to make, the same cannot be said for its cleaning. Ask anyone who owns a French Press and they will tell you how complicated and grueling it is to clean it. While Filter coffee makers are easy to clean as all you have to do is throw the used Filters and all the grounds, in French Press it is a little messier as all the wet, gritty grounds get accumulated in the bottom of the press.

    But don’t worry, here is a quick way to clean your French Press in no time ensuring that your next pot coffee tastes as amazing as your first.

    • Throw the used grounds

    This is one of the most obvious step and although there are many ways to do this, best way would be to collect your used grounds in a garbage can. If you throw the used grounds in your toilet or sink or garbage, it might get messy and it also might clog your sink or toilet. So make sure that you collect your used grounds in a garbage bag or can and then throw it out.

    How do you get all the used grounds out of the press? This is pretty simple, just tap the bottom of the press and hold it upside down over your garbage can. Most of the grounds will come out easy, but if it doesn’t you can use a spoon or a spatula to scoop it out of it. You can also pour some water into your press and then get all the grounds out of it and collect it in your garbage can.

    Once you have gotten rid of all the used grounds, you can move on to step 2 of cleaning your French Press.

    • Disassemble your French Press and Submerge it

    Now that your French Press is clean of all used grounds, time to remove the press components like plunger, lid, etc. and keep them separately inside a hot, soapy water. You can use either a dish soap or a baking soda to soak your coffee machine and although baking soda ensures that there is no change in the taste of brewed coffee after it is cleaned, there is no harm in using a dish soap too. Just make sure that you rinse your press thoroughly to remove any trace of soap from your press.

    You can also use some coffee machine cleaning powder as these help in removing the coffee oils left behind after each brew.

    • Scrub it completely

    Take a scrub and gently scrub the carafe and plunger and lid to clean them up thoroughly and use baking soda and water to achieve the desired results. Make sure you clean all the press components and scrub them clean for better results.

    • Wipe it dry

    Use a dish towel and wipe all the press components separately. Once you have completely dried them up, you can reassemble them together. You can now use your French Press to make yourself a delicious cup of coffee which will taste as good as your first cup of coffee and will consistently give you the same amazing taste.

  • Coffee Update #1: How to clean your Espresso Machine

    While you enjoy your Espresso coffee every day, it is crucial to keep in mind that your Espresso machine needs a regular clean up to get rid of all the milk and coffee residue which gets accumulated in your machine after every use. Although you might be rinsing your machine after every use, it is much more important to clean it properly every week to dissolve all the debris and residues.

    But how to keep your machine clean? Here are a few tips you should follow to keep your Espresso machine neat and clean.

    1. Clean your Espresso Machine after every use

    One of the most basic steps to follow is to rinse your Espresso machine and its equipment every time before and after you use it. You do not need to use a cleaning solution, just use hot, soapy water for a basic cleaning session.

    Wipe down the machine’s surface and clean any drips or stains near or on it. This will ensure you a clean work space and a somewhat clean machine’s inside too.

    1. Deep-Clean your Espresso Machine once every week

    Make sure that you perform a vigorous cleaning session on your Espresso Machine once in every week. Sometimes oil grease, mineral deposits, milk proteins, etc. get stuck to the machine and might affect the working of your machine. In such cases, it is good to use a cleaning solution to clean your machine properly every week.

    If you leave the deep cleaning for a long time, it would take you double the initial time to completely clean your Espresso Machine. So do perform this activity every week.

    1. Use a scrub or brush

    If you want to make sure that your machine is cleaned properly and quickly, it would be advisable to buy an Espresso machine cleaning brush for the same. These brushes will help you in a vigorous cleaning of the machine and will make the whole process faster.

    You can use a group head brush with a 90-degree angle as this brush will be sure to reach all the cracks and nooks of the machines.

    1. Descale your machine with a vinegar solution

    Sometimes due to the usage of impure water, mineral deposits form on the machine in the form of limescales. These limescales may interrupt the working of your Espresso machine or could clog the coffee output part which would result in the machine not working or providing you with little drips of coffee.

    This deposition has been known to create a lot of problems for your machine and is found best to be removed as soon as possible. You can use a vinegar and hot water solution to remove the limescale and clean your machine. Vinegar has been found effective in dissolving limescale quickly, leaving a smooth surface behind it.

    1. Disassemble all the removable parts and clean them

    When you are cleaning your Espresso machine, make sure you clean and wipe every nook and cranny. Ensure that you detach all the removable parts and clean them separately. Once you have cleaned the machine and its parts, you can fix them back together and start using your machine again.

  • TRAVEL UPDATE #2: BURYAT CUISINE

    Baikal (above) really is the pearl of Siberia, the world’s largest lake and a UNESCO world heritage site. However, it was mostly too cold to enjoy the time we were there. Apparently, it’s still early in the season. After spending several weeks in and around Lake Baikal, I had enough opportunities to sufficiently try out Buryat cuisine as well as learn about some of the history behind it. All cuisines reflect the culture where it originates, whether it is in the choice of ingredients, prevalence of certain cooking styles and influx of foreign cuisines.

    Today the Buryats (above) are a minority in Russia and Mongolia, however, they are also the largest indigenous group in Siberia, mainly concentrated in the Buryat Republic in and around Lake Baikal, which are all part of the Russian Federation. The capital of the Buryat Republic, Ulan-Ude, is where I spent the majority of time during traveling. Traditionally, the Buryats, like the Mongols, were nomadic and lived in traditional yurts. The yurt is a special kind of tent that can be assembled and disassembled in an hour, keeps internal temperatures warm in winter and cool in summer. The yurts are circular and each place in the yurt has a specific purpose. There’s a hole in the centre of the roof to allow for venting.

     BY AJDAHLER

    TRAVEL UPDATE #2: BURYAT CUISINE

    I’m back in Canada after five weeks of travelling that flew by.  At one point I was flying to Russia and it seemed like the next day that I was already leaving. Time just goes quickly when you enjoy everyday. It’s a very tangible feeling. Anyways, over the next couple of weeks I will finish a series of posts related to the trip. Access to the internet became pretty spotty while traveling, plus admittedly, what I needed more than anything was a break.

    Baikal (above) really is the pearl of Siberia, the world’s largest lake and a UNESCO world heritage site. However, it was mostly too cold to enjoy the time we were there. Apparently, it’s still early in the season. After spending several weeks in and around Lake Baikal, I had enough opportunities to sufficiently try out Buryat cuisine as well as learn about some of the history behind it. All cuisines reflect the culture where it originates, whether it is in the choice of ingredients, prevalence of certain cooking styles and influx of foreign cuisines.

    Today the Buryats (above) are a minority in Russia and Mongolia, however, they are also the largest indigenous group in Siberia, mainly concentrated in the Buryat Republic in and around Lake Baikal, which are all part of the Russian Federation. The capital of the Buryat Republic, Ulan-Ude, is where I spent the majority of time during traveling. Traditionally, the Buryats, like the Mongols, were nomadic and lived in traditional yurts. The yurt is a special kind of tent that can be assembled and disassembled in an hour, keeps internal temperatures warm in winter and cool in summer. The yurts are circular and each place in the yurt has a specific purpose. There’s a hole in the centre of the roof to allow for venting.

    In Mongolia today, many people still live in yurts (called “gers” there), however, they have been supplemented with SUVs and satellite TV. In Buryatia, however, as a result of Sovietization and the tragic history of the 20th century, tribes were forcibly settled, many lost their lives in a struggle for maintaining their identity and many emigrated.

    I went on a mission to find a book of Buryat recipes to replicate the most well-known Buryat dish of buuza / бууза, which are large steamed meat dumplings (called pozy / позы in Russian).  You will find the same dumplings in Mongolia as well as throughout Central Asia with the addition of some vegetables which changes the texture (manty / манты).  The only books I could locate on Buryat cuisine in the entire city of Ulan-Ude were housed in the National Library Rare Books Collection.  That’s right, there aren’t any books in Russian much less English featuring Buryat recipes.

    Luckily, as is a general theme throughout modern Russia, the internet fills a void where political control and interests cannot fully eradicate. And in my research I found numerous recipes for buuzy (none of which have been translated that I could find). How exciting it is to stumble upon something that isn’t on the internet!  Well, it will be now, stay tuned for a future update when I attempt to replicate these in my kitchen.

  • TRAVEL UPDATE #1: GREETINGS FROM ULAN-UDE

    Friday June 7 already feels like it was a month ago, but that was the day that I began travelling from Toronto to Moscow. I arrived in Moscow late Saturday night and was met by two dear friends after I disembarked from the train from the airport.

    I had all of one day to get reacquainted with the city I used to live in.  In many ways, I didn’t recognize it at all. And much of the feelings were overwhelming and difficult to process in so short a period of time while also being jet lagged, tired, cranky and a little paranoid. In some ways Moscow was unrecognizable. In other ways it very much reinforced the perception I’ve always had of it.

    Our train left Moscow last Monday and arrived in Ulan-Ude late Thursday night on Moscow time. Local time was already early Friday morning. We tried the onboard restaurant but found the food largely inedible. For example, here is a mystery beef dish that we were served.

    I can’t believe that already a week has passed by since we first arrived in Ulan-Ude. We made preparations for our journey to Mongolia next Friday.

    ULAN-UDE HIGHLIGHTS RESTAURANT LIFE

    Because we don’t have a kitchen, I’ve had the pleasure of eating out in at least one restaurant everyday.  And one restaurant in particular: Travelers Coffee, which is a chain of cafe/bistro type restaurants across Russia. The branding is modern, the choices are modern and the variety of coffee is the most I’ve seen ever in this country.  I did find a better Americano at Marco Polo but the atmosphere, location and menu choices of Travelers make it hands down a better choice for us.  My favourite meal because of the value for money you get (I’m so American sometimes) is the club sandwich, which for 239 rubles ($7) you get 400 grams of food (almost a pound)–a big sandwich and french fries. And they put a ton of dill on the french fries, I don’t think it adds anything to.

  • HEALTHIER PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

    This year I was desperate for a taste of the holidays without all the sugar. So I turned to my favourite high-protein ingredient: peanut butter. Instead of 10x sugar, I used honey. For extra fiber, I added some wheat germ. These don’t have the moisture of the original, but they pack a huge peanut butter punch, and if you use milk chocolate, you won’t miss the 10x sugar. And that’s how I got to this healthier peanut butter balls recipe.

    Suddenly, I wasn’t so depressed about the fact that I wasn’t able to make it home for Christmas all the way from Vancouver. It was an expensive move and an exhausting one, with a period of adjustment that continues even now. Missing out on all that holiday gorging did have one upside. This is the first year in my life I haven’t gained weight during the holiday season! In the past I’d put on up to 15 pounds during the three weeks spanning all the holiday gatherings. I’m a comfort food junkie. Free from the temptation of the most delicious home cooking, I could maintain some discipline around my eating and make balanced choices.

    Nutrition

    These healthier peanut butter balls only lasted in the fridge all of three days. That was not so great, but it was our only indulgence. The calories in the healthier recipe are much improved over the original. Although the first thing I said when I tried one was, “Not as good as the original,” (we’re only human, after all), I would still make these over the confectioners sugar variety. For your convenience, you can view the original or healthier recipe ingredients used to calculate the above Nutrition Facts at MyFitnessPal. Please note that in the original recipe I use 3 cups of sugar (not 4) and no shortening in the chocolate, so I have already reduced some calories in the original.

    Now, this treat is certainly no apple, but it is definitely a treat. Finding a way to make simple indulgences a part of your everyday life can really contribute to long-term sustainability. When you find yourself too deprived, those indulgences become detrimental physically and mentally. Feeling like you’re out of control after eating an entire bag of raw chocolate chips does not add to your self esteem. And I think we’ve all been there at one time or another.