Coffee

This isn't a recipe but more of a tip. I absolutely love coffee and am completely addicted to it, so I care about how it tastes and about the quality of it.

This tip might seem obvious but so many people don't follow it. The tip? Grind fresh beans as often as you can, don't buy pre-ground coffee in a packet, even if it is vacuum sealed 'to preserve the freshness'. That stuff is not fresh, no matter what they say.

If you have never had real freshly ground coffee then please, please go out and try it somewhere. You will be astonished at the difference it makes.

Unfortunately, I don't have a coffee grinder myself but I can go to a shop near where I live and get some of the highest quality beans in the world ground freshly for me. I tend to buy small amounts so that the coffee I make is as fresh as possible at all times.

I would just put beans in to my blender to grind them up but it seems that the process of grinding coffee is not that simple. Apparently, if you use blades to grind coffee it creates a bitter taste whereas if you use a burr grinder you get a much richer and better taste. This is why I haven't brought a grinder yet, they can be a bit expensive. One day I will though, then I can have freshly ground coffee everyday. Mmmm.

If you only drink freeze-dried coffee...well, maybe there's no hope for you!