lifestyles
Coffee talk
The days of potent coffee are gone. Students are now beginning to realize that they can have their coffee and like it, too. Gourmet coffee is the talk of the town.
(Left) Patrons select from the gourmet coffee offered at La Prima Tazza, 638 Mas-sachusets St. The espresso machine (above left) and the French press (above right) are two gourmet coffee makers.
Justin Knupp / KANSAN
By Delin Cormeny Kansan staff writer
o, your 20-page research paper is due tomorrow at 8 a.m. The evening news has just ended, and although you know what you want to say, you haven't started writing.
There's also that little matter of reading the next 12 chapters in your history of the world textbook before your 2:30 class, and—oh yeah—memorizing 50 vocabulary words for a Spanish exam.
diary words for a Spanish exam.
If only La Prima Tazza, Lawrence's premier gourmet coffee shop, were open 24-hours a day. ...
But it's not.
Therefore, knowing how to brew the ultimate cup of coffee at home is probably the most sensible, basic and arguably most important survival skill for college students — an attribute more valuable even than the genius of proper laundering.
No matter which kind of coffee maker you have — a good ol' Mr. Coffee, an espresso pot, a cappuccino maker or the exotic French press pot — there are a few things to keep in mind that will help make the magical potion delicious.
First of all, choose the right bean. Coffee is like wine. Each cup has certain properties that distinguish it from others.
The typical "long" American coffee served in restaurants and sold in supermarkets is a blend of robusta beans. These beans are grown at sea level, picked immaturely and are often cultivated with the help of pesticides. Mexico, Brazil and Angola are known for producing robusta beans.
Most specialty coffee drinks, such as cappuccino, espresso and latte, are made from combinations of robusta and higher-quality arabica beans. Arabica beans are usually grown organically in the warm, moist climates and high altitudes of Colombia, Guatemala and Central America. They tend to have a sharper, fuller flavor than robusta beans.
The roast can make or break a good bean. Each type of bean has a specific roasting time and temperature that brings out its best flavor. Over-roasting or under-roasting can ruin it.
Besides the origin of the beans, the roast, brewing method and added extras such as steamed milk, spices and liquor distinguish the gourmet product from the typical American cup.
In general, the darker the roast, the heavier the taste. French Roasted beans are roasted until they are almost black and will have an oily, creamy espresso-like flavor. Beans that are lightly roasted, such as Costa Rican or Columbian blends, will have a richer but milder flavor.
Depending on which coffee maker is used, the quality of the coffee will be different. The same coffee, brewed in two different types of pots, will taste entirely different.
Drip coffee makers tend to produce medium-quality coffee. Although it is the cheapest, simplist and least messy of makers, the paper filter will absorb some of the coffee's flavor.
Espresso pots are less practical. They produce an intensely strong coffee, usually served in small doses. Water is put in the bottom chamber, ground coffee in the metal mid-section, and when the water boils, it rises and passes through the grids, and exits as coffee into the empty chamber at top.
Cappuccino makers, which generally cost about $75 to $150, create a froth by shooting steam through cold milk, which is then added to an espresso blend. The same frothy effect can be
achieved, however,
either by warming
whole milk and
frothing it in the
blender, or by mixing
one part half-and-
half with three parts
milk and whisking it
over medium heat
until thick. Fill a cup
halfway with coffee
and halfway with the
froth and top it with
cocoa or cinnamon.
The French press pot looks like a tall glass with a plunger in it, and produces a richer and stronger drink than the typical American coffee, but it is not as strong as espresso. The coffee grinds go directly into the cylinder, followed by hot water. After about five minutes, both the plunger and the coffee are pushed to the bottom of the cylinder and the coffee is ready. The longer the coffee steeps, the stronger and more caffinated it will be.
Justin Knupp / KANSAN
Bart Smith (behind counter at left) owns La Prima Tazza, Lawrence's premier gourmet coffee shop.
For a different twist, try adding plain milk, sugar, honey, nut-meg, almond or hazelnut flavors or various lions' oats.
Whether you drink coffee primarily to stay up to do all of your unfinished homework, to jolt you out of that morning zombie-like trance, or for the sheer pleasure of it, experimenting with different flavors and brewing techniques at home not only saves money, but also can enhance the coffee-drinking experience.
dance
Dance dominates the day
By Michelle Betts Kansan features writer
union and senior high school students are invited to the KU campus Saturday for a "Day of Dance."
The dance program is sponsored by the department of music and dance and will take place at Robinson Center in studios 240 and 242. Phone:
The program offers one day of dance classes to students. The classes include lessons in ballet, jazz and modern dance.
The program also includes a 30-minute informal dance concert performed by the University Dance Company.
Janet Hamburg, associate professor of music and dance, said she encouraged everyone, not just participants in the day's activities, to attend the concert.
ku students will be admitted at no charge with a KUUD. The concert begins at 2 p.m. Saturday
"We want to welcome KU students to the concert as well." she said.
"Day of Dance" will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. The classes will be taught by Jerel Hilding and Muriel Cohan, assistant professors of music and dance, and Willie Lenoir and Patrick Suzeau, instructors in music and dance.
The classes being taught include dance at all levels. Faculty will teach beginning, intermediate and advanced ballet and jazz and beginning and intermediate modern dance. Jerel Hilding, assistant professor of music and dance, will teach a class in pas de deux, a dance choreographed for one male dancer and one female dancer.
Hamburg said that this was the second time the department had sponsored the dance program but that the informal dance concert was a new part of the day and will give the participants of the "Day of Dance" program a chance to see the company dancers perform.
The University Dance Company will also perform in another informal dance concert on Nov. 3.The performance will be free.
OCTOBER 13, 1992 PAGE 5
KU Campus
People and places at the University of Kansas.
calendar
Exhibitions
Spencer Museum of Art
864-4710
Hours: Closed Monday; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday;
noon: 5 p.m. Sunday.
An exhibit of Navajo Textiles. Ends Oct. 25
"A Noble Collection: Old Master Prints from the Spencer Albums." Ends Jan. 3, 1993
KU Museum of Natural History 2014.15.18
Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday - Friday; 9 a.m.
3 p.m. Saturday; 5 Closed Sunday.
An exhibit of "Milestones: The University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, 1866-1992." Ends March 14, 1993
KU Museum of Anthropology
Hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Saturday; 1 - 5 p.m. Sunday
The Fourth Annual Indian Arts Show: A Juried Competition. Ends Oct. 25
Watkins Community Museum 1047 Massachusetts St.
Continued on Page 6.