The name of this blog + Exam Time

          Plan - Section - Coffee got its name from the traditional formats of architectural drawings: Plan, Section, and Elevation.  I spend most of my week in the office designing schools, hospitals, and university buildings, but since life isn't 100% work and seriousness, I swapped out "Elevation" for "Coffee." Small-batch roasting is something I've really been enjoying, and the quality and freshness is unmatchable.  Even people who would normally take cream and sugar in their coffee tend to enjoy a pour-over of freshly roasted Ethiopian beans black because of its natural sweetness.

Freyja the pup, wondering why I'm distracted by papers

          I also have good news: Today I registered for my first licensure exam.  My firm has study resources available, and licensure will only make me a better designer.  I'm hoping to study about two hours a day.  My materials so far include the famous (infamous) Ballast book, the latest Kaplan guide, and ARE forum.  I'm planning to seek out the Norman Dorf vignettes book, make some flash cards, and take as many practice quizzes as I can.  Let me know if you have any other suggestions!

All the best,

Migas + Shrimp Breakfast Tacos (And a trip to a new brewery!)

          On weekdays it's a toss-up whether or not I manage to eat anything before work - but a leisurely home-cooked breakfast is something I look forward to on weekends. 

Breakfast tacos in Austin - July 2015

          My first exposure to migas was on a trip to Austin last summer - apparently it means something different depending on the region, but here's my take on migas + shrimp breakfast tacos:

Ingredients: for two people

• 1/2 Red onion
• 2 Chile peppers
• Butter
• 6 Shrimps
• 6 Tortillas
• 2 eggs
• Splash of water
• Cumin
• Refried black beans 
• Pink pepper
• Lime wedges

Directions:

1. Roughly chop the onion and saute with butter.
2. De-seed and chop the chile peppers and add to the pan with onion.
3. Whisk they eggs together with a splash of water and a pinch of cumin, and scramble with onion and pepper mixture.
4. Devein and prepare the shrimp, and chop into small pieces.
5.  Toast the tortillas in a pan, add a layer of refried beans, and top with migas, shrimp pieces, and pink pepper.
6. Serve with lime.

          After breakfast I went to check out a new local brewery called Empirical Brewery in Ravenswood.

Lightsaber tap handles!!!

           I quite enjoyed the IPA, the imperial red, and the barrel-aged porter.  I suspect someone who doesn't really care for beer but LOVES ginger ale would like the ginger wheat.  The lightsaber tap handles were neat (and super detailed), and apparently each tank of the pilot system is named after a Star Wars planet.  The premise of Empirical Brewery is that by offering experimental brews, they can push the envelope in the science of beer.  As a designer, I enjoy seeing how other industries deal with cutting edge experimentation, and I can't wait to see what they are brewing next. 

Until next time - 
All the best,

HopSLAM!!! and Late Ethipoian Roast

          Who got Hopslam today?  I was looking for it yesterday, and was told it wasn't coming out until next week - but then I went to a Mexican grocery store in my neighborhood to by some tortillas, and they had it!  Quite tasty -  I'm glad I was able to score some while it's fresh.

          I also roasted a little more of the Ethiopian Yirg Buufata - I'm looking forward to that strawberry note with my weekend breakfast tomorrow.  Am I the only one who goes all out on weekend breakfasts?  I have high hopes for tomorrow's breakfast tacos.

          This time I tried switching off the heat every time the temperature rose above 400, so I was able to roast it for the full 4 minutes without taking it past a light roast.  I hadn't tested this method before, but I've seen several sources recommending a multi-step roast, so I can't imagine this would be substantially different.  It looked and smelled like a light roast - just after first crack, but with no immediately visible oils.

          Right now, I store my freshly roasted coffee in mason jars - but I have a few ideas for creative coffee storage (that will be just as effective for freshness) - and I'm looking forward to getting into that next week.

Until next time -
All the best,

Ethiopian Coffee Roast

Hario Pour Over

          For Christmas this year, I'm introducing my parents to my favorite way to prepare coffee. As part of their gift, I got them this Hario Pour Over.  I have an orange Beehouse myself but I've heard good things about the Hario and wanted to try it out.

          I also roasted some coffee to send along with it.  The pour over allows for a very clear taste, and highlights single-origin coffees.  I chose to roast an Ethiopian Dry Process Yirg Buufata Konga from Sweet Maria's because I've made it before, and it was fantastic. The strawberry notes are easy to pick out, and it has a lot of natural sweetness to it.

          

Green beans

          I use an air-popper, wooden spoon, and candy thermometer for roasting, which works surprisingly well.  This is my typical process, with a few modifications:

My process

          The first time I roasted, I realized that the green beans were too heavy for the capacity I was trying to roast, so I ended up only roasting about 0.25 oz, and ordered an extra long wooden spoon for next time, so I could stir through the butter tray until they were light enough for the popper to take over.  

Post-roast, with chaff everywhere

           The second problem I had was that undercooked beans kept blowing into the chaff bowl.  On a site about home roasting, I saw that one guy had solved this problem by sliding a hard drive under the front end of the popper.  I didn't have a spare hard drive on hand, but I used my scale which has about the same dimensions, and it worked beautifully. 

          I also thought the whole thing seemed a little random, so I ordered a candy thermometer that I jam into the side of the popper so I can monitor the temperatures. 

          A problem I haven't solved yet is that it seems to cook them a little too quickly.  I've read that plugging the popper into a power strip can help with that, so I'll give that a shot next time. 

Finished product - Full city?

          Even though it's traditional to roast Ethiopian coffees a little lighter, my parents seem to be bigger fans of darker roasts, so I aimed for Full City.  At a coffee expo in Milwaukee last summer, I heard a guy speaking about how it's actually nice to roast them a little darker, because the typical sweetness caramelizes creating a unique flavor.  

          Hopefully they enjoy it - I didn't have any myself, so I'll have to get some feedback from them.  In the meantime, hopefully I can get another roast in for my own use.

All the best,