When you are looking for a rich full bodied coffee that is also organic and fair trade, take a look at Sumatra Coffee.

Sumatra is one of the islands in Indonesia is the sixth largest island in the world. Long an ideal place for growing coffee it has had coffee growers using organic methods for many years. Some time ago Forestrade an organization which markets organic foodstuffs gathered together the organic coffee growers in the northern part of Sumatra.

Forestrade helped the growers develop standards so their organic coffee beans would be widely accepted throughout the world. The northern area is also known as Gayoland or Mandheling after the tribes who lived in the area. The Sumatra Gayoland Coffee brand has become well know for their specialty coffee.

Gayoland coffee has a sweet almost fruit like flavor. But its boldness will let it be a great finish to a grilled steak or venison.

If you are drinking a full bodied red, then this coffee will finish the meal with style. It's bold yet smooth and its flavor won't get lost. Pair with a great cigar to finish the evening.

Hand roasted by Finger Lakes Coffee in Upstate New York, Sumatra Gayoland Coffee is sure to please.

Not the usual grind,

I'm a fan of coffee news. It's interesting, amusing, and  somewhat crazy to read what comes across the news wires.

Did you know:

• Coffee was used as a murder weapon in New York. A man poisoned his soon to be ex-wife's coffee with cyanide.
• If you are female and drink 3 or more cups of coffee a day, you could be shrinking your breast size. (I didn't make this one up. It's a real study done in Sweden at Lund University.)  Better news from that study, if you have a certain variation of a gene (50% of women have it) then coffee can reduce the risk of breast cancer by as much as 2/3. Seems coffee counteracts the hormone effects on the breast tissue.
  • Limit the amount of coffee you drink if you're pregnant. If you have two or more cups a day, the odds are higher you'll have a low birthweight baby.
  • Starbuck's is giving away coffee if you vote. Honor system. But the state of California considers it be be a bribe since food can be an influencer of voting. California evidently took a donut shop to task 20 years ago.
  • Jeremy Clarkson in the UK TImes Online is convinced coffee drinking countries are staying on top. He despairs of the UK tea drinkers saying,
    

  " Because when you stop and think about it, how many French or Italian banks have gone bust? And while we  wobble, Spain’s Santander bank is stalking the globe like one of the country’s gigantic trawlers, sucking up the broken minnows.  This is because they are all coffee drinkers. They wake up, have an espresso; then, invigorated, they go to work quite literally full of beans.  We, on the other hand, expect to be able to operate on a stomach full of wet leaves. Tea, in actual fact, caused our banking crisis.

  • McDonalds in the Ozarks (Missouri to the rest of us) is offering free coffee to those making donations to the Ozarks Food Harvest food bank. Bring a non perishable item and you'll receive a small regular or gourmet coffee of your choice.
  • If you happen to be up in Maine, not Down Maine on the coast drop by the University of Maine.  The University of Maine at Orono holds an International Coffee Hour every Friday at 4 p.m. in Memorial Union's North Dining Room. This past week they celebrated Guy Fawkes Day(which is actually November 3rd.) Hosted by the International Students Association, you'll meet some people from different cultures and have some coffee as well.
  • From Gillian Hurst Down Under at the CourierMail.au here's a recipe for espresso granita.

  To make your own all you need is 350ml of strong espresso (not instant coffee), about a tablespoon of sugar and 250ml of whipping cream whipped together with a few teaspoons of vanilla sugar. Simply dissolve the sugar into the coffee and place the sweetened coffee into ice-cube trays and freeze. When frozen place the cubes into a food processor and blend.Return to the freezer until required. Serve with the lightly whipped Chantilly cream.

  That's all the news for today. I'm expecting my Sumatra Gayoland Coffee today. Will let you know how it brews.

  Not the usual grind,

• 

Tip of the mug to Woodsy for the use of the photo

Those Down Under are just getting ready for summer, as those of us in the Northern hemisphere are bringing out our woolies. It was 41 degrees here this morning, but this recipe from Gilkathowas too good not to share.

Visiting the Gilkatho site I again remembered the great espresso I had experienced with Jura Capresso machines. The machines are well-designed and touch button easy to operate. Jura offers everything from the Jura Capresso mini s Espresso Machine to the Jura-Capresso IMPRESSA Z6 Coffee/Espresso Machine When you are ready for espresso made to perfection then Jura is the choice for you.

As the weather heats up, this cool and creamy coffee beverage is a great way to chill out! (Down Under they're wanting to chill out, while up here we're looking for ways to warm up!)

- Double espresso (40ml)
- 1 to 1 sugar ratio (bring to a boil and then let cool
- Crushed hazelnuts
- Fresh juice from two passion fruits.
- 50ml cold cream
- crushed ice
- 2 tsp honey

- Champagne glass
- Two shakers

Start by dipping the rum of the glass into the sugar water, and then into the hazelnuts. Mix the double shot, passion fruit juice and crushed ice together in a shaker. Let stand briefly and then pour the contents into the glass. Place honey, cream and crushed ice in a separate shaker. Shake briefly and then pour slowly into the glass.

This is on my list of recipes to try. For now I'll just put a log on the fire and find a special someone to cozy up.

Tip of the mug to Gilkatho for the recipe Cool Passion.