Swerve Magazine Cooking Blog

Some people think that an espresso coffee pot is an altogether different thing from a moka pot. Maybe the picture that comes into their head is that of an espresso coffee machine that comes with a carafe like any other coffee machines in the market.

Well, a moka pot is also known as a stove top espresso coffee pot, which means it can brew up an espresso like any conventional espresso machine provided that the right bean variety and grind is used.

It is a cheaper and easier way to enjoy a good cup of espresso rather than say, buying a delonghi coffee machine that would cost at least forty dollars. One of the well known moka pots is the Bialetti moka pot line.

This Italian brand offers a sleek and user friendly design which is easy to clean up as well. Using a stove top espresso coffee pot is not that difficult at all, unless you are imagining of producing high speed pressurized steam like those you would see from an espresso machine right on top of your gas-burner or electric stove.

It is actually just as easy as filling in the water, securing the stopper, adding the coffee grounds, then turn on the heat, just like the same steps when using any regular coffee maker.

The difference here is that the design of a moka pot builds up the steam pressure and passes it through the beans in order to produce that nice, strong flavor characteristic of espresso coffee.

Two questionable activities did very nicely in Kansas before and after the turn of the 20th century, smoking and gambling. A device known as a trade stimulator satisfied both those habits. Trade stimulators became favored in saloons around the 1880s. Though modeled after other gambling devices, these machines were legal since in theory they offered prizes in the form of cigars, stamps or Wrigley’s gum instead of money. Frequently set beside a till or near check-out counters, these machines encouraged (or stimulated) purchasers to take their chance and spend some of their spare change before leaving. After inserting a coin, a handle was depressed or cranked to put into motion a roulet wheel, playing cards or dice. When the machine stopped, the patron read his loot on the dial; these were dispensed by the clerk rather than spilling out of the machine itself. In the case of the Overton Wheel, the patron sometimes got one cigar with the opportunity to win further ones. To play, the patron inserted a nickel and depressed the plunger, thus setting the wheel in motion. The customer won backwoods cigars when the arrow landed on the numbered red spaces. Notwithstanding their intended use, some owners of trade stimulators paid out prizes in dollars. This perturbed voters who were opposed to gambling. However, Kansas gambling laws protected trade stimulators and their owners since the prize were supposed to be paid out in products. When taverns closed in 1881 during state prohibition, trade stimulators were placed in stores, cigar shops and cafes. The Overton Wheel was named after the Topeka Company who made it, the Overton producing and Engineering Company. As well as these wheels, owners E. L. Overton and Charles Eagle sold electric supplies. Eagle was the largest cigar manufacturer in Topeka and worked with Overton to form this wooden nickel one-armed bandit which encouraged patrons to play for a chance to win Eagle Smoker cigars.

Dark fire cured tobacco is ready for harvest when the leaves are mature but not overripe. This normally is between five and seven weeks after topping. Mature leaves will be thick with somewhat of an oily texture, may show faint yellowing or “ripe” spots, and will crack readily when folded during the hot part of the day. Tobacco harvested immature or “green” will be thin and more difficult to cure and will have reduced yield and quality compared to mature tobacco. Tobacco that is overripe will be good for black and milds, and yield and quality can be reduced due to leaf breakage if the tobacco is not handled carefully. Leaf breakage can be minimized if cutting does not begin until after all dew has evaporated from the leaves. Large, heavy bodied tobacco should be allowed to field wilt on the ground after cutting to facilitate handling before placing stalks on sticks. Tobacco that is properly field wilted should be lying nearly flat, and leaves will be flexible, allowing easier spiking with minimal leaf breakage. Care must be taken during this wilting period to avoid sunburn, which results in a crude green color being set in the cured leaf. Under clear, hot conditions, tobacco will wilt quickly and may need to be spiked within 30 minutes to an hour of cutting to prevent sunburn (Figures 1 and 2). Under cool, overcast conditions, tobacco may require three to four hours or more to wilt with little risk of sunburn. Cutting the tobacco late in the afternoon and allowing it to lie overnight before spiking, can also work well, provided rain does not occur during the night to splash mud onto the leaves. Placing cut tobacco in piles of five to six plants makes spiking easier, but these piles can accumulate more heat and increase the chances of scalding if not watched closely. Unless tobacco is unusually small, do not place more than five to six plants on each stick to allow easier loading and housing and promote airflow through the tobacco following housing. After spiking, tobacco can be allowed to field wilt further on the stick either in the field for a short time period or on a scaffold wagon for as much as 48 hours before housing. Tobacco placed on flatbed wagons should be housed as soon as possible to prevent heat accumulation in the tobacco. Scaffold wagons should be placed in the shade or protected from sunlight with shade cloth or a loose fabric material to prevent sunburn prior to housing. Tobacco that is fully wilted will be easier to handle when housing, will be less likely to sweat and house burn, and will yellow and cure better.

Perfect curing conditions for tobacco leaves, include warm days early in the morning, regular fogs later at night and to often give the tobacco some order and no extremely hot or freezing temperatures. These ideal curing conditions infrequently occur, so close attention should be given to the always changing condition of the tobacco and the unpredictable outside environment. Curing management should be adjusted to ensure a good finish and great cure. There are two types of curing, warm weather curing and cold weather curing. Warm weather curing, during warm-weather curing (meaning daytime temperatures greater than 80F), the yellowing phase will be quicker, and fires should typically be started by the fifth day after housing. Smaller fires should be used during coloring and damp sawdust should not be used unless the tobacco begins to dry too swiftly. High humidity in the barn can be a major issue in decent weather curing. Wet air can promote house burn and sweat early in the cure. Top and bottom ventilators may want to be open during primary low fires to help maintain the proper temperature, drive off excess moisture and lower the humidity. Cold weather curing, in cold-weather curing (meaning daytime temperatures around 50 to 60F and night temperatures below 45F), chewing tobacco may dry out too quickly or not stay in order long enough to reach the desired color, resulting in yellowish, green or mottled colors. Under these conditions, the tobacco should be yellowed using low heat, and the temperature should be continuously raised to prompt the coloring. If tobacco begins to dry out before a solid color is reached, all ventilators should be closed and wet sawdust used on fires to produce a clammy smoke.

General Installation of water coolers bought from www.horizondrinks.net:

The installation of a Point-Of-Use water cooler is carried out by our European Point of Use Drinking Water Association trained Engineers. As you can see when visiting www.horizondrinks.co.uk all of our engineers are fully trained and qualified to the necessary standard. The process is carried in the following stages:

1. A site survey is carried out by our qualified engineers and any specific instructions noted. For example whether the area is suitable or not for there to be a water cooler, through size and other surroundings in the area.

2. All coolers are to be located within 20 metres of running mains water and within 1 meter of a mains electricity supply.

3. Before any work is started the mains water supply isolation valve is located.

4. A position is identified in which to locate the compression T-piece containing an isolation valve. 5. Working from the cooler location to the position of the T-piece the pipe work route is plotted identifying any hazardous areas. For example, radiators, electrics etc. This process is in accordance with the previous site survey.

6. At a point of approximately 1 metre from the water cooler a John Guest shut off valve and reduce coupling is attached to piping.

7. Micro bore piping is attached to the reducer coupling enabling a secure micro bore connection to the cooler a latter stage.

8. Attach inline isolation valve to the micro bore piping in off position at water cooler end.

9. The mains water is turned off and drained down for specific water cooler area.

10. The pipe work is pierced and a compression t-piece and a water block are attached securely. The water block contains a non-return valve and leak detector valve.

11. The pipe work is attached to the water block and the mains water is turned back on.

12. The isolation valve at the cooler end is turned on and a sufficient amount of water is run off in to a bucket to release any air locks.

13. The water cooler is then plugged into the mains electricity supply and the stat is turned on.

14. The water coolers are then sanitised using an ozone generator, whilst by-passing the filter.

15. Post sanitisation the micro bore piping is inserted to the water inlet 15mm compression coupling reducer.

16. Water is then dispensed from the cooler for an adequate period until any air locks are clear.

I am having the weekend off from any kind of work; I work in the water coolers industry, the main business in placing the odd drinking fountain into companies to quench their employees thirst. Also I help to set-up and maintain the company’s main two websites; www.horizondrinks.co.uk and www.horizondrinks.net But I am going to totally chill out and do absolutely nothing. I shall be watching plenty of football, darts and cricket on the TV. No doubt I shall be enjoying a lovely meal from the local Indian restaurant this evening and shall watch plenty of sport together with it. It is good to do nothing occasionally and let your body rebuild itself ready for the next week at work. My friend works for a major international company, he has just taken up the position as Manager and as from next month he will be working and living in America, commuting every couple of weekends back home to see his family. I don’t know whether I could do that week in week out working away from my family only seeing them at weekends. I know a major factor in him taking up the job was a salary increase of about 400 %, so he will no longer have to worry about his financial situation, but what a price to pay for his family. I know that when he does get back at the weekend he will enjoy going down the gym or playing football with his kids, he is someone who has to be doing something all the time he is not the type that can put his feet up and relax. Another option he has though is to move out to America permanently and take his family with him. I know that to start with he was not very keen on this idea, but as time has gone on he has realised that it is the only real sensible option. As travelling to and from America every few weeks would eventually take its toll.

Large companies and restaurants are now in favour of hospitality systems that accomodate sparkling water as well as still. These systems are very high capacity supplying in excess of 100 litres per hour. The restaurants use this system to fill up a stopper (grolsch style) 750ML- 1 liter glass bottle and then they sell these to the customer instead of branded delivered water. The bottles can be supplied with the logo of the restaurant or organisation and they go a long way to help protect the environment. Why should companies deliver water up and down the country when we have an excellent mains supply which can be aided even further with filtration. This system can also be very profitable to companies as the cost of supplying each bottle is pence and some restaurants charge the earth. Working for a company that supplies all of the above options I feel that the restaurant business has huge potential and this combined with the growth in the standard mains fed water systems the future for this side of the industry looks good. On the other hand the bottled side of the industry is in rapid decline as a result of the aforementioned success and I cannot see it turning the corner any time soon. Our company supply different syles and manufacturers models of water cooler and drinking fountain at hugely competitive prices, visit www.horizondrinks.net/uk2ecommerce/department/drinking_water_fountains/ for the most cost effective high quality drinking fountain. We supply Councils, large national organisations, gyms, schools, colleges and various other organisations with various models and are excellent service ensures that the customers always come back for more. This can often be the reason why people like water coolers so much because if you can offer a solution to a problem, in this case providing people with filterd, chilled water, with no hassle then people are only going to like the product. The home market is something that no company within the industry has managed to crack yet, but I think that it is only a matter of time. The sooner we can eradicate the production of plastics and the resultant distribution in favour of a chilled and filtered water dispenser for their kitchen all the better. They can be like a mobile phone in that when you have one you don’t know how you lived without it. Once people start using them the profile will rise and people will like water coolers even more. I await the day that this happens with huge anticipation.

Choosing a catering company can be the one thing that makes or breaks your big breakfast, lunch or dinner meeting. If your presentation or sales pitch is the greatest that you have ever given, but the food and service is terrible, then your presentation is going to be wasted. People will walk away from the meeting remembering the terrible food more than anything. That is why when you are trying to find the best Newark catering, it is important to compare the selections and pricing of different companies before you make a final decision.

The first thing to focus on is what meal or time of day you are going to be hosting most of your meetings. Once you have determined the time of day, then you need to look at what type of meal you are going to offer. Some customers or clients might really appreciate a good sandwich for lunch, and others might need something more fancy. Finding a Newark catering company that has many choices is a good way to go because each one of your lunches might have different needs. Instead of finding a company that has great lunches and a different one that has great dinners, why not find one that has both?

For some of your catering needs, you might need to travel outside of the Newark area. Finding catering in Jersey City follows the same concept. What are your needs, and who is going to best meet them? If you do find a great catering company, one thing to ask them would be how far out they deliver their food, and where their other locations are. Once again, if you can find someone that makes the best dinners you have had, then hopefully you can use them no matter where your meeting takes you.

Finally, finding a great Newark catering company needs to involve looking at prices. Some companies might have the best food, but if they are charging twice as much money as their competitors, then you have to decide if it is worth it. Finding a fairly priced company that offers up a wide variety of food would be the best case scenario.

Overheating can result in discomfort and heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or, most severely, heat stroke – which can be fatal. Hot weather can also aggravate existing health problems such as heart disease and respiratory illnesses, and these illnesses can compromise the body’s ability to deal with the heat Hot weather is not just an inconvenience, and it needs to be approached sensibly.Heat cramps are painful spasms in the muscles of the arms, legs, and abdomen. These spasms generally result from strenuous activity and may be accompanied by heavy sweating. They seldom require medical attention unless a person has heart disease or is on a low-sodium diet. In every case, a person suffering from heat cramps should stop and rest in a cool environment, drink plenty of water from either a drinking fountain, water cooler or water coolers, and not resume strenuous activity for a few hours. All of the aforementioned water systems can be purchased over the internet. The best website I know is www.horizondrinks.net and they sell all different types of water coolers and drinking fountains. They have an online shop and there are two different links I am going to give you that go directly to the different types of systems. The first one will take you directly to their page for water coolers: http://www.horizondrinks.net/uk2ecommerce/department/plumbed_in_water_coolers and this second link goes to the page where they sell drinking fountains: www.horizondrinks.net/uk2ecommerce/department/drinking_water_fountains/ i would highly recommend that you visit either of their two websites and invest in one of the water systems. Especially if you are a business, as they can become a great way to keep staff highly motivated.

Following the last firing of the tobacco, doors and bottom vents should be opened for several nights to permit the tobacco to come in order. The walls and the floor of the curing barn must be lightly sprayed down with water and fresh sawdust or wood chips should be spread over the whole floor. This may help bring the tobacco in order for takedown and will also help in keeping the tobacco clean and freed from ashes before and during takedown. Though a natural season is the most fascinating means of bringing tobacco in order, the utilization of overhead steamers or misting systems is usually wanted to facilitate taking down dark fire cured copenhagen long cut tobacco in a timely fashion. Care needs to be taken to forgo excessive moisture from steaming or misting, which can wash off finish and lead to marking or spoilage. Tobacco must be taken down and stripped as quickly as possible after the curing process. However, tobacco that is in too high order should stay hanging in the barn till moisture levels decrease. When proper order is reached, tobacco can be taken down onto a scaffold van or bulked onto a flatbed lorry. Bulked tobacco should always stay off the floor with the tips a touch lapping in the middle of the bulk. If the tobacco is covered before stripped, be certain to employ a breathable fabric cover instead of plastic that might cause condensation and marking of the tobacco. Care should be taken in handling the crop following takedown. Tobacco should be stripped into 3 distinct stalk positions (lug, 2nd and leaf) and any green tobacco should be separated from the rest of the tobacco. Lugs can be further classed into good lugs and trash lugs based primarily on dirt and ground injury. If there is excessive mud or mud on the leaf or seconds, a separate grade for grimy chewing tobacco should be made. All mud caked on the tails of tobacco leaves must be removed during the process. Each grade and stalk position should stay separate thru delivery. Care should additionally be taken to make sure that tobacco, either before or after, isn’t placed near pollutants like pesticides or other chemicals. Tobacco should stay clean and freed from trash or other non-tobacco related material during market preparation. Between being stripped and delivery, tobacco should be stored in a dry, clean, and well-ventilated location that will protect the tobacco from damage or contamination.