Sahani Yangu Vol 1, Issue 01

Sahani Yangu

VOL 1 | ISSUE 01

The Coffee Issue

Coffee Toffee

For the sweet tooth

The Perfect Brew

Coffee Marinated Beef Short Ribs

How to brew the perfect cup of coffee at home

Coffee isn’t just for drinking

Editor’s Note Have you ever been to the market or the grocery store and seen something you don’t recognize, or perhaps you know what it is but you don’t know how it’s cooked or what it’s paired with? That has happened to me a number of times, and being the curious person I am, I have bought some of these and gone ahead to experiment with them.

I later realized that for a lot of homes, grocery and market runs are made up of the same stuff. Onions, tomatoes, capsicum (Hoho), carrots, potatoes, spinach, Colard greens (Sukuma wiki), arrow roots, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and broccoli (sometimes). Despite having a lot more fresh and dry produce to choose from in the market and the grocery section, we still pick the same stuff and are reluctant to try out new ingredients.

Sahani Yangu was an idea for a long time and as I tried out new ingredients and learnt that our lovely country has quite a lot to offer, I partnered with Pro Chef Sharon Gatonye of The Black & White Kitchen to develop recipes and dishes using 100% locally available ingredients, and help everyone up their kitchen game!

We’ll feature local businesses and farmers and share what we learn through new recipes each month. So, every ingredient we use, you can easily find in a supermarket or at the market.

Seeing also that International Coffee day falls on the weekend of 29th September to 1st October depending on where you are in the world, we saw it fit to do a coffee issue as our first issue and celebrate the best coffee in the world along with the rest of the world.

Editor Sahani Yangu @sahaniyangu @sahaniyangu Sahani Yangu | 2

Inside Coffee; The Kenyan Story Page 5

The Perfect Brew

Coffee and Sea Salt Chicken Drumettes Page 13

Page 7

Coffee Toffee Toffee Almond Crunch Cake Page 9

Page 15

Vietnamese Coffee Page 19

Coffee Marinated Beef Short Ribs Page11

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Coffee Old Fashioned Page 20

Water is the most essential element of life, because without it you can’t make coffee. ~Author Unknown

Editorial Team Recipe Development: Sharon Gatonye Photography: Nic Thuita Stories: Sharon Gatonye, Nic Thuita Special Thanks to Samuel Park, Martin Muthama and the entire Masai Coffee team.

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Coffee; The Kenyan Story

C

offee in Kenya has been grown for over a century now, since 1893 when it was first introduced here. The total area under coffee is estimated at 160,000 hectares, about one third of which is the plantation sector and the rests under small holder sector with an estimated 700,000 growers.

The total annual production has been fluctuating widely

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due to climatic changes as well as socio-economic factors. At the moment, production stands at about one million bags per year.

There are many types of coffees in the world and the main species are Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is a high quality, mild coffee much favoured for blending.

Kenyan Arabica is grown on rich volcanic soils found in

the highlands between 1400 to 2000 meters above sea level. It is an established fact the finest Arabic coffee in the world is grown in Kenya.

There are two distinct flowerings in each year, shortly after the beginning of the rains in March/April and in October. In most districts the main crop ripens from October to December. The early crop often starts in May-July.

IT’S NO SECRET THAT KENYA PRODUCES SOME OF THE BEST COFFEE IN THE WORLD. AND WHILE THE COFFEE CULTURE HAS BEEN STEADILY GROWING, THERE’S MUCH MORE THAT YOU CAN DO WITH COFFEE, OTHER THAN JUST DRINK IT.

Almost all Kenyan coffee is processed by a wet method in order to ensure the best quality. Growers pick only the red-ripe cherry. At the factory, the cherries are sorted before processing and unripe, overripe or diseased cherries removed. The cherries are then mechanically pulped to remove the outer skin.

The slimy sugary coating (mucilage) which remains on

the beans is removed through a fermentation process which should be completed within 36 hours.

The parchment (fermented coffee) is then ready for sun drying on drying tables where it is regularly turned to obtain the bluish tint for which Kenyan coffee is famous.

Drying the coffee is the last process on the farm. When it is fully dried the coffee is

bagged and ready to be sent to the mills.

At the mills the parchment skin surrounding each bean is removed followed by mechanical grading of the coffee into seven separate grades according to size, weight and shape of the bean.

Currently there are 7 licensed commercial coffee mills and several private mills.

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The Perfect Brew

Coffee smells like freshly ground heaven. ~Terri Guillemets Sahani Yangu | 5

Y

ou can’t get enough of the aroma of freshly ground coffee. And you’d love to wake up to the smell of coffee brewing in the morning. But you don’t know where to start! We’ve got you covered on that, and we’ll start off with the basics to get you a delicious cup.

First things first, you need to pick your coffee bean. Medium roast? Dark roast? If it’s already ground, is it a blend?

It’s all subjective really, so try a few different brands and see what you like most. Some people like a light cup, others a strong, dark brew. Others like something in between, not too light to gloss over the richness, but also not too strong such that it gets bitter. Regardless of how you like it, the first thing you need is a fresh roast and a fresh grind. Although we buy coffee already roasted and prepacked, check the dates on the packaging and try get a bag that hasn’t been on the shelf for long.

If you are able to keep your coffee as beans and grind as needed, then do so. You’ll get the best flavor this way. Once ground, coffee begins to go stale and loses flavor quickly. If not, grind in small batches that last a few days at most.

There are several ways to brew a cup, and it really does depend on how strong you want it. But all coffee drinks are based on either Espresso or slow brewed coffee.

Espresso is brewed using an espresso machine by quickly forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water and steam under pressure through finely ground and compacted coffee.

It’s generally denser and richer, and can also be diluted with water to make a regular coffee, though the taste will be quite different from a slow brew coffee.

Slow-brewed coffees are generally regarded simply as “coffee” and the brewing is done slowly by drip or filter, French press, percolator, etc.

If you’re just starting your journey with coffee and don’t have a pour-over drip filter, a Moka Pot or a coffee machine, the simplest way to brew a cup is to put some ground coffee in a glass or ceramic jug, get some water up to a boil, then slowly pour the water over the coffee. Leave it to sit for 3-4 minutes and strain into a cup. This coffee would be very similar to what you’d get from a French press. The reason for using glass or ceramic is plastic tends to acquire tastes and flavours from what it comes into contact with and it could transfer this flavor into your coffee. Trust me, you don’t want a beef stew flavoured cup of coffee.

To take it a step further, you can buy paper filters in a supermarket and use these with a dripper to brew a cup.

This is probably the most common way of making coffee at home, short of using a coffee maker.

The idea is the same for both the dripper and the coffee machine. Pour hot water over coffee grounds and let it drip slowly through the filter. But there is technique to it if you want to do it by hand.

First wet the filter and throw out that water. This is to remove any tastes and flavours that could transfer to the coffee. Then pour in about a tablespoon of coffee and finally add the water in slowly. Start from the edges going round till you get to the middle, and let the first pour filter through. Add more hot water, going round and back out to the edge. The whole point of doing it this way is to make sure you brew using all the coffee grounds and get an even brew.

Given that paper absorbs oil, the paper filter will absorb and retain some of the natural oils from the coffee and this alters the flavor a bit. If you prefer full bodied flavor, you can invest in a stainless steel filter or brew using a different method. The stainless steel filter also comes with the added advantage of being washable, so you don’t have to spend as much money buying paper filters.

There’s a whole lot more to learn and buy if you want to become a true enthusiast, but this should, without over complicating things, get you a delicious cup of coffee everytime.

Toffee Almond Crunch Cake

Ingredients CAKE 200g All-purpose flour 100g Cocoa powder 1 tsp. Baking powder 1 tsp. Baking soda 1/8 tsp. Salt 125g Sugar 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature 3 eggs, at room temperature 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled 75g unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract FROSTING 150g Dark chocolate, coarsely chopped 1 cup sour cream 1 tsp. Vanilla essence Pinch of salt Method 1. Preheat the oven to 175°c. Butter small baking tins and flour them.

2. In a large bowl, sift the flour with the cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk in the sugar.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the eggs, coffee, butter and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until blended. Scrape the batter onto the prepared baking tins and smooth the tops.

4. Bake for 22 minutes, or until a dry knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Transfer to a rack and let them cool completely.

To make the frosting, 6. Bring a medium saucepan filled with 1 inch of water to a simmer. Combine the dark chocolate, sour cream, vanilla essence and salt in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over the simmering water to melt the chocolate; let it cool slightly.

7. Stir with a spatula to combine till smooth.

8. Drizzle over the cake and Serve.

Ingredients

Coffee Marinated Beef Short Ribs

MARINADE 4 cups water 3 cups chilled strong brewed coffee 1 Tsp. salt 3 tbsp. dark brown sugar 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 kg Beef short ribs cut between ribs to separate BRAISING 40g Butter (Salted) 2 Onions, chopped 3 Garlic cloves, chopped 2 tbsp. Tomato paste 1 cup strong brewed coffee 1 cup Chicken Broth 2 tbsp. Dijon Mustard 2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar 1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

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Method For the marinade 1. Stir water, coffee, salt, and sugar in large bowl until salt and sugar dissolves.

2. Add the ribs. Cover and chill 4 to 6 hours.

Drain ribs and discard the marinade. Cover and chill.

For the Braising 1. Preheat oven to 175°C. 2. Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper.

3. Working in batches, cook ribs until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes per batch.

4. Transfer to large plate.

5. Place an oven proof pot onto a medium high flame. Add butter, onions, garlic to the pot. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.

6. Add coffee and broth. Stir, scraping up the browned bits.

7. Add the Worcestershire sauce and all remaining ingredients, bring to a boil.

8. Add the ribs, cover, and transfer to oven.

Braise until meat is tender, about 2 hours 15 minutes.

9. Transfer ribs to plate, tent with foil to keep warm.

10.Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard.

11. Boil sauce for about 5 minutes until it reduces to about 2 cups. Pour sauce over the ribs.

12.Garnish with Coriander and serve with a starch of choice.

DO AHEAD This can be made up to 2 days ahead.

Cool slightly then chill uncovered in the fridge until cold. Cover and keep chilled in the fridge.

Rewarm in 160°C oven for about 20 minutes, until heated through, then serve.

Coffee and Sea salt Chicken drumettes Ingredients 1.5kg chicken wings & drumettes, separated 2 tsp. Salt 2 tsp. Brown sugar 2 tbsp. finely ground coffee beans 1 tbsp. Ground Pepper 3 tbsp. Paprika 2 tbsp. Garlic Powder 2 tbsp. Dried Thyme 2 tbsp. Dried Oregano 1 tbsp. Cumin 1 tbsp. Coriander 2 tbsp. Honey

Method 1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees.

2. Trim chicken wings & drumettes of excess skin/fat or cartilage.

3. Mix the salt,sugar and spices in a bowl 4. Pat dry the wings with paper towel. Toss lightly in the spice mixture ensuring wings are evenly coated. Arrange wings on baking rack and cook for 15 minutes.

5. Baste lightly with honey and then cook an additional 10 minutes. Baste a second time lightly with honey and put them back in the oven for an additional 3 -5 minutes to caramelize the sugars.

6. Serve with Honey mayonnaise and CruditĂŠ (chunky cut vegetables).

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Gourmet Artisinal Spice Blends Locally sourced organic herbs Hand picked spices from Zanzibar Order Online @theblackandwhitekitchen01

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Coffee Toffee Homemade goodness

Ingredients 230g unsalted butter 100g brown sugar 100 g Castor sugar 1 tsp. molasses 1 tsp. table salt 1 tsp. instant espresso powder 170g Dark chocolate chips 100g toasted Macadamia nuts, chopped 50g Coffee beans

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Method 1. Line a small baking sheet with non-stick paper.

2. In a medium heavy sauce pan (with a candy thermometer attached), melt butter, brown and white sugar, molasses, salt, and espresso together over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally with a whisk until the temperature reaches 120°C Then whisking constantly, until mixture reaches 150°C. 3. Carefully pour mixture onto baking sheet and spread evenly with a spatula Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over the toffee and let sit for about a minute until they soften, then spread chocolate evenly over the candy base.

4. Sprinkle Macadamia and Coffee beans over chocolate.

5. Place in fridge (or freezer) till toffee is set, about 15-20 minutes.

6. Break toffee into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Coffee Old Fashioned

Cold Brew Coffee

Coffee Granita

Vietnamese Coffee Ingredients 3 tbsp. condensed milk 1 cup of plain black coffee 1 cup ice Method 1. Put some ice in a tall glass.

2. Pour the coffee over the ice 3. Pour condensed milk over the coffee and ice.

4. Serve immediately

Ingredients 1 and 1/3 cups ground coffee 4 cups water (cold) Jar or pitcher Method 1. Place coffee in jar or pitcher and pour water over top.

2. Stir to combine.

3. Close tight and let sit for at least 8 hours to overnight at room temperature.

4. Pour mixture over a strainer in to a bowl. Clean jar.

5. Strain a second time in to clean jar.

6. Cold brews coffee concentrate. 4 cups of concentrate will make about 8 cups of iced coffee. This will last up to a week in the fridge.

Cold Brew Coffee

To serve This is very concentrated coffee. You will need to dilute it to your liking. A 2:1 water to coffee ratio is a good place to start, and sweeten and adjust as desired.

Ingredients 3 tbsp. cold-brewed coffee 3 tbsp. bourbon/whisky 1 tbsp. simple syrup Grated white/milk chocolate Method 1. Combine the syrup and bourbon in a shaker.

2. Add ice and shake for 10 seconds.

3. Strain into double old-fashioned glass, top with coffee and chocolate, and serve.

Coffee Old Fashioned Coffee Granita Ingredients 2 cups Brewed coffee 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Method 1. Mix sugar with coffee while hot.

Set aside to cool.

2. Add vanilla and mix to combine.

3. Pour coffee into a glass or metal loaf pan.(Don’t use non stick because you’ll be scraping it).

4. Transfer to freezer for approximately 1 hour.

5. Using a fork scrape the mixture and return to freezer. Continue scraping every hour until mixture is a snow like consistency.

6. Serve to enjoy.

1. Cappuccino | 2. Coarse Grind Coffee | 3. Latte | 4. Fine Grind Coffee | 5. Coffee Beans in vario

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ous roasting stages | 6. Espresso | 7. Macchiato | 8. Strong Black Coffee | 9. Hand Cranked Roaster

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Vintage Coffee Grinder | French Press | Black Coffee

Coffee is ground from beans of happiness. ~Terri Guillemets

Sahani Yangu

@sahaniyangu

@sahaniyangu