 | By: Barbara Hurd Binding: Paperback Publisher: Houghton Mifflin ISBN: 0618302409 ISBN-13: 9780618302406 Released: 29 Sep 2003 RRP: Average Rating:  |
"Joy" is an incredibly detailed, thorough book which begins with the author traveling to Costa Rica to pick beans & includes descriptions of the various means of roasting, grinding, & and brewing. There is a chapter on Espresso & another chapter examining the health effects of caffeine. The author spends time demystifying coffee terms & compares coffees from around the world. He writes about the advantages & disadvantages of various coffeepots & includes a source guide & a glossary. But the book is not only comprehensive-- the writing is engaging. Mr. Kummer also includes forty tempting recipes. I baked the "marvelous mocha cupcakes" which the author says are "wonderful"-- sorry, but I didn't think they were better than "very good"-- in fairness the comments "scrumptious" & "amazing" were elicited by two of my friends who generously agreed to sample them. They lasted one night. I also baked his "unbeatable biscotti". They were excellent-- very crispy & light-- they lasted two nights. Naturallly, I drink them with coffee I brewed from my new pot-- at home.
An excellent companion piece is "Glass Paper Beans" which eloquently describes something we would normallly take for granted each day, in this case lingering over a cup of coffee at the local cafe. The author, Leah Hager Cohen, describes what is reallly involved when we sip our brew while browsing the local paper. She introduces us to the the family who picks the beans, the man who cuts the trees to provide the wood pulp for the newspaper & a woman who works at the glass factory & helps to make the glass that holds the coffee. After reading Ms. Cohen you will never take your daily cup for granted & Mr. Kummer will tell you how to fix that cup in your own home.
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