"pods" news and stories

While tamarind paste has been available in Asian markets for a long time, it's exciting to see fresh tamarinds popping up more frequently in produce sections. The woody outer pods are brittle and don't travel well, so the offerings in grocery stores usually aren't very pretty. Even if the pods are broken, what you want to look for is mahogany-colored flesh that doesn't look pale or dried out. Also, check the outer shell for tiny holes (see below), as bugs are fond of laying eggs in tamarind pods. The flavor of tamarind is similar to a dried apricot, but more tart. Once the meat has been removed from the pods and stripped of its veins, it can be boiled, seeded, sweetened with sugar, and diluted for a great cold drink. Tamarinds are also a key ingredient in pad Thai recipes. Alton Brown recently made a good version of it, similar to the Cook's Illustrated version I usually make. Boiling, mashing and straining three or four large tamarinds usually works for the ounce or two of tamarind paste that the recipes call for.

[Photos: Nick Vagnoni]

I recently set up my home espresso machine. I am not an espresso novice, but this is the first machine I’ve had in my own kitchen. Based upon careful research, I selected the best machine I could find. And by “careful research”, I mean to say that I got a good deal on a good-looking machine. Fortunately for me, it is also an excellent machine that offers great performance, especially for a countertop model. It has a 15-BAR pressure pump and high quality brass hadware inside. The sleek, retro styling and small size are nice bonuses, in my opinon.  I have a Francis!Francis! X3.

Here's a simple enough idea for those of you that use a pod-based coffee maker--make your own coffee pods. I've had decent coffee from these machines before, but I have to admit that one of the biggest drawbacks, I thought, was having to buy your coffee pre-ground in little mini filters. The folks over at INeedCoffee.com have a very simple little tutorial about making your own coffee pods from regular basket-style coffee filters. There are plenty of little ms-paint-esque images to guide you as well.

Until now, I wasn't familiar with INeedCoffee, but it appears to be a wealth of java-centric info with essays on all sorts of coffee-related topics from cleaning your French press to making good latte art.