Learning About Coffee on Hawaii's Big Island

My kitchen counter is scattered with one-pound bags of one hundred percent Kona coffee, jars of real Hawaiian honey, and packets of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts. In other words, my kitchen is a mess and I am too tired to do anything about it. But I have an excuse: jet lag. We spent the last twelve days exploring Hawaii's Big Island (the last of the four major islands I had yet to visit) starting with three days in Hilo, two days in Volcano Village and summing up the final seven days on the Kona side.( Yes, we enjoy the islands so much that we decided to do a second trip this year. ) This trip was supposed to be different from the others, and rightly so, since the big island itself is unlike the other islands. The youngest, the largest, home of the tallest mountain in the world (measured from its sea base), home of a flowing volcano, and home of the world's best coffee - hence the bags of beans on my counter.

The Kona coast is known for having the ideal combination of environmental factors for growing coffee. So clearly there would be numerous coffee plantations along this side of the island. Touring one of these plantations has become a part of the tourism industry. We decided to tour Greenwell Farms for a couple reasons: 1) it was recommended by Big Island Revealed (remember, this series is my holy grail for everything Hawaii), and 2) they are a family run business, started in the late 1800's and still functions today as a pesticide free production.

Fresh coffee beans removed from outer shell.

On the day we visited, we were immediately greeted by one of the tour guides and offered cups of freshly brewed coffee; not a bad way to start any tour. While the tour lasted a mere thirty minutes or so, we were able to follow the coffee bean from the tree to all the way to the drying process. I have a special fondness and respect for the agrarian lifestyle. In fact, my grandmother worked on a coffee plantation in Trinidad for many years. Even so, I never knew that ripe coffee beans, called coffee cherries, were actually very sweet with a gelatinous texture, somewhat similar to a grape. And that the bean itself is surrounded by three outer layers: the exocarp (the skin itself), the mesocarp (the soft, sweet layer beneath that) and the endocarp (the last, parchment-like layer covering the bean itself.) The ripe coffee cherries are gathered into a pulping mill where the first two layers are removed. Now, the product is called "wet parchment." Once the final layer is removed, the beans are then dried on large, flat beds with movable roof-like tops. Now called "dry parchment", the beans are then allowed to rest for up to thirty days to allow their natural moisture to evenly distribute which allows for uniform roasting. We weren't allowed into Greenwell's roasting facility but we did get to sample their various roasts, along with macadamia nuts and local honey.

Coffee beans are dried manually on large flat beds with movable roof tops.

After only thirty minutes in the sun, even with a hat and sunglasses, I will never again complain about handing over twenty plus dollars for a pound of good coffee. For even though Greenwell has adopted modern farming practices, every coffee cherry is hand picked! Yes, hand-picked by men and women in eighty degree heat. Added to that, the beans are not mechanically dried on those flat beds; it again takes human labor to spread them out into an even layer and to constantly re-mix and re-spread each batch to allow even drying. That's a lot of hard work! Greenwell's beans are only available for purchase at the plantation and on their website.

Branches of a coffee tree weighed down with green coffee cherries.

This tour was definitely one of the highlights of our trip but not the only one. Below are some photos from our hike across Kilauea Iki Crater, a two hour trek through rain forest, a volcanic crater, with views of the active side of this same volcano, and glimpses of endemic flora and fauna.

Made it out of the rain forest and about to trek across Kilauea Iki Crater.

There once was a road here.

In Thurston Lava Tube.

I like family with my cheesecake please

If culinary decadence could be described in one word, it would be cheesecake. I know, I know, cheesecake puts a wrench in the raison d'etre of my blog but this is not your ordinary cheesecake. (Who says a healthy lifestyle does not include cheesecake anyway?) From the moment I made the decision to start a food blog, I have enjoyed the process of relearning the art, the science and the history behind many traditional recipes. Not just relearning how to make them but how to incorporate them as part of a healthy lifestyle, that is, as an unforgettable taste sensation which which does not wreck havoc on our efforts to stay or get healthy . No other dish has proven to be as much of a challenge in this aspect than cheesecake. Yes, I could have just whisked together fat free cream cheese, some eggs, flavorings, baked it, chilled it , and voila, "healthy" cheesecake. But, a cheesecake is more than just a disc of sweetened cream cheese. Have you ever had a slice only to taste an overwhelming amount of sugar, nothing else? I have had this happen to me on occasion. Or, have you ever had a slice with a texture that was hard to discern from that of card board? Acheiving the perfect texture, together with the lusciousness that is characteristic of this grand daddy of desserts, is a task too often not afforded it rightful reverence.

In the two weeks I spent experimenting with different sweeteners, different proportions of fat, etc, a couple valuable tips were learnt. (1) Brown rice syrup is a great sweetener when used to sweeten desserts. Not only did it enhance the chocolate flavor in this recipe but it also has a low glycemic rating. It contains approximately 50 % carbohydrates, 45 % maltose an 3 % glucose. With low glycemic foods, there is a steady release of sugar into the blood stream as opposed to high glycemic foods that inject large amounts of sugar causing a high spike in blood glucose levels which can then increase insulin levels, the number one reason people develop type two diabetes. (2) Blending, as opposed to using a hand or stand-mixer, produces a more "velvety" texture. I was unable to get as smooth a filling with a hand mixer as I was with the blender. In the end, I found that making a healthy, decadent dessert takes sufficient preparation, and if you're like me and want to experiment with flavors, a little creativity. 

It also helps to have a goal or company to entertain. I specifically made this dessert for tonight because, in less than eight hours, my father and my youngest sister will be here. I will be seeing them for the first time in four years. Well, I've "seen" them via the internet, but to be in the same country, the same city, under the same roof after so long...it is almost overwhelming. It feels like a dream so I won't allow myself to be ecstatic until I know for sure that their plane has landed at MSP airport. Strangely though, for the first time in my adult life, I don't know what to cook. A complete blank. What does one prepare on an occasion such as this? At least I have a cheesecake.



Mocha Cheesecake

Crust
2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
2/3 cup matzo meal
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg white
2 tbsp canola oil

Filling
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp instant espresso
2 tbsp water
8 oz fat free cream cheese
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1 egg
1 tbsp corn starch


Set oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9" spring form pan or pie dish with cooking spray. To prepare crust: combine all ingredients well, until the crumbs clump together easily. Pour out unto the greased pan and using your finger tips or the back of a spoon, press along the bottom and half way up the sides. Bakes for 15 minutes and set aside until filling is ready.

To prepare filling: In a heavy saucepan over medium low heat, pour milk and chocolate chips. Stir continuously until chocolate has melted. Dissolve instant espresso in 2 tbsp warm water and add to milk and melted chocolate. Stir, remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. With the pour lid off, slowly pour in the chocolate mixture and continue blending until fully combined. Pour into the prepared crust and set in a water-bath. If using a spring form pan, remember to seal the bottom with aluminum foil to prevent the water from seeping in. Bake for one hour, then cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least four hours before serving.

From Bland to Blueberries

During my freshman year of college, I had an 8 am biology class. Sounds simple, not so. For me, having to wake up at 7 am to catch the 7:30 bus from my campus to the other campus (There were two campuses: one for men and one for women but the classes were on both campuses. Most of the science classes were on the men's campus.) was annoying, especially so during the winter. Not very enticing for a Caribbean girl. The biology class I looked forward to, not the morning commute. Until one day, my friend and I stopped off at the cafe for coffee before walking across the frozen tundra to the science building. "You should try the scones," she said. That was the beginning of a year long "addiction." Addiction and the onset of "the freshman 15," or more accurately, the freshman 20. Buttery,crumbly, sweet blueberry scones. Simple triangles of pure heaven. The fact that I still had to catch the 7:30 bus didn't change neither did the fact that I still had to get to class for 8 am, sometimes in sub zero degree temperatures. What did change, however, was the blandness of that morning routine.

My Blueberry Cappuccino Scones have no butter so, to provide the crumbly texture characteristic of scones, I used whole grain pastry flour which has a little less protein content than all-purpose flour. If you do not have pastry flour available, by all means do use all-purpose flour but expect that the texture will be a little more on the chewy side. Also, whether you use pastry or all-purpose flour, do not over-mix the dough. Over-mixing will cause it to become more elastic.

Blueberries and cappuccino are an unusual combination but I think you will be pleasantly surprised; the cappuccino provides an extra layer of flavor.

You should try these scones.

Blueberry Cappuccino Scones

2 cups whole grain pastry flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup blueberries
1/4 walnuts finely chopped
1/2 cup prepared cappuccino OR 1/4 cup cooled brewed coffee plus 1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp yogurt
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Set oven 400 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, blueberries and walnuts. Mix well.
3. Combine liquid ingredients
4. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients. Using a spatula, mix until just combined, DO NOT over-mix. Mixture will be wet and appear sticky. This is good.
5. Flour your fingers well and, on lightly floured surface, work mixture into circular disk about 1 to 1 1/2" thick. Cut into eight triangles as you would a pizza or into rounds using large circular cookie cutter.
6. Gently transfer to a well greased baking sheet, placing equal distances apart.
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until lightly golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
8. Melt chocolate chips using a double boiler or in the microwave.
9. Drizzle melted chocolate unto scones. Enjoy warm or cooled.