Coffee That’s Toasted Not Roasted

I didn’t start drinking coffee until about 10 years ago. I’ve always been sensitive to bitter tastes, so I guess my taste buds needed to mellow a bit before I could truly enjoy what has now become my morning addiction.  But Al and I recently discovered, quite by accident, a new coffee that is a world away from that slightly burned and muddy drink you find in every corporate break room. A local Tomball company is combining premium coffee beans with a unique roasting method to produce a smooth and fruity coffee that you can feel good about.

When we were meeting with Tejas Chocolate and touring their facilities, I noticed that off to one side of the area where the cacao is winnowed and roasted, there were some whiskey barrels and bags of coffee beans.  Seeing our interest, our host was quick to introduce us to Billy Schiel, the owner of District Roasters.  Like many small businesses, District  Roasters is sharing a space with Tejas to reduce overhead.  What could be a better combination than chocolate and coffee!

District Roasters defines themselves as “Coffee. On Mission”.  As we stood in the chilly warehouse talking to Billy while he “toasted” his latest batch of coffee beans, Al and I had the opportunity to learn more about the mission behind this business. Going far beyond the standard of Fair Trade, District Roasters is proactively helping improve the lives of those people producing the second largest commodity in the world, while providing a superior quality product to their customers.  To ensure this small company has the biggest impact, District Roasters focuses their efforts on a narrowly defined set of coffee bean growing districts, such as Burundi or Ethi Amaro, for developing partnerships and reinvesting part of their profits to better the growing community in those districts.

The unique roasting method for this coffee, which Billy described as “toasted not roasted”, brings out the natural sweetness of the coffee beans.  We were excited to try the brew and we were truly surprised by its natural sweetness.  This is the only coffee I’ve ever tried that tastes better to me without any form of sweetener – it’s that sweet!  There is no trace of bitterness and the aromas of the fruit come shining through.  There’s also a definite caffeine kick that fully meets the needs for my morning jump start!

But what about those whiskey barrels you ask? District Roasters has started aging green coffee beans in used Jack Daniels whiskey barrels.  The aromas of the charred oak and remnants of the whiskey batch are absorbed by the porous green coffee beans. The “toasting” method further enhances the flavor for a comforting brew that is perfect to cold winter morning or anytime for that matter.  Still haven’t had enough of that great coffee flavor? Well, there’s more! In an extension of their partnership with Tejas Chocolate, District Roasters has created a Burundi coffee flavored chocolate bar they call Buck Shot. Definitely something coffee and chocolate lovers should try out.

In a quiet warehouse/office park in Tomball Texas, you can find two unique businesses, partnering together to deliver great tasting products and support local communities both here in Texas and around the world.  Just goes to show that you never know what surprises await when you venture out to see Texas Thru My Back Door!

We challenge our readers to join in our fight against breast cancer.  Visit Suzanne's new blog "My Equations for Life" as she reflects on life B.C. (before cancer) and A.D. (after diagnosis) and help support new early cancer detection research at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center with our Go Fund Me project below.

Rainbow Lodge - A Relaxing Getaway in the City

With the hustle and bustle of Christmas over, it was time to slow down and smell the roses, or if you are a country boy like me, relax in a hunting/fishing lodge with a cold Shiner Bock. With this inspiration in mind, I searched Houston for my solution to the after holiday blues.

Luckily I found the perfect spot to take Suzanne for a night out, “The Rainbow Lodge”. To make our outing more fun, I didn’t tell her where we were headed, but just told her to dress up. On the evening of our dinner date, Suzanne looked stunning in her little black dress! I’m sure she was surprised to see me wearing a coat and tie, instead of my usual blue jeans, when we weren’t going to a wedding or funeral!

With mystery in the air, we drove off into the Houston night searching for our romantic rendezvous. As we reached our destination, we drove right up to the front door. Surveying the log cabin building, I knew I’d made a great choice. With Suzanne’s hand in mine, we entered the front door as if we were walking through a science fiction time portal. Outside the door was the boisterous metropolitan spirit of Houston, but inside was the peaceful, relaxing atmosphere of a hidden mountain lodge.

Before being seated at our table, we took time to view some of the antique fishing reels and outboard motors in the entrance area. Nearby was a cozy sitting area with a blazing fire beckoning all to come and sit for a spell. Soon we were seated at a linen covered table in a large log cabin room with wildlife trophies surrounding the perimeter and our waiter, Jeff, joined us. Not only did he explain the menu and daily specials, he told us about the history of the lodge and pointed out items of interest that he thought we should see before leaving for the evening.

While soaking up the ambiance of the beautiful room, we ordered our cocktails, wine for Suzanne and you guessed it, a Shiner Bock for me, and we reminisced about the wonderful Christmas we had with our children and grandson. Deciding what to eat when presented with so many intrigue possibilities is always challenging. We wanted to try as many of the unique offerings as we could. Dieting would have to wait for another time! First we tried the Smoke Duck Gumbo with Andouille Sausage & Wild Rice Pilaf and Southern Fried Quail on White Cheddar Grits with Bourbon Bacon Gravy. We were equally impressed with the flavors of both dishes!

Undaunted by the prospect of overeating once again this holiday season, we pushed forward to the main course. From the impressive list of seafood choices, to the meat & fowl and of course the wild game, we scanned our menus. Suzanne chose the Slow Roasted Duck on Saffron Jasmine Rice while I went for the Rainbow Trout and Fried Oysters. These plates were also fantastic! Splitting a Ginger Snap Cheesecake desert brought our dream dinner to a close.

After dinner, we walked hand in hand around the restaurant and admired each room’s elegant lodge décor. The Tied Fly Bar’s hand carved bar created by Vermont artist Bill Herrick in 1993 is a must see. We returned to the front desk area. One last time I turned to savor the image of The Rainbow Lodge. With that image embedded in my mind, I squeezed Suzanne’s hand and back through the time portal we ventured and out into the heavy traffic laden streets we traveled. If only for a short period, time had slowed down for a relaxing evening. It seemed all we could talk about was the great food and friendly staff we encountered. What a great way to see Texas Thru My Back Door!

    

Join in our fight against breast cancer.  Visit Suzanne's new blog "My Equations for Life" as she reflects on life B.C. (before cancer) and A.D. (after diagnosis) and help support new early cancer detection research at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center with our Go Fund Me project below.

Chocolate Made in Texas

Most of my family and friends love chocolate. Suzanne adores it! A couple of our favorite stories are about chocolatiers. So when Suzanne and I found out that a local Texas business in our area made craft chocolate from cocoa beans, we had to check them out. Setting up a visit at the Tejas Chocolate Craftory was quite the treat!

On the morning of our visit, we were as giddy as children waiting to open gifts on Christmas morning. By the afternoon, we were standing out in front of the Tejas Chocolate Craftory just outside of Tomball. As we entered, we were welcomed with a big smile and pleasantries from co-owner Michelle. Soon the other co-owner, Scott came out of the back and welcomed us, too!

We had many questions to ask. Having done some internet research on how chocolate is made from cocoa beans, I was curious to discover why these Texans would take on the challenge of such a complicated and delicate process. With Michelle busy working on orders, Scott took over the reins and answered our questions. His answer as to why he and Michelle decided to enter the chocolate business was simple. No one in Texas was making chocolate from beans and he wanted to be the first commercial business to do so! When asked about how chocolate is made, he said it would be easier to show us the process. So, on to our tour we went.

First, Scott scours the world for the best cacao beans he can purchase. These raw beans are sorted by hand to eliminate any damaged or poor looking beans. Once sorted, they are fire roasted in Scott’s custom-made roasting grill. When the beans reach their perfection of roasting, Scott says you can smell the aroma of chocolate brownies. That means it’s time to pull them out of the grill.  Scott uses his expertise to determine the perfect roasting time for each batch of cacao beans he roasts.

The next step is separating the shells from the fruit or nibs, as they are called.  Scott built his own system for the winnowing process. The beans are run through a grinder, which cracks the outer shells, and then the nibs are separated from the shells by using a stream of air blowing across the nibs and shells. The lighter shell pieces are sucked away by a vacuum stream of air, while the heavier nibs fall down into a container.

Now the roasted nibs are ready to be finely ground, refined and conched into a liquid chocolate. This process takes up to 60 hours, depending on the origin of the cocoa beans. The chocolate is then cooled and made into large cake pan sized pieces. This raw chocolate is then left to age for weeks to allow flavors to develop. Scott told us that chocolate taste better the more it is allowed to age. Try telling Suzanne to not eat the chocolate for six more weeks!

After aging, the chocolate is melted, tempered and molded. Scott’s brother, Greg, worked the tempering machine and showed us the process of making the final product. I think he has the best job of the bunch. The chocolate smelled wonderful! After cooling, the chocolate is removed from the molds and packaged.

My chocolate expert, Suzanne, has eaten chocolate from the best of Belgium, France and Switzerland. She ranks our new-found Texas chocolate right up there with the best. We are excited to have another new industry in Texas.  As we have found with Texas wineries, olive ranches and distilleries, Texans may not be the first to make something, but before long we become one of the best! So if you like great chocolate, look up our new friend, Tejas Chocolate. You can find them online, at the Tomball Farmers Market, or soon you will be able to visit their new restaurant and chocolate shop in Tomball.

With visions of chocolate swirling in our heads and Christmas around the corner, Suzanne and I wish all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as we head into 2015 and see Texas Thru My Back Door!

Join in our fight against breast cancer.  Visit Suzanne's new blog "My Equations for Life" as she reflects on life B.C. (before cancer) and A.D. (after diagnosis) and help support new early cancer detection research at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center with our Go Fund Me project below.

Haak Vineyard & Winery

Some people go to France or Italy to see grapes sparkling in the warm morning dew, waiting for the sun to kiss them with sweetness and goodness. Some folks travel to the valleys of California to mingle with the people who grow the nectar of the gods. Some people make the trek to the Texas Hill Country to view the beauty of grapes on rolling hills nurtured by sparkling spring fed waters and sip the sweet juice of Texas heaven. But you can find all that goodness and sweet nectar of home grown grapes right in our backyard in the small town of Santa Fe, Texas just south of Houston.

Here, Raymond Haak, a former chemical engineer, has been crafting great wines at his Italian inspired winery for the past 14 years. Check out the hospitality room and store. Suzanne and I really enjoy browsing the store area and exploring all they have to offer. Taste the many and varied wines they produce to find your favorite. You can also find lots of wine accessories and wines you can purchase for Christmas or holiday gifts. If nothing else, give a gift to yourself to celebrate the holidays!

The star of the Haak vineyard are the delightfully delicious Blanc du Bois grapes. One can see the grapes growing during the late spring to early summer months. If you are interested in getting cuttings to grow your own grapes, they usually have a “trimming day” in late January or early February where you can learn about taking care of grapes and help trim the vines. They will explain how to take the cuttings and plant in your backyard to start your own mini-vineyard!

After a laborious wine tasting, Suzanne and I finally agreed on which wine we wanted to purchase. With our Christmas gifts in hand, we thanked them for an informative and delightful experience and headed out to see more of Texas Thru My Back Door!

Join in our fight against breast cancer.  Visit Suzanne's new blog "My Equations for Life" as she reflects on life B.C. (before cancer) and A.D. (after diagnosis) and help support new early cancer detection research at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center with our Go Fund Me project below.