GIVEAWAY!! Come smell the (delicious) coffee . . .

Recently I was asked by a representative from the Aerobie Company to try out and share my opinions of their Aero Press 1 to 4 cup Coffee and Espresso Maker.

I was a little skeptical at first ~ because over the years, like many of you who drink and make your own coffee ~ I've had all kinds of coffee makers; electric coffee makers, French Presses, etc. Then about 5 years ago or so we invested heavily in a completely automatic Italian Saeco espresso machine (it cost a bit under two thousand dollars at the time.) We live miles away from town, out in the country side so taking a quick jaunt to the coffee house is not an option. We wanted GREAT coffee and espresso at home. The Saeco is an impressive machine and works like a champ turning out very good coffee and espresso, we've been very happy with it.
But it is huge and takes up a lot of valuable counter space.

So I was curious by the simplicity and size of the AeroPress® especially after reading the fabulous reviews over on amazon.com.  Over 700 POSITIVE (5 star) reviews ~ those numbers are mind boggling compared to other products on amazon. You can take a look at the reviews HERE.
The AeroPress is THE highest rated coffee maker on the internet.


The good news?

One lucky winner of our drawing will have a chance to win an AeroPress!

The AeroPress arrived in this neat box ~



Look at that ~  simple instructions; and Made in the U.S.A.! (Sadly, you don't see that on many products anymore.)

So here's what comes in the box (everything except the coffee & the background cups/spoons):



There is also a stand included, which I did not picture here . . . oops.


Filter receptacle, filter screen and micro filters.

You'll want the grind of coffee to be anywhere between drip and espresso grind.
You can grind yourself at the grocery store or have your favorite barista at your coffee shop grind it to order for you.


But you know what?
I grind my own at home using this compact Krups® grinder:

Because they are so small, easy to store, and inexpensive I actually have two.*I use the black one for coffee exclusively and the white one 

is used for grinding herbs and spices. 
*This is a  brilliant tip I learned from Julia Child years ago, gotta have two of these! :)

They are workhorses ~ I've had them for years, they do a marvelous job of grinding in just seconds. They can handle whole coffee beans with no problem ~ and if you have regular ground coffee ~you can grind it even finer (espresso grind) by whirring it for a moment in the Krups.

Here is how simple it is to make perfect cup(s) using the AeroPress:

To make from 1 to 4 cups of  American coffee or Italian style espresso ~
Place the filter chamber with filter in place over your cup or mug,add the ground coffee.



Pour boiling water into the chamber . . .and stir with the provided stirrer for a few seconds, if necessary.
We find that simply the process of pouring the water into the chamber aerates the ground coffee really well ~  see what works best for you.




Insert plunger into the chamber and press gently for 20 seconds:



You can add more hot water for American-style coffee,or add milk for a latte.


Our evaluation?
We were both remarkably impressed with the AeroPress ~a quick and easy way to make an amazingly rich, smooth cup of American coffee or  deep, strong espresso style coffee. I recommend it, and can see why it has received over 700 excellent (5-star) reviews on amazon.com


Other reasons to love your AeroPress . . .
 As long as you can boil water you can have an excellent cup of coffee. 
1.) Dependable ~ This is especially important to me as my house is "all electric", power losses are frequent in the winter. Electric coffee makers (including the mammoth Saeco) are useless with no electricity. However I have an inexpensive butane powered, single burner stove for use during those times ~ I can boil water, so we can still have excellent coffee, anytime.
2.) Simple to use, and no mechanical parts. And the units are DURABLE, they will not break like the glass French coffee presses are apt to do.
3.)  Portable ~ For travel, camping, backpacking, etc.
4.)  Economical ~  Save the money you spend at the coffee shop. Makes even bargain brand coffee taste like a million bucks ~ smooth, with no bitterness.
5.) Easy to clean!
6.)  Takes up virtually no countertop "real estate", as most other coffee makers do.

Important note: The questions have been asked an answered ~ the material the from which the AeroPress is made contains no harmful plastics. 

You know what else?  The $$$$ Saeco has been on 'vacation' since the AeroPress arrived at out house about a month ago. That's how good a cup of java the AeroPress produces. I sure would like to have the counter top free of that monster . . . and after using the AeroPress that seems like it could be a real possibility!  Believe me, I'm ready.


Drawing details ~
Entries will be accepted until Saturday, November 26th at 9 PM Pacific time.)
YAY! This contest is open to entrants in the USA as well as our friends in Canada!!

Here are the rules:
1.) Just leave a comment here stating that you'd like a chance to win an AeroPress.
2.) Double your chances by being a Google friend follower (side bar at the top), and say so in your comment.
3.) Be, (or become) a Once Upon a Plate follower on facebook for another chance to win (and please state so in your comment so your name can be entered again.)
Winner will be announced Sunday, November 27th.

Good luck to everyone who enters!

Psst . . . If you're not feeling so lucky ~ 
You can secure your own AeroPress right here

I can highly recommend it!

A most excellent cup of coffee ~ I agree with those 700+ 5 star ratings on amazon.com.  AeroPress easily gets 5 stars at my house, too.
*************
Thank you for entering everyone ~ Entries are now closed.
Winner will be announced shortly!  :) 

The Onion Soup ~ Julia Child's

Julia Child's Onion Soup, Gratineed

Soupe à l'oignon Gratineed

She is sometimes referred to as the woman who launched a million whisks.

Julia Child's are recipes that I come back to time after time. Her version of Onion soup is one of those.

When asked what she would choose for her last meal?

Usually the response was something like this ~

To begin ~ Foie gras, oysters, a little caviar, then pan-roasted duck, fine wines, Roquefort and Brie; a splendid dessert with Château d'Yquem.

But proportedly her last meal, before she died in her sleep in 2004 just two days short of her 93rd year, was actually onion soup.

JULIA CHILD'S SOUPE A L'OIGNON ~ The Classic Version

(6-8 servings)

From "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", Volume One

3 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon olive oil

5 cups thinly sliced yellow onions

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar (to help carmelize the onions)

3 Tablespoons flour

8 cups beef stock, at a boil*

1/2 cup dry white wine (like extra dry vermouth)*

Salt and pepper to taste

3 Tablespoons cognac*

Garnish: 6-8 croutes of hard toasted French bread rounds; 1-2 cups grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter and oil over low heat in a heavy soup pot. Stir in the onions, cover, and sweat until they are tender; this will take about 15 to 25 minutes.

Remove the cover, increase heat to medium, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook 30-40 minutes, stirring often, until the onions have turned an even, very deep, golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour; cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes.

Off the heat, whisk in the boiling stock. Add the wine. Season to taste. Place the pot back on the heat, bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, partially covered, for 40-60 minutes or more, skim foam from surface as it appears.

Taste and correct seasonings. At this point you may set it aside, uncovered, until you are ready to serve.

When ready to serve, with the soup at a simmer, stir in the cognac. Place the toast pieces in the bottoms of each bowl, pour the soup over it, and pass the cheese separately for your guests to help themselves.

To gratinée: Place a piece of toasted (sturdy) bread on hot soup (in individual oven proof bowls), sprinkle generously with grated Gruyère and place under broiler until melted and bubbly.

* Over the years Julia demonstrated variations of this recipe; substituting canned beef broth for home made Beef Stock , or incorporating soup base, and swapping out vermouth for other white or red wine, and omitting the cognac.

The recipe as listed is for her Classic Onion Soup, but when I don't have homemade beef stock, I do use canned beef broth with some good quality beef soup base.

Sometimes I make a lighter version using chicken stock, omitting the beef altogether; it's not the classic version but it's still very good.

10-Spice Seasoning Blend ~ Julia Child's

You may wonder why anyone would want to make their own spice blend. But if you make this one, developed by Julia Child, you may wonder why anyone would not want to make their own.

There is no match for the intense fresh fragrance and sensory pleasures you experience from grinding and mixing your own.

This one was Julia Child's favorite; her own signature blend.

When I was a new cook Julia was my guru in the kitchen (she still is), the moment I found this recipe back in the 70's I couldn't wait to try it.

Not just a recipe, this spice blend was more personal; her own concoction ~ a way to connect to her more thoroughly. Similar to inhaling the scent of another's favorite perfume ~ you get to know the persons prefrences a bit better.

So it is with this spice blend. It's intoxicating! I've used it in pates, on roasts and chops on most any kind of meats, grilled, roasted or broiled, and baked squashes, etc. too.

I like to blend it up in smaller amounts than suggested so it is always fresh and aromatic. I follow the recipe exactly, but halve each ingredient then store it in jar with a tight fitting lid. I use an inexpensive electric coffee bean grinder reserved exclusively for grinding herbs and spices.

If you make it, I don't think you'll be disappointed either.

Grilled Onion Sandwich ~Julia Child's

In an earlier post I explained that back in the 80's I saved each of Julia Child's monthly pull-out sections from the syndicated Parade Magazine section in the Sunday paper, and promised to share more of them.

Here is another, this time from September 18, 1983.

It's one of those recipes that you can put together when the cupboard/refrigerator seems bare.

I don't care for raw onions in sandwiches, but the slow broiling method used here mellows the thin onion slices into a tender, milder accent to the sandwich.

Here's a photo of Julia's recipe~

no surprise, it's another good one!

(Click on recipe to enlarge)

Serve with a simple salad ~ tossed green, tomato, cucumber or another favorite for a satisfying meal.

Again, many thanks to Julia for her inspiration.

Addendum:

Here's what Julia wrote about "The Right Drink" to accompany sandwiches:

"What to drink with a sandwich certainly depends on the time of day. With a fine plain chicken sandwich taken as a midnight snack, I vote for Scotch and soda. But lunch is a different matter entirely, especially on a sober business day. Iced tea or coffee is sensible. More daring and dashing is a glass of white wine. Another suggestion, mild in spirit but sparkling as an idea, is Shandygaff, a British concoction. It reputedly made its way from the Empire to India, where it went very well with curried dishes. And it goes well indeed with any of our sandwiches.

The recipe is simple: Fill a tall glass half full with chilled ale or beer, then very gently (so as not to disturb the sparkle) stir in an equal amount of chilled ginger beer. You can use ginger ale, but ginger beer is drier and has more bite and character."