AeroPress Coffee Maker--does it work?

I purchased an AeroPress Coffee Maker about 6 months ago. I had been using an Italian coffee maker and I was happy with it. The only down side was that I had to take to the ‘doctor’ every year to get things done---as you do and that was getting quite expensive. Indeed, one could say that I could have brought one of the cheaper ones for the same amount that I was spending every year and just chuck the old one away. So---when I was told about the AeroPress I decided to take the plunge. I purchased it online with the bits that came with it (filters etc.) for about NZ$75 delivered. I watched the online video and I was soon making acceptable coffee and with the addition of the Frother from another company I was more than happy. I would rate it as almost as good as the machine I was no longer using. The AeroPress CM makes a product that is not quite a real espresso but better than a plunger style coffee. That was until a favourite barista I go to told me some secrets. I had read that it was not really possible to get a good ‘crema’ on the coffee but that would not affect the taste. How wrong I was to believe that! Using the following method, I have come to the conclusion that I will sell the Italian machine and not buy a really expensive product. The AP is more than match for most coffees I get at cafes. Grind your coffee beans as you would for the coffee machines. Remember it is not a ‘plunger so it has to be the fine grade. Boil the water but add a little cold so that it is between 70C and 90C. Slowly add the water to the coffee in the receptacle—not in the screw in part. Wet the filter. Let the coffee brew for about 2 minutes, string a bit, while the milk is frothing in the Frother, if you want a Flat White as we call it in NZ and Aussie!’ Now, pour the coffee into the receptacle and let that sit for a few seconds then apply the pressure, pushing down slowly. If you have done it right, there will be a lot of crema. Yes it does dissipate fairly quickly but the result is superb. Make sure you source really good beans, like the ones I get from Eden Coffee! I am not going back to the expensive espresso machines. This one is great to take on a trip. I cannot be without good coffee and the savings I make whilst on holiday by making my own coffee are fantastic. Go and experiment with your AP. www.authorneilcoleman.com

Doug influenced Veal chop crock pot meal.

I have a great wine in the fridge and a fabulous Stew thing going on in the crockpot. Stick the chops in the pot, fry off the usual Doug/Indian inspired spices/seeds and powders, chuck in an onion, add some asparagus, chopped capsicums of any colour and then add a few of the other stuff that I have on my other blogs. (that mean you may have to go back and read some previous blogs) Now, pour that mix over the chops in the crockpot and slice up some silvberbeet and a tin of tomatoes on the top---walk away! Forget it for about hours. Then, take he wine out; share it with friends/family, Life does not have to be complicated or expensive! Feel free to substitute the veal for gravy beef--even cheaper then. www.authorneilcoleman.com

Sons of Orpheus---you want me to publish it----but-------

So millions of you (OK just kidding) want me to put 'Sons of Orpheus' through the same process I did for Roskill. Sorry---just can't, unless Roskill takes off and it is not showing any signs of doing that, even though it has had a fair amount of good press and publicity. It seems that unless you have the 'big boys and girls' of publishing behind you---it just doesn't happen. I don't have bookshops and a publishing house behind me so I rely on contacts and whatever I can do and my 'friends' in whatever form they come, helping along the way. ' So---Sons of Orpheus' will just appear for a while on my blogs and FB--in the dammed annoying format I have used. Yes, it will improve once I have my lesson in formatting from Martin and perhaps following his suggestion to use a website he has mentioned. One learns but most of that learning costs money, whether from mistakes on my part or just not knowing the 'field of play' for self-publishing. I don't want to put off other aspiring authors but be warned--the road is rocky and expensive. Thanks to all of you who have been making suggestions and trying to spread the word amongst your contacts. I am not about to give up---yet! www.authorneilcoleman.com

Go and read my 'older' blogs-----there's rather a lot of them!

Yes, I know---I do write a great many blogs, on lots of subjects, not the least being about my books. I also pontificate on the issues of the day, including politics or whatever is 'heading' the days news. I exercise a variable approach to these issues, sometimes playing the 'devil's advocate,' in the hope of generating discussion. Most people just read them and at best 'like' and occasionally respond, not always of course favourably. That's OK by me, because lets face it---unless one is prepared to take the flack, they 'shouldn't put themselves out there! So yes, go and look at some of my older blogs and get back to me. Is here a particular 'theme' that you would like me to expand on? I am up for suggestions, other than 'get the hell off the net---lol---because I ain't going anywhere! www.authorneilcoleman.com

Methamphetamine (P) just wont go away

It seems that the rich, the famous and the family next door are not exempt from the evils of 'P.' Read about my take on 'P' an how it traps a family and threatens to rip it apart in my hard-hitting book, ROSKILL. Go to my website to either download the EBook version or the hard copy. ww.authorneilcoleman.com or get one from me direct at neilcolemanauthor@gmail.com Kiwi boxing champ Adrian Taihia jailed for manufacturing methamphetamine - National - NZ Herald News nzherald.co.nz

This accident was made in heaven!

I had an idea to cook chicken tonight--in what I would perhaps claim to be Thai in nature---with a slash of Indian influence--OK sort of 'fusion food at its best.' I fried off the usual culprits, cardamom, mustard seeds, cinnamon bark and---all the 'lovelies' that I have learnt to use--you know---seeds first, then onions and finally the powdered spices. Naturally I included some minced chillies and ginger. Then I added the red peppers and asparagus. I have no idea what the other two additions I added as there is no labels on the packets! Once the veggies were simmering happily away, I added the sliced chicken tenderloins. After seasoning with salt and white pepper, I had this brainwave. Why not add some sesame seeds. I did--the whole bloody packet fell in, much to my horror. I fished out about two thirds of them, leaving a rather generous amount that the dish claimed as its own. What the hell, AI thought. I love sesame so not all is lost---more like a twist of flavours with a Middle eastern, Asian and God knows what influence. Now the final touch--a small carton of light coconut cream. The dish had a lovely turmeric colour and a tiny taste test told me that my accident was indeed influenced from above and who am I to question such celestial intervention! www.authorneilcoleman.com

Roast Busters--- the events of the last year have shown up some very serious issues for New Zealand and the way we are bringing up our young people!

The publicity surrounding the events earlier in the year re the Roast Buster’ group of boys and the handling of it by the police points to a serious deficit in the way we are bringing up our young men in New Zealand. For many years, much has been said and a great deal of effort has gone into changing the ‘sub-culture’ in New Zealand that allows our young men to believe that women are targets, playthings to be cast aside by the criminal justice system when they have been very much wronged. The police say that they cannot process the Roast Buster group because of various factors, including the ‘lack of evidence,’ the unwillingness to put the victims through more trauma’ and the ‘age’ of the young men involved. This highlights a huge gap between public perception re the alleged crime and the ability and willingness of the police and courts to go ahead to bring resolution to what is alleged to haver happened. The real victims here are obvious. The young women will have learnt that ‘speaking up’ does not work in New Zealand and the young men are in danger of incorporating such behaviours into the way they interact with other women in the future. They have been sent a message from the ‘system’ that what they have alleged to have enacted is OK! Most New Zealanders say it is NOT OK! We rely on the justice system to protect us from pariahs and when that does not happen, then the mixed messages are strong and there is a danger that the ‘crime’ will be replicated in every town and city of NZ. I accept that the police have to operate within the law but this whole affair points out that there is an imbalance between the capability of the law to react in these situations and the rights of the ‘victims’ to receive justice. This cannot be swept under the carpet and one has a distinct impression that is this had been a group of young men from South Auckland’ the result would have been possibly different! It almost feels like the law prevails in different ways as to who you are where you come from. Connections may well have played a part here. I know others commenting would go way further in the expression s of how they feel about this. The issue of how we deal with sexual predators is one that will not and should not go away. Let’s bring it out into the open and call it for what it is—a heinous crime! www.authorneilcoleman.com