It is not everyday that I actually learn something. Most of the non-fiction type entertainment ends up being a perspective rather than actually something new. I can’t say that I actually know everything, that would be ridiculous but I do get surprised when I come across something that is new.

As I continue to evaluate the Backwoods Home universe, I keep getting surprised on what I learn. Since this issue was dubbed the ‘potato issue’ I knew that it was going to be pretty spud heavy. My dad quit growing potatoes in the early 1980s as a result of blight in the soil. To be frank, potatoes were cheap and readily available.

I guess in my head, I thought that growing potatoes was really impossible as a result of my upbringing. But, from this issue I learned that there are many (possibly 1000’s) of different varieties, some much more resistant than others. Unless I move somewhere more rural, I doubt that I will dedicate space to grow potatoes, so this was interesting but didn’t really change my perspective.

The first thing that I really learned was that there are two types of potatoes waxy and starchy. I guess I always knew that there was such a thing as boiling potatoes but I had never considered that there were two distinct categories. From this I also learned that there are some in-betweens like Yukon Gold that share properties of both (must be why it is so popular).

Of course, I have cooked with both but to me a potato was a potato. It is 95% likely that we would have a Russet (or starchy) potato on hand rather than a waxy variety. Now that distinction is clearly made, it is much more likely that I will consider the variety for the recipe. It would seem like the in-between varieties would be the best to keep in the pantry.

The second article in this issue that really opened my eyes was about coffee. I have always prided myself on not being a coffee snob. I don’t like cream or sugar and am not big on ‘mixed’ drinks. The fanciest I usually go is Americano – black.

But, the truth is that I think a fresh cup of Folgers can be quite good. I have ran a pot of Folgers after a Starbucks French Roast and found it just as appealing. I am not a rube when it comes to coffee, but I would say that I am ignorant. Let us get a little technical.

Green coffee beans need to be roasted to be brewed. The amount of roasting determine the darkness of the bean and therefore the coffee. Green beans hold freshness for a long time (I would say years, but I don’t know for sure). It is oxidation that effects the flavor. Apparently, oxidation doesn’t occur until after roasting and is significantly increased after grinding because of the exponential increase of surface area.

Long story short, for the best coffee leave your beans green until ready to be used. Here is my ignorance kicking in. I thought roasting coffee was an exotic process requiring expensive equipment. It turns out that this can be done on a skillet over the stove or even in a hot air popcorn popper. This is where my revelation began.

I just did a quick check at it seems like 3 lbs of raw coffee can be purchased for $21 from Amazon. I have no idea whether this is a good price or not, but it definitely seems like a price that can justify trying it. I can’t speak to quality of outcome but generally speaking, it is a pretty inexpensive experiment.

End Your Programming Routine: It does seem like I am getting value out of these magazines. I am leaning more strongly each episode to subscribing. It is nice to be pleasantly surprised. I think what else makes a difference is that I can see myself doing these things. Don’t get me wrong I love Fine Woodworking, but most of those projects I will never attempt. It is mostly inspiration (and desire) when I read it. Hence, I stopped subscribing years ago (but I do read it at the library every time I go).