BOOK ONE
“PLANTING THE SEEDS”
Planting The Seeds is the first book from the series 1888 A Coffee Novel by María Amalia Robbin. This is a beautiful hard cover black book, foil pressed in gold, which is the true definition of a coffee table book. The elegance, the exquisite details, the quality of the paper, the layout and the images are all a work of art. Every single detail was taken into consideration. The sections of the book are not called chapters but instead are called “parts.” Several “parts” have beautiful patterns of “A’s” in honor of Amalia Madriñan Vásquez. Most of these patterns are set in a shade of Tiffany blue. Elegantly done in English as well as in Spanish with a golden seal at the top right corner of each page. This is not just a book to put on a shelf; it’s a beautiful piece of art, part of the décor that can be exhibited in a library, a kitchen, a living room or in the entryway to an office.
As the back cover says, this book goes from the origins of coffee growing in Colombia, Guatemala and the Caribbean to the principles of basic coffee making. The author starts the series by “Planting The Seeds” for the following books and tells bits and pieces about the family’s history and stories and gets the readers hooked on the story and wanting to know more. During this whole research process, she realized that most people don’t know much about coffee. They don’t know the difference between Arabica and Robusta. They have no clue why some coffee is absolutely delicious and other coffee tastes horrible and one can’t wait to go and brush their teeth in order to get the taste out of their mouth (not to mention the coffee breath!). They have no clue about the different types of grinds and roasts. Therefore, in this first book, the author teaches basic principles as well as different coffee preparation methods so that people can make really good coffee at home without having to buy expensive machines. She also teaches a few bakery recipes which her family was “famous” for and go hand in hand with coffee.
This way, the reader can enjoy a good cup of coffee with a touch of sweetness while they read the rest of the books from the series, which will be coming out soon!
BOOK REVIEWS
fascinating story! a book to learn
It is a trip to the past. To the coffee farm I luckily got to know many years ago! To the coffee that has been part of my country and his economy for centuries. Thanks for this gorgeous trip! Love it!
La Amalia es además de un libro que enriquece el conocimiento de la cultura cafetera, la cual hace parte del ADN del suroeste Antioqueño y nos representa a nivel mundial como un café de excelente tasa, sino que además es una historia envolvente, mágica que logra involucrar al lector emocionalmente con cada párrafo.
Me encantó el diseño…se ve divino en mi coffee table!! Súper buen regalo para cualquier persona de buen gusto!! Recetas de morir y que historia tan intrigrante! Quiero saber más! No veo la hr de que salgan los otros libros
Elegante, aprendí sobre el café, su historia y su preparación! Buen regalo para cualquier persona!
This beautiful book I display proudly on my coffee table. It combines the history of coffee itself with the saga of a family who developed methods of growing coffee. The book includes the best preparation techniques with gorgeous pictures. 1888 La Amalia, A Coffee Novel makes a great gift for yourself or a friend!
Wonderful. I liked the book very much, specially the carrotcake recipe. Waiting for the next book to continue story
Conoci la historia muchos años después de haber conocido LA AMALIA , Tuve la fortuna de haber visitado esa hermosa tierra en el Suroeste Antioqueño y nunca me imaginé que hubiera tanta tradición, tantos años de esfuerzo y dedicación, tanto por contar, tanta pasión. Que emoción siento al ir entrando poco a poco en la novela que se empezó a gestar con este primer libro. Les recomiendo leerlo y no veo la hora de que salga el segundo y los que siguen. Disfruten de un buen café y de las buenas recetas que lo acompañan. Mi preferida hasta ahora ha sido la torta de zanahoria.
Fantastic book!
This is a fun book to read, entertaining, insightful, and full of stories. A true delight! It is also beautiful as a display book. This is one of those books everyone should own and keep. I cannot wait for the next book of the series to be released !
I already have my book, wonderful and exquisite, full of good taste; that invites you to dream of wonderful aromas from infinite lands like Colombia, thanks to Maria Robbin.
El libro es espectacular, además de que su presentación es hermosa, su contenido es interesante, muy ameno y las recetas las amo.
Fantástico!! Hay que leerlo en compañía de un buen café… Es un libro que enseña, trae recuerdos, antojos, suspenso…La edición impecable, llena de buen gusto y de la personalidad alegre y llena de vida de su autora. Definitivamente, provocativo!!
Finalmente apareció el primer tomo de la trilogía de María Amalia Robbin. Con solo una breve introducción a la historia de la finca y de su familia, que deja entrever lo que seguirá en los próximos tomos, este primero dedica el comienzo a la historia del café y su preparación, seguido de un exuberante despliegue de recetas de bebidas, postres y delicias de panadería, con fotos que lo convierten en un festín para la vista que hace agua la boca. La cuidada edición bilingüe de este hermoso libro muestra el amor y el tiempo dedicado por su autora a investigar el tema.
Amazing book about all things coffee. Very engaging and entertaining. Carefully selected pictures on high quality paper. I love it
La Amalia, is a wonderful book, from the beginning to the end.
The story of a family immersed in a coffee bean plantation, the autor takes you in a journey full of excitement. All the recipes are great.
Excelente me encanto aprender tanto del cultivo y variedad de esta excelencia colombiana que es su café, referente mundial.
Bravo por un trabajo tan bien hecho!
Realmente es una obra de arte que narra la entrada mágica al mundo del café y su historia refleja y enaltece la tradición e historia del café colombiano. La calidad de esta obra te lleva a una conversación amena y tranquila que segundo a segundo te invita a saber más …. Un placer leerlo. Súper recomendado !
Aparte de ser un libro hermoso, es un viaje al pasado para quienes tuvimos oportunidad de conocer La Amalia y disfrutar de las delicias recién preparadas por Nancy (la mamá de María) cuando éramos pequeños. Leyendo las recetas recordaba el aroma cada que entraba a la casa de María!
Apart from being a beautiful book, it is a trip to the past for those of us who had the opportunity to visit La Amalia and enjoy the delicacies freshly prepared by Nancy (Maria’s mother) when we were little. Reading the recipes, I remembered the aroma every time I entered Maria’s house!
Un libro bellísimo, lleno amor por el café. Te atrapa desde el comienzo y te mantiene a la expectativa de tan maravillosa historia. No veo la hora de leer lo que sigue! Por cierto, es un MUST en mi cocina, recetas simples y deliciosas al final fueron la mejor combinación.
True to the books above description, it’s very elegant and makes a good statement piece on my coffee table. The story itself is as rich as the cover. I look forward to reading more installments of Miss Robbins gripping family tale.