The Uphill Journey

The more you know, the more you realise how much you don’t know. Insert “about espresso” after each know. This certainly is an uphill journey towards the Perfect Cup. Some days the espressos are good. Some days the milk is fantastic. Some days the latte art approaches something recognizable. Usually this does not all happen on the same day!

To get anywhere near to perfection with an espresso (and cappuccino) one must have fresh beans. (By the way I’m nearly out of Black Cat!). The beans must then be ground to the prefect size. Bear in mind that each bean blend will have a different optimal grind size. Even if one knows the optimal size for a particular blend, significant variations in humidity can change the optimal size. Humidity??! Jeez!

So let’s assume freshness and optimal size have been achieved. Dosing and tamping now come into play. That’s a whole other story. And don’t even ask about achieving the perfect temperature on the Silvia- I swear I have read almost a bible’s worth on that over the last two months! I think I may have the temperature thing down though- thank you Mark Prince.

Anyway, I’ve decided I should spend an entire weekend pulling and troubleshooting espresso shots. No milk added. No sugar. Just plain unadulterated espresso shots. Each shot must pass a sight test and a taste test. Any taste volunteers? Be warned though, the caffeine buzz is inevitable!

Defection

Husband has defected. As if he wasn’t bad enough weeks ago when he chose to have a Lipton over a Silvia brewed espresso [read about that horrific incident here], yesterday he went to… to… to… Rituals!!!!! Oh the shame! I had even sent him off to work all fuelled up on the El Machete, but the lure of a mid-morning caffeine break was too much to resist.

Must open my coffee shop soon. We need access to good coffee!

Little Feet, Little Brother and LaLa

We’ve had a very busy house this weekend. The nieces spent a couple of nights and the nephews stayed with us last night. You met Deron (a.k.a. Little Feet) in a much earlier post. Little Feet has a Little Brother named Daniel; and they have a cousin, living in St. Lucia, who calls herself LaLa… She really does call herself that. Little Feet, Little Brother and LaLa (who visits Trinidad often) are all quite familiar with Aunty Kim’s- or rather Aunty Pim[’s] depending on which one you’re speaking to- coffee making procedures.


Little Feet and Little Brother went with me to the kitchen this morning to make some “hot hot coffee”. I had just started the kettle for the French Press process, when I was accosted by Little Feet who asked, “Why you not using that one?” while pointing to the Silvia. I explained that I was making another type of coffee this morning as it was quicker. I showed him the French Press and asked if he remembered making coffee in that before. He gave a quick nod, a forlorn look at the Silvia and then ran off to tell the doggies good morning! I guess he wasn’t too keen on the ‘boring’ French Press this morning.

While Little Feet is interested, most times, in the brewing of the coffee, Little Brother likes to serve the coffee. This morning was no different. I finished making Granny’s coffee, gave the cup handle to Little Brother and held the other side. Off to give Granny her coffee! If Little Brother ever serves you a cup of coffee, please be prepared to grab your cup as soon as he approaches you. He will shove the cup at you if you don’t put your hand out soon enough. Granny was quick.

Lovely morning in the end. The adults had some El Machete from the French Press and the under-3s enjoyed some “hot hot” Milo!

Iced Latte

It’s another hot Sunday afternoon. Too hot, in fact, to properly enjoy a coffee or cappuccino. An iced, caramel latte sounds like just the refreshing drink to enjoy while watching the Mexico-Argentina game. One of these teams will face Germany in the quarter-finals. Having just watched Argentina score their 3rd goal, it looks like this game is already decided… Kind of like when Germany scored their 4th goal to England’s 1 (sorry… 2)     ;o)

Anyway, back to the coffee! I’ve managed to create quite a mess in the kitchen between using the espresso machine, blender, ice box and drink shaker.

Into the shaker: 1 tablespoon of caramel syrup, 7 ounces of cold whole milk, 1.5 ounces of espresso and 6 ice cubes;
Vigourous shake;
Pour into serving glass;
Blend, to thicken, 3 tablespoons of half and half (or whole milk) and pour over top.

See finished pics below.

Reactions: Husband’s friend liked his latte- thought it was quite refreshing on this hot afternoon.
Husband said he didn’t want any because he doesn’t like cold coffee drinks. I gave him a taste of my latte and that was the last I saw of it!
I’ll take that as two happy customers.

My Brewing Methods

saturday.26.june.2010

As I was preparing a French Press brew this morning, my niece noted, “Aunty, you make coffee a long way sometimes and a short way sometimes.”
(She thinks the cappuccinos take too long)!
She’s absolutely right, though. There are very many ways to brew a cup of coffee, and I seem to be amassing quite a collection of brewers. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, some have significantly more advantages than others. Some brewing methods can take only a few minutes, including clean-up, while others can last well over half an hour.
My Drip Coffee Machine can brew four cups of coffee in about 7 minutes.
My French Press brews in just under 4 mins.
My Moka Pot takes about 10 minutes to run its cycle.
My Vietnamese Coffee Filter takes almost 6 minutes to produce 6 ounces.
Last, but certainly not least, my Silvia takes only 23 seconds to release a shot of espresso; but at least 15 minutes from switch on to foamed milk!
The joys of coffee preparation.

Withdrawal

Going through a slight caffeine withdrawal right now. I woke up ridiculously late this morning so didn’t have time to make my morning cup. Rituals is right around the corner from my office but… exactly! There was also the ever available Nestle instant in the office pantry but again… exactly! By mid afternoon I was getting pretty desperate for something coffee-like. I even considered breaking my ‘no tea fast’. From somewhere within I found the strength to resist. I also couldn’t find the tea bag I keep stashed in my drawer. The next best thing? Chocolate cake! That did the trick. Thank goodness for leftover birthday cake.


I’m currently waiting for Husband to get back home with dinner. I’m really looking forward to after dinner coffee tonight!

Tea Fast

wednesday.23.june.2010

Happy Birthday to me! Germany won their game and is on to the next round, where they will face England for a chance to appear in the quarter-finals. I will be drinking absolutely no tea this week in support of my team. Kaffee und Kuchen all the way!

The Coffee Cantata

We visited the home of the reigning World Cup champs, Italy, yesterday.  Today we move on to Germany (again) to visit the home of one of the music world’s greatest composers.  Germany is also the home of the next World Cup champions!  The "Coffee Cantata" is the nickname of a JS Bach cantata written as an answer to the coffee craze that was sweeping Leipzig, Germany in the 1730s.  The text of this comedic operetta is based on a satirical poem by Christian Friedrich Henrici.

***

This is the story of Lieschen, a willful daughter, Schlendrian, her father, and Lieschen’s addiction to coffee. Schlendrian is determined and desperate to get his daughter to renounce her coffee habit, but Lieschen is just as determined and desperate to retain access to her most precious drink.

 Lieschen: Oooh! How the coffee really hits the spot, lovelier than a thousand kisses, more mellow than muscatel wine. Coffee, coffee I must have, and when someone wants to give me a treat, well, then give me some more coffee.

Schlendrian threatens to withhold all manner of privileges and favours if his daughter will not give up drinking coffee.  She, however, is willing to suffer any consequence as long as he leaves her with her coffee.

Schlendrian: Girls that are hard-hearted are not easy to win over. But if one hits the proper spot, then one can come away lucky.

He plays his trump card.  Lieschen will not be allowed to marry unless she swears to give up coffee.  Lieschen thinks about this and promises her father she will indeed give up coffee in exchange for a husband. 

Lieschen: Today, even, dear Father, get it done! Oh, a man! Truly, that suits me splendidly! If it could happen soon then at last I could have a real lover before bed, instead of coffee!

Schlendrian, pleased to have finally bested his daughter, leaves immediately to seek out a husband for her.  However, Lieschen secretly lets it be known that: no suitor comes into my house, unless he has given me the solemn promise, and written into the marriage contract, that I will be permitted to make myself coffee whenever I want to.

***

Moral: Don’t try to get between a woman and her coffee.

I keep saying, the Turks are the ones who really knew how to handle marriage and coffee [click here]!

Bicerin

A new week and a new drink! I decided to set the cappuccino aside this afternoon and try out a new drink. I was feeling for something chocolatey and decadent so the Bicerin was a natural choice. This traditional hot drink from Turin, Italy is made up of three intense layers. Layer 1 is made up of wickedly rich semi-sweet cocoa melted into hot milk. Layer 2 is espresso and Layer 3 is made up of slightly sweetened whipped cream (or foamed milk).  Mmmmmmmmmmm........


Reactions: This drink is sinfully rich and thick when made with whipped cream- I may have to try it with the foamed milk instead to ease up on my after dinner calorie intake. Mother-in-Law absolutely loved it! Husband was a bit shocked by the combined hit of the chocolate and double espresso. Husband’s friend certainly appreciated the cocoa and its South American origins.

Not a bad first attempt at all. I just need to work on my timing. Between melting the chocolate, whipping the cream, pulling the double shots and building the drink, I managed to while away a good 45 minutes!

Enjoy the pics below. The first is of a ‘professional’ Bicerin and the second is my own creation.

Courtesy HafifTarif.com

courtesy KimmyDe

The Americano Cafe Latte?

Husband had a special request coffee this morning.  He asked me to make an espresso, which I was to pour into his coffee mug, add some hot water and top it off with steamed milk.  I suppose what he wanted was an Americano Cafe Latte? He's actually been requesting this drink for several days now, but I only got around to making it for him this morning.  I put three ounces of hot water in the coffee mug, added one and a half ounces of   espresso and topped it all off with about four ounces of steamed milk.  Results: a very mild coffee drink.  Husband loved the drink, which he immediately named after himself! I, however, am not quite sure if to endorse this drink as yet.  My own preference would be to use a double shot of espresso (three ounces), three ounces of hot water and three ounces of steamed milk- this should produce a stronger, heartier brew.  Will try it soon and let you know!

Black Cat- Another fan

So, Sister and Sister's Boyfriend came over this evening after Father's Day shopping to try some coffee.  Sister's boyfriend is known for having lots and lots of sugar in his coffee. We're talking 3+ teaspoons at times. 
(All sugar-holics please refer to http://journeytotheperfectcup.blogspot.com/2010/05/dont-put-x-by-sugar.html).
Anyway, the goodly gentleman had a taste of my Black Cat cappuccino and opted out of any added sugar.  Thank you Sister's Boyfriend.  That was the ultimate compliment!

Mottled Cat

Back to the Black Cat espresso today.  The first shot was brilliant!  Gorgeous mottled crema crowned the black liquid goodness. Yummy.  Husband's friend / study partner was the recipient of this espresso (with the added steamed milk cappuccino style).  He said he quite liked the taste of it.  Mother-in-law, who got the second shot, also commented on how much she enjoyed the taste of her afternoon cappuccino.  I'm trusting they were both being honest here :o)
Looks like I've managed to unlock the Black Cat's potential. Now if I could just conquer the latte art!!!!

Kaffee und Kuchen

friday.18.june.2010

(This is a reprint of yesterday's blog entry, which I can't seem to fix.  Hope this version is easier to read!)

I’m supporting Germany for the World Cup. I like other teams as well but Germany is my favourite. Obviously today’s match does not please me. So, I’ve decided to cheer myself up with the much more pleasing German activity of Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake).


As the English have their Afternoon Tea, the Germans have Kaffee und Kuchen which is traditionally a short break for a social gathering enjoyed between the lunch and dinner hours. Partakers in this treat gather around to share in some good conversation, cake and hot coffee or tea.


Some favoured German cakes to be savored during Kaffee und Kuchen are the Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest cake) and the Frankfurter Kranz - a white bundt cake layered with buttercream and red jam. Recommended coffee drink: a Melange. This drink is usually served equal parts coffee and steamed milk and is similar to the Italian Cappuccino. Use a mild roast coffee for best results.

Mmmm… espresso!

I previously mentioned that Husband is studying for exams, the last of which he will sit tomorrow- Thank Goodness! Husband’s friend has been an excellent and most faithful study partner for the last few days, but somehow I still managed to get a ‘lecture’ on the 9 M’s of product assessment- something about adding value and contributing to core competencies. Good thing I’m not writing these exams!



Anyway, his 9 M’s reminded me of the much more familiar and, to me, much easier to remember 4 M’s of espresso making:

• the Miscela - the coffee blend (Black Cat perhaps);
• the Macinazione - correct grinding of a coffee blend (Gaggia #5);
• the Macchina - espresso machine (trusty Silvia); and
• the Mano - the skilled barista (that would be me).


When each of the four M's is expertly handled, the resulting espresso is quite simply… perfect.

Black Cat

I've gone on and on about how much I enjoyed Intelligentsia's El Machete (the Panamanian coffee I bought from Manic).  However, I seem to have neglected to mention that I also bought a pack of Intelli's Black Cat espresso blend. Intelligentsia's website describes this espresso as having "astounding mouthfeel, with clean flavors of molasses and red cherries. Sweetness is abundant, finishing with a resonant coating of dark chocolate."

Sounds pretty nice doesn't it?  I can't say as yet that it tastes like that!  My barista skills on the Silvia still need some serious fine tuning before I can release all the Black Cat's goodness.  My first attempt with this espresso blend led me to a bitter cocoa finish as opposed to a pleasant chocolate. Guess I'll just have to keep trying!

Breakfast Hodge-Podge

sunday.13.june.2010

                       

Continuing in the theme of lazy weekends, my Sunday sunrise was again rather belated. However, Husband and I managed to get to 11 a.m. mass and made it back home in time for a hearty 1 p.m. breakfast.

Breakfast was served with a hodge podge coffee brew (some El Machete mixed with Black Cat mixed with Waitrose French Roast)- quite literally the odds and ends of ground coffee that I've been too miserly to throw out.  Of course this is a completely taboo practice in the world of specialty coffee and will never happen in my coffee shop (when we actually open)!  However, my few-days-old pre-ground coffee was still 100 times better than any Foldgers or Maxwell House.  I do recommend a bit of milk and sugar in this brew though.

Goal!!!!

Lazy Saturday mornings are the best way to start a weekend. Woke up this morning somewhere before 11 a.m. Made a near perfect cup of El Machete and enjoyed it while watching the end of the Nigeria-Argentina game. (Yaay Argentina!)

Second cup is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Just in time for the England-USA game.

Any drinks after that will have to be ice cold. Who’s bringing the Carib and Stag?
I love World Cup!

The $12 USD Cup of Coffee

Cafe Grumpy in New York is selling a $12USD ($76 TTD) cup of Eithopian Nekisse coffee.  Watch these CBS television anchors discuss, or try to, the merits of drinking a coffee that's about 10 times more expensive than their average cuppa!

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6459355n&tag=api

Personally, having paid slighly extra for the Clover in Toronto (and having thoroughly enjoyed it), I think I'd try out the $12 cup.  Probably wouldn't make it a daily ritual though!

Silence is Golden

They say that silence is golden. Apparently this is true even in milk steaming. After several attempts at steaming milk for latte art and after trying several techniques to achieve best results, I’ve come to realise that, on my Silvia, it does not matter whether my steam wand is kept deep or shallow in the milk, nor does it matter if my pitcher’s bottom remains flat… it does not even matter if my pitcher is tilted slightly or severely. The key to good milk is, quite simply, silence. However I position the steam wand in the pitcher of milk, the main objective is to achieve a rolling action as quietly as possible. The quieter my milk the less big bubbles and the more microfoam produced.
 I don’t know why I’m considering a PhD in Traditional Knowledge. I feel like I’m currently studying for a PhD in Espresso Knowledge!

3. 2. 1.

3 pitchers of milk steamed tonight.
2 pitchers got the desired consistency.
1 heart achieved.


Gotta keep practicing!

Equation

Fresh roasted El Machete Panamanian Coffee + Gaggia MDF #25 grind + hot water + French Press = Heaven!

It may not have been the Clover experience all over again but it was certainly pretty close.  Yummy!

Random Coffee Facts

Turkish bridegrooms were once required to make a promise during their wedding ceremonies to always provide their new wives with coffee. If they failed to do so, it was grounds for divorce!

Hmm..... so how come Husband gets me to make his coffee?

In Greece and Turkey, it is the custom that the eldest is served coffee first.

I think I'm liking these Turkish traditions... Mother-in-Law may appreciate this one too.

In 1684 London, a group of women formed the Women's Petition Against Coffee. They complained that their men were always at the coffee houses and not at home during domestic crises.

Hmm...

To date, there are over one billion coffee drinkers on the planet. The rest don’t know what they’re missing out on.

For sure!!!

Milk anyone?

The key to good latte art is well steamed microfoamy milk- or soapy water?!

In an effort to reduce milk wastage, while practicing milk steaming and latte art, I followed some excellent advice imparted at the barista course- use water and dishwashing soap to imitate milk.


Ingredients:
• one pitcher (two-thirds) full of water;
• a drop of soap;
• steam.


Results:
A perfect, white, velvety smooth concoction that looks just like milk.


Man you can play some really awful tricks on folks with this one...
"Oh Husband dearest...."


Can you tell which one is milk and which one is soapy water?

Practice Continues

Bought some new beans.
Pulled 4 shots- 2 came out okay and 2 came out better.
Steamed some milk to try out my latte art- 2 pitchers got the desired consistency; 2 not so much.
Of the 2 good pitchers of milk- I got 1 nice heart; and 1 not so nice a heart.
Oh well only practice makes perfect.
On another note, I did manage to use up an entire box of milk on just 4 drinks.  Feel free to send me raw materials for practice!

Back to Silvia

thursday.3.june.2010

Alright it’s back to business. Time to put the Evolution out of mind (temporarily) and put Silvia back to use with my new coffee skills. I realised first off that I’ll need to do some serious configuring with my grinder to get the best out of it. Next I started pulling my shots. Some over-extracting went on thanks to too coarse a grind- will adjust over the weekend- but it still wasn’t a bad start.
On to the milk. Although we were told to use fresh, full fat milk for best results in milk steaming for latte art, I only had low fat boxed milk available. Not to be deterred, I half filled my milk pitcher, recited the mantra: spout to spout, flat base, east to west and steamed. Samir would have been proud of my ‘quiet’ milk. I had achieved the desired consistency and was even able to impress Husband and Mother-in-Law with little hearts in their cappuccinos. Didn’t I feel like a shiny shilling!
Let the practice continue.

Manic

tuesday.2.june.2010

Today was our last full day in Toronto so we decided to do a little sightseeing downtown. On my ‘to see’ list was Manic- a coffee shop owned by Matt, our teacher from Day 1 of the course. After going into his cafe, all I can say is that I hope one day someone will come into my coffee shop and be totally blown away by the coffee that I serve them- like I was today.

We ordered a couple of lattes, which were served with the requisite latte art hearts, swans, rosettes etc, and I ordered a Clover. A Clover is the total coffee-geek coffee machine, which has been designed to brew just one cup of coffee at a time. It usually results in the most perfect cup possible. My cup was no exception. The barista recommended the El Machete Panamanian. I took a first taste to decide how much milk or sugar I would have to add… None. It was perfect as is. My first cup of black coffee. It tasted soooo good! I bought a pack to try out in my French press at home. Hope it tastes just as good... or at least close!

Day 4- complete

monday.31.may.2010

The last day. I was quite sad to leave Dawson and Elizabeth and the delightful world of the Coffee Academy.  And I’ll certainly be missing the Evolution and the fantastic espresso produced by that lovely lady!


We had a great teacher, Sameer, to refine our shot pulling and milk steaming techniques-these can even be practiced on my baby Silvia. It was just my Dad and me at this last class so we got some excellent one on one attention.


A new milk steaming mantra: Spout to spout, Flat base, East to west, Steam.


And a Latte Art mantra: High, Low, Force, Up, Out.


We certainly had some better looking art than on Friday!


Thanks to the guys at the Academy I think we’re definitely better prepared to face the challenges ahead. I’m looking forward to going home and continuing on my journey to the Perfect Cup!


Have a look at some of the gorgeous art work I've got to live up to- thanks Sameer!

Day three- complete

sunday.30.may.2010

Would you like a fruity Kenyan or Ethiopian? Or would you prefer a smoky Panamanian or chocolaty Columbian? Perhaps you like your coffee with a hint of blueberry? Or maybe you prefer caramel undertones?


I’m not talking flavoured coffees here but pure unadulterated black coffee tasted to observe its natural flavours. A fresh brewed cup of freshly roasted coffee can show up flavour characteristics similar to fine wines- who knew?!  Today’s class on comparative coffee cupping (tasting) was informative, interesting and quite tasty.

So to my novice coffee tasting tongue, what did I notice?


• Single origin Kenyan or Ethiopia coffee has bright acidity and fruity and spicy tones.


• Single origin Columbian can be more full-bodied and almost smoky.


• Some coffees do have a caramel-like ‘sweet’ finish or aftertaste.


• A blend of smoky and fruity is my ideal cup.


I’m off to find some more fresh roasted samples!