And we’re off!

wednesday.5.october.2011

We’ve launched! Friday 30th September was our tasting day! The Pro did make it into the shop on Thursday evening after all. Installation was a fairly painless affair with the steely Dawson at the helm. Taste testing began right away much to the delight of all in close enough proximity to smell the glorious coffee filled air. We fiddled around with the milk trying to find just the right one to best complement our espresso house blend; and our taste testers were more than happy to sample and offer opinions.

Special thanks to all our friends and family who came out on Friday evening to the official coffee tasting and ‘soft launch’ of Perfect Cup Espresso Bar. We spent a very busy but exciting and entertaining evening serving coffee drinks and chatting with everyone. We were actually too busy to even take pictures! Thankfully, our friends at YTP snapped a few pics for us!

I must admit it was quite surreal standing there on Friday looking around at all we had accomplished. Our coffee shop is finally a reality. Thanks to everyone who offered encouragement, support and help over the last year. We greatly appreciate it :o)

We still haven’t decided on a definite opening date. It should, however, be sometime next week. We’ve got to wait for our next shipment of coffee to land and we are still waiting for our signage!!!! Once we’ve got those two biggies out of the way there’ll be no holding us back. In the meanwhile, Father Dearest continues to familiarise himself with the DC Pro and our friends continue to drop by to sample the coffee. I’ve gone back to the world of work, where I try not to spend all day thinking about Coffee Bean or my cosy little shop and all the yummy coffee that lives there. Speaking of which, can someone deliver me a latte… please?????

Waiting Game

Our darling DC Pro still hasn’t been tucked into its new home. We’ve been trying to free it from the airport since Tuesday morning. We needed all sorts of clearance and had to fill out numerous forms and meet with several different clerks and officers. (Nothing unusual actually, but time consuming nonetheless). I believe we’re towards the end of this tedious process now. Keeping our fingers crossed, Father Dearest should be able to collect it within the next couple of hours. Only then can we begin the more enjoyable task of installing and playing with --- umm--- oh --- I mean working with the Pro. In the meanwhile, we wait… and wait... and wait…

Facebook Launch

We've launched our Facebook page!!!
As our opening date draws ever nearer (and as I whittle away at my poor nails), Perfect Cup's online presence is being expanded. Check us out at Perfect Cup on Facebook.

Other cafe updates:

• The DC pro is due any minute. Really wish that minute would arrive sooner rather than later. (Ring phone Ring)
• Some of our decorative pieces are in.
• Some opening day gastronomic goodies have already been ordered.
• Coffee from Social is on the way!

Lots of work still ahead!  Will keep you updated as things progress and I have a chance to actually sit at my computer for more than five minutes at a time  :o)

On target, on target… stay on!

Phew! It has been a looong two weeks and looks set to be another long week and a half ahead. Perfect Cup espresso bar is moving full speed ahead despite a few hiccups here and there. Hurricane Irene did have an impact, after all, and our darling Evolution machine was damaged. However, a new Evolution Pro was sourced and is now most definitely on the way to its new home. Keeping fingers crossed to have that baby in the café by the weekend or thereabouts.

Sister-in-law # 2 has been hard at work on our graphics. We now have artwork for all our signage… and most beautiful artwork it is! Anyone looking for a topnotch artist give Creative One a call! (message me for contact details :o)

Shopping for furnishings continued throughout last week. Cushions, table cloths and napkins are all being made; artwork is being framed; and the menu is being finalized. Father Dearest is currently in Toronto with the roaster and will be returning on Monday with Dawson; and then our work with the coffee and the Pro really begins.

Keeping fingers crossed and sending up prayers for a Friday 30th opening date. Will keep you posted.


The beautiful DC Pro!



The Expobar

tuesday.20.september.2011

Father Dearest has flown off to Toronto for a week to finalise all shipping and coffee selection details with our roaster; and to do some café shopping. While I’m overseeing things on the shop preparation front, I decided I’d also step up my latte making practice during this week before the Evolution arrives. Father Dearest decided that my Rancilio wasn’t up to the task of heavy duty practice. What an insult to my poor faithful little machine! Although, in fairness, I’ll admit that the Rancilio really doesn’t allow for more than 2 very good shots in a row.

So, Father Dearest took his beloved Expobar out for a spin and brought it to my house. I’m currently playing landlord to two espresso machines, two coffee grinders, two French presses and several bags of coffee. Mother Dearest now has a delightfully clear kitchen counter top and I have a veeerrrry cluttered one. Husband would complain about this lack of space except that he’s being plied with sample lattes every day. Poor long suffering man…




The Expobar- newest member of my kitchen counter



Perfect Branding

Perfect Cup’s logo is ready for unveiling. Thank you Sister-in-Law Number 2 for this fabulous emblem. Our gorgeous new logo will also be featured on our website and Facebook page. Stay tuned for the launch of those pages as well!

Oh Irene!

While many little children were off to their first day of school today, Coffee Bean spent his first two hours at daycare without any parents (or grandparents or great-grandparents). Not quite sure how I managed not to call in to check up multiple times. I only called in the one time. Thank goodness for coffee shop distractions!

On the shop front, we got some quotes for our signage, sorted out web domain names and got more info on the status of our Evolution. Seems like Hurricane Irene has affected us after all. The warehouse that houses our machine (which was happily waiting to be shipped off to its new Caribbean home) got flooded out during the hurricane. Thankfully no machines were damaged, but shipping schedules have been affected. So, now we wait… and hope that our Evolution can still make it down in time for an opening date at the end of September. *nervous nail biting continues*

Sunday's Child?

Coffee Bean was in a joyously happy and cooperative mood this morning, which allowed Husband and myself to have a relatively lazy Sunday morning. By relative I mean waking up at around 6:30 a.m. but being allowed to go back to sleep until at least 8… a far more civilized wake up call for a Sunday! Coffee Bean even allowed us to watch a movie, while he happily played with his fluffy dice and Mr. Snuggie blanket.
Celebratory coffee: French pressed 1922 Mocha Java, of course!

Mocha and Java

saturday.3.september.2011

Yesterday was Coffee Bean’s first day at nursery :o( Well, it was more of his first visit to nursery, if I’m completely honest. Husband and I took him over to meet his new Aunty and to check out his new daytime abode, before we send him packing for an entire day. On the bright side he seemed very interested in his new playpen and the other kids immediately claimed his as one of their own. As a matter of fact, a particularly precocious 2 year old demanded to know why he was leaving after only a few minutes. She had to be reassured that Coffee Bean would be back to play on Monday.

While Coffee Bean was examining his nursery Father Dearest was collecting our newest coffee selection: a Counter Culture offering by the name of 1922 Mocha & Java Blend. I’m not sure why they’ve labeled it 1922, but there is certainly nothing old about this Mocha Java coffee! The fresh and fruity notes of dried cranberries are the first to hit the palate and are followed by a rich chocolate and caramel finish. A full-bodied blend that when prepared just right, in my trusty French Press, was an absolute delight to the senses.

I can’t say if the Counter Culture Mocha Java was better than the Dean’s Beans version. Maybe I’ll have to order another batch of that one to compare…

Sneak Peek Pics

Here are a few pictures of the cafe so far.  Just a little sneak peak, a teaser really :o)
I'll be sharing some photos as the work continues and the finishing touches go on!

Committed

There are baby steps and there are big steps. There are commitments and there are Commitments! Well, another big step and giant commitment made to the Perfect Cup café today.  Father Dearest and I booked and paid for the airline ticket for barista and course facilitator extraordinaire, Dawson. Our lovely Canadian friend will be coming to Trinidad during the last week of September to install and configure the beautiful Evolution.  Looks like we’ve got an opening date coming up; *nervous finger biting begins*…

Café Update

We’re coming, we’re coming. Perfect Cup is on the way! Our opening date, however, has been pushed back from the end of this month to the end of next month. We’ve had the odd, ‘expected but unexpected’ stumbling blocks which have delayed our opening but that’s just all part of the learning process. Work continues at a pace and the shop space continues its transformation. Our counter and tables have been built and installed… and are looking pretty snazzy, if I do say so myself :o). The plumbing and electricals are now complete, light fixtures and mirrors mounted and storage tables all unpacked and set up. Food badges have been obtained and some pastry sampling has begun (and I can tell you we’re off to a very yummy start). Perfect Cup will be up and running soon enough. I’m looking forward to serving you the best cup of coffee you’ll find anywhere on the island!

Licensed to Sell

friday.19.august.2011

Food Badge: check! Another step towards the opening of Perfect Cup. Thankfully this process was not as convoluted as getting incorporated; nor was it as umm… interesting as the procurement of the affidavit that we needed to complete the incorporation process.

Sweet and simple did it. Father Dearest, Mother Dearest and I spent a couple short hours speaking to an inspector, filling out some forms and listening to a lecture on the proper handling of food and food preparation.

Lecture ended; badges were issued; class dismissed!

Happy Anniversary… again!

thursday.11.august.2011

If it was nice, do it twice? Two anniversary dinner celebrations? Sure! The second one was shared with my parents to celebrate their anniversary as well (and Father Dearest’s retirement). We took our celebrations to a new restaurant, Ipanema for a Brazilian Churrasco dining experience. Churrasco is a centuries old method of slowly grilling meat to perfection; and I can certainly say that every cut of meat that passed my way was perfectly prepared, succulent and divinely flavourful. Fantastic meal from salad to meat to sides to decadent desert and coffee. Thanks Ipanema for a delightful culinary anniversary experience.

Back to the coffee, however. I’ve mentioned before that, if you can’t have fresh roasted beans for your espresso, Lavazza produces the next best option. That was certainly the case here with our Americanos. The trick to serving a good Americano (other than pulling a good shot) is to pour the espresso over the water, as opposed to water over the espresso. This ensures that the luscious, golden crema remains intact and is as visually appealing as it should be tasty. As a measure of how well the espresso shot was pulled and how great the Americano tasted, at Ipanema, Husband drank his straight- no added sugar or milk! Now that was a perfect end to a perfect meal.

Move over Prime, I’ve got another favourite restaurant!

Happy Anniversary!

monday.08.august.2011

Today is Husband’s and my 2nd anniversary. Quite different from last year’s celebrations, when we spent an entire weekend away- we only managed a two-hour sojourn away from home and the Coffee Bean this time around. Grandparents and Great Grandparents are such lovely inventions! Great Grandma P kept the Bean for us while we had dinner at Chaud Café (different from the full Chaud restaurant).

Dinner was lovely… we had a tapas style meal so we got to sample a variety of dishes: Divine mango margaritas, Marinated olives; Pesto breadsticks, Chicken Paillard with Pico de Gallo, a Spanish chorizo & potato tortilla and French fries with arugula mayo. Every dish was absolutely delicious. The staff and service were just as fantastic as in the full restaurant. The air-conditioned indoor ambience was a very trendy rustic meets zen type of affair- with glass doors, a brick wall façade, open kitchen, wide mirror and dark wood wine bar all coming together to create a comfortable and welcoming dinner setting. (The outdoor patio looked alright too; although for the life of me I can’t figure out why most of the other patrons chose to sit outdoors on a hot, humid night with the smell of citronella and city corporation mosquito spray assaulting the senses! People it’s hot in Trinidad all year through. No need to sacrifice comfort for “summer outdoor dining”!!!) Moving on...

We finished up our dinner with a scrumptious, melt-in-your-mouth Apple Crumble pie topped with Dulce de Leche ice-cream. Husband also sampled of their coffee. All of Chaud Café’s coffee drinks are made with Britt Café coffees (which we had previously sampled at Hyatt). Not bad… but nowhere near as good as a fresh roasted Social!

Verdict:  Lovely anniversary and great cafe... Maybe I'll send them some fabulous fresh coffee to make it even better ;o)

Cuppa tea, anyone?

sunday.07.august.2011

That’s the title of an article I’ve been meaning to share with you all since I saw it about a month ago. The article ties in very well to the mini-tea-series I did a few weeks ago on a selection of the Social teas we’d been sampling for the café.

Kiran Akal is a Trinidadian who has lived, studied and worked in several European countries and the United States, where he is currently based. He is an avid tea drinker (one might even say addict) who consumes around 11 cups a day! Mr. Akal decided the Caribbean lacked a luxury tea brand and set about to fill this void. Read all about his tea making experience in this Trinidad Guardian article: http://www.guardian.co.tt/node/18164

For those of you in Trinidad, these very high end teas are available at Smaks in Valpark and at the Carlton Savannah hotel in Cascade. Hopefully I can do a review of a couple of these teas soon!

Back to Kay’s

sunday.31.july.2011

Almost a year to the weekend, we took a beach day trip back up to the north coast. (Refresh your memory on that post by clicking here). It was Coffee Bean’s first trip to the beach- not that he noticed much as he slept through our visits to both Big Bay and Grande Rivere beaches.

We made Kay’s Kitchen and d Arthur’s Guest House our breakfast and (very late) lunch pit stop in hope for some excellent fish broth, salt fish and fried bakes and Cocoa Tea. We got the broth and bakes but Kay only does the cocoa tea to order- We’ll just have to plan another trip up and call in advance!

Wonder if I can convince Kay to provide the coffee shop with some authentic Cocoa Tea...

Panama Estate Select- Elida

friday.29.july.2011

The Social coffee stocks have been depleted and so we’ve moved on to some freshly roasted Panamanian coffees. The website http://www.coffeefrompanama.com/ offers a one stop shop for coffee beans from a variety of Panama’s leading coffee estates in the Boquete region. These coffees are labeled by estate and not individually named. I haven't been able to figure out why it works that way; but it does seem that each estate produces just one or two coffees every harvest. This same Boquete region is home to the famed Esmeralda coffee, which comes from the Geisha coffee plant variety. These Geisha coffees grow extremely well in Boquete and are the feature coffee beans of the region.  As a result of the focus of Geishas, coffees from these estates are classed as either Geisha or non-Geisha varieties.

The Elida estate coffee is consistently judged as a top 10 non-Geisha coffee. In 2007 it was actually chosen as the top non-Geisha in the Best of Panama competition.

Over the last week, we’ve been using these beans for our espressos and regular drip coffee. This medium roast coffee has a mild yet full and rich flavour, which is more floral than fruity.

The Silk almond milk has been able to complement the Elida’s flavour quite well. In other coffees the almond simply presents as a different aftertaste. Although, I’m still taste testing to figure out whether the brand of almond milk also affects the taste.  Will follow-up on that at a later date.

The Proof is in the Rosetta

thursday.28.july.2011

The components of a first-rate latte: a well-prepared espresso shot and good microfoam.

The proof of well-formed microfoam: pretty latte art holds its shape from first sip to last.

Just as I’d given up hope of getting a good latte until I’m back on regular milk, Father Dearest pulls off a great Almond milk based one! Yummy! Firstly he had to pull an excellent espresso shot, which he did thanks to the Elida Estate coffee (more on that in another post); then he had to manipulate the milk into the perfect microfoam. As I’d mentioned before, the Silk almond milk is a thicker, creamier milk than the Almond Breeze. This therefore made it much easier to achieve the desired microfoam. Also, the Silk has a less pronounced flavour, which makes it less likely to overpower the coffee flavour. However, it’s still a new flavour to the coffee and what I ended up with could be compared to an amaretto flavoured café latte; and it was topped with a little rosetta too. Not bad at all!

The Americano Conundrum

In preparation for our café opening, Father Dearest has purchased the ultimate Barista guidebook to further enhance our coffee and espresso book collection. The Professional Barista’s Handbook by Scott Rao is widely regarded as one of, if not the best, go-to tome for professionals and even amateurs seeking espresso perfection. While flipping through the pages of Rao’s book, I came across an interesting factoid* on Americanos. This mention reminded me of a minor debate that occurred between a fairly knowledgeable coffee consumer and a café owner: Having requested hot milk for his Americano he was told that this would make it a cappuccino…???!!! Umm… Nope. It does not! “Fairly Knowledgeable Coffee Consumer” got that one right, and asking for hot milk is not an unusual request.

What is an Americano? It’s a coffee drink made up of a shot (or two) of espresso, which is then diluted by the addition of several ounces of water. This is not the same as a regular brewed coffee. However, some coffee shops do serve Americanos in place of drip coffee as this negates the need for purchasing the extra machinery. Americanos also have a stronger, sometimes more bitter*, taste than drip coffee. Because they can be quite bitter, Americanos are often better appreciated with the addition of some sugar or at least some milk- either hot (steamed/ boiled/ microwaved) or cold.

A cappuccino on the other hand, is an espresso, topped with steamed milk that is significantly aerated. The milk used in a cappuccino must be steamed to create the correct consistency. The milk froth in a cappuccino is usually around ½ inch deep. At least 6 oz – 8 oz of milk will be required.

Verdict: An Americano topped with hot milk can in no way be considered a cappuccino!

         * Factoid: An espresso tastes more bitter when made into an Americano because the addition of hot water dilutes the oil content, which prevents the oils from completely coating the tongue.
                                                            The Professional Barista’s Handbook

Husband Speaks

    ** Check out this very first post from Husband. Wonder if he'll become a weekly guest blogger??? **

While Wife is currently nursing the Coffee Bean, I’ve stolen a chance at her keyboard to have a go at this “blogging thing” :O). Now I’m not trying to be biased, but I’ve recently found that the best accompaniment to the perfect cup of coffee, is to own the perfect pair of spectacles from LOOK Opticians.

Ok, so now that I have that shameless plug out of the way, I get to share my thoughts, albeit quite limited, about coffee. I will focus on my postnatal coffee experience. As you know Father Dearest and Mother Dearest have been staying with us quite often since we became parents. As a result I wake up each morning to a freshly prepared cup of coffee that ranges between brewed coffee to a lovely latte (usually courtesy Father Dearest). Now, what is important to note is that I wake up perhaps one to two hours later after this fantastic cuppa has been prepared. Most, if not all coffee connoisseurs will cringe knowing that I left the coffee there for such an extended period. Worst of all, I reheat it in the microwave!!!! Double cringe!!! Triple Cringe!!!!

The fact is I get to put my coffee beverage into my travel mug and enjoy it while on the way to work. There is no better start to the day. Don’t ask me what flavour I’m having, don’t ask me the origin, don’t ask me about the brewing time or process – I leave that to the experts. And the comfort of knowing that my very own ‘professional’ barristas have prepared my morning java is all I need. Plus it’s a joy to know I have not resorted to settling for the popular store brand instant coffee.

Almond Milk

Having a young baby seems to be an open invitation for all sorts of advice- some good, some not so good and some just plain crazy and logic defying! I’d say that we’ve been getting all types. However, one very trusted source (actually several sources repeated the same thing) explained that in her very vast experience, avoiding dairy products while breastfeeding markedly reduced the incidence of colic. So for the last two months I’ve been staying away from two of my most favourite things in the world- cheese and milk!

The cheese was one thing. But how am I supposed to be taste testing lattes and cappuccinos without milk?! And what about my Milo and Ovaltine drinks? And cereal? And calcium? (I mean there’s only so much broccoli you can eat)! Enter a strange concoction called Almond Milk. I’ve been using two brands: Almond Breeze and Silk. So far the only difference I’ve noted is that the Silk seems to be a slightly thicker milk.

In general, Almond milk is the consistency of fat free/ skim milk and has a pronounced nutty flavour. It’s not the best accompaniment to coffee as the nutty flavour introduces a whole new dimension. I’ve been enjoying my coffee black as a result… not hard to do since Father Dearest has stocked us up on yummy Social coffees. I did try a latte with the Almond milk but the thin texture made it all but impossible to produce a good microfoam!

As an addition to black tea, the Almond milk isn’t too bad. It goes quite well with Milo and Ovaltine and adds great flavour to most cereals. All in all, not too bad for a substitute. However, I am looking forward to getting back to the good stuff eventually!

As for the colic? No problems so far. Coffee Bean has been doing quite well and suffers from no prolonged bouts of unexplained crying or major digestive issues. I guess I’ll be enjoying the benefits of the Almond for a bit longer!

Café Progress Report

Coffee Bean was two months old yesterday; and it’s been just about that long since I’ve checked in on work at the café! Thankfully, most of the work has been handled by the very capable Father Dearest. Today was the first time since Coffee Bean was born that I was up and about working on the shop (of course I've been doing other vital bits and pieces from home :o). The Bean spent an hour or so with Husband at LOOK, while Father Dearest and I went to choose moldings and a dishwasher for the café.

Perfect Cup is slowly but surely filling up with the essentials. Our shelves are in, the sink is installed, storage tables are in (still to be mounted), the cold display unit came in this week and our espresso machine - the beautiful and wonderful Evolution - should be on its way to us by the end of this week!!! Work on our counter, customised couch, tables and chairs will also begin either by the end of this week or early next week.

So much still to do but all so very exciting!

Special-Tea: Emperor’s 7 Treasures

The star of the last (for now) installment in the Tea Series is the Emperor’s 7 Treasures. The name alone peaked my interest. What was it? 7 flavours? 7 types of tea? Tea that’s so great it’s fit for a king… or an Emperor? Turns out that the grand title of this tea is well matched by its fantastic taste!

Emperor’s 7 Treasures:
This tea is a fusion of green and black teas with floral additions. The packet boasts that the Emperor’s 7 is a “select blend of the finest black and green teas… enriched by fruity, sweet flavours… [of] rose blossoms and sunflower blossoms.”
Some teas/ coffees are described as “complex in flavour”. I’d say that this is definitely one of those. Each sip (and sniff) brings quite an array of flavours to the palate. When I opened the packet, the sweet aroma of rose blossoms was unmistakable, but just as that fragrance dissipated, the smoky scent of black tea and the grassy fragrance of green tea came to the fore. The taste profile is quite similar. Fruity, floral flavours greet the drinker, but those are quickly replaced by the smoky, malty taste of black tea. A slightly bitter but surprisingly enjoyable aftertaste revealed the green tea ingredient in this fusion.
This tea is darker in colour than green or fruit teas thanks to the black tea pieces, but not as dark as a pure black tea.

Serving suggestion: I tried this tea with no milk and sugar, with milk only and with milk and sugar. Interestingly enough, I found no major difference in the taste profile across my serving variations. Mother Dearest, however, seemed to prefer the addition of some milk. Husband has not tried the tea as yet as he is still enjoying the many coffee options we have around the house!

Emperor's 7 Treasures - showing green and black tea pieces and floral additions

Special-Tea: English Breakfast

As the Social Tea series continues, this post is about the English Breakfast Tea.

Okay, so English Breakfast isn’t that uncommon. In fact, it’s one of the more well known black tea varieties. However, the Social version of this tea is packed with great flavour that comes through in every sip. This is certainly not your average mass produced, long-storage, overly processed cuppa.

English Breakfast:
This black tea is a blend of Assam and Sumatra teas. It produces a strong, dark infusion which, if left to steep long enough, provides quite a caffeine kick. Predominant flavour: malt! “Malty spiciness” is actually how the folks at Social describe this drink- and it’s quite accurate. This is a heavy tea as compared to the Red Chai and the super light Roasted Almond. Serving suggestion: best enjoyed with a touch of sugar (or honey) and a little milk or cream.

Stay tuned for the Emperor’s 7 Treasures (which I haven’t tried as yet :o)

Special-Tea: Red Chai

Continuing the series on Social’s Teas, this post is about the Red Chai.

Many of you would already be familiar with Chai teas and maybe even more familiar with Chai Lattes. Chai Lattes, by the way, are incredibly delicious if made well and not overly sweetened! The Red Chai from Social was probably the best I’ve ever tasted.

Red Chai:
“Hot and Spicy” ingredients is what the packet advertises, and boy does it deliver! The base of this tea is Rooibos (pronounced Roy-boss) a type of red tea. It’s then ‘spiced up’ with ingredients such as aniseed, ginger and cinnamon. When opening the packet of Red Chai, be prepared for an assault on the olfactory senses! Fragrances of aniseed, clove and cinnamon immediately jump out and entice you to drink up. When water is added, these scents become even more pronounced. Taste: I’d say that this tea packs more of a scent than a taste. However, given its incredibly strong smell this comment should not be taken as a slight to the taste! Ginger is the predominant flavour in the mouth and provides that spicy kick that the pack advertises.

No milk or sugar needed. However, some steamed milk and a touch of sugar can be added for a yummy Red Chai Latte!










Stay tuned for the English Breakfast.

Special-Tea: Roasted Almond

thursday.23.june.2011

Almost a year to the date, Father Dearest made a trip back to Toronto to visit our friends at the Canadian Barista and Coffee Academy at the end of May. Our lovely host from the workshop last year and super coffee shop supplies supplier, Dawson, was most obliging in facilitating a meeting with the roaster at Social. Social – the makers of such fantastic coffees as the People’s Liberation and People's Daily- will be our main coffee bean supplier at the Perfect Cup café. However, this post is not about the coffees (of which Father Dearest brought back an ample supply) but about the teas.

I must admit, I wasn’t overly excited about teas before- I mean, we’ve got so many fantastic coffees to get through first! However, the gorgeous selection of teas that were brought back changed my mind.

Roasted Almond:
Apparently this is the newest craze in Social’s Specialty Teas up in Toronto. As I’ve been living off of Almond milk for the last month and a half, I figured Almond tea would be quite enjoyable too… it was! The almond pieces are mixed with sweet apple pieces, beetroot (for colour) and spices. When the pack is opened, a sweet aroma of cinnamon and apple touched with nutty goodness greets the drinker. Add water and the scent of almonds is most pronounced. Taste: I personally find that the taste of apple is prevalent for the first few sips. As the tea cools, however, the nutty taste of almonds takes over. No milk or sugar recommended.

Verdict: A different and delicious alternative to the usual sweet and fruity herbal teas.


Stay tuned for the Red Chai!

Comeback Queen???

Nope not Whitney Houston… (although I really do wish she could make a successful comeback). I’m talking about this blog writer! Sorry I’ve been away for so long. But thanks again to all those of you who continued to show your interest and support.

The new year (I haven’t posted since December last year!) brought many new opportunities and challenges for Husband and myself, which kept me away from the blog. I took on a part-time lecturer position in Latin American International Relations at a college in January. Time that would usually have been spent on blog posts was subsequently assigned to lecture preparations and essay corrections.

Husband and his business partners opened up an optometrist’s practice in February – for those of you living in Trinidad, check out LOOK Opticians for fantastic frames, good prices and excellent service! Don’t just take my word for it. Come check it out yourself! ** Gratuitous plug ends here **
Pre-natal preparations from classes to shopping to exercises to finding a new apartment seemed to have taken up the rest of my time. Our little Coffee Bean finally reached roast perfection on May 11th and has been happily taking up just about all my time since! Maternity leave is a fantastic invention! Husband is most envious of the time I spend at home. He thinks I get to sleep a lot. How misguided!!! Admittedly, having my mother stay with us has been a HUGE help, for which I am extremely grateful, and does allow me to catch up on sleep.

And… the last new activity that has been keeping this blogger occupied??? Preparing for the opening of the Perfect Cup Café!!!!! Father Dearest and I secured a space for the café in March and have been putting things in place bit by bit since then. Thanks to our friends at Classic Awards and Buy the Corner Convenience Store (the newest and only convenience store on the Avenue- perfect for after work grocery pick-ups- great prices here too! :o) for helping. We will be located at the Corner of Luis Street and Ariapita Avenue, right between Classic and Buy the Corner. Our “coming soon’ sign is already up, walls are painted, furnishings are going in and we hope to open in August.

Well, now you’re all caught up on what’s been going on. I’ll be keeping you informed as to the progress of the café as the weeks go by. Blog posts will probably be reduced to about 2 a week now… after all, on top of everything else, I do have a very tasty and super important Coffee Bean to look after!

Machine Envy

thursday.23.december.2010

Father Dearest really treated himself this Christmas. He got himself a delightful new machine- the Expobar semi-automatic lever-operated espresso machine. The Expobar can also be plumbed-in for faster, more convenient water dispensing and disposal. (I, however, wish him the world of luck in trying to convince my mother to let him get anywhere near the water mains).


This gorgeous machine is certainly a huge upgrade from his old baby DeLonghi and even makes my Rancilio look a little tired. Not that I’d trade in my faithful Rancilio any time soon! The crema produced by the Expobar is quite rich and dark and milk steaming goes relatively quickly. I’ve tried a couple Café Noir lattes from this machine so far and both have been quite well-balanced in terms of texture and taste.

On the down side, Father Dearest has yet to order his new grinder. His current Cuisine Art burr grinder is certainly no companion for the prowess of the Expobar. So I’ve graciously (or not so graciously) lent him my Gaggia. I’m counting down the days now until I get my hands back on my grinder! Poor Rancilio can’t be expected to produce good shots from blade ground coffee beans. In the meanwhile the trusty French Press and Hamilton Breach brewstation have been holding down the fort.