It's Friday!

Happy Friday!!!!!

It's the weekend.  This morning Husband decided to share in a cup of coffee as a reward for not having any for over a month.  😀 His utter bliss at having a morning cup was delightful.

We had the People's Daily from Social Tea and Coffee.

"Luscious melange of milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, cherry with a creamy syrupy finish. Our flagship espresso hails from Brazil and Colombia"

The flavour profile lives up to its description.  The first hit is of the rich, robust chocolate and the syrupy mouth feel is left behind.  I had my caffeine boost black while Husband had his as a latte.
I think I'll try out an iced latte later with this same blend.

Enjoy your weekend!

Roasted Almond Tea

I guess the hot drink of choice can't always be coffee.  Poor Husband is actually on a caffeine hiatus for a little bit.  He should be back to joining me in the joys of a morning cuppa soon enough.  In the meanwhile, we've been trying out various caffeine free alternatives.  Well, I've been looking (and tasting) and he's the one drinking the full cups.

So far our favourite has been the Roasted Almond from Social. The tea's description explains the flavour notes are from sweet, roasted, caramelised almonds.  Sweet apple pieces and beetroot complete the taste experience. The tea smells divine.  You can actually smell the almond and apple.  The taste is mellow and a delight to the tastebuds.

It may not be coffee but at least it's tasty!

Beautiful Sunday

Hope you're having a 'brewtiful' weekend!

Some Coffee Lovin' Facts

Hope your weekend was a relaxing one and that you're ready to go for the week ahead.  If you didn't catch up on enough sleep, at least you've got your faithful friend, coffee, to fall back on.  Don't worry. You're in good company as coffee drinker numbers are on the rise.

As some of you know, Father Dearest and I did our barista training in Canada.  We try to keep up with what's going on in the world of specialty coffee via news and alerts from our Canadian friends.  Thought I'd share some coffee stats from the 2016 Coffee Drinking Study (2017 results will be available next year).  The results show that there is an increase in people drinking specialty coffee, you now, the kind you can get at Perfect Cup.  Here's a snapshot of the infographic.

For more details you can check out this link.

Have a great week!

Now on Bloglovin'

You can follow Journey to the Perfect on Bloglovin'.

Check it out here:
Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Coffee Thoughts

The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce.   

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

This could have been written just for me, it hits the mark.  I wake up every morning with an excitement, determination, incapacitating need to get the kettle going and brew my first cup.  I wouldn't give up the comforts of my afternoon tea, but the sense of anticipation is definitely less!   

How do you feel about your first cup?

Café Cubano

I was preparing a lesson for one of my Latin American Studies classes where the students will be exploring various aspects of Cuban history.  While reviewing my notes, I started thinking about Cuban culture: dominoes, cigars, bongos, rumba and coffee.  You know it had to go back to the coffee!  Anyway, have you ever had a Café Cubano?   Get your Moka Pot out for this one, as that's one of the easiest ways to make this sweetened coffee drink.

A Café Cubano is essentially a sweetened espresso shot.  Set aside a teaspoon to two teaspoons of sugar in a small jar or glass.  Using a darker roast coffee e.g. Italian, load up your Moka Pot and put it to work its magic.  Once the spout of your Moka Pot starts releasing the espresso, use a spoon to siphon out two teaspoonfuls.  Beat the sugar and coffee together.  Beat it hard and don't rush the process.  This step creates the espuma (a creamy foam made of coffee, sugar and air), which is the hallmark of Café Cubano.  Once you've dissolved all the sugar and have created a nice creamy espuma, mix in the remaining espresso from the Moka Pot.  Pour into an espresso cup and drink immediately.

The Espuma (photo courtesy Saveur Magazine)
 

 You can see how to make your own sweet, Cuban espresso in this video from Saveur Magazine.

  Saludos.