..thoughts on coffee, business, art, and community...
About Cafe Evoke Catering
Café Evoke Catering's mission is more than coffee; it is a passionate interaction with the local and global communities. We use Fair Trade Certified products whenever we can.
When Café Evoke Catering is at your event, rest assured your coffee, tea, and espresso is Fair Trade Certified.
When you hire one of our Baristas, you are getting a trained professional who is passionate about coffee from the bean to the cup. We strive to give each and every one of our clients the personal attention that is deserved.
Please contact us today for booking and package information. You can email us through our website or call 405-517-0517.
Thank you for choosing a Fair Trade coffee catering company. We look forward to a long friendship.
Offical Equipment of the World Barista Competition has been Released!
The whole idea of a barista competition may be a whole knew idea for many of you but I can assure you it is real and it is thriving! Many of us in the coffee world have been waiting to hear the news on who will get the nod to be the official espresso machine and grinder for the next 3 years and it finally happened! Here are the results:
Congrats to both companies! We were especially excited to hear that Nuova Simonelli got the machine as that is what we are using here at Cafe Evoke Catering. Great work to both companies. I guess now I will have to try out that grinder while in Seattle for Coffee Fest!
Tomorrow is the day for raise some money to help our friends in Africa. Heartbeat for Hope is finally here and all of us at Cafe Evoke Catering are excited to get there and provide some awesome coffee and espresso drinks for this cause.
The shipment of donated coffee from our friends at Batdorf and Bronson arrived yesterda and it is smelling great! So make plans to attend the event tomorrow. 5 bucks gets you in. That's it! You will have a great time.
So I was talking to the head of the event today and found out that they have already pre-sold 700 tickets! You know the cool thing about it? I have seen the theater and it can hold much more than that so join us for great coffee, great music, great food, and a great cause.
Heartbeat For Hope is a benefit that is solely geared to raise money to support the children living in The Village of Hope in Ghana, Africa.
Knowing the vital importance of saving the children of Ghana from destitution and slavery, Heartbeat For Hope wants to help make sure that these children have the opportunity to stay in the safe, secure environment that The Village of Hope has given to them. Doing this would also make it possible for The Village of Hope to save and bring in more children. On August 30, 2008 Heartbeat For Hope will host its first annual benefit concert at Oklahoma Christian University, who have generously offered the use of their campus forum. Community musicians, including Matt Stansberry Band, Erick Alexander, and Lisa Curl, have offered their talents to help make the evening fun and entertaining. Food, drinks, face painting, and more will also add to the evenings events.
If we meet our first time goal of $10,000, we will have raised enough to support twenty-four (24) children for an entire year. With the help of Fred Asare, Director of The Village of Hope, twenty-four (24) children have been selected based on their high need for financial support.
Donations can also be made at: www.heartbeat4hope.blogspot.com
Leave us a comment if you have questions or head over to their site above. Even if you only stop by for a bit, that is great too. Yes, it is summer and Labor Day weekend but the weather isn't supposed to be a huge deal so it will be a great evening under the setting sun in Edmond, OK.
Holy Smokes. I was looking around Amazon last night and getting a list together of the books I have been longing to get my hands on for the past few years - yes, I said years. Here is how it works with me: I get into these zones where I will read 4 books in a row and love every second. Then, for 6 months, I will not pick up a book. I think sometimes it is because I don't know what to read. So, what better situation to have than walking in to the sitting room and seeing 10 books on coffee, fair trade and other social movements I believe in?
So, as I said, I began clicking through Amazon.com last night creating a "wish list" so that I could see all the books I want to begin reading. Here is what I came up with:
10 great books about coffee. I'm excited. Now, I just need to figure out if I can get them locally or if I have to begin ordering them.
I have only shopped on Amazon a few times and think it is a cool site but I have never used the wish list. While I can't image I will ever beginning loading it up with stuff as I find things on a daily basis but it will make the ever dreaded question I get twice a year much easier: "What do you want for your birthday/Christmas, Jason?"
Have you had a chance to get your hands on any of these books? Are there books I missed? Comment below and give me your thoughts. This is a post I would love to hear from you on. Seriously!
Here is what I am looking for:
1. Books on coffee/espresso business 2. Books on the social aspects of coffee and/or espresso (history, etc) 3. Books on tea, tea rooms, all things tea 4. Books on coffee catering (if you can find any!) 5. Books on fair trade 6. Books on organics 7. Books on coffee and tea professionals 8. etc
Even if there is a book that maybe does not fit any of the above category (which would be hard since I put "...etc..." as category 8), let me know anyway. Maybe it is a book that you read a while bike on the art of cooking with coffee or using coffee in your flowerbeds. I'm in!
Cafe Evoke Catering Serves Up Great Drinks for AARP
We were at the Oklahoma State Capital last night catering AARP's 50 over 50 Awards Banquet - a part of the groups 50th Anniversary Celebration. The event took place on the Capital's beautiful 4th floor rotunda. It was a nice night for the group and Cafe Evoke Catering was happy to be a part of it!
John Flick of KOCO Channel 5 was there acting as emcee for the evening. We were happy to see that the channel ran a story on it this morning during their local news! Cool stuff.
Here is a video we put together of the photos we took before the event. I feel bad saying this but this was the first time I have been in the Capital building in Oklahoma City. While I grew up in Edmond, I never made the "trip" downtown or even to the capital park. Why did we not take field trips there when I was in school? Strange. Well, the building is great and I would suggest that if you have not been there, take a trip and walk through it. There is a visitor's center that can give you all the information you need and you can take a walk through the rooms to see the art, etc. Security is not bad and they keep things moving hassle free so don't worry about that.
Thanks to everyone at AARP Oklahoma for having us. The event looked great and we, again, were happy to be involved! Thank you, too, to our friends at Nonna's for providing some great food.
Our trip to Coffee Fest is coming up fast! This has been a trip that we have been planning since last year's show and it always seemed so far away. We only have a few weeks now and we could not be more excited!
This year, we decided to add a stop to our trip. Really, it is a detour, and it should be quite a time. We are heading to Olympia, Washington to hang out with our friends at Batdorf and Bronson! We have had a blast getting to know everyone there and it will be very nice to have a chance to see them all in person and spend some hang out time before the crazy show in Seattle! We have a few things planned for the trip included a cupping, touring the roastery and seeing some of their coffee bars.
This will also be a great time to really get to know the coffee we have called our own for the past few months.
While we are in Olympia, we also want to check out what coffee is up to there. That is one of the most interesting things to do when you are traveling - seeing the local scene! Here are a few of the places we are looking forward to trying out:
1. Cafe Vita - while this company has four cafes in Seattle - the place where it all started for them in 1995 - they do have on in Olympia. I was looking through their site and it seems that they have some very interesting options that I would love to try. They are also pushing home roasting quite a bit which I am guessing comes along with an education program to back it all up. We love to see shops really pushing quality through education. It makes all the different!
2. Olympia Coffee Roasters - owned by Terry Z and his wife (also owners of Espresso Parts), Olympia Coffee Roasters seems to be doing things right. They are a part of the slow food movement, something we at Evoke love! This should be a good time. They are also located downtown hopefully near our hotel so that we do not have to drive our rental car any more than we have to!
3. Etc... - there are so many shops in this town that I'm sure we will hit on the way here is a list we will go by while there but we will focus first on the ones that our friends recommend to us.
So, all this said, if you have a place that is a "can't miss" in the area, let us know! We do not have much time there (a night and the full next day) but we would love to get in as many cafes as possible! We are staying downtown, like I said, so we will probably stick to that area unless told otherwise!
Again, thanks to our friends at Batdorf and Bronson for hosting us! We are excited!
Here we go. Remember my rant the other day about the coffee companies that are "getting down to the basics" if you will? So, check this out from Washington - it appears that Java Girls are not to be messed with. They may not look to be serious about their coffee (to the "snob" in all of us) but they are about seeing their uniforms on the outside...
A man dressed in woman’s underwear and exposing himself drove up to a Parkland espresso stand three times before one of the baristas threw a cup of boiling water at him, said the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
“Kylie opened the door and threw boiling hot water on his face and his chest and he said oooh yeah,” Feddock said.
Ridiculous! While I think the entire idea of wearing bikini's to your barista job is crazy - a guy wearing womens skimpies is even crazier.
Look man, get a life! Not only did you look like an ass - you got a pitcher of steaming hot water thrown down your chest! I bet he will be looking for the lady that sue Ronald McDonald for serving her hot coffee!
I agree, it probably has nothing to do with the girls wearing skimpy bikinis or some of the outer costumes they don each day for their morning shift but it is strange that this is not happening at any other espresso huts in the area. While I still think the idea is a silly one, don't gawk - unless of course you are struck by the complex tones of chocolate, nuts and blueberries in your espresso. I mean, they are not wearing that type of uniform for any other reason than function....
Back in July, we received a call from a writer at OKC Business wanting to include Cafe Evoke Catering in a story about coffee caterers in Oklahoma City. I am sure I told you about this but I can't seem to find the back link anywhere! So, without repeating myself to much I hope....
Cafe Evoke Catering - Oklahoma's premier specialty coffee catering company - had the opportunity to be in an article that would be included in OKC Business Journal. The article ran on their website> back in July and finally came out on print this week! The online version also ran again yesterday.
We are excited with the response Cafe Evoke Catering has received in the state of Oklahoma since we got here. We have had a great time getting to know everyone and look forward to working more with this community.
Cafe Evoke Catering was a Featured Vendor at Special Events Oklahoma and had a nice article in Friday News awhile back as well. We also had a cool nod from our friends at The Brides of Oklahoma - Oklahoma's hippest wedding magazine.
If you are getting married or know someone that is, leave a comment and I will get a copy of the latest Perfect Wedding Guide out to you. You can see our ad in the first couple of pages!
So, pick up your copy of the latest OKC Business and take a look on page 14. We were a bit bummed we did not get to submit any of our pictures but Dirty Water Coffee was nice enough to include us so we can't complain I guess. There were a few things we would change in the article but we were happy to get noticed!
More content coming! Thanks for reading and be sure to tell your friends about our blog! We would love to get to know more of you from Oklahoma! You can join our blog network on Facebook to if you would like.
CoffeeFest Seattle is just around the corner and we have never been more excited! We finally got the plans together and finalized!! I'm ready. Coffee Fest is more than just a convention. It is a time that we can get together with old friends and meet new ones. Coffee is a very social industry (or at least we feel that it should be) and that is what Coffee Fest is all about. It is a perfect time to see what has been happening over the past year and see what is around the corner.
I'm getting more and more excited for the Millrock Latte Art Competition!
I have been thinking about competitions quite a bit over the past few months - trying to decide if it is something I need to do or something I want to do. There are so many great things that come out of competing in these events other than winning. I will talk much more about this in a few days. The North West Regionals are also happening (so I hear) at Coffee Fest this year so that will be fun to watch.
Yesterday, I spent the day getting the final details nailed down. We are both super excited to see everyone!
You going? Let's meet up! Comment below or send us an email (catering [at] cafeevoke.com) and we will plan on something!
Don't Miss A Beat - Cafe Evoke Catering and Social Networks
There are so many social networks out there - it is hard to decide where to spend your time! Well, we have been doing our best to keep Cafe Evoke present on the ones that we feel are the best kept. We would love you to join us as friends/followers at the following places!
1. Facebook.com
There are several ways to keep in touch with Cafe Evoke Catering on Facebook. Here are the best ways to do it:
Heck, you could do all three and never miss a beat! We offer special Facebook only discounts on our group and fan pages for members only so be sure to sign up for both of those.
There is also a new application on Facebook that allows you to follow this blog! You can join by clicking the banner below:
No matter if you are a huge fan of the new Facebook or not, it is a great way to stay connected to not only Cafe Evoke Catering but also to other businesses and friends across the country and beyond.
2. Myspace.com
So, while we think that some of Myspace is a bit out of hand, we still think it is fun to stay connected through the mega site. We have our own little space that we would love for your to join!
You can add Cafe Evoke Catering as a friend. We do not bug you with thousands of bulletins, send you huge pictures and videos in your comment section or send you tons of emails. Actually, we don't do much of that at all! We will occasionally send a bulletin to highlight a great community event we are involved in or a crazy special that is going on but that is maybe once a month at most. We are a safe and friendly friend! Join us! (oh, and by the way, our page is a quick loader and will not make you scroll across to the left for 26 minutes to see the entire profile!)
3. Twitter
So what are you doing - right now?? Well, lucky for you, Twitter has that answer. Cafe Evoke Catering is on Twitter and would love for you to follow us (so that we can also follow you!). This is a simple way to stay in touch with people. It is easy and does not require much other than signing in or downloading an application if you are interested (to your iPhone or Firefox Tool Bar for instance).
So, those are the groups we are going to stick with. Again, there are SOO many out there and we cannot do them all. Join in if you would like and we hope to see you at each place.
Cafe Evoke Catering - Oklahoma's premier specialty coffee catering company - is going to work for a great event. Heartbeat For Hope is a benefit that raises money to help support orphaned children in The Village of Hope in Ghana, Africa. We are excited to be setting up a full service coffee shop at this event on August 30th in Edmond, Oklahoma. All proceeds will be going to the event and towards their goal of $10,000.00!
Heartbeat For Hope is a benefit that is solely geared to raise money to support the children living in The Village of Hope in Ghana, Africa.
Knowing the vital importance of saving the children of Ghana from destitution and slavery, Heartbeat For Hope wants to help make sure that these children have the opportunity to stay in the safe, secure environment that The Village of Hope has given to them. Doing this would also make it possible for The Village of Hope to save and bring in more children. On August 30, 2008 Heartbeat For Hope will host its first annual benefit concert at Oklahoma Christian University, who have generously offered the use of their campus forum. Community musicians, including Matt Stansberry Band, Erick Alexander, and Lisa Curl, have offered their talents to help make the evening fun and entertaining. Food, drinks, face painting, and more will also add to the evenings events.
If we meet our first time goal of $10,000, we will have raised enough to support twenty-four (24) children for an entire year. With the help of Fred Asare, Director of The Village of Hope, twenty-four (24) children have been selected based on their high need for financial support.
Donations can also be made at: www.heartbeat4hope.blogspot.com
This is going to be a very cool thing. The director of the orphanage in Africa will be in attendance at this event. You will not only have a chance to meet this guy and the group that is putting this event on, you will be able to help these kids while listening to great music and sipping some great coffee and espresso.
I also think it is fitting, here, to say a huge THANK YOU to our friends at Batdorf and Bronson for donating the coffee for this event! Thank you very much!
So, here is the deal. We value the work this group is doing for the children in Ghana and we want to do even more for them! So, in an effort to help as much as we can, we will not only be donating all proceeds from the coffee bar sales that evening, we will also be donating 10% of every catering package that is booked between now and the first week in September. Tell your friends as well but be sure to mention that you want to help out Heartbeat for Hope for funds to go towards the event.
If you cannot make it to the event, please stop by their website - here - and think about donating to the cause. You can donate by clicking here which will direct you to Paypal - a secure way to donate to the event.
So, if you feel that you would like to help out on this great event, think about clicking above to donate, coming out to an evening under the stars, or contacting us for more information.
The results are in! While I do not think these actually go to press or the web until tomorrow, they are available online today so I heard from a MySpace message. I was curious so I clicked to check it out. I will let you read through the list from their site or in the paper but here are a few that stuck out to me and got me excited this morning.
1. Best Visual Artist - Greg Burns!
I have had the chance to meet Greg on several occasions and he is fantastic. My parents have the privilege of having several of his pieces on their home in Edmond and also Crested Butte, CO. If you have not had a chance to take a look at his stuff, take a minute to visit him on the web and get to one of his shows. His story is great, his work is great and you will be happy you did.
2. Best Local Live Music Venue - The UCO Jazz Lab!
The UCO Jazz Lab is a place I have fallen for. It is great! I have written about it before on this blog as I attend as many concerts put on by my friends of Tres Amigos. The next big production at the Lab is:
STEVE TYRELL Two Shows - 7PM and 10PM Tickets $50, Call 340-8552
I have heard that there are still a few tickets available so get one if you will be in town. It is worth every penny!
3.Best Thing We Need in OKC - Whole Foods Market
I agree. I mean, I would be happy with any decent grocery. My wife and I are amazed at how bad the grocery stores are in Oklahoma City. They are awful! I can only hope that some of the plans I have heard are in the works will actually happen. We need it!
Now, there are a few of the results that amaze me. I understand that it is what people vote for that win but, seriously?
The main one that gets me is:
1. Best Coffee Shop - Java Dave's! Seriously??
While I understand that quality coffee is new in Oklahoma City, there are at least 3 places I would put in front of Java Dave's. Are we voting on best "coffee" or best "smoothies, food, and other beverages?" For those that base your thoughts on Oklahoma on the results of this vote, please don't for coffee. Try Coco Flow or Coffee Slingers first. You will be happy you did.
2. Best Appetizers - Hideaway Pizza
Yeah, I guess the frozen cheese sticks are pretty good. I am amazed that this was even on the list!! You are right, I have no idea if these are frozen or not but they sure taste frozen. Don't even get me started - I can rattle off many better ones that you would also agree with.
3. Best Local Musician or Band - Carrie Underwood
Ok, I guess she is still local - I am not sure if that really counts. Was Garth Brooks runner up with Toby Keith taking third?
So, the list is out for what it is worth. While I hope that you see Evoke on there at some point, you sorta have to take this list for what it is. Enjoy it!
Coffee Slingers joined top shops in the US including Stumptown, Gimme Coffee, and LaMill Coffee in an article the group featured in the September 2008 issue. With only a few months of service in a green market like Oklahoma City shows that Slingers is doing coffee right - being listed as one of the "best U.S. coffee bars.
Food insiders are as excited to talk about coffee bars as they are restaurants: The quality has gotten that good. Here, the classic and new places around the country with the most fanatical devotees.
Melody Harwell brought serious coffee to Oklahoma City when she opened Coffee Slingers in a renovated car dealership in March. She’s such a stickler for quality that she insists all of the cappuccinos be served exactly the same way, in seven-ounce ceramic mugs, and she’ll only make coffee with a French press using single-origin beans.
This is great not only for Coffee Slingers but also for all things coffee in Oklahoma City. Evoke has been doing what we can to join in the process of getting quality coffee to our new friends here and we are excited to be joined by Coffee Slingers.
Great work guys!
Also, I talked to them about the window deal - just a minor break in that did not set them back anything but a broken window. Still a lame thing to do no matter the reason. Actually - if it were to have been a fight over frozen coffee drinks, it would have made for a much better story.
I was surprised when I heard that I might know a bit about the house on the cover of this month Edmond Monthly Magazine. Now, on this blog I spend most of my time talking coffee and our industry and also the happenings of Oklahoma City. This is where I live and this is what I believe in. But, sometimes it is good to get back to your roots, right?
I'm an "Edmond Kid" under my breath so I still like to keep up with what is going on there. Here is what Edmond Monthly says about Edmond:
Edmond is often referred to as a bedroom community, but there’s nothing sleepy about it. Ask anyone who’s savored a blistering set at one of the Jazz Lab’s many concerts, or been left breathless by the emotional intensity of a community theater performance at the MAC. It’s a city that doesn’t shy away from self-expression, whether in the form of its resident artists’ works or the sweeping vistas of its palatial country estates. The pages of Edmond Monthly are dedicated to offering an alluring glimpse of the events, dining, architecture, parties and people that make up this vibrant city.
While I'm not saying I want to move back there - I was happy to read this article.
Why I am excited?
My parents' hard work and love is the cover feature. I'm talking about their house, people. While they left me out of the loop of it being featured - finding out second hand is still exciting. I mean, look at that cover shot! I could hardly recognize it! This is all to say I'm happy for them and wanted to say "Great Job, Parents on the great work you did no your place!"
Pick up the magazine. The story is interesting and the house is fantastic (bias aside). I am not even going to try and tell you all about the house - which parts and people that put them together were flown in from New England and all the stuff my parents collect from all over the place.
...that is the name of the place. Let's start with the first problem here - the name. GET A NEW ONE! I think this may be the most degrading of great coffee I have heard of. Ok, maybe they are great baristas and maybe they have great products but something just doesn't seem right.
This is the second time I have heard about this but Espresso Gone Wild took it at least a step further. These baristas where nothing but a "pastie" for the most part which is what I really think got people talking. I guess in the coffee world there is no need to worry about a wardrobe malfunction.
Java Girls was the first time I heard about this. They have a location next to the Space Needle in Seattle and now are apparently ready to take it nation wide! Here is a bit from their site:
Java Girls stands alone as a provocative and unique coffee house and espresso drive thru concept. The mission of the brand is to tastefully tease with sensuality in barista uniform and exterior and interior design while passionately focusing on providing a consistently exceptional specialty coffee experience.
We offer fine gourmet coffee and espresso drinks with fun & sexy girls to serve you. Featuring Sexy Costume Themes with a different suprise every day. Let our Java Girls entertain you!
Java Girls is also a Green company who only buys from farmers who support sustainable agriculture, using only the highest quality hand picked Organic "Arabica" beans, and when we build our stores we use green build outs. Experience a Java Girls near you!
But they call it SEXESPRESSO. Come on! I would rather see a mom and pop small town place that honestly miss spells the word of espresso as eXpresso than to have a beverage as good as this be tainted as such.
Here is the deal - I don't care if you have the best espresso on the planet served by the best barista in the industry. All I think about when I see girls in bikinis working in a stand is a nasty community pool - with the stench of sunscreen and chlorine and that awful whistling. And if that is not enough, the gritty feeling of sand in your pants and a back full of sunburn. I can't even image sipping a "gourmet" cappuccino let alone a barista who is "passionately focused on providing a consistently exceptional specialty coffee experience."
I hate to let "style" get in the way of what the end beverage is all about. Coffee is bigger than that but deserving of more than a blonde girl dress up like a porn star in a nursing outfit.
I can tolerate a girl in a bikini serving espresso in the correct context. Downtown Seattle? Not sure about that. Miami Beach? Maybe so.
I think our craft is bigger than that though. Maybe this is all much smaller of a deal than what people are making it. I'm sure it is. I can see it now - people beginning to talk about inked baristas with piercings - maybe this is the same thing only different.
No shirt, no pants, no problem...
Interested in starting your own Java Girls? You're in luck! You can start a franchise of your very own!
Is it possible that our next WBC Champion will be ready for the beach?? Oh boy....
No word back yet but I did get some clarification from OKCTalk.com...
There wasn't any argument, they got broken into last night. Whoever it was came away with about $15 in change. Sucks about their window though.
Sounds more accurate to me. I did not think we had anyone that crazy in our great state.
On you go..
**Update 1**
Ok, before this gets to far out of hand, I wanted to let you know that this information comes from what I have heard "around town" and not from any credited source (like my friends at Coffee Slingers). I do want to tell you that I have an email in to them now waiting for the true answers. I will post when I know more
begin original post
The Murky Coffee maelstrom is finally over - in most places at least. It seems that we in Oklahoma City have now had our own version - this time with further consequences than love notes in the tip jar.
Yes people, it seems that not having a 20 oz frozen blended drink is worth a chair through a window - at least to some. You have GOT to be kidding me!
Do some people just not have enough to worry about? This is how crazy it sounds. This could have happened at a KFC before they changed their menus...
Customer: Can I please have a grilled chicken sandwich? KFC: I'm sorry, ma'am, we only have fried chicken available - our specialty Customer: Are you kidding me? You can't just make me a grilled chicken sandwhich? KFC: I'm sorry ma'am, we do not even have a fryer! Customer: That is crazy. You guys are all crazy.
CRASH! Chair through the window.
Ok Ok, yes, I wrote the other day that my problem with the whole Murky Coffee thing was the way it was handled by both sides. So, maybe I cannot speak as clearly about this case as I have no idea how it was handled. I have a good guess but no proof to back it up.
Either way, throwing a chair through the window is lame, uncalled for and out right dumb. If you don't like what the place serves, go somewhere else! There is another place literally 200 hundredd yards away at most! They will be glad to serve you your milkshake!
To our friends at Coffee Slingers in Oklahoma City - sorry for the stupid people in our state!
Holy Smokes - there is no way in the world I can keep up with my Google Reader lately. I like to think that my blog contributes to this problem with others as well. Hey, whatever helps you wake up in the mornings.
So, after noticing that there are 100 or so posts from my reader that go unread everyday, I decided I had to do some housecleaning. Today, for your enjoyment, I am going to share the long list of blogs I have on my list. If you have not read them, you probably should - it is good for your health (right up there with Oreos and Milk).
Also, if you would like to subscribe to my blog, you can do so by clicking here or by signing up on the right hand side bar - you will have to scroll down a bit which is also good for your health. Did you know that you can even sign up to get my daily offerings via email? Holy Dang! You can do that on the right side bar as well.
Ok, now for the list you have all been waiting for: (insert "jumping for joy here!)
By the way, so it does not get messy, there is no order of "my fondness" to this list. Just a list. Unranked lists are ok you know.
...ok, so I lied. I'm not going to give you the entire list. This all to say, I have about 50 other blogs I am currently following after house cleaning. I feel good about it.
If you are curious as to my favorites, start clicking away and you will find them.
(I will say this quietly so that not EVERYONE hears it but I hint at my favorites in the right sidebar under the heading "Favorite Blogs of the Moment" -- shhhhhh)
Good day to you. I have a cool announcement coming up tomorrow or Friday about a great community event. Be sure to get back here for it as you will not want to miss it (or you should not miss it maybe).
According to their blog, the August/September issue of Barista Magazine is on the way soon! I'm excited. I literally grab it from the mail slot and head in to my office to read it almost as soon as it gets here. Yes, it is that good.
Now, I learned something today about the magazine that I sorta new but never really embraced. A few issues back, the magazine was put online for free viewing. Many magazines have this option on featured articles including my second favorite, Fresh Cup Magazine. Well, for some reason, I clicked on the link to read Barista online this morning and was surprised at how great this really was.
Now, let me pause here to say that nothing beats having this magazine in your hands so if you are new to the magazine, please use the Internet as a way to quench your thirst - you will want to have the real thing on your shelf I assure you.
What is cool about it? Well, not only is the entire magazine there - in color and in it's full glory - but you can actually turn the pages just like you would if you had it in your hands. You can also enlarge it where needed to be sure you get the full look.
Stephen Morrissey rightfully dons the cover of the new edition. He did, of course, win the WBC this year.
There is a reason he won. Here is the video from the World Barista Championships (WBC) finals..
I love this stuff! So, it is a good time around here as we wait for our copy of Barista Magazine. Since it is so blasted hot out in Oklahoma right now, I will just have to stay inside and read it again. In the mean time, back to the net to watch more from the WBC and USBC on UStream.tv and look through the magazine.
At events, we get asked this all the time. No, it is not about what is in the shakers on the front of the bar or in the silver thermal canister we have sitting by the machine. They are talking about the used Batdorf and Bronson Omar's Blend that is sitting in our knock box.
There are a few things that interest me when people ask about the pucks of pressed espresso we take from our portifilters. The first is that if people are used to going to a place with super automatic machines (ie: Starbucks) they never see a barista knock the portifilter. The second is that people really have no idea how espresso is made or even how it all fits in to the mocha they are about to drink.
These two things are for different days and not really why I'm writing this. So, what is this all about? Recycling of course!
Our friends at Double Shot Coffee in Tulsa Oklahoma wrote a post a while back about recycling coffee grounds. They, like many cafes around the US, leave bags of used coffee grounds at the door for people to take. Why would you want these? I'm glad you asked!
It works great, it smells great, it is free and all you have to do is ask for them!
I found a great set of instructions from eHow.com:
Step 1:
Understand the Garden Nutrients in Coffee Grounds? Starbucks reports that most of the acidity is removed in the brewing process, leaving used grounds with an average PH of 6.9 and a carbon-nitrogen ration of 20-1. Starbucks commissioned a study in 1995 conducted by the University of Washington College of Forest Resources to better understand the make up of organic matter in coffee grounds and found the following:
• For a great source of slow-release nitrogen, dig coffee grounds into the soil around plants and water in well. They are particularly great for mulching acid loving plants like rhododendrons and azalea. A rate of 10 pounds (dry weight) per 1000 square feet would be conservative and not have a drastic impact on soil pH.
• Coffee grounds are a great accelerator for compost to increase nitrogen balance. Consider coffee grounds "green" material similar to grass clipping. One of the great things about composting coffee grounds is that the microbes that do the composting will turn the coffee from acidic to a neutral pH. So coffee grounds do not make compost acidic. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests adding no more than 25 percent volume coffee grounds. Adding this 25% to fall leaves or other brown matter will make great compost in a minimum of time. An added benefit is that grounds absorb and hold moisture which is critical to the compost pile.
I love the idea of free compost for my flower beds. (Actually, until we bought our first this was not the case.) Now that we are "homeowners" I find myself caring more and more about what my beds look like and how my yard is kept up. While I have not resorted to knee high black socks, short robe and slippers, I do try my best at keeping it tidy. Money is something that seems to fall short in our house but coffee grounds? Don't think so! That is one thing that we have TONS of!
What are your stores about used coffee grounds? Post comments (both shops and consumers) about using old coffee grounds and let's see what all we can add to this.
Heck, what is better than free compost? The only thing I can think of is maybe winning the coveted Yard of the Month......
The perfect cappuccino. What is it? Where is it? Does it exist? You may just have to watch this new independent film to find out. I would argue that having Cafe Evoke Catering out to your event may just get you closer to that "perfect" cup.
Not a latte. Or a frappuccino. But a perfect blend of espresso and milk in that unique, unforgettable texture that can only be described as velvety? If you're like most Americans, you probably haven't. And I can tell you from personal experience that trying to find the perfect cappuccino in America is setting yourself up for heartbreak - they're nearly impossible to find, but then you find one just often enough to keep you hooked.
In my years of searching for the perfect cappuccino, I've always thought that cappuccinos were like snowflakes -- each one different, each one unique. But then Starbucks happened. And now I can't stop asking myself how and why we Americans managed to standardize and mass produce the cappuccino.
THE PERFECT CAPPUCCINO is the story of one woman's obsession with a beverage. The film will accompany me on a personally-narrated journey that will trace the origins and social significance of the cappuccino. And along the way, the film will confront a series of larger questions: Why is the Starbucks chain-store model a uniquely American approach to coffee? Is there something in our character, as Americans, that pushes us toward expansion and mass standardization? Are we a culture that values business enterprise? Or a culture that is ruled by it? And am I the only one who feels that uncanny guilty sensation every time I set foot in a Starbucks?
Blending the voices of baristas, cultural critics, business leaders and coffee geeks everywhere, this film will use the cappuccino as a means to explore the strange intersections of individualism and mass culture in America.
Did you see the cappuccino's that were in the film - you know, the ones that we in America think are made correctly? Holy smokes. I think this drink may be the most mis interpreted drinks in our industry. It is funny how large the spectrum for this drink really is! In America, you can get a cappuccino out of the machine at the local 7 Eleven (not a cappuccino at all! - but a sugary mess) and you can go to Starbucks (a place most people consider the leader in American Specialty Coffee) and get a chunky disaster!
On paper, a cappuccino is a silk, smooth drink of about 7 oz only made in ceramic or porcelain cups with a spoon and saucer. That's it. The milk and micro velvety foam gives off a very sweet taste polished by the espresso expertly picked by your local coffee retailer. The drink is amazing, really. A bright sun on a stormy day.
And, by the way, cappuccino are incapable of being iced. It can't happen. There is micro foam in a cappuccino which you cannot achieve by pouring milk from a carton into a cup of ice. So, when you go for your next summer drink and need ice, be sure to ask for an "iced latte" - which, while we are speaking on technical terms, cannot be made either but is the general name for espresso and milk over ice. (Ah, maybe a new drink title?)
If you are in Oklahoma City, head on over to our friends at Coffee Slingers and take a few minutes to enjoy a cappuccino. They do a great job with it and serve it correctly!
If you are in Tulsa, take a few with our friends at Double Shot Coffee. You will see them mentioned in this film as well.
I am excited to view this film when it is available or showing in the Oklahoma area. I have an email in to the director/writer waiting to hear what her plans are with it. While I think some of the facts about Starbucks are probably not accurate anymore after all the closings, it sill lends some interesting light on this drink.
Get to know a cappuccino - you will be happy you did! For more information about the film The Perfect Cappuccino, please visit their website, drop an email to the writer and, heck, donate a buck for her efforts in coffee!
You can also keep up-to-date with the happenings of the film to be sure you do not miss anything. I can assure you, however, that I will keep you updated as to events in Oklahoma.
Have a nice weekend, don your party hot for me - I'm 26 today.
