coffee

This Christmas, the Meister of Coffee gave me the best gift EVER! Doesn’t it look just beautiful in my kitchen? …Well, okay, I know this picture just shows the machine, but you can just trust me—It does indeed look beautiful.

How It All Happened

I have been bugging my father about this espresso machine for months, because it was sitting neglected in his garage. Now before you all ask me why he didn’t just give it to me sooner…Please understand what this machine is. It is a Brutus II Expobar double boiler espresso machine, which means it is very expensive.  Much more expensive than my Rancillio Silvia. (Chester and I purchased the Silvia when we got married for around $560.00.) Needless to say, I didn’t ever really expect to get Dad’s Expobar as a gift.

Christmas rolled around, and my dad said he was considering giving me the Expobar, but didn’t know what to give to my brother and sister. He agreed that if I gave my Rancilio to my brother, I could have the Expobar, and he gave my sister a really nice camera lens. (Also, Chester and I won’t be expecting any more presents for the entire year!)  I still cannot believe my parents’ generosity. They have a coffee morning in their home every Friday, during which they make coffee for anyone who wants to come over –no charge. Thank you, Mom and Dad! You amaze me daily. I love you both!

Here is a picture of my dad, the Kaffee Meister, and some others of my new machine in action.

Corin is the baby in this picture…watching his Grandpa in action. (obviously this picture was taken a while ago.)

As you can see Corin still loves watching the coffee making process!

I haven’t mastered foam art on the Expobar yet; it’s still kind of hit-and-miss. However, because of its temperature control and the double boiler, I have been able to pull amazingly consistent shots. Please come over and experience great coffee!

We are wrapping up a week of vacationing. However, as is usually the case with vacations I feel more exhausted physically though mentally I feel rested. Corin has been fighting a cold since Tuesday. It really got bad over the last few nights as we stayed with Chester’s Grandma in Palm Desert. We spent the first part of our week in San Luis Obispo where we spent lots of money on delicious seafood and drank coffee. Every night there Chester and I would say how we were going to go to bed early and then we would stay up late watching TV in bed (something we don’t do at home) and chatting.

Chester and I enjoyed sushi with our friends Tori and Nathanael who just moved up to Hume. It is kind of sureal to have two of our closest friends within walking distance of our house. I can’t wait to get home to enjoy their company!

Now it is Easter, and I am thinking of what this day means. I was not able to go to a service because Corin is SO sick and I am also full of sniffles and coughs. I find it humorous that on the day that most of the country chooses to go to Church I am stuck at home. I am treasuring the time to reflect and be with my baby. I am so thankful for what this day means for my life…in this world and beyond.

I am deeply moved by the blessing that I received two months ago. Last night Corin coughed and threw up, and had a very hard time breathing. He could have reacted like the toddler screaming in the parking lot right now (screaming I can hear four flights up). I wouldn’t have blamed him for wailing and crying. Instead he whimpers and then looks at me with his big blue eyes and smiles coyly (if you don’t believe me look at the pictures). He has been fighting the urge to cry and has instead been giving me many smiles. I know this may not last forever but while it is here I am enjoying it immensely. Happy Easter. I am thankful for my salvation, my husband, and my darling little boy.

Here are some pictures of our Staff Retreat…

I started my “career” as a barista when I was a senior in highschool. I learned what good coffee consisted of and how to make it at a little coffee shop in downtown Lakeside. The Golden Goose was a coffee shop/antique shop that had it’s own culture. Like most “quality” coffee houses it had it’s regulars, it’s friday night live band sessions, and those that stumbled upon it and fell in love. From the short stout, jewish, pawnshop owner, who would only buy a tea and asked me in his sweetest voice, “could you stir in some sugar, Sugar?” or, “I’d love some honey, honey.” To the large German man who wanted his Carmel Macciato made to perfection (note: a real Carmel Macciatto is carmel and foam with espresso poured over the top to “mark” the foam) the customers of the Golden Goose were diverse and thuroughly enjoyable.

After a short time at the Goose, I moved to Santa Rosa, California to attend Santa Rosa Junior College (one of the most beautiful junior colleges I have ever seen). Unfortunately my choices of coffee making were limited to chain coffee houses, Wolf Coffee (which served a super strong, almost undrinkable espresso) and yes, you guessed it, Starbucks. Those being my only choices I became a tratior to the true coffee world and joined the corporate coffee jungle. I worked for Starbucks in Santa Rosa for a year and then moved back to San Diego. Then I worked for Starbucks in San Diego for two more years. During that time I forgot much of what I was taught at the Golden Goose. The Carmel Macciatto became a vanilla latte with carmel on top, and good foam became being able to make foam at all. I survived in this ignorance for a year and then I traveled to Russia. In St. Petersburg Russia I had my first cappuccino (shots, a little milk, and very dense velvety foam). I would sit in some underground cafe and sip my new favorite coffee beverage and eat blini (russian crepes). When I returned to the states I was a new person, I had a new favorite drink, and a new perspective on coffee.

I started making real foam while at Starbucks and after I left purchased a home espresso machine so that I could continue as a barista. Chester and I upgraded to a Rancillio (italian espresso machine) Silvia when we married and I continued to mature my coffee making ability. I have for many years now longed to be able to make foam art. Many may not know what I am talking about but let me enlighten you. Latte Art (according to the encyclopedia of this generation, Wikipidia) is the art of “manipulating the flow of milk from a jug into the espresso (known as free pour latte art). Popular free pour designs include rosettas, leaves and hearts.” This can only be achieved with the best quality foam and the correct method of pouring the foam into the espresso.

I found a impressive collection of pictures of free pour latte art at this link: http://www.krassycandoit.com/blah/archive/2005_04_01_archive.html

These are much more advanced than I have been able to accomplish. Yes! I have been able to free pour hearts and rosettas! My journey to becoming a “real” barista has been an exciting one! It was a month ago that I watched a video on youtube.com that showed how to pour latte art using my espresso machine. I changed one small thing and suddenly I was able to accomplish what I had dreamed of for so long! So I have slowly become more consistent and given time I think I will be able to pour every latte with perfection! Here are some photos of pours that have been successful.