Random coffee love

I've been remiss in blogging lately as my job has kept me very busy and "He" has renewed his interest in brewing beer once again (Can we say "spin-off blog?!"). Consequently our days have been filled searching for lost brew pots, making sure we have stuff ready for my work, and doing other family oriented stuff. Plus, it took much longer than anticipated for the new espresso to arrive so we had nothing to review. After sweating things out worrying that our prized espresso would not arrive until this week, it showed up in our mailbox. We have tried it and will be blogging about it this week.

Nevertheless, I have been out and about drinking beans while I can. Unfortunately I have not been to any new places, just the same trusty ones I usually frequent. I've had a couple more cappuccinos from Thump and while one was pretty good, the other was just okay. Thankfully, it was not bitter though. I gotta give them that. I myself have gained quite the understanding of how difficult it can be to brew a good cup at times. After it took me several pulls and several failed cups of the Redline, I was beginning to think it was my lack of barista skills. However, I have not had this problem with the new brew nor did I have the same issues when we used up the rest of the Doubleshot blend we had on hand. So I can't really say if it was the beans or me. Either way it made me appreciate what it takes to get a good cappuccino.

We have been recording lots of shows on Italy and man does it make us long for Rome again. Everytime they show a shot of fine Italian caffe our mouths starts to water. We can't for the life of us remember anything detailed about the taste of those cappuccinos except that they were some of the best we've ever had. But I wonder if now that we've broadened our palates some and tasted the difference between over and under extraction, would we still be impressed and fall madly in love with the re-tasting of Italian caffe? If anyone wants to fund a trip for us to fly back over there and sample a bunch of espresso for them, we will gladly accept their offer. We will insist we fly in Business Class as that seriously rocks, though!

I should also add that there have been many poignant times this past week where I have been sipping a freshly made cap and thinking to myself what a beautiful place this is and how lucky I am to do what I do (which affords me the ability to work from home). Truly, there is nothing like a yummy cup of espresso and milk on a gorgeous, sunny, warm but not hot, day. Sometimes it feels too good to be true.

Until next time fellow coffee lovers,
~*~*She*~*~

Another blend has been ordered

We are once again getting low on our tasty gold, so we have ordered from another place we've heard good things about. And once again, you will have to wait and see which one that is. I am hoping it will be this week so fear not, a new review shall be up soon.

In the meantime, we backed down our machine from 94 to 92 degrees and cut the brewing time from about 25-30 secs. to 25 secs. in an effort to pull out some sweetness from the Redline blend. Thankfully this has helped. My cappuccinos are no longer bitter but both "He" and I haven't been bowled over by this one. We like it "okay" yet it will not be making our top five list. Maybe top ten--only time will tell. As a side note we are planning to start rating the espresso we try, not just review it. Before we implement this I will first have to figure out the best way to do so. I foresee that happening in about a year or so. ;)

A little vent--the other night I was downtown meeting some clients and decided that a nice cuppa from Thump would hit the spot. So I walked down only to find no one there. It was around 6:30'ish and I was bummed as it is almost impossible to find a place that knows how to brew up a good cap that stays open past 6 p.m. Thump also doesn't list their hours on the door so not sure when they actually closed. Seems like the only places I am aware of right now are Bellatazza (which can be tough finding a spot indoors until the weather allows for cafe seating) and Starbucks. I am so thankful I can go home and brew something yummy up when Bellatazza is packed 'cuz I'm sure as hell not hitting Starbucks.

Jen's Mocha Biscotti

Had a chance to make the Mocha Biscotti mentioned below and this time they came out much better than the last batch. Still, I have a ways to go before I can call myself a true biscotti master. The taste was good, and they "dryness" was close to where it needed to be but some were a tad soft in the middle. I found I had to bake them a tad longer than it called for too. Again, this could all be operator error as I just don't seem to be able to bake biscotti well. I had to leave out the almonds as I didn't have any on hand and I ended up not making the Espresso drizzle simply because I ran out of time (we were having guests over). Next time I'll have to go the extra mile!

I will add that these biscotti did not end up in the trash. Our guests consumed them and so did we! Improving? Why yes, yes I am.

Metropolis Coffee - Redline Espresso

We had a tough time choosing who should be up next for the sampling table, but after reading about this blend both "He" and I decided to give this one a shot. The beans arrived on Friday as slated but we weren't able to pull any until today. Metropolis Coffee is based in Chicago and offers up several different tempting brews. Of course we went with their espresso blend, the Redline. This one pulls thick like the other favs and is as dark as Obsidian Stout from Deschutes Brewery. Metropolis hooked me with their description of the Redline as such:

"Redline Espresso is a truly distinctive and rewarding blend. Its richness runs down the center like a racing stripe, leaving a trail of cocoa, honey, lavender, and a mild merlot-like fruit in the finish. The flavors translate perfectly in milk and are even amplified in sweetness making for a marvelous latte or cappuccino."

They further describe the brewed beans as a Medium Roast with flavors of chocolate, fruit, spice, and honey. The body is rich, well constructed, neat and the acidity is focused and centered. Again, my palate is not nearly that honed yet and I am once again suffering from the blasted head cold that is plaguing the area, but I do get the richness and some of the flavors. On to our thoughts...

Our Thoughts

HIS SIDE: Tastes sweeter than DoubleShots Ambergris but I'll have to make a few more before I decide if it's as good as Stumptown or not.

HER SIDE: I'll have to get back to this one. I made two cappuccinos but both turned out bitter which is a first for me. I'll have to make some adjustments and post later. Bummer.
UPDATED: Finally made a non-bitter cup and have to say that I'm not a big fan of this one. It seems to be very temperamental in that I have a hard time brewing it just right. I taste chocolate but the flavor reminds me of cocoa...like the powder/baking kind. Rich, earthy, but no sweetness. This one is my least favorite of all the ones we've tried.

New espresso blend ordered

Oh goody goody! New espresso is on its way! What will it be and where will it be from? We know but you faithful readers will have to wait until the weekend (assuming UPS doesn't reschedule the delivery like they are prone to do). The beans are slated to arrive on Fri. so keep an eye out for a new review coming soon.

I am also hoping to make some biscotti from THIS delicious sounding recipe from Jen. Thanks for posting that and for the sweet things you said about us! I have my fingers crossed these will turn out better than my last batch. REALLY crossed as I am completely out of biscotti and that is a crying shame.

Biscotti, biscotti...who's got the biscotti

Biscotti...the perfect accompaniment to a cappuccino. Crunchy, soft, chocolatey, not chocolatey, nutty, not nutty. However you take your biscotti there is no doubt that you have several to choose from. There is, of course, BeBop Biscotti right here in Bend. Their myriad of flavors such as "Chocolate Peppermint Crush," "Cranberry Pistachio," and "Hazelnut Zebra" (to name a few) are sure to delight any palate. For me, I find them a tad too soft for dunking but I do love eating them on their own. Then we move on to Nonni's which is a brand that can be found in most grocery stores. They are perhaps one of my favorites. The texture is just right for sliding in and out of some yummy espresso/milk concoction and the flavor of even the "plain" style is delicious. Just this past weekend "He" and I hit World Market in search of end tables only to find ourselves planted directly in the food section. Seriously, it's just fun in there. I saw some of the "Costco" style ginormous bags of biscotti but having already been exposed to that stuff, we passed. It's not bad but it doesn't have much taste. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw some biscotti labeled "Splendido" by Zazi Baking Company. We went for the Hazelnut Chocolate Chip and we get why the package has a "Top Biscotti Honors" seal on it. This stuff is good. It's a tie between Zazi and Nonni's in the taste and texture department. I can't choose one. And if I had to choose I would eat one of each...with each cup of cappuccino I drank. But I don't think my thighs would like that.

I have tried making biscotti on my own...with the snazzy KitchenAid stand mixer that "He" and the kids got me for Christmas but they were...well...they were edible and my tongue was definitely not complaining, yet they were soft (despite baking them twice). Plus they were a tad too buttery for me. Almost like shortbread yet lacking that wonderfully dense feel to them. So we ended up eating a few and pitching the rest. It was a Martha Stewart recipe and while she has never let me down before I wasn't impressed this time. Maybe it was operator error. Nevertheless, in addition to finding that perfect cappuccino in Bend I am also determined to find the perfect biscotti. Yes, yes, I know there are other goodies to eat with coffee and believe me, I do partake of those as well, but biscotti will always be my number one snack I reach for when I'm drinking some joe. So if you find some good biscotti drop me a line and I will check it out!

Thump Coffee Cafe Review

So "He" and I finally got a chance to swing by Thump and check it out. Cute little cafe near Staccato's. They do not roast their own beans but they do serve Stumptown coffee, which is a favorite of ours. This time we opted for two cappuccinos. Both were served with spooned foam and the foam itself was pretty "peaky"--like meringue. Granted, I love me some microfoam but this was pushing it. At least the espresso was decent. It seemed a little overextracted, maybe, yet still left us with no aftertaste--the signature of Stumptown.

Our Thoughts

HIS SIDE: Foam was too thick but it's better than Bellatazza's cappuccino. No crappy aftertaste, thankfully, and not a bad cuppa all around. I might go there again and I would recommend it to others seeking a good cap.

HER SIDE: I agree with "He." Overall I liked it, especially compared to some of the cappuccino's served around here, yet not sure I can say that it's better than Bellatazza's 100%. I'd have to taste them both at the same time but I do love that I don't get that bitter aftertaste. I detected a hint of overextraction...maybe...could've been the lunch we had just eaten clouding my tastebuds, but nevertheless I would hit this joint again in a heartbeat.

No pics, sorry--maybe next time. Their website is still a job application but maybe that will change soon. I do like their purple La Marzocco machine, though. That's pretty freakin' cool.