phaelon56

I contend that if the sole purpose is to make Key Lime Pie, using the fresh limes just isn't worth the expense and effort. We've had that discussion here previously and the general consensus was that in a pie you can't taste the difference between the bottle Key Lime juice and the fresh. Using the juice in other things I know it's a different situation. I happen to enjoy lime juice with my tonic water - its' always the bomb when I have it in Central Amercia or Mexico - now I know why.

If I understand the membership levels and posting privileges correctly, Prepcook has to have two posts in which he started the thread before he moves from "New Member" to Associate Member". Then he can begin using the "Add Reply" feature. I suggest that he go straight to the Coffee & Tea Forum and start a thread about any old thing... provided that it has some remote relationship to coffee or tea Maybe he could talk about Cuban coffee... a Florida item I just can't get enough of when I visit there. I don't know Jinmyo except from reading her remarkably concise and pithy remarks but Florida just doesn't strike me as being a Jinmyo-esque kind of place. Like others who've weighed in here, I'm looking forward to checking in on this blog. I offer apologies in advance for the likelihood that I may not post much if at all, due to a crushing work schedule, but I will be reading with pleasant anticipation!

Thanks for the clarifications and the interesting insights, Peter. My understanding of what Terroir was/is doing as gleaned mostly form their web site and also from some thingss I read about George and a few others joining forces to buy that exceptional lot which was a recent Cup Of Excellence winner. By "major quantities" I wasn't trying to imply huge amounts such as large brokers or big commercial brokers buy but differentiating from what many micro-roasters do, which is buy a bag at a time of most varieties and perhaps several at a time of the varieties used in larger amounts. There are, of course, many small roasters whose available capital for inventory investment and available storage space simply isn't sufficient to buy 10 or 20 bags of an exceptional coffee, even if it were readily available. My employer, for whom I do roasting several evenings per week, is a good example. We keep no more than 18 - 20 varieties of beans on hand and only two of those are ordered in multiple bag quantities. A bean like Yirgacheffe, for example, is one that we order by the single bag and use up in a two week period but we lack the space or demand to stock larger quantities. Therefore we rely on the broker to send us "best available" within a given quality range. Not an ideal system but until I own a roasting business of my own, am investing my own money in the beans and am signing everyone else's paychecks... I'll stick with the program that's been working for them I think it's terrific that Terroir is using the approach that they are - someone has to break ground and push growers and importers to recognize the value of discriminating between various lots and working with roasters to make those highr quality beans available to those willing to pay the price. I was intrigued by the mention on the Terroir Coffee web site of a system for freezing green beans. Can you elaborate on that at all if possible? Might a system of that sort have benefit for the home roasting community if they were to use consumer level equipment such as vacuum sealers and home freezers or is there benefit to be achieved only with industrial equipment?

I definitely want to return to my regularly scheduled program. Heck... I was raised Catholic - guilt is not something I've ever found to be in short supply but I don't need it in regards to my food. I just don't think that many of us active in these forums are a representative cross-sampling of eating attitudes in America. My mother has a cool little list of aphorisms on her refrigerator door that come from some ancient Chinese sage. The one in particular that sticks with me and really works (when I remember to observe it) is "Eat slowly and stop eating when you feel 2/3 full". It's remarkable how well it works and it's totally unrelated to portion size.

I won't be working Monday mornings - the owners have wisely decided to do the early Monday shift each week so they can get to know the new regulars. It's already evident that we'll have some very regular repeat customers as a number of our guests this morning advised me that we'd be seeing them again tomorrow. At our other pre-existing location it's a very efficient process during the morning rush because 80% - 90% of the morning rush trade is regulars. By the time they get to the front of the line their drink is already made. We'll get there eventually with the new place but there will be a learning curve. There will also continue to be a much larger number of both new and occasional visit customers as we're in a very visible high traffic location (our other stores are in somewhat obscure locations and no real marketing has ever been done).

I'm still interested in this particular comment of yours. Do you have anthing to add about this (seminars and so on) at this point? ← It's too soon. We just opened yesterday and I worked my first mornign shift today (which was fun - it's been many years since I've worked in any capactiy where I deal with the public and I love the contact with people). I think we'll reserve activities such as that (cuppings and the like) for Phase II - at leats several months out. At the moment the focus is on getting any operational kinks worked out and ramping up the staffing to cover the increasing volume. It's been relatively quiet thus far but we already have people in nearby office and medical complexes asking for drink and pastry menus to be faxed over. I'm guessing that Saturday's will be busy right away but we have a few days left to determine that Lots of people asking for food menus but we're not planning on anything other than pastries and baked goods.

No... the house in the photo is definitely a wood frame structure with clapboards - no brick (sorry for the poor photo quality but I have seen better photos of it and it was a white wooden structure). It has to be on or adjacent to the "Cherry Valley Turnpike" which today is generally NY State Route 20. My grandfather and great-uncle used to walk out there from Schenectady for their weekend visits and I believe it was about a 12 - 15 mile walk.

According to my uncle John... (who is known for verbosity and in my family that's really saying something) My grandmother and grandfather met at ages 12 and 14, respectively, on this farm and later courted there during summer visits until their mariage after WW1. I thought it would be so cool of it were now a restaurant so I could take my mom there for a special dinner. The house was still owned by some family member when she was a child but it was more or less given away by the elderly owner, who was swindled in a questionable real estate deal. Cherry Valley Turnpike indicates that it's on Rte 20 but I'm not sure how close to the vilage of Duanseburg it actually is.

I'm very curious about the specific property where the Bears is located - by any chance does it appear to be in this house, which was once known as the Colonel North house?

The best one I ever made was done by winging it on the fly with the stuff that happend to be on hand. - Store bought (Pepperidge Farm) seasoned stuffing croutons - onions and garlic and celery - chicken stock - chopped pecans - Jiffy cornbread mix - chopped pears - home style pork pan sausage Can't recall the proportiosn btu it was more or less just saute the O, G & P in butter, throwin the stuffing mix/Jiffy mix, add chicken stock and assorted other herbs until it's kinda wet and put the pears, pecans and sausage in at the last minute. Then bake until done.

So... the maple syrup/cheap ham trick is sort of a reverse brining? I'm curious as to how many times the syrup could actually be reused. Does it become overly salt laden at some point and therefore no longer effective? I'm also curious about the math... if Costco syrup works out to about $24 per gallon (it's in quarts for about $6 - right?)... does this system still make sense from an economic standpoint relative to just getting a real high quality ham and not buying syrup?

No offense taken and you really didn't come across that way. I suspect that it's mostly just the people in my limited circle of acquaintances who are actually cognizant of it (the A&C Movement). It does get a bit more press here as the local newspaper periodically has pieces about one aspect or another of the local historical context, our county historical museum occasionally runs a Stickley related exhibit and the local art museum also has a permanent gallery section devoted to Stickley and other practitioners of the movement. As for Syracuse being your kind of place.... the people are very nice but the weather is not nearly as bright, cheery and sunny as England (I do not say that in jest and we also get an average of about 150" of snow per year just to make up for the lack of sun ) By all means encourage your friend's sister to come and visit when she's in town! We're st the corner of Limestone Drive and East gGenesee Street (Rte 5), on the left as you're heading up the hill into the village proper. She's probably already visited Dalton's American Decorative Arts. Nice store.... a bit pricey for my wallet until I become a coffee mogul As for the Stickley pieces.... cleaning and oiling is all they should ever get. I remain curious to see how and whether the nature of the setting encourages longer times in the shop for the average visitor (I'm hoping it will). Cookies, scones, bagels. muffins and the like will all be available. With the exception of the bagels (which come from the nearby Wegman's grocery and are as good as you can get in this town) all the baked goods are sourced from Pascale's Bake House. We have built out the space for a full size pastry kitchen and our building also came equipped with a very old but functional walk-in freezer (it has a solid oak door and wooden walls if that offers some perspective on the age). Phase II of developing this location includes bringing the pastry kitchen on-line and producing all of our own baked goods on site. One of the owners and the person who is a prospect to work as the pastry chef both have backgrounds that will lend themselves to an interesting market focus. In addition to producing conventional pastries and baked goods we will offer: - high end/artisan style vegan cakes and pastries - baked goods for the Jewish holy days that adhere to the required dietary laws for such items. Syracuse does not have a large Orthodox population but, as is the case in many places, even relatively non-observant Jews respect such customs at the appropriate time of year. Edited to address Tryska's question You're definitely too young to have gone drinking at "The Chalet" and may or may not recall a bar in the same spot called "The Dandelion". It's now called JP Mulligans. We're two doors east of that right where Limstone Drive veers off to the left at the foot of the bridge where Rte 5 crosses over Limestone Creek. Our space was once upon a time home to Stanton's Grocery and Meat market but more recently as the Hidy Ochai (sp?) Karate Studio.

Yes... I was aware of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh conenction. Those of us in this area with even a passing or casual interest int he Arts & Crafts Movement are well familiar with many of those names, as Syracuse and the surround area were once a hotbed of the movement. The Queen Anne style Victorian house where Gustav Stickley lived is still in my old neighborhood (but he didn't build it and there's nothing particularly remarkable about the interior). The graphic artist/designer who has worked on our signage and forms inthe past has the font and will be continuing to provide us with collateral materials as needed, all of which will be consistent in style. Interesting note on the furniture - the Stickley company historian was one of our guests yesterday. The style of these chairs is one that dates back to the days when Gustav Stickley still owned the company and had his workshops locally. It hasn't been produced commercially since those days but a few demo pieces were built for the local showroom a few years back. Until we (my employers) committed to buying a quantity of pieces for the cafe they had not had the reason or opportunity to actually build any for sale. Encouraging news is that fact that the finish, a wax/oil composite called "32 Onondaga", is very durable and all we need to clean the surfaces is soft cotton rags (e.g. painters rags or old t-shirts) and distilled water. Tomorrow morning at 6 AM I begin my career as a professonal barista (just four mornings a week from 6 AM to 9 AM - can't afford to give up the day job).

The windows are in. We're all pleased.... very pleased. John Dobbs, one of the cafe owners, is a full time glass artisan who does stained glass restoration, leaded glass fabrication and glass sculpture. Due to the need for exact alignment of the twelve separate panels used to create this design, there was a tremendous amount of precision need in layout and fabrication. IMHO the results of his efforts were well worth it. The windows really define the space, pull together some of the other design elements and also create a distinct sense of separation from the street traffic that is so close by (and plenty of it - about 30,000 cars per day pass by these windows). Private party was held to day as a grand opening and doors are open to the public tomorrow morning (Nov 1). The party was a huge success - very busy all day and people seemed to linger far longer than one might expect at such an event. The warm and inviting nature of the space seems to encourage that - it bodes well for business. I roasted some special coffee for the opening - Wallenford Estates Jamaica Blue Mountain and Greenwell Farms Kona Extra Fancy. All is well

Soiunds like build up in the glass carafe to me. If your coffee mugs look clean on the inside then they are clean (or clean enough). The glass carafes easily build up a layer of coffee oils that turn into a thin film of solid with heat. I suspect that they're coming off into your cup as the coffee cools down and then being released into the cup where they become those lovable floatie scum thingies. First suggestion: go to Walmart or target ro some such place and get a cheap (i.e. $6 or $7 glass lined thermal carafe. preheat it with hot tap water while your coffee is brewing. Pour the coffee off into it immediately when the brewing cycle completes. You'll be amazed at how much better that second, third and beyond cup tastes 20 - 30 minutes later when you take this simple step. The cthermal carafe should be throughly rinsed with hot water when the coffee is gone and once a week or once a month out hot, hot water and baking soda in it to completely remove the coffee oils (rinse thoroughly when done). The glass carafe that the coffee brews into won't get too mucked up when you're only brewing into it and not leaving it on the warming plate. Just clean it throughly once a week or so with dish detergent and a plastic scrubbie like a Dobie. The coffee maker itself should require cleaning no more often than once a month or so. Just run a pot full of cheap generic white veinegar through on the brew cycel and then four of five pots of water after that to flush it. I have a 12 cup Proctor-Silex and it makes great coffee if you make the brew in six cup batches. When you try to brew a full pot the brew cycle takes too long and quality is affected. Last issue and a very important one: use bottled water or get a Britta or Everpur or some other filter systen for your tap or for a pitcher. It's possible that the floaties are cause by mineral deposits, not to mention that filtered water makes better tasting coffee.

I'll email an acquaintance who repairs commercial coffee equipment and espresso machines as his full time job. He works for a fairly large company that does this in the Northeast and he should have some practical advice from the standpoint of someone who sees which machines hold up the best. I really doubt that you or I or your average customer could tell the difference in the coffee produced. How much coffee to use? The SCAA SCM (Standard Coffee Measure) is actually 7 grams or two level tablespoons of ground coffee per six ounces of water. I've seen figures of 70 grams per liter suggested as appropriate for commercial brewers - that figure comes from Bloggle: The Coffee Odyssey It works out to about 143 grams or roughly 5 ounces for a 1.9 liter airpot brew batch. That's less than a half gallon. I think the 3.9 oz figure that you got is closer to most people's tastes. The Bloggle states It goes on to indicate that this may be about twice as much coffee as one expects to use but that one should try it and then, if necessary, dilute the final result with hot water to taste. I think that's a good idea for testing but use your own preferences to make the final determination. The amount that my employers here in Syracuse use is significantly lower than that by weight (in grams) but not too far off from the SCAA spec by volume (tablespoons) I think mostly because our grinder delivers a rather "fluffy" result in the grind. When they opened their cafe in 1995 they were coming to this market from Alaska, where specialty coffee was well established and a much stronger more intense cup was the norm. It's my understanding that they scaled back on the coffee to water ratio to achieve a balance of flavor and body that was acceptable to the local market. Even then they found many people saying "Ooh... this coffee is so strong" because their previous exposure had been to mediocre supermarket coffee brewed at home or the swill served in most local diners and restaurants. I'm all for experimenting and for furthering the cause of promoting good beans that are properly roasted and prepared. Having said that I'll also be blunt about customer acceptance. If and when I have a place of my own I'll do the following: - If customer preference is for coffee that's a bit less full bodied but still flavorful I'll adjust quantity to suit and brew using less - If the market desires, becomes open to or openly states a preference for a stronger cup I'll adjust accordingly - My coffee will always, always, always taste better than Starbucks - Few of my customers will feel a need to add hot water to dilute their coffee to the point where it's drinkable for them Having a long background in business where there's a constant challenge of balancing material costs against quality, customer acceptance and net profits, I believe in serving the customer needs first but keeping a very careful eye on the numbers. If I brew coffee using a bit more or a bit less than the "SCAA standard" and my customers love my coffee and keep coming back - I've succeeded and just need to adjust my prices to achieve my financial goals. What works and in fact may be necessary to compete in Seattle or certain other markets may be much different in North Jersey. May I make a suggestion? When interior space construction is underway try to get the coffee brewer operational on a temporary basis and start by getting feedback from the tradesmen who visit to work on the space. If the local govt will allow it (can't see why not if you're not charging), brew up several airpots per day before you're open and put it by the window with some cups. Offer free coffee to people who walk by or brew an airpot and take it, along with some cups, in a knapsack over to Exchange Place some morning. Hand out some flyers advertising your upcoming opening and offer them free coffee (have some sugar packets and creamers available also). Get people's reactions. That's the price they'll pay for the coffee Chances are that few if any are true coffee aficionado's but if it's too strong, too weak, too flat or too bitter for their tastes. Make some mental or written notes and do this a few times with different ratio's of coffee. You should be able to very quickly gain some perspective on what people in that area like and will seek out in terms of coffee.

I'd be more concerned about knowing the roast date than about getting vacuum sealed packages. The coffee should be stored in airtight containers out of direct light once you receive it and bags with one way Co2 release valves are nice but if it gets to you within two - three days after roasting a regular bag that has a folded and clamped/crimped edge should be okay. I've often purchased my beans that way and just tossed then tossed the enitre bag in the hopper of the grinder (which is hardly airtight). Rinsing your mouth with water between coffee samples will help and you might also try some neutral food such as plain crackers. For espresso sampling it can be helpful to be very consceientious about grinder cleaning but for coffee sampling I think a quick brush-out should be adequate. Also.... not sure about you but some of us (myself included) either don't have or haven't yet developed a refined enough palate and vocabulary to easily differentiate between minor subtleties among different coffees. What I can do is easily identify what I like from what I don't like. With a moderate amount of practice it's easy to distinguish a bright acidic finish from a fuller bodied less acidic flavor profile. It's also relatively easy to distinguish very fresh coffee (i.e. within ten days of roast date) from stale coffee. You should also find it simple to note the differences between darker and lighter roasting styles. Something more subtle is the difference between roasters for the same varietal. That may vary depending on whether the roaster is sourcing specific single origin estate varietals and buyign in major quantities (e.g. what Terroir is doing) or if they're just getting the best co-op varietal available at any given time from a reputable broker (e.g. this is what the folks I'm working for are doing). Freshness, service and quality are equally important - vendors that have a strong focus on the wholesale trade will usually be best able to address all three of those points consistently (meaning the folks I work for will not be your strongest candidate as their focus is primarily retail with a moderate amount of local wholesale trade). Price is the least important issue. The difference in the cost per cup for the coffee between $6 per pound and $8 per pound is minimal.

I'm stoked about the windows. Wooden mullions are being installed that will hold the inserts in place and the inserts will be the full height of the windows. Haven't seen them yet but they're said to be geometric with a vertical orientation to the design - mostly antique style leaded glass with some colored accents. The artisan described the design as "Prairie School influenced' so I think the FL Wright connection that you presume is correct. We open on Halloween Sunday. Edited to change"horizontal" to "vertical" for accuracy

If parts of the Hudson Valley suffer from the same mentality as central NY (Syracuse to be specific) then it's a matter of taste - if people haven't tried the real deal they don't know any better. Our local weekly arts & entertainment paper just printed their annual "Best Of Syracuse" list as voted for by their readers. Domino's and Pizza Hut were #2 and #3 on the list of "Best Pizza". We're no pizza capital but it's easy to do way better than than those two....

Was that first post mentioning "dessert" just a typo or was it some sinister plot to lead us unsuspecting dessert lovers to unwitting okra ingestion? This is a no brainer.... I'l be in Charlotte for the weekend (or can easily arrange to be) and we'll just pop right on up. If I get really motivated maybe I'll even schlep my gear down in the car and set up a portable espresso bar.

Geoff - can yu recommend any of the Moroccan places you tried in Paris? I'm headed there for a week in January and looking for some moderately priced dining options. Update on Medina in Rutherford - it closed several months ago or even further back than that (not surprising given the prices and the food quality) and was replaced by yet another Italian restaurant.

Please clarify - are you interested just in pods? I note a mention of grinding and assume that you're open to other possibilities. Unless you know how to read Starbucks date code on the bag there's a distinct chance that you're getting stale beans at worst or well past optimal stage at very best. Hint: portion your beans before freezing in individual ziplocs each with about 2 - 3 days worth of beans in them. Remove one bag at a time and allow to thaw completely before opening the bag. Grind just before pulling the shot. If you started with fresh beans initially, following this procedure will make a huge difference. Filtered water will improve the taste and also slow down the process of scalign inside the boiler of your FF. Both are good things and it will improve the taste as well as the longevity of the machine. I use a Britta pitcher rather than bottled water as it's cheaper and easier. If I could make good tasting espresso with North Jersey water than you can do it just about anywhere. Have you checked around to see if there's a good microaster in your area?

Very nice Hiroyuki - good to see such progress! Was tghat ablend of beans or all one varietal? I did notice a distinct color variation in the roasted beans and am curious. Some beans such as Yemeni and Monsooned Malabar tend to roast very unevenly but I also see this effect when I blend different bean types before roasting.

There's one more crucial detail - stained and clear leaded glass windows that will cover the front windows. One of the co-owners is a full time glass artisan and is nearly finished with a set of window inserts. I'll post pics once they're installed.

Just curious about why to stay off the Interstate? Are there interesting things to see along the way? I usually fly in and out of Greensboro when I visit Charlotee but typically arrive late at night and have a return flight that's very early on hte morning. But a side trip on a Saturday is not out of the question. Typically I'll be in need of olives, cheeses, cured meats, salt packed anchovies, good olive oil and Italian sodas. As for having a good dinner and then having to drive 10 or 15 miles to get home.... that's why I'm hoping to convince the GF to sell the house in University Park and move into an older estabished 'hood like Elizabeth or Plaza-Midwood (I'm guessing that Myers Park and Dilworth are out of our price range).