ESPRESSO WEDNESDAY

[early afternoon shot]
machine: built in miele automatic
beans: espresso paradiso [papua new guinea]


it is almost fika time here in soCal, so i thought i would post the espresso image of the day from my very good friend grzegorz in a'dam. note the good light colored medium thick creama on top, the tell tell signs of an automatic machine are the larger froth bubbles at the edges. although i prefer a manuel or semi-auto machine, i value a good automatic machine from time to time and miele has a great one [and a good nespresso machine]. greg's miele treated me well on my last trip to a'dam.


PRO: so it looks like the ASO and UCI are in for a train wreak this weekend with the un-professional actions surrounding paris / nice. how do i explain this to my U23 riders? see it through their eyes, what a mess. it is so frustrating, i am glad all i have to do is ride my bike and earn my living doing design.

ESPRESSO THURSDAY

we could live only on espresso andrea illy





LM100 [andrea illy for le meridien hotels]

For Andrea Illy, a cup of espresso is not a beverage. It’s a creative way of life. “It’s a total experience. And it’s poly-sensual. It involves the sight, the smell, the taste, the touch. Everything,” Illy says. As Chairman of illycaffè, the international coffee company, he sees himself as more than a businessman. He’s a chemist, a philosopher, an innovator.

Coffee culture—the café, the cup, the espresso itself—not only provides a milieu for creativity, but making and drinking espresso are creative acts in and of themselves. Using a coffee machine, smelling and grinding the beans, pouring the espresso into the right cup—for Illy, “It’s a whole ritual.” Drinking espresso integrates the cultivation of pleasure, the cultivation of creativity, and the cultivation of contemplation into one small cup.

The beauty of the cup itself, then, is elemental, and fifteen years ago, the company began to work with contemporary artists to make the cup into a canvas. “The coffee is the body, the cup is the dress. And the dress must be beautiful,” Illy says. Commissioning a series of signature, limited edition espresso and cappuccino cups, illycaffè has incorporated the work of artists such as Louise Bourgeois, David Byrne, Francis Ford Coppola, Federico Fellini, Jeff Koons, Michael Lin, Nam June Paik, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, and many others.

Illy’s role within LM100 is to provide this coffee experience for Le Méridien’s guests. In Illy’s native Italy, “Everybody goes to the café, and many times per day. It is the cathedral of coffee,” he says. Illy has helped Le Méridien bring this café culture into its hotels through Le Méridien Coffee Bars and Le Méridien’s “Creative Hour” coffee tastings.

ESPRESSO TUESDAY

news update: say what you will about starbucks, we all like to knock the giant down, but i personally respect what starbucks has done for the espresso [not cafe] culture in the us of a. i can remember back in the early 80's, when if you wanted an espresso in san diego, you had 3 choices. if you were in the middle of no where michigan, you had none. now i can get a quality macchiato when i need one. which is as you know, often. starbucks is not the best espresso in town, but it is consistent, that my friend is indeed a good friend.

SEATTLE — Starbucks is closing the doors at its 7,100 stores across America for a brief barista re-education. CEO Howard Schultz announced the 3-hour closure starting at 5:30 p.m. local time Tuesday to energize 135,000 employees. He wants baristas to share their passion for making espresso, or as he says, "to pull the perfect shot, steam milk to order and customize their favorite beverage." Schultz says it's part of his refocusing on the coffee customer experience. Since the chairman returned as CEO in January he has been making changes to revive Starbucks' growth

that can only mean one thing, better espresso for all of us.
[the word and correct definition of a macchiato is actually in the apple dictionary, it truly is a better world]