Latte Art 102: Making Latte Art Hearts with a Breville Espresso Machine | Food Thinkers

foodthinkers

http://www.foodthinkers.com/2009/11/bananas-wrapped-in-phyllo-with-homemade-chocolate-sauce/

foodthinkers

Made and loved our Bagel chips while watching football this weekend - quick, simple, and delicious.

http://www.foodthinkers.com/2009/11/salty-snack-satisfaction/

foodthinkers

FoodThinkers is wholly subsidized by Breville.

Contributors are generally people we have spotted online who are already content creators in some sense (blog, videos, active on a social platform), and have expressed some sort of affinity for a Breville product. They are never paid in sheckles, but generally get a free product or two in exchange for committing to contribute several pieces of content to the site. They are free to say what they like, as long as it fits the concept of "Food Thinking" - there is no requirement or even request to push/mention Breville products.

"We" are some Breville employees as well as members of a small marketing company called Tippingpoint Labs that works with Breville.

foodthinkers

My thoughts exactly. I think it might be one of the oldest breweries in the US.

What is the criteria? Its seems pretty random. Great idea for a map; poorly executed. A non-state boundary approach would be more interesting (ala the MLB ad http://jischinger.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/usofbaseball.jpg ), particularly if it was based on some sort of research or metric.

foodthinkers

From Nikolas Krankl, owner, Taste Coffee House...

"Dear moltenrock, I just wanted to clarify what our role was in regards to the piece published online by Breville/Foodthinkers.com. We merely poured the drink to help out the guys at foodthinkers.com who sought after a nice photo for their piece. We do not offer said drink on our menu.

Do I agree with many of your points? Yes. Do I disagree with many of your points? Yes. Trust me when I say that I am a serious barista and my entire staff are serious baristas. We love the craft and we take it much more seriously than most. In this sense it sounds like we might have a lot in common.

But it is important to keep in mind that everyone has different preferences and we should not try to shape the world around "our" personal choices. I mean isn't it a good thing that people even want to drink coffee period? Let alone appreciate the visual appeal of good latte art (glad you like the pour MrFrogMan). What you will actually end up doing is pushing people further and further away rather than making them want to learn why a double macchiato has as much complexity as a fine Cognac. Also, I do not think it is wise to speak on behalf of someone else i.e. Paradise Roasters. That just isn't your place. As a competitive barista I have seen some of the most passionate and skilled professional barista use all sorts of chocolates and sweet garnishes in their signature drinks, therefore saying that just because something is "sweet" it is bad is certainly untrue. With that said, if you're ever in Newtonville, MA, stop in the shop because you sound like the kind of saavy and passionate person that would really appreciate what we can do with great beans and some whole milk. We try to embody the craft and artistry with as much enthusiasm as you described in your post.

Cheers, Nikolas, owner, Taste Coffee House"

foodthinkers

Here's Jessica's response, moltenrock...

"Thanks for your input. As the lead coffee taster and trainer for various high-end coffee shops, and doing cuppings with Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea buyers in Chicago, I understand your concerns. However, chocolate is delicious and sometimes you need a little bit of sugar mid-day to keep yourself going. The drink has very little syrup in it, and if you tried it, I think you'd find it's very tasty and not overly sweet. I would never want to overwhelm the flavor of the most important part: the coffee."

...sorry our post upset you so!

foodthinkers

Thanks for the comment moltenrock. You've obviously put the time/effort into your response and your passion for coffee rings true. I've forwarded your comments to Jessica and invited her to respond (she contributes the posts to Food Thinkers, but I don't think she's a redditor).

I'll paste her response here for you when it rolls in.

foodthinkers

I've always found the waste in packaging and prospects for old stale grinds to be the two biggest issues. The piles of used cups is a depressing sight.

Most, however offer an insert that you can put your own grounds in, which solves both of the above. A good one will brew just as well as any drip maker.

Tea, however, is supposed to be brewed at different temps depending on the type ( http://www.foodthinkers.com/2009/12/the-science-of-tea-making/ ) - so the single cup brewers are not exactly ideal if you want your tea done right.

foodthinkers

"Organic" is a classification which means the product meets particular government production standards. Unfortunately, it has come to mean very little, as there are plenty of industrial food companies producing "organic" product in ways that would surprise you.

The article mentions "If you're concerned about what you put into your body and how your food choices affect the planet, then a few extra bucks on beer seems well worth it." In reality, an "organic" potato chip (and probably beer) is no healthier for you than a non-organic one. Depending on who produced it, how far away from you it was produced, etc. the "affect the planet" argument can fall flat pretty quickly as well.

There is probably a more targeted book out there that is solely focused on the subject, but Michael Pollan's excellent The Omnivore's Dilemma addresses the topic quite well (he's one of the experts featured in the popular film Food Inc.). http://www.amazon.com/Omnivores-Dilemma-Natural-History-Meals/dp/0143038583/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263073766&sr=8-3

The massive global food conglomerates have done a good job of claiming the "organic" label by influencing the FDA to set standards that meet their needs. Wikipedia: "Many ardent supporters of organic foods are frustrated that the integrity of what constitutes "organic" foods and farming methods have been compromised by FDA legislation that allows for synthetics to be introduced into organic processed foods and other unsustainable industrial attributes associated with "organic" foods" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_food#Beyond_organic ). That's not to say that there are not a ton of producers (and breweries) doing it the right way with the right intent, but it can be very hard to tell the ones who are doing it because they believe in it (and it is core to their business/beliefs) and the ones who are doing it because it is good marketing/business.

The "local" label, however, may be one that they will have a hard time hijacking.

foodthinkers

The way most food is produced these days I don't blame you. Nothing should be surprising.

foodthinkers

TROPHY CASE

you'll need to login or register to do that

create a new account

login