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Hi Pals!

It's your baker, Tiffany, here writing from the kitchen of Caffe Rosso to bring you exciting news about the new menu and to share a lovely recipe with you!

Yesterday we debuted several new muffins and added a few other goods to our repertoire, so hopefully you get the chance to try some of it soon. :) We are featuring Raspberry and Chocolate as well as Pear and Walnut for our muffins this month. We've also added a Chocolate Grizzly Bar, some gluten-friendly cookies and brought back our popular Galettes (this month in Blueberry and Apple-Cinnamon).

I'd like to take this opportunity to announce that we have a new baking assistant, Damien! who will be working with me to make even better pastries and goods for the Cafes. He is a pretty awesome person.

The kitchen has been pretty crazy these last few weeks, working on new things. We are planning to vary our baking month by month depending on what's available in season. There has also been a lot of experimenting with bread here, and we are hoping to be able to make different kinds of breads, other than the ciabatta, for new sandwiches soon! You might even be able to find samples of the bread now and then at Ramsey!

And now onto the recipe! The weather's been so nice this past week (aside from that small bout of rain). Walking around 17th ave I saw plenty of patios filled with people savouring the first real sun in months. So I thought I'd share with you two of my favourite warm weather drinks; the classic Negroni and the less classic Campari Sweet.

This drink is typically served before dinner as an aperitif, but I also like to serve it in a slightly taller glass topped with soda water and drink it after dinner. I don't usually like stronger drinks and was a bit apprehensive the first time I had this, but the vermouth and Campari balance out the gin flavours really well. There is a lovely sweetness that comes through, so it doesn't burn like some alcohol-only cocktails.

If you like sweeter drinks then the Campari Sweet is a great after dinner drink:

I hope you enjoy these recipes! I will be posting recipes regularly here and if you make them (for example today's), send me photos and I can post them on the blog! If you have any questions about baking, any non-essential life questions, or anything else, feel free to email me at tiffany(at)cafferosso.ca.

Have an awesome day!

Tiffany

Here is a picture of my cat:

Home Sweet Home

 I'm often inspired by my workplace.

Conversations with customers can enlighten me about subjects ranging from vegetarianism to weather patterns. My staff members at Caffe Rosso all push me to be a better barista and worker. And cafes are universally agreed-upon to be the best places to think and read — especially in -30 — so I do a significant amount of both in this spot, and others around the city.

But one thing I've noticed over the years of working in the coffee industry is that some customers just don't know how to interact with their baristas. I often contrast it with the waiter-customer relationship: Mostly everyone knows the drill when it comes to ordering, complaining, tipping and being courteous in a restaurant, but cafes seem to be different worlds for some. This blog post (as every other one I write) isn't written to patronize you as the customer, but to help strengthen our relationship and further our collective coffee experience.

So with that being said, here's some pointers:

1. Understand that the system works like this: (1) Order at the till (2) Walk to the counter, or sit down and wait for your drink (3) Chat with your barista, or with your friend, or to yourself. This may seem brutally obvious to some, but I've had dozens of people try to order a sandwich while I'm steaming milk on the espresso machine, or wait for their latte by the pastry case. It's seems illogical, but I get it. A lot goes on in a cafe, and sometimes your mind is elsewhere. But if you follow the three handy steps listed above, you get your drink faster, and you'll be less frustrated!

2. Don't be embarrassed if you don't know what an item on the menu is. There's a lot of weird Italian lingo in the coffee industry (perhaps because the first wave of coffee emerged from there), but that doesn't mean that we all speak Italian, or have the faintest clue of what certain names actually translate as. But if you don't know what a macchiato is (which wouldn't be surprising, as certain chains based out of Seattle have confused the term, but that's another story), or are confused about what an americano misto is, that's alright. We've all been there at some point. Ask us what it is, and you won't end up with a drink you didn't expect to have.

3. Acknowledge that a good product takes time to make. There's no offense intended by this, but if you want a latte made in 10 seconds, go to somewhere like Tim Hortons. We, and other fine third-wave shops around the city, take a lot of pride in pulling our espresso properly, steaming our milk to the right temperature and pouring art into the cup. Each of those steps takes time. And if there's a line-up in front of you, realize that we have to get through those drinks before we gets to yours. There's plenty of magazines and newspapers around the cafe to read, and we play some pretty good tunes, so sit back and relax for a couple of minutes. Or, come chat with us!

4. Tell us if you're displeased with a product. This takes a lot of humility on both ends; it's sometimes awkward to tell your barista that they screwed up, and it's even more awkward for the barista who poorly represented the business. But, as the barista who first trained me once said, the mark of a good barista (or worker of any kind) is how they make up for their mistakes. So let us do that for you. Those in the coffee industry have a bad habit of showing that something sucks (or just isn't amazing) by leaving it half-full on the counter. That's a huge disappointment for the person that made it. If something doesn't satisfy the customer, whether they're a professional or a regular customer, we'd love it if you told us. Engage in the conversation about how to make the product you receive better. Coffee's still a young industry, and we're all still learning.

5. Recognize that we're human. This matters on a number of levels. Firstly, because we're human (and not machines), we sometimes screw up. That's alright. If you can bear with us, we'll make it better for you somehow. Secondly, we can only make so many dozen drinks before we have to take a 10 second break to drink some water or use the washroom. We're not slacking. Rather, by taking a couple of seconds to breathe, we're de-stressing and making the whole system more efficient. Finally, interact with us on a human level. Although lots of urban theorists argue that the city turns us into cogs (look at Georg Simmel's work as an example), I have enough faith in humanity that we can make our interaction at the bar more than a business transaction. I'm not going to go all hyper-emotional on you. Let's just try to connect as humans.

There's plenty more that I could add, but I doubt that many will read this far. Hopefully this will continue to further the discussion about coffee, customer service and cafes. If you have any questions, recommendations or comments, feel free to post them at the bottom. I'll be more than happy to chat.

Brew it right - the first time!

Not many people would leave a freshly baked loaf of bread out on the counter for a week. For one, it would likely grow mold, which obviously isn't appetizing. But even if it didn't do that, it would become stale and hard. The bread would be nearly tasteless by the time you got around to eating it, and wouldn't offer any suggestion of uniqueness or artisan craft.

So why do people do the same kind of thing with coffee? For those in the industry, it's tough to explain. Perhaps it's because the coffee beans themselves don't actually develop physical signs of age. Or maybe it's because corporate shops and supermarket brands have developed an expectation that bags should have best before dates of six months to a year on them. Either way, it's destroying the hard work that the growers, pickers and roasters have put into it, because coffee is a crop that is extremely responsive to factors such as time and air.

This blog entry isn't intended to shame you for keeping beans too long. We at Caffe Rosso care about coffee, and simply want you to have the same (hopefully excellent) experience that you'll have in our shops. With that in mind, here's a couple of tips to keep in mind when buying beans.

- Look for a roast date on the bag. We're not talking about a best before date, or a date scooped. Once green beans are roasted, they begin to oxygenate at an accelerated rate. Once they're ground, that rate will increase exponentially. It's important to know when the coffee was roasted in order to establish whether the company deserves your hard-earned money.

- Use the coffee within a 30-day period. At the shop, two weeks is our limit, but we have a significantly higher consumption rate than what we expect you to have at home (if that's not the case, invite us over). After a month, the unique qualities of the coffee will have disappeared, and you'll be brewing brown water. If you're alright with that, then feel free. But if you want to actually taste the flavour notes that expert tasters have picked out (in our case, it's the gents over at Phil & Sebastian), then you'll want to use the beans within that window. There's exceptions to this, of course. I've had some great shots of spro at the 30-day mark. But use fresh when you can.

- Because of the tip above, buy in small quantities. Caffe Rosso and P&S all sell their coffee in 3/4 pound (340 grams) bags. We're not just trying to rip you off. That amount is intended for you to use within the window mentioned above. Once that's out, you'll buy more. That way, you're ensuring freshness and flavour in every cup (providing, of course, that you're brewing it correctly). There's no way that you'll get through the four pound bags that the supermarkets sell. This isn't a marketing ploy. We want you to enjoy everything great about the coffee.

- Grind when you need to. Don't pre-grind beans, and let them sit for days. They'll lose their flavour overnight, and will contribute to a very mundane cup of coffee. We get that grinders can be pricey, but it's by far the most important part of your home set-up: It makes sense to invest. We have some relatively inexpensive ones at the shops if you want to take a look.

- If you're using the coffee for manual or automatic drip methods (regular coffee maker, pour-over, Aeropress), let the coffee sit for a day or two after roast. This allows the beans to "de-gas." If you don't go that, the coffee with be too fresh, and the taste will be muddled. If you're using the coffee for espresso, let the coffee rest for eight days before using. It's the same principle. Too fresh means that you're not getting all the flavours of the coffee. We religiously stick to this rule at the shop.

- Try not to freeze beans if you can help it. Whether to freeze or not is a super contentious topic in the coffee world, but it just makes sense to stick by the rules listed above. Buy what you need, use it within the time-frame and you don't have to get into a heated debate on some geeky forum about it.

- Store your beans in an air-tight container, preferably with a one-way valve in it to release the CO2. After closing, we store our beans in their original bags by using a hair straightener to seal the top. Let us know if you need ideas for your home set-up.

Follow James on Twitter @jameswilt

If there's one thing I've learned in the two-and-a-half years I've spent working in the coffee industry, it's this: All the customer cares about is the final product. Fancy machines, beans and grinders are a nice addition to the cafe, but unless the espressos, macchiatos, lattes, hot chocolates and drip coffees are tasting exceptional, then it's all for show.

As a result of this, I'm going to attempt to keep this introductory blog and future posts as simple and straight-forward as I can. The information and writing will hopefully speak for itself, just as our coffee hopefully speaks for itself. Jargon will be minimized, the ego which makes many baristas (and writers) infamous will be dropped at the door and your learning and enjoyment will be prioritized. Feel free to call me out if this blog doesn't actually represent those ideals.

It's time for that "introduction" part of the blog. My name's James Wilt. I'm a full-time journalism student at Mount Royal University, a freelance writer for Fast Forward Weekly and a part-time barista at Caffe Rosso. Coffee is a massive passion for me, and I relish every opportunity I have to drink it, talk about it and write about the subject. Caffe Rosso is my third formal coffee job, following two years working at the House Coffee Sanctuary in Kensington and six months at Fratello's Analog Cafe in the Calgary Farmers' Market. I'm by no means an expert on the subject, and am always open to learn more about it.

Dave Crosby, the owner of Caffe Rosso, has graciously given me this space to blog about coffee. Topics that he's brainstormed for future blogs -- which will hopefully be posted weekly -- include technical advice for brewing (how to use an AeroPress), varieties of coffee (similar to wine), the process of cupping and the concept of seasonality. I'm completely open to writing about any topics that you're interested in, so be sure to suggest ideas.

I'm looking forward to dialoguing with you and collectively working towards making better coffee.

- James

Cole looking sharp at Regionals

Good afternoon judges...

I know its late getting to this, but I am also new to blogging so give me a break.

This was my first ever Barista Competition. Going into it, I had little expectation. I was a blank slate, with as much potential as I could muster. The two weeks before the competition were gruesome, spending hours upon hours at the cafe working on our dialogue, or extractions, and our dreadful signature drinks.

We we're putting in double full day shifts, not seeing our friends, family, or the light of day. The longest recorded day for me was 32 hours. Yes, 32 hours. Yes, that means I slept at the cafe. It wasn't much sleep, but it was enough to get me through the next days 8 hour shift, followed by 6 hour training. Now I know this leads in as sounding like a terrible experience; however, thats not true.

Through the stressful two weeks, I learned plenty. I improved at pulling shots, built confidence, and my steamed milk is sweeter then ever. This brought new light to the roster at the cafe. Heightening the level of coffee knowledge is the new theme around here. If you can come to work with a fact that your co-worker doesn't know, you have props for the day. This is the goal of the competition; to learn more about coffee and to better our community. At Caffe Rosso, this goal was achieved. Customers have been asking about extraction rates, different tactics for brew methods, and home grinders have been flying off the shelves. This is everything we want to see. This is what our community needs to see more of.

Now lets talk about the actual competition. For those of you who have never seen a competition or heard of this, the barista has to present 12 coffees to four judges; 4 espresso, 4 cappuccino, and 4 signature beverages which should highlight your coffee. In the 15 minutes your given to present these drinks, you have to do the daunting task of talking about your coffee in front of the judges, the audience, and anyone watching online.

My coffee was a Columbian blend from the Huila region. It wasn't my favorite, but I personally enjoyed it nonetheless. Tones of grapefruit, marzipan and honey we're present. In my presentation I talked about the three waves of coffee and how coffee has evolved throughout the years. It was an interesting idea and something I hadn't seen, but I had a hell of a time coming up with a signature drink. It ended up being a representational breakdown of how first wave coffee was consumed and I had the judges drink it in three steps to show how each ingredient factored in the cup.

First was an americano with the crema skimmed off, this represented instant coffee; thin body, crisp and light. Next I had the judges add a grapefruit rind infused sugar, this brought out sweetness in the cup, and really drew out a grapefruit aroma. Lastly, the judges added a 52% cream which curdled on them (it was thrilling when it happened....). The goal with the cream was to enhance the body, and represent how cream was used to drown out flavors. The cream sure drowned out the flavors, and pulled out a sour milk taste (YUM!). Overall, my signature drink didn't quite work, and my speech needed to have more coffee detail.

Was I happy with how I did?

Yes. Technically, I killed it. Sensory and functionality lacked. If I had added one or two weeks of over-overtime work, I would have been much more prepared, and much better suited. Next year thats exactly what I'll do, or maybe I'll spread some of that crunch time out over a month or so. Yes, that means I'll be back next year with better preparation, better coffee, and better stage presence.

I have to go back and talk about the community and I need to tell you why the coffee industry is the best industry. We put in long hours of work to brighten peoples day in short windows. Numerous times a day, we get to change someones day. Coffee has that power. We don't see as much of that from shop to shop, but that weekend was nothing but selflessness. We ordered new cappuccino cups last minute because ours we're the wrong size... and of course the new cups we get, are the wrong order, and the same size as our old cups. We we're forced to short pour, or possible disqualification. Instead, other baristas noticed this, and we're more then happy to lend us their cups, after their presentations, and after they could relax and finally enjoy competition day. This is one small example of why this industry is the best industry; complete selflessness, learning everyday, and an unreal community. And of course, great coffee.

Until next time.

- Cole

PS - If you haven't seen a competition before, i recommend checking out this years link http://goo.gl/LucGp If you want to see me perform, I'm just past the one hour mark in the first video displayed. Hope you enjoy :)

The World Barista Championship starts June 2 to 6th.  We will be watching!

The World Barista Championship (WBC) is an international coffee competition that focuses on "promoting excellence in coffee, advancing the barista profession, and engaging a worldwide audience with an annual championship event that serves as the culmination of local and regional events around the globe."

A small video from BBC World Barista Championship 2010

Each competitor will be preparing 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos, and 4 signature drinks in a performance within 15 minutes.   The 2011 World Barista Championship will have 53 competitors each serving a different coffee and story to judges.

To watch the World Barista Championship.