Every second Thursday coffee nerds from around DC gather together to put their latte art skills to the ultimate test, a “throwdown” with fellow baristas. This month’s was a little different and went like this:
Rather than being awarded points, competitors were paired up. Each competitor was given 50 seconds to steam milk and pour a cappuccino with one shot (all pulled by Jeremy from Peregrine.) Poured drinks were then placed anonymously in front of a panel of three judges who chose either A or B. Winner advanced, loser was eliminated.
Winner takes home the watch, seen here around Le Luchador (or whatever he is – Grant??), and some other prizes including the pot of entry fees and probably some PBR shwag (unofficial sponsor).
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Patrick ended up with the winning pour, but this month’s prize money was donated to Haiti. Top two still took home some sweet goods. And the glory.
GLORY!
Next month’s TNT will be at Chinatown Coffee and April’s will be here, at big bear! Free to geek, $5 to compete.
while brainstorming for soup ideas this week, i wanted something that would satisfy in a rich, junk-foody kind of way without requiring blood-pressure or cholesterol meds. the new soup on the menu comes close to that guilty pleasure feeling with a virtuous combination of yellow lentils, shiitake mushrooms and spinach.
the secret to the soup is the ’shrooms – dried shiitakes, which have an intense, concentrated flavor.
mushrooms are the essence of the japanese word “umami” – the “fifth taste.” what does umami taste like? to me it tastes savory, meaty, yummy and round. umami makes me salivate.
if that doesn’t get you to try the new soup, i don’t know what will.
This is where the BBC interns have worked for the past 8 months learning to bake. Spike, Isaiah, Allie and all of the staff at Woodberry Kitchen are amazing. Also, you can see Maggie Reid from Reid’s Orchard (one of our farms at the Bloomingdale Farmers’ Market) when Spike goes to Waverly. Maggie is something of a local celebrity.
See the wood-burning oven in the background as Spike talks?
It is similar to what we hope to build this fall outside at the BBC. Imagine cooking pizza next winter outside in the snow using an artisanal open flame oven. Or drop your baguette, hallah, or ciabatta (difficult) dough to be baked by the radiant heat held in the stone.
One of the most courteous and detail oriented members of the BBC Staff, Matthew Ficke is both a fine barista and our general systems analyst. His cappuccini are fantastic, and he makes an incredible grilled chicken and hummus sandwich that will blow you away. It is not on the menu, but at times you can convince him to make it. Ask for grilled onions.
Ficke will be leaving the BBC for a couple months in the Spring to hike the Appalachian Trail. The rendition (above) was done by a potential new staff member, Eleanor, depicting Ficke coming to enlightenment on a mountaintop after he had mistakenly eaten a wilk vegetable.
Ficke, we will miss you, and we will celebrate when you come back.
Tonight’s full moon will be the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. It offers anyone with clear skies an opportunity to identify easy-to-see features on the moon.
This being the first full moon of 2010, it is also known as the wolf moon, a moniker dating back to Native American culture and the notion that hungry wolves howled at the full moon on cold winter nights. Each month brings another full moon name.
But why will this moon be bigger than others? Here’s how the moon works:
Final elimination came down to Liz (baked and wired) and Patrick (Mid City Caffe).
