Saturday, March 31, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Pull a shot
Ristretto | We Are the 5 Percent
"If you want to order the most unconventional, unexpected drink at an espresso bar, ask for an espresso."
"Not many do. Americans might drink espresso drinks, but we rarely drink straight espresso — usually that 1.5-ounce shot of coffee is just the ballast that anchors the 4, or 7, or 18 ounces of steamed milk that tops up the rest of the cup. In an anecdotal survey of the owners of a dozen of my favorite coffee spots in New York, shops with gifted baristas and finely tuned machines, most report that straight espresso accounts for maybe 5 percent of the coffees they sell."
"And today there’s more variety throughout the city. Part of the sport of drinking espresso is appreciating the different interpretations you find at coffee shops worth the detour."
"Sometimes, the composition of an espresso changes with the season. It’s by design, the shifting flavors one of the defining characteristics of what you’ll find at Café Grumpy, Joe and Ninth Street Espresso (which recently developed an entirely new espresso)."
"...He’s in command of his craft, and can make an espresso sit, stay, beg and roll over."
"He began with a shot of the Konga Yirgacheffe that tasted like roasted almonds, then made a second that was like flowers and cocoa, and a third that was like Mast Brothers Chocolate. Next coffee: Fisticuffs, which he described with admiration as “aggressive.” He made the Fisticuffs taste like lemon rind, then like lemon and honey, then he said he wanted it “softer,” and made it taste like caramel pushed to its darkest limit and doused with cream. It was a good show, a parade of flavors and textures that could convert some of those in the 95 percent."
"If you want to order the most unconventional, unexpected drink at an espresso bar, ask for an espresso."
"Not many do. Americans might drink espresso drinks, but we rarely drink straight espresso — usually that 1.5-ounce shot of coffee is just the ballast that anchors the 4, or 7, or 18 ounces of steamed milk that tops up the rest of the cup. In an anecdotal survey of the owners of a dozen of my favorite coffee spots in New York, shops with gifted baristas and finely tuned machines, most report that straight espresso accounts for maybe 5 percent of the coffees they sell."
"And today there’s more variety throughout the city. Part of the sport of drinking espresso is appreciating the different interpretations you find at coffee shops worth the detour."
"Sometimes, the composition of an espresso changes with the season. It’s by design, the shifting flavors one of the defining characteristics of what you’ll find at Café Grumpy, Joe and Ninth Street Espresso (which recently developed an entirely new espresso)."
"...He’s in command of his craft, and can make an espresso sit, stay, beg and roll over."
"He began with a shot of the Konga Yirgacheffe that tasted like roasted almonds, then made a second that was like flowers and cocoa, and a third that was like Mast Brothers Chocolate. Next coffee: Fisticuffs, which he described with admiration as “aggressive.” He made the Fisticuffs taste like lemon rind, then like lemon and honey, then he said he wanted it “softer,” and made it taste like caramel pushed to its darkest limit and doused with cream. It was a good show, a parade of flavors and textures that could convert some of those in the 95 percent."
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Luxe
Can luxury and modernism mix?
" By contrast, traditional serifs had their feet well under the table of the luxury houses of Europe. And serif logos are often accompanied by an additional “established in” dateline. It’s not only a stamp of approval and a mark of success, but also a barrier against change. Most fields of manufacturing, be it automobiles, computing or architecture have pursued the modern – clean, pale and new motifs. But if you’re old, authentic and producing wares to sell at the highest prices then you’re likely be camped in the elegant, decorative serif world."
"...The conclusion – if you want your brand to feel rich and established, accept no substitute. Serif, every time."
" By contrast, traditional serifs had their feet well under the table of the luxury houses of Europe. And serif logos are often accompanied by an additional “established in” dateline. It’s not only a stamp of approval and a mark of success, but also a barrier against change. Most fields of manufacturing, be it automobiles, computing or architecture have pursued the modern – clean, pale and new motifs. But if you’re old, authentic and producing wares to sell at the highest prices then you’re likely be camped in the elegant, decorative serif world."
"...The conclusion – if you want your brand to feel rich and established, accept no substitute. Serif, every time."
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Shatter
Petr Novotńy, a glass master's POV; Ajeto glassmaking factory (Monocle, March 2012):
"...If executed perfectly, the glass becomes an example of what Novotńy calls 'living glass' - capturing a moment in time and giving a sensation of fluid movement"
"...If executed perfectly, the glass becomes an example of what Novotńy calls 'living glass' - capturing a moment in time and giving a sensation of fluid movement"
Monday, March 19, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
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