So, you've been stuck at home, for too long now, and you miss you favorite cafe spot coffee taste. Well, here's how you can re-create it at home, with no machine or milk-steaming wand. Here's what you'll need :
Here are the steps: 1. Grind your beans (only grind the amount of beans you'll need). The amount will depend on the brewing method you're using (check out the "Filtru" app to learn more about different brewing methods). 2. Now that you are more knowledgeable about your chosen method, and you have your coffee grounds, you can start to filter them through, with enough water running through the grounds to your desired amount and taste (but, also check out the app to learn more about the perfect filtering technique for different methods). 3. Now, this is the really technical step. How do you froth milk without a steam wand? Here are 2 ways of doing that: 1- the first one is to simply boil your milk in a sauce pan, and hope for the best (using heat and steam bubbles to form your froth). 2- alternatively, if you have a french press, you can heat your milk in a microwave, and froth it using your french press. This technique is a little more time consuming, but it gives you a better chance at actually getting latte art. 4. Now, you should have a decent cup of coffee (especially if you used the "Filtru" app!). It may not be from your favorite place, but you made it all by yourself! And, if you were lucky enough, you even got some latte art (good job!). 5. And, if it didn't turn out good, don't worry, you'll be able to go to your favorite cafe soon. And, if that cafe is the meeting place, I have good news for you: we are still open! Stay safe! Blessings, TMPC
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So, at the meeting place, we have this drink: "A Salted Caramello". It's an "espresso" beverage with espresso (optional) chocolate, caramel syrup, and a pinch of salt. Although, this is a popular beverage, some people are still curious / concerned about putting salt in their coffee. So, let's learn more about why adding salt to your coffee can actually be a creative and healthy way to alter the taste and experience of your coffee. 1. The first thing that happens when you put salt in your coffee is, it neutralizes the bitterness by blocking the taste buds responsible for tasting it. 2. This will also add thickness to the beverage, by making the water denser. 3. Adding just a pinch of salt will also help enhance the flavor of the espresso. 4. Adding salt also helps replenish some of the sodium that your body loses from drinking caffeine. 5. Salt in a coffee with milk helps break down some of the fats, and enzymes in the milk; for a more enjoyable after-taste / drinking experience. Along with improving the flavours, salt can have many health benefits to you favorite coffee beverage, but, we recommend experimenting for yourself, as this process is not for all taste-buds. So, if you're ever curious about adding salt to you coffee, come by the meeting place, and try our salted caramello (with espresso) to see if this is something for you! We hope to see you soon! Blessings, TMPC So, at the meeting place cafe, we believe that coffee builds community. It's even written in our mission statement! "To serve quality coffee in an environment that builds community!" But, have you ever wondered why we say that; or what about coffee creates an environment that builds community? Well, if you've ever asked those question, keep reading. So, if you read our mission statement carefully, it explains exactly why, and how coffee can build community, in our opinion.
It's all about one specific word in our mission statement.... ... ENVIRONMENT! The environment created in a cafe is the determining factor of the strength of the community atmosphere inside. And, at the meeting place, we pride ourselves in creating a positive, uplifting, and welcoming environment that brings people together with one common reason; to love & encourage each other while drinking a delicious beverage that they all love. So, next time you find yourself wondering why you feel so comfortable in a cafe, or what makes a cafe atmosphere so welcoming; think about the people & staff you met there, and remember how that cafe made you feel because that environment is difficult to achieve in full. But, when it is fully achieved and well-implemented, it's creates an unforgettable experience. The environment (along with the taste of the coffee) are the main deciding factors of how memorable that cafe will be for most people. We can't wait to meet you & make you feel welcome in our TMPC community! Hope to see you soon! Blessings, TMPC March is here! So, in honor of it being a month that starts with the letter "M". We thought it would be fun to drink coffee beverages that begin with the same letter this month. And, the first ones that come to mind that we have available at The Meeting Place are mochas & macchiatos. For those of you who don't really know what these drinks contain exactly, here's a short description (with pictures): A drink combining chocolate, steam milk, and espresso (can also be iced). Ask for whipped cream on top for a delicious treat. Fun Fact: The name is derived from the city of Mocha, Yemen; which was one of the centers of early coffee trade. An espresso coffee drink with a small amount of milk. At the meeting place, we mostly serve it iced (also known as iced cowboy). Fun Fact: In Italian, macchiato means "stained" or "spotted", so the literal translation of macchiato is “marked coffee.” Hope to see you soon!
Make sure to try one of these two drinks during the month of March when you visit the meeting place! And, if you don't know which one to try, don't be afraid to ask your friendly server or barista which one they recommend! Blessings, TMPC So, you're probably wondering what more you need to know about caffeine; it wakes you up and keeps you alert, right? What else do I need to know? Well, let me just give you some fun facts that I think you'll find pretty interesting... 1. there is no ideal time to drink coffee Some people say that the ideal time to drink coffee is between 9am and 10am because that's when you get the maximum impact of caffeine in terms of the functional benefits. But, there’s also other research out there showing that the impact of caffeine varies based on when you regularly consume caffeine. However, ultimately, everybody is different, so there’s no one perfect time of day to drink coffee that will be ideal for everyone. 2. decaf contains caffeine it’s very hard to remove all of the caffeine from coffee, even with very selective and specific extraction processes. That said, most decaf coffees contain about between about 1% and 10% of the residual caffeine, inside the coffee, depending on the method. That’s still a lot less caffeine that’s available in coffee beforehand, and actually it’s about the same amount as in as in a hot chocolate. So clearly, it’s unlikely to affect you as much as a regular caffeinated coffee or tea. 3. filter coffee has more caffeine While espresso has a higher concentration of coffee, per serving, filter coffee (eg French press, drip filter, etc) typically has more caffeine per cup. The main reason is because you typically drink more filter coffee per cup than a standard espresso a double shot of espresso averages about 80 mg of caffeine v.s. around 125 milligrams in a 240ml (8oz) filter coffee. 4. dark roast does not have more caffeine People often say because dark roasted coffee tastes stronger, it has more caffeine. I’ve also heard the opposite: that because it’s been roasted darker, some of the caffeine has been ‘roasted off’. The first statement is false.. Dark roasted coffee does taste stronger; it has been roasted longer. So, it is stronger, but not in caffeine. So, now that you know more about caffeine, and know what you're drinking, we'll be waiting to make you that amazing cup of coffee.
Blessings, TMPC So, you probably have a regular coffee order when you visit a cafe. You know, the coffee that you always get because it's a safe option that you know you'll like, no matter where you are. But, what does your coffee order say about you? Here's what type of coffee our cafe staff describe themselves as, based on their go-to coffee order: (check out our staff spotlight posts to learn more about us - http://www.themeetingplace-cafe.com/blog/category/staff) Michelle (cafe manager): go-to order - flat white how does it describe you? - simple, consistent, reliable Emma (cafe assistant manage): go-to order - long black how does it describe you? - deep, bold, rich, classic, diverse Maddie Mae (cafe intern): go-to order - flat white how does it describe you? - classic, simple, enthusiastic, awesome, well-presented Ana (cafe intern): go-to order - iced vanilla latte how does it describe you? - sweet, strong, refreshing Miriam (cafe intern): go-to order - small flat white, double shot on oat milk with hazelnut how does it describe you? - short, spunky, sweet, bold, complex Joanna (cafe intern): go-to order - iced hazelnut latte how does it describe you? - dependable, consistent, refreshing, sweet Now, it's your turn! Here are some links to help get you started:
1- Some fun quizzes to help you find out what your coffee order says about you - https://www.buzzfeed.com/search?q=what%2Bcoffee%2Bare%2Byou&type=quiz 2- An artists' Instagram account (pictures previewed above) of drawing people as coffee - https://www.instagram.com/thelockcreative/ Blessings, TMPC Hello dear readers! If you regularly read this blog you would know that we have been doing a little spotlight on each of our staff members for the past few weeks. The purpose of this is for you, our customers, to feel more familiar with the people who are making and serving you your coffee! This week we asked Miriam to answer a few questions, so let's get right into it! Q. Why do you make coffee? A. I make coffee because I love the community that it creates. There’s just something about standing behind the counter taking or making a coffee order that makes asking questions and getting to know new people so fun! Q. What is your go-to order right now? A. A flat white with hazelnut on oat milk! Q. What do you want to do with coffee in the future? A. I want to continue to use coffee to build an atmosphere of community and belonging. I think everyone deserves a place to call home and a group to call family, so I want to create a space where people can find that! Q. What country do you really want to visit and why? A. I really want to visit Greece and Malta because they are so beautiful and have a lot of history attached to them! Q. How many siblings do you have and what was your favorite part about growing up with them? A. I have 6 siblings- one brother (he is the oldest) and 5 older sisters. My favorite part of growing up with them was the holidays. We had some fun traditions and lots of food! Fun fact: the only vehicle large enough to fit us was a 12 passenger GMC white van that we would pile into in birth order! We love having Miriam as a part of our team, she is incredibly skilled in making coffee and is such a joy to be around! We hope you have a beautiful and restful weekend and we look forward to seeing you when you come into The Meeting Place Cafe! Be sure to tell us that you follow our blog! Blessings, TMPC Good Afternoon! For this weeks blog post, we would like to continue our staff spotlight! Joanna has been with us for about three months and is also one of our baristas! Here are some questions we asked her! Q. Why do you make coffee? A. I love the atmosphere it creates. Coffee has a great way of bringing people together and creating a chill environment where people feel comfortable. Q. How many languages do you speak? A. Three and a half. English, French, Spanish, and learning Portuguese. Q. What is your go-to order right now? A. Cappuccino with hazelnut syrup Q. What do you want to do with coffee in the future? A. I want to open a cafe- hostel that will help broken and abused people get back on their feet, while also giving travelers and community members a safe place to relax and build friendships. Q. What is your favorite food? A. Sushi! Our hope in continuing to share more about our staff team is that you, our customer, will feel more connected to the people who are making and serving you your coffee! Our cafe exists not only to serve you drinks, but also to build relationships with you! Enjoy your weekend and stay safe! Blessings, TMPC Hello and happy Friday to all of you who are reading this! As you may or may not know, last week we posted a little spotlight on one of our baristas, asking some questions to help you, our customers, get to know the people who are making and serving your coffee! This week we would like to continue with this little series! Ana has been on staff with us for almost nine months and here are some questions we asked her! Q. Why do you make coffee? A. Because coffee brings people together. There is nothing quite like the feeling of sitting around a table or sitting around the house with people you love and enjoying a good cup of coffee. Coffee is also soothing and comforting when the day seems hard and when there seems to be nothing exciting happening, a coffee break makes everything so much better. Q. How many countries have you been to? A. 17 Q. What is your go to order right now? A. Cappuccino with one pump of vanilla Q. What do you want to do with coffee in the future? A. I want to open a coffee shop along with a bed and breakfast and be able to use it as a ministry to bless the local community but also to provide jobs and a better life for people who are in difficult situations. Q. What is your favorite thing about cafe culture? A. When groups of friends gather and laugh and have a good time over coffee and pastries We look forward to meeting you, don't forget to mention that you have seen our blog when you come in! Blessings, TMPC |
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