A 4-year-old can make espresso!

Movie Quotes About Coffee

Like a true copy-and-paste specialist (plagiarist), I've included for you today a bunch quotes from movies that relate to coffee. The quotes come from a Web site called Reel Life Wisdom (at least I cite my sources). My favorite is:

“This is espresso, you know? It's like Coffee-zilla.”
The Iron Giant (1999) – Dean McCoppin (Harry Connick Jr.) 

Here are some more:

“It's all in the grind, Sizemore. Can't be too fine, can't be too coarse. This, my friend, is a science.”
Black Hawk Down (2001) – Grimes (Ewan McGregor) 

“Coffee and cigarettes, that's like the breakfast of champions.”
Blue in the Face (1995) – Bob (Jim Jarmusch) 

“Talking about coffee, what's your opinion? Is it a social lubricant or a dangerous stimulant?”
Late Bloomers (1996) – Henry (Ivan Klousia) 

“Poor man's truth serum - caffeine and sugar.”
Eye for an Eye (1996) – Sergeant DeNello (Joe Mantegna) 

Enjoy!!

Pure Inspiration

A picture of my espresso machine by Nespresso. It's called the CitiZ, and I use it daily to brew the world's finest espressos. I like to enjoy the beverages while listening to one of my favorite jazz albums of all time--Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue."

Top Ten Tools for Harvesting Crema

One of the espresso lover's pleasures in life is figuring out how to extract the crema that hugs the side of the cup after drinking the liquid. I suggest using a combination of Cro-Magnon spontaneity and sophisticated savoir-faire. Here are my top ten tools:

10. a pinky
9.  a tongue
8. a popsicle stick
7. a cocktail straw
6. a screwdriver
5. a bic pen
4. a twig (from yard, park or other wooded area)
3. a straightened-out paper clip
2. a pirouette cookie
1. an espresso spoon

Where Does Coffee Come From?

Istanbul (formerly Constantinople) was home to the first coffee houses during the mid-16th century. Within a short time, there were over 500 coffee houses there. Then in 1615, ships loaded with coffee set sail for Europe. Around 1645, Venice opened the first Western European coffee houses.

Of the 60 or so species of coffee trees worldwide, only 2 are cultivated for consumption: Coffea Arabica (Arabica) and Coffea Canephora (Robusta). The former are cultivated at high altitudes in tropical conditions, mostly in Central and South America and also Eastern Africa. While the Arabica plant poses considerable challenges to growers because of its sensitivity, it yields a delicate and more refined aroma. By contrast, Robusta grows at lower altitudes, is heartier, contains more caffeine and tends to be more bitter. A blend of the two can often produce pleasant results.

Iced Cappuccino at Home

My home espresso machine arrived Friday, and we've been delighting ourselves with iced cappuccinos all weekend. The name of my machine is the CitiZ, and it's from Nespresso. It goes for $279, and it's worth every penny. Remember, over the course of a year, you save a considerable amount of money by brewing espresso and cappuccino at home. I highly recommend it. Enjoy your weekends!

Espresso and Health

It has long been assumed that coffee is bad for your health, but according to WebMD, there is evidence that coffee can lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease and colon cancer. Here's the link to an article entitled "Coffee: The New Health Food?"

If you don't have time to read the whole article, here's a summary:
1)Six cups or more of coffee per day can reduce a man's risk of diabetes by 54 percent.
2)Some studies indicate that regular coffee drinkers are 80 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's.
3)Two cups daily can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 25 percent.
4)Regular coffee drinking can also result in an 80 percent drop in liver cirrhosis risk.
5)Some research suggests that coffee can help manage asthma and prevent cavities.

Nonetheless, the article clearly states that coffee is not for everyone and can lead to nervousness in some people, raised cholesterol and artery clogging.

Bottom line: don't jump to any conclusions. Do your research. Try it out. Have a balanced approach to your consumption.