@ Intelligentsia Venice Beach

The living wall entryway at Intelli VB.


Black Cat Cappuccino and Serra Do Bone Cappuccino.


Like old times?

Going to L&L

Ana with Chicken Katsu Curry and BBQ Mixed Plate.


BBQ Mixed Plate: teriyaki beef, teriyaki chicken and kalbi beef with two scoop rice and mac salad.


Haupia.


Checking out the Spam Musubi for tomorrow's breakfast.

Previews from the SCAA Show Floor

Prototype La Marzocco stainless portafilter with quick release spout and table leveler.


Prototype La Marzocco Strada electronic espresso machine - bad ass.


Prototype La Marzocco Strada mechanical grouphead and gauges. Hot.


La Marzocco Vulcano espresso grinder with Mazzer Kony internals - disappointingly slow, just like the Kony. Pass.


Brian Ludviksen and the Euro 3,900 Marco Uber Boiler.


The new Bunn by the cup brewer. Why?


Cool La Raza Style for Barefoot's Tony Serrano and his refurb La Marzocco GS2.

Almost Nap Time

The Perils Of Travel

For the most part when traveling, things go smoothly. Then, every once a while, things get a little pear shaped. Like my toothbrush - crushed under the weight of travel.

$1.75 Coffee

Lucy

Moses

L.A.

Tammie's Corner House

Nessa, Rod, Polly and Al ponder the muffin sampler plate.


Almost done with the muffin sampler.


Vegetarian Chili Omlette (with bacon), Cayenne Fries and English Muffin.


Fried Eggs, Sausage, Potatoes and toast.


Eating en masse.


Gerry's Huevos Rancheros


Tammie's Corner House Cafe
190 Hermosa Avenue
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
(310) 372-4712

My Ride

Oooh La La!

The New Adventure?

Despite the fact that I've travelled all over the world, I still suffer from mild anxiety when flying. Will this be the flight that crashes? Statistically, I know it's unlikely but that doesn't help. I comfort myself in the knowledge that at 41,000 feet we have five miles to recover the aircraft before hitting the ground. It's not much, but it's something.

I'm just hoping that I get the upgrade to first class. Even though I no longer hold the status I once held, I'm told that I'm currently Number One on the upgrade list.

That way at least I have a modicum
of comfort as we crash and burn.

But here's hoping that today isn't that day...

BWI Breakfast

Cinco Meses

It's been over five months since I stepped off the plane from Nicaragua and it's making me stir crazy.

In my world, five months is a long time to be home. In fact, I haven't been home this long in over four years. With the stress of opening a new coffee place, a bleak winter and generally banging my head against a wall, I'm ready to hit the open road and seek new adventure.

Surprisingly, Ana called me the other day to ask if I was going to Anaheim this week and maybe we could hang out again. Claro que si, Senorita!

Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah, Rama-Rama-ma, Ga-Ga-ooh-la-la!

A new adventure begins Thursday...

The 9th Circle

"I was never one to patiently pick up broken fragments and glue them together again and tell myself that the mended whole was as good as new. What is broken is broken, and I’d rather remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken pieces as long as I lived"
-Margaret Mitchell

In Dante's Inferno, Hell is described as nine circles of suffering within the Earth. The very bottom circle, The Ninth Circle, is reserved for those who have betrayed a special relationship of some kind. At the very center of Hell is Satan, waist deep in ice, with three heads, each one chewing on a traitor: Brutus, Cassius and Judas Iscariot. It is a perverted trinity of Satan's impotence, ignorance and hate, contrasted to the all-powerful, all-knowing and loving nature of God.

Betrayal by a trusted loved one is the most painful of all.

More On $13 Coffee

When we ordered and priced the Aida's Grand Reserve, I didn't think too much about it. It's a great coffee that costs us quite a bit of money and the price is commensurate with our costs.

Seems that the $13 cup of coffee has been generating quite a bit of national interest since CNN.com picked it up. Dai just sent me some links to the stories around the Internets...

Seattle Times
Coffeesage.com
CafeMom.com
Gather.com
Whole Latte Love
Twitter
CoffeeRatings.com

It Begins

Tee 20 at Pine Ridge.

With the weather pushing 90F for the second day in a row, I decided to take out my anxieties by crushing little yellow golf balls 300 yards at a time.

Okay, maybe not 300 yards, but I did hit one about 230 yards - nice.

75 balls for $12.50. That's about one round of golf for a very good golfer (not me). For today's outing, I assembled a small quiver of clubs: Pitching wedge, 8 iron, 6 iron, 5 iron, 5 wood, 3 wood, a putter (that I didn't use) and my old and trusty TiBubble2 driver.

When I was younger, all I wanted to do was crush the ball. Hit that sucker as far as it would go and I would be A Man. But there's more to it than that. Finesse. Maybe I don't need to swing as hard or hold the club as aggressively. Maybe I should relax, swing and nail it.

When using the driver, fewer sounds are as pleasing as that metallic "clink" as the driver connects with the ball, sending it screaming off into the distance. Hear that "clink" and all is good. Hear anything else and it's just gone pear-shaped.

75 balls in the hot sun. It was cathartic. At least it was cathartic so long as I heard the lovely "clinks", otherwise it started to become maddening. A "whook" meant that the ball would shoot off to the left. A "clunk" meant it was jumping up high, going nowhere. A "slap" and the ball sliced off to the right. Was there a difference in performance between the shiny range balls and the scruffy looking ones? I'm convinced there was a difference and that the scruffy balls were conspiring against me.

Last year, we starting walking - executive courses, please. This year, I intend to continue that trend - just say "yes" to executive courses.

But until that actually happens, I'll bide my time on the driving range where the upside is that I can be done in an hour. The downside is that you can't smoke your cigar on the driving range.

Maybe it's time to rent a cart...

Holy Crap, CNN.com!

There was only one person I had to tell first before writing this post.

Okay, I'm not one to make much discussion over media attention but this one has me pretty excited. Just a couple of hours ago, I was riddled with anxiety over recent events but this has helped me refocus my thoughts (for at least a little while).

We were mentioned on CNN.com this morning!

Thanks Tricia for messaging me this morning about it!

In The Light of Darkness

It's 5:45am.   I went to sleep at 2:15.  I slept for just over three hours.  Anxiety forces me from my sleep and prevents me from serious and much needed rest.

As the light of day grows longer and longer, the darkness creeps over and my heart is racing.

I've made some decisions recently that I don't know if I quite believe in and it's killing me.  Is it the right choice?  The wrong choice?  Will it spiral out of control?  Will I lose everything?  It's like I've put everything on the line and need to roll the hard six.  As though I'm gambling everything on this one.

The risk is tremendous.  The potential reward is monumental. Win, and I get everything I ever wanted.  Lose and there will be nothing left.  The stakes are high and there's no turning back.

When I'm gambling in Vegas or elsewhere, I'm prepared to lose.  If I lose X amount, I'm covered.  I haven't wagered more than I can afford to lose.  This time, I'm not prepared to lose.  As the darkness surrounds me, I'm scared that I'm losing my way and have chosen the wrong path.

They say there's light at the end of the tunnel.  At this point, I don't know if I'll ever see that light.

Happy Birthday at Honey Pig

Marco and the Spicy Pork Belly.


Few things are finer than a girl handling your meat.



Bulgogi and Galbi



Beef Brisket


Okay, she's hot.



But she's hotter...



Adding Dai.



Adding Marco.



And with the owner.

It's My Birthday

From Anisha: Haminal (can be used for musubi), a t-shirt and bacon bandage strips.

It's my birthday today and when it comes to birthday's I'm pretty low-key about mine, preferring to see who remembers than to tell everyone within hearing distance. Another year passes, which is time for a little introspection. Where have I been? Where am I going? Am I on the path that I truly desire?

Today, those thoughts are compounded by recent events which had me pondering all the questions I've spent a lifetime avoiding.

Happily, Anisha remembered my birthday, brought me a couple of gifts and then promptly used one of them. Because she could.

Maybe I am on the path I truly desire.


Anisha (with new hair) already using the bacon strips.

Liquor It Up

Now that Spro Hamdpen is up and running, it's time to at least start to look like we're doing something in the space. And what better way to start than by making our own housemade coffee liquor?

Simply take coffee (in this case the Michicha Sidama Ethiopia from Counter Culture Coffee), grind it and soak it in a bottle of Bacardi White Rum. It's an old recipe taught to me by a Japanese coffee master. Two weeks. Nothing more. Last time, I let it sit for two months thinking that it would improve the character. I was wrong. It was bitter and overextracted.

Normally, I would use our espresso blend but this time I thought we would explore the subtle nuances of the fruity michicha.

I'll report back in a couple of weeks.

Bon Voyage, Janet!

Our guests get the party underway.

Janet is leaving for Kentucky this week, so Anisha and I are hosting a dinner party in her honor.

I'm not one who usually hosts dinner parties so it's a treat for me to do some of the planning. Originally, I figured Anisha would do all the food and I would simply be the FOH lackey, but since she insisted that I do some of the apps courses, it was time to step up. Oh crap.


Braised oxtail for the buns

Even the best laid plans are sent off track and since I'm never one with the best laid plans, my tracks are sure to run straight off the road.

Saturday morning we're off to the farmer's market where I'm seeking pork belly to make adobo buns: roasted adobo style belly in gwa pao buns with spicy pickled cucumber and cilantro. First stop: Woolsey Farm where Cindy is out of belly but has some oxtail on hand. I'll take it all, please. Of course, all she has is one whole oxtail. Really? Already I've been waylaid twice and we're just getting started!


Ahi Poke Crostini on Japanese sweet toast

As we scour the farmer's market and our subsequent trip to H-Mart, I find collaborating with Anisha to be quite easy and comforting. There's an easy-going relaxed attitude between us that doesn't mind when plans are waylaid by missing ingredients or having to make things up on the fly and adjusting the menu as we go along. There's none of the rigidity and subsequent panic that accompanies collaborating with other people, simply adjust and adapt. I like that.

By the time we get to H-Mart on Sunday afternoon, we find that they don't have mussels. What to do about all those mussel ingredients we've already purchased? Forge ahead substituting shrimp instead. The real question comes when it's time to select the fish. We want something big and impressive but the white fishes (like Red Snapper) are all a bit too small for the statement we want to make.


Whole Shrimp in Curry Cream Sauce

Oddly enough, there's a massive bluefish in the case that's just the size fish we're looking for. Problem is, neither of us has cooked or worked with bluefish before. A quick peek at Wikipedia on my iPhone doesn't tell us much more than bluefish can be mealy (not good) and that some people just don't like eating bluefish (bad). After debating for a few minutes, we decide to go full speed ahead and go with the bluefish.

Meanwhile, Chuck has come out to help with some of the preparation. He's stripping the oxtails and preparing the buns for assembly.


Grilled Asparagus with Sauteed Mushrooms, blue cheese, walnuts and cranberries

Oxtail Gwa Pao
- Braised oxtails
- Gwa Pao buns
- Pickled Cucumber
- Cilantro

Adobo Braised Oxtails
- Brine oxtails in a solution of water, soy sauce and sugar seasoned with garlic, bay leaf and whole black peppercorns for a minimum twelve hours.
- Sear oxtails in large pan suitable for braising until all sides are browned. Work in batches, if necessary.
- Place all oxtails in pan and cover in a mixture of red wine and beef stock (or water).
- Braise oxtails in the oven or on the stovetop at a low simmer for five hours, topping off braising liquid as necessary.
- Once oxtails have been cooked, chill and refrigerate in braising liquid.
- Strip all meat from bones and set aside, discarding bones.
- Reduce braising liquid on the stovetop until thick and syrupy.
- Reserve some of the reduction for drizzling.
- Mix meat with reduction and season to taste.


Beet & Watercress Salad with Feta Cheese and Blood Oranges

Pickled Cucumber in Cocount Vinegar
- Slice cucumber into thin strips
- Create a pickling solution of sugar, water, fresh dill and spicy coconut vinegar.
- Submerge sliced pickles in solution for minimum one hour.

To Assemble:
- Take frozen (now thawed) gwa pao buns and fill with slices of pickled cucumber, braised oxtail and some cilantro.
- Steam completed bun in steamer until hot and serve.


Mom chats with Janet.

Janet and her son Tommy and his wife Amy are amongst the first to arrive, and that's a good thing. It's always nice when the honored is about to meet their celebrants as they arrive. I've only recently gotten to know Janet and I can see why she's so special to Anisha. I just hope that Janet doesn't hate me.

One by one, the guests start arriving and their met by drinks and food, and what better way to be met than by friends, drinks and food? The apps are out, the greens are out and I'm ferrying the dishes from across the street where Anisha is putting the finishing touches on the main courses.


Roasted Bluefish stuffed with Japanese Wild Rices and Roasted Chickens

Here's the menu:

- Ahi Poke Crostini
- Braised Oxtail Gwa Pao
- Whole Shrimp in Curry Cream
- Mixed Greens Salad
- Watercress & Beet Salad with blood oranges and feta cheese
- Grilled Asparagus with sauteed mushrooms, walnuts, bleu cheese and cranberries
- Roasted Potato Medley with fresh baked buns
- Woolsey Farm Whole Roasted Free-Range Chickens
- Roasted Whole Bluefish stuffed with Japanese Mixed Rices
- Bread Pudding
- Red Velvet Cake

Beverages:
- A selection of wines by James and Austin
- Iced Tea
- Mexican Coke
- Dewar's Whiskey
- Bacardi Rum


James and John confer over their selections.

Finally, the main courses are ready to be brought over but the problem is the fish. It's so darn big that we don't have a platter big enough for it. But it will fit on the marble slab Anisha uses as a cutting board. As I lug it into the back to clean it off, it's a monster. The thing weighs a ton. Crap. There's no way I could wrestle this marble beast flat, with a large roasted fish on top, all the way across the street by myself. No way.

Luckily, Chuck and Jeremy are at hand and we ferry the chickens and the fish out the door, down the stairs, across the street, through the rain and into the party where delighted guests await the final presentation.


The Spread.

From there, it was relatively easy peasy. Let everyone mingle, eat, drink and hopefully have a good time. Anisha and I invited her friends, Janet's friends and some of my friends. Crafting a list of invitees to something like this is a bit of a challenge. How do you balance the guest list so the party is filled with agreeable people meeting each other for the first time?


Classic Anisha and her food.

But, from the feedback I've received from our guests, the party was a success. Janet and her family had a good time and everyone loved Anisha's food.

And isn't that what it's all about?

Bon Voyage, Janet!