Funny Face Drink Mix Ad
In 1964, Kool-Aid was king of the powered drink mixes, so Pillsbury came out with it's own drink mix called Funny Face. The thing was, Funny Face was pre-sweetened, first with this calcium cyclamate, which unfortunately gave rate cancer, then saccharine. They also had unsweetened versions, like Kool-Aid.
The drink flavors were all given funny characters and names, some not so politally correct, like Injun Orange and Chinese Cherry. These names were soon changed.
Eventually Pillsbury sold Funny Face and another smaller company who eventually discontinued the product.
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The drink flavors were all given funny characters and names, some not so politally correct, like Injun Orange and Chinese Cherry. These names were soon changed.
Eventually Pillsbury sold Funny Face and another smaller company who eventually discontinued the product.
Updated Aeropress brewing method
The Aeropress is taking its victory rounds online and in real life in the coffee shop.
When we first launched the Aeropress in the coffee shop back in June we kept kinda quiet about it. We wanted to try it out with the regulars first and get feedback from our baristas on the brew recipe. We've changed it slightly several times since then, very much inspired by the work of Tim Wendelboe and his World Aeropress Championship.
Our current recipe was fine-tuned by Casper over the course of several weeks and really aimed at bringing out all the aromas in the coffee. We're still using the same profile for all our coffees, but perhaps in time, we'll develop separate brew profiles for individual coffees or roasts.
The biggest problem with brew recipes - in my opinion - is grind size. We've found that a small adjustment in grind makes a huge difference in the cup. Particularly with the Aeropress. Grinding just a little too fine and we'd get a slight bitterness and a bit too coarse and we wouldn't get all the delicate aromas. This presents a problem when we want to communicate a brew method to home consumers, since most don't even posses a grinder that can be as finely adjusted or will grind as evenly as the Mahlkönig VTA-6 we use. So please, do experiment with the grind to really nail it!
So, here is the current profile:
16 grams of coffee
Ground somewhere between a filter grind and french press - leaning to the coarser side.
170 ml. water of 92-95º Celcius
Steeping time 2 minutes
We use the Aeropress upside-down (or inverted as some like to call it). Put the rubber part just below the number 4 mark. Put the freshly ground coffee in it, add the water - use a scale for accuracy if you're a supergeek - and stir very well just as you have poured the water. Steep for two minutes and meanwhile rinse the paper filter in the filter holder with lots of hot water. Stir again after the two minutes, put the filter in the filterholder on and screw tight. Now carefully turn the Aeropress over and press into a sturdy cup or pitcher.
The advantage of this method is the total immersion brewing like you have in a French Press. But with the Aeropress you get a much cleaner cup. None of that dusty mouthfeel you sometimes get in a French Press, especially towards the bottom of the cup. We tried a lot to see if we could use a finer grind and shorten the steeping time, but the aromas really never came through as well as with the 2 minute steep time. In theory you should be able to grind finer and shorten the extraction time, but in reality we find it just doesn't work as well as this profile.
Anyway, the main reason we love to sell the Aeropress remains the amount of options you have with it. So do experiment! We've had lots of feedback from customers who use it in a variety of ways. Some grind very fine and use very little water to produce a very strong cup and others use it just like a French Press with a very coarse grind and 4 minute steep time.
Have fun!
reade more...
When we first launched the Aeropress in the coffee shop back in June we kept kinda quiet about it. We wanted to try it out with the regulars first and get feedback from our baristas on the brew recipe. We've changed it slightly several times since then, very much inspired by the work of Tim Wendelboe and his World Aeropress Championship.
Our current recipe was fine-tuned by Casper over the course of several weeks and really aimed at bringing out all the aromas in the coffee. We're still using the same profile for all our coffees, but perhaps in time, we'll develop separate brew profiles for individual coffees or roasts.
The biggest problem with brew recipes - in my opinion - is grind size. We've found that a small adjustment in grind makes a huge difference in the cup. Particularly with the Aeropress. Grinding just a little too fine and we'd get a slight bitterness and a bit too coarse and we wouldn't get all the delicate aromas. This presents a problem when we want to communicate a brew method to home consumers, since most don't even posses a grinder that can be as finely adjusted or will grind as evenly as the Mahlkönig VTA-6 we use. So please, do experiment with the grind to really nail it!
So, here is the current profile:
16 grams of coffee
Ground somewhere between a filter grind and french press - leaning to the coarser side.
170 ml. water of 92-95º Celcius
Steeping time 2 minutes
We use the Aeropress upside-down (or inverted as some like to call it). Put the rubber part just below the number 4 mark. Put the freshly ground coffee in it, add the water - use a scale for accuracy if you're a supergeek - and stir very well just as you have poured the water. Steep for two minutes and meanwhile rinse the paper filter in the filter holder with lots of hot water. Stir again after the two minutes, put the filter in the filterholder on and screw tight. Now carefully turn the Aeropress over and press into a sturdy cup or pitcher.
The advantage of this method is the total immersion brewing like you have in a French Press. But with the Aeropress you get a much cleaner cup. None of that dusty mouthfeel you sometimes get in a French Press, especially towards the bottom of the cup. We tried a lot to see if we could use a finer grind and shorten the steeping time, but the aromas really never came through as well as with the 2 minute steep time. In theory you should be able to grind finer and shorten the extraction time, but in reality we find it just doesn't work as well as this profile.
Anyway, the main reason we love to sell the Aeropress remains the amount of options you have with it. So do experiment! We've had lots of feedback from customers who use it in a variety of ways. Some grind very fine and use very little water to produce a very strong cup and others use it just like a French Press with a very coarse grind and 4 minute steep time.
Have fun!
A Coffee Outtake
I don't usually post outtakes, but I thought I'd do it this time as attempt to adjust a light and dump over the camera. I just caught it before it smashed to the ground.
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Vintage Diary Queen Ad
This was another clip provided to Coffee with Jeff by my friend Pam! It's a old Daily Queen ad
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The Adv of Spunky and Tadpole
A old cartoon from 1958. For more information on this cartoon, I found a site called Toon Tracker that has some good information.
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Keep Your Hands To Yourself Performed by Goin' South
Another Friend of Coffee with Jeff, Goin' South performs the classic, The Georgia Satellites' Keep Your Hands To Yourself! Played this on a trailer being towed down routes 31 and 120 in McHenry, IL on 7/22/07 after performing in the McHenry Fiesta Days Parade.
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Brats On The Way to Starbucks
I know I am going to be in danger of coming off as a old, angry man who does not understand the younger generation, but that is because I am an old, angry man who does not understand the younger generation. Anyway, whether these kids are too young to be drinking coffee is not the question. The Question is, do they really need a "coffee fix"? I don;t think so. In fact, these kids look like they need a good kick to the ass.
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Slim Rughead and the Texas Hangover
A great folk rock band in Chicago and friends of Coffee With Jeff. This Jack London, video taped at from Martyr's in Chicago on 08/24/08
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The Eight Beer Challenge
We've started a YouTube channel called CoffeeSundayMorning. I know the name sucks but every good one I tried was taken. This is not a Channel for complete Coffee with Jeff episodes, but for selected segments. I thought I like a few up here as well. I know the half hour show might be a bit too long for a lot of people.
Here is the first installment of The 8 Beer Challenge in which we find out of our guest has the good taste in Beer he thought he or she had. Todays guest is Mike!
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Here is the first installment of The 8 Beer Challenge in which we find out of our guest has the good taste in Beer he thought he or she had. Todays guest is Mike!
Coffee with Jeff 1-24-2010
Part 1 - Anklebone Stories, On the Road with Willy and More
Part 2 - Manchester Gallery, 8 Beer Challenge and silliness
The Meatmen - Rock & Roll Juggernaut FREE DOWNLOAD!
To Purchase COFFEE WITH JEFF merchandise, click here
Broken Hearted Toy - Terry's Rock and Roll blog
The Free Sound Project - A lot of sounds we use come from here!
Okemos Brewing Internet Radio - Rock and Roll Deep Cuts!
Zecom Radi0 Internet Rock and Roll Radio with Marty!
.
Enforcer Music - Chicago's Premere Heavy Metal Band
Slim Rughead and the Texas Hangover - Great Music
Goin' South - Southern Rock and Roll
Willinois Nation
Wicked Whimsy Studios - The Art of Dave Mezger!
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Part 2 - Manchester Gallery, 8 Beer Challenge and silliness
The Meatmen - Rock & Roll Juggernaut FREE DOWNLOAD!
To Purchase COFFEE WITH JEFF merchandise, click here
Broken Hearted Toy - Terry's Rock and Roll blog
The Free Sound Project - A lot of sounds we use come from here!
Okemos Brewing Internet Radio - Rock and Roll Deep Cuts!
Zecom Radi0 Internet Rock and Roll Radio with Marty!
.
Enforcer Music - Chicago's Premere Heavy Metal Band
Slim Rughead and the Texas Hangover - Great Music
Goin' South - Southern Rock and Roll
Willinois Nation
Wicked Whimsy Studios - The Art of Dave Mezger!
Insomnia With Donald Duck
I used a small section of this Wilding Picture Production Film is the last edition of Coffee With Jeff. It is called Combat Fatigue: Insomnia (1945). What I find amusing is the way all the sailors find Donald Duck so funny. I mean, sure it's all right, but, well, watch this and you'll see what I mean.
And yes, that is Dick York from the classic 1960's series Bewitched!
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And yes, that is Dick York from the classic 1960's series Bewitched!
What’s going on with Coffee?
You might have noticed that I have not been blogging much lately. Hopefully that should change as of next week.The deal was; I was hoping during the month of December, I would be able to get a bunch of ideas off the ground for Coffee With Jeff. You know, December is a bad time for trying to get ideas off the ground. Between the holidays, my son coming into town, and various other family and non-family matter, most of my time was spoken for. To add to that, my trusty laptop, the little Apple G4 iBook that I’ve edited all 2009 Sunday Morning Coffee with Jeff episodes, died. It was not a quick and painless death. It was one of those, “maybe there is hope” type deaths, in which small rays of hope for the little computers recovery kept stringing me along. Eventually, the truth revealed it’s ugly head and I had to admit the defeat!
So, being as broke as I always am (buy a mug or T-shirt from Zazzle, please), I bought an older G4 iMac (The desk lamp type) from eBay for a couple hundred bucks that should be perfect for Video editing.
The premiere of the second season of Coffee, which was suppose to be on January 3rd, was delayed to January 10th and was not the premiere I was hoping for. If you watched the show, and I’m hoping you did, it was still in the same style as season one. The only bright side was I got to work with my Son, who co-hosted the show. We had a lot of fun doing that, even if it took to complete takes to get it. The only downside was he left the next day to head back to Virginia and was a car accident on the way home, totaling his car. Luckily, he was OK, just a few bumps and bruises.
Sunday’s show will be a step in the right direction, and I’m hoping this is the first step in the evolving the show into the one I ma envisioning for the future, Like always, let me know your thoughts, complaints, suggestions and idea! Like always, if you want to be a part of the show, let me know.
New Crop Daterra Sweet Collection
Last week we received our biggest container yet - a 40 foot - directly from the Daterra farm in Brazil. The container was swiftly emptied and the coffee is now in our storage space. This week we're roasting it and Tuesday afternoon it will be on the shelves.
Four years ago Klaus and I got a dream fulfilled when we, in search for coffee to be used at WBC, tasted the Sweet Collection at the Daterra farm. Ever since we have enjoyed the sweetness and creamy body of this coffee!
Back in March 2009 I went to Brazil again and I of course was very happy to be able to visit Daterra again. Andreza Mazarao followed me to the farm and was the same wonderful host as I remember from the last time!
Since we had recently gotten a new lot of Daterra Sweet Collection it was interesting to try to track this back. And here the People at Daterra showed one of the reasons why they consistently produce such high quality: It took them less than two minutes to track back and find the specific lot.
It turned out that the particular lot we got last year was from their Fazenda Tabuoes Lot no. 22 and this was a lot of pure Bourbon trees. This to me shows a systematic approach which - along with the craftsmanship and continued drive towards higher quality of all the people at the farm - is very convincing. Beside the wonderful hospitality I really enjoyed and learned a lot from the talks with Carlinhos in the cupping lab and the agronomist Gustavo in the field.
Gustavo
To me Carlinhos is an extremely skilled cupper and we are very grateful for his work. On Fazenda Tabuoes his counterpart is Renato who is the cupper there. Since our lot is from this Fazenda he obviously has been more involved in the production of our lot of Sweet Collection and we are therefore also very grateful to him.
Carlinhos
This is just to mention a few of the people who work hard to produce the fantastic coffee and of course our thanks goes to all the people at Daterra!
A topic that has had my interest for a long time as an espresso enthusiast is the definition of the Cerrado region. We had some very interesting talks about this and especially Gustavo shed some lights on this for me. As I understand it now the Cerrado region is mainly lying within the State of Minas Gerais but partly also in Mato Grosso do Sul and Goias. The region is defined by certain geographical features. The Climate is rather dry and the soil is red with approx. 40% clay which makes the soil quite good for retaining water. But since the climate is rather dry the vegetation is adapted to low precipitation rates.
Typically for the region is the Lobeira tree (Lobo = wolf. The name was given because the typical wolf of cerrado "Lobo-guará" eat the tree fruit). It has very thick leaves which is good for storing water. It has a bark similar of cork which gives the tree protecion against some of the naturally occuring fires in the dry enviroment.
The Lobeira tree
It is believed that the geographical conditions is stressing the coffee tree a bit. Not stressing the tree too much but enough so that it develops a coffee with good body. At Daterra some of the coffees are irrigated and others not. Carlinhos told me that the irrigated coffees tended to be less dense than the coffees that came from trees that was not irrigated. If this seemingly relation between supply of water and the density of the bean also reflects in the body it would be intesting to find investigate more. But the dry conditions in Cerrado and creamy body that coffees from this region sometimes has might indicate some relation like this.
Peter at Lot 22 with Bourbon trees
All in all the visit at Daterra answered many questions for me and at the same time new questions came along. As if it wasn’t enough to be with people this knowledgable about farming I had the pleasure to be accompanied by distributor of La Marzocco and Mahlkönig in Brazil, Paul Germscheid, whose technical knowledge of these machines is just flowing from him in a continuous stream.
Thanks a lot to everyone for making this trip wonderful!
Peter
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Four years ago Klaus and I got a dream fulfilled when we, in search for coffee to be used at WBC, tasted the Sweet Collection at the Daterra farm. Ever since we have enjoyed the sweetness and creamy body of this coffee!
Back in March 2009 I went to Brazil again and I of course was very happy to be able to visit Daterra again. Andreza Mazarao followed me to the farm and was the same wonderful host as I remember from the last time!
Since we had recently gotten a new lot of Daterra Sweet Collection it was interesting to try to track this back. And here the People at Daterra showed one of the reasons why they consistently produce such high quality: It took them less than two minutes to track back and find the specific lot.
It turned out that the particular lot we got last year was from their Fazenda Tabuoes Lot no. 22 and this was a lot of pure Bourbon trees. This to me shows a systematic approach which - along with the craftsmanship and continued drive towards higher quality of all the people at the farm - is very convincing. Beside the wonderful hospitality I really enjoyed and learned a lot from the talks with Carlinhos in the cupping lab and the agronomist Gustavo in the field.
Gustavo
To me Carlinhos is an extremely skilled cupper and we are very grateful for his work. On Fazenda Tabuoes his counterpart is Renato who is the cupper there. Since our lot is from this Fazenda he obviously has been more involved in the production of our lot of Sweet Collection and we are therefore also very grateful to him.
Carlinhos
This is just to mention a few of the people who work hard to produce the fantastic coffee and of course our thanks goes to all the people at Daterra!
A topic that has had my interest for a long time as an espresso enthusiast is the definition of the Cerrado region. We had some very interesting talks about this and especially Gustavo shed some lights on this for me. As I understand it now the Cerrado region is mainly lying within the State of Minas Gerais but partly also in Mato Grosso do Sul and Goias. The region is defined by certain geographical features. The Climate is rather dry and the soil is red with approx. 40% clay which makes the soil quite good for retaining water. But since the climate is rather dry the vegetation is adapted to low precipitation rates.
Typically for the region is the Lobeira tree (Lobo = wolf. The name was given because the typical wolf of cerrado "Lobo-guará" eat the tree fruit). It has very thick leaves which is good for storing water. It has a bark similar of cork which gives the tree protecion against some of the naturally occuring fires in the dry enviroment.
The Lobeira tree
It is believed that the geographical conditions is stressing the coffee tree a bit. Not stressing the tree too much but enough so that it develops a coffee with good body. At Daterra some of the coffees are irrigated and others not. Carlinhos told me that the irrigated coffees tended to be less dense than the coffees that came from trees that was not irrigated. If this seemingly relation between supply of water and the density of the bean also reflects in the body it would be intesting to find investigate more. But the dry conditions in Cerrado and creamy body that coffees from this region sometimes has might indicate some relation like this.
Peter at Lot 22 with Bourbon trees
All in all the visit at Daterra answered many questions for me and at the same time new questions came along. As if it wasn’t enough to be with people this knowledgable about farming I had the pleasure to be accompanied by distributor of La Marzocco and Mahlkönig in Brazil, Paul Germscheid, whose technical knowledge of these machines is just flowing from him in a continuous stream.
Thanks a lot to everyone for making this trip wonderful!
Peter
La Esmeralda - we eat our own words!
When we first presented the coffee from Hacienda La Esmeralda, we said that we would not serve it as any form of espresso drink! Well, hmm, we couldn't leave it there. We have decided to put a small batch in the grinder and serve this as espresso, in cappuccinos and americanos, as long as the batch lasts (through the weekend?) !
The espressobrewing is really bringing the elegant aromas of this coffee forward. It might even be the brewing method where we find that the aromas of abricot, bergamot and the heather honey is the most intense and maybe a hint of eukalyptus also sneaks through. Even in the cappuccinos there is no doubt on which coffee it is.
If you are in the neighborhood during the weekend drop by and ask to get yur coffee with La Esmeralda.
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The espressobrewing is really bringing the elegant aromas of this coffee forward. It might even be the brewing method where we find that the aromas of abricot, bergamot and the heather honey is the most intense and maybe a hint of eukalyptus also sneaks through. Even in the cappuccinos there is no doubt on which coffee it is.
If you are in the neighborhood during the weekend drop by and ask to get yur coffee with La Esmeralda.
