I thought it quite odd when I received an email a few months ago from the Food Editor of O Magazine asking me, Erin Hulbert, to be their coffee expert for an article in their August Issue called Gourmet on a Budget. I am a HUGE fan of everything Oprah and of course happily offered any information I could. Check it out!

As of late, I’ve been filling my cup with more than just coffee. Tea has crept into my habits and I’m on the market for a beautiful tea pot to sit right between my Chemex and my French Press.

I thank the French for their most brilliant tea offerings- especially the famed Marriage Freres, which is rather difficult to find here in NYC. Te Adore on 13th street is kind enough to offer a small cup of the Marco Polo for only $2. Such a treat.

The Espresso Vivace Blog is the only coffee blog I have bookedmarked on my computer and religiously check for new entries as much as I check my email. David Schomer who owns EV lets us into his mind and experience the coffee world through his intelligent eyes. His entries are far and few between- though I feel adds to the weight of his voice. Most Blogs spew content like a drunk girl at a fratt house. Not David- I cling to his long entries with little to no photos and salivate for his next idea, comment, or bit of wisdom these newer companies are downright clueless of. I highly suggest taking a scroll through the Vivace website and David Schomer’s brilliant mind.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve craved a good cup of coffee while walking with my dog very best friend, Ernest. We normally walk to the West Village Dog Run every Sunday morning. To my delighted suprise I spotted the Van Leeuwen Truck right at the corner of Washington and Little W12th. I literally squealed as it caught my eye.

To be able to get a great cup of coffee with your dog, not in spite of him, is truly amazing- hence the squeal. Van Leeuwen, which serves Intelligencia, makes a mean cold brew and a meaner americano. Not to mention their famous ice cream, which is next on my list to try.

Van Leeuwen has it all- great mobility, fabulous design, amazing coffee, and ice cream. Ernest and I both agree- it doesn’t get better than this.

Summer has arrived in New York City and as we hustle through our work days we need to cool off and fuel up with some iced coffee. I’m not talking about hot coffee poured over ice, I’m talking beautiful, delicious, cold brew- which sounds similar to a cold beer (and is almost as refreshing)- almost.

Toddy should be every iced coffee lover’s new best friend. It’s simple to use, tasty as ever, and low in acidity for all you sensitive drinkers out there looking for a fix too.

Lisa flowers, the amazing owner of The Brasserie in Grand Cayman, flew out to NYC to experience her executive and head chefs perform at The James Beard Foundation. These amazing chefs brought to the table the best parts of Cayman and presented it with a simple yet brilliant flare.

As the Coffee Consultant for Lisa’s new restaurant The Market, she kindly invited me as part of The Brasserie family to experience this divine dinner. I had never been to the Beard House before and was elated at the opportunity.

To learn more about my work in Grand Cayman read Bringing Coffee to Cayman by Training Four Barista’s in Two Weeks which I wrote for Serious Eats.

POKKA cafe au lait, is simply that. I found this caffinated can in one of my favorite places, Pearl River Mart on Broadway in SOHO. It’s sweet, cold, and has a kick to it. I think if the quality could be preserved this would be a great idea. Perhaps bottled.

Cupping at your kitchen table can be an exilerating experience and can help you to better understand your coffee palate. In my small West Village apartment I periodically enjoy sticking my nose in cup of steaming wet grounds.

Cupping coffees is similar to tasting wine and can teach you about flavor profiles of different origins from around the world. It’s easy, informative, and most importantly fun!

Step 1
Set water to boil.

Step 2
Grind one coffee scoop (2 TBS) of fresh beans from your local roaster to a medium course grind in a cupping bowl. Smell the fresh grounds- think of the first thing that comes to your mind. It can be anything, there are no wrong answers. I’ve heard descriptions from “peanut butter cups”, “moss”, and “tomatoes” to “buttered popcorn” “honey”, “flowers”, and my favorite “skittles” (original of course not tropical).

Step 3
Once the water has reached boiling, pour over fresh grounds all the way to the top and set a timer for 4 Minutes. Do not touch but SMELL SMELL SMELL! How have those scents changed?

Step 4
Once the timer goes off- take two spoons and skin the remaining grounds floating on the surface. Make sure to have an additional small bowl or cup to put those spent grounds in, and also have a cup of clean water to rinse your spoons as well.

Step 5
Taste! Wet your spoon and then dip into coffee. Bring the spoon to your mouth and SLURP IT like you were slurping soup. This slurping is spraying the coffee all over your tongue giving you a more acurate taste. Who ever slurps the loudest it the best cupper!

And most importantly what do you taste? How is the mouth feel? Does it linger? Is is sweet, savory, or transparent? Talk with each other and see what you come up with.

The Intelligentsia booth at Coffee Fest here in NYC was demonstrating the latest espresso toy- MYPRESSI, a handheld portafilter that produces comercial espresso quality. Look out for my review on this new gadget at seriouseats.com.

With a foot of snow covering the New York streets, I found myself on the third floor of the MOMA- yes, among the treasured pieces of design and look what I discovered. The beautiful Chemex! I love the MOMA.