Harry & David

Every once in a while we make a trip to the Camarillo Outlet stores. It has brand name outlets for Timberland, Sony, Nike, etc. One of our favorite places to stop by is Harry and David.

H&D sells snacks, food, and ingredients that are incredibly tasty and often decadent. They always have free samples to tempt you, so it's hard to leave without picking up something.

Our favoriate selections are:
Moose Munch Coffee - this delicious flavored coffee comes in both caf and decaf. It's smell is intoxicating.
Moose Munch Popcorn - carmel covered, sweet, crunchy and addictive; my flavor of choice is white chocolate macadamia nut.
Any dips, salsas or sauces - we love to try them all!

Coffee Tips

Good coffee doesn't just happen. It's the result of several key ingredients and conditions coming together to form a hot cup (or cups) of rich, tasty goodness. Here are a few tips to help you reach Coffee Nirvana.

Ingredients (pretty simple)
1. Water
2. Coffee

1. Water
Since coffee is 98% water, make sure you use fresh, filtered water. If you like the water, you'll like the coffee.

2. Coffee
This is mostly a matter of personal taste. We like Blue Mountain from Jamaica (or coffee from that area, which may or may not actually say "Blue Mountain"), Sumatra and Kona. They all have distinctive coffee flavors but not too harsh.

Look for beans that are of the "Arabica" type (or blends that are mostly Arabica). This type of bean can come from different areas. It have more flavor than others, but is harder to grow, so probably a bit more expensive. But it's worth it.

3. Optional
Milk, sugar, etc. This is up to you. I prefer froth my milk with the Magic Bullet, then heat it in the microwave for 30 secs.

Steps
1. Grind
2. Brew
3. Drink

1. Grind
Whole bean that is ground just before brewing is definitely better tasting than pre-ground. It's actually more science than just preference. The oils in the bean give it it's flavor. If they stay inside the bean until ground & brewed, you get more flavor. But oxygen (also known as air) dissolves the oils. So if the beans are pre-ground, more oils will be lost by the time you use them.

Make sure to store and seal coffee well. Preferably in a cool dark place, and seal the bag well to protect your beans from the air. Most bags have a one-way valve which allows roasted beans to release CO2 (which is okay) while not coming in contact with oxygen from the outside.

2. Brew
The recommended measurement is 1 scoop/cup. You don't need a fancy brewer, though the Cuisinart is nice. A French Press will deliver flavor, but is not as convenient.

3. Drink
Coffee is supposed to be hot. It should be close to 200F, but most US consumer coffee makers only go to around 140F (thank the lady who sued McDonands).

Don't forget to clean your coffee equipment. Old coffee residue can taint a new brew.

Sources
http://www.broadstreetcoffee.com/snob.htm
http://coffeefaq.com/coffaq.htm

Rant: Top Coffee Peeves

I recently saw the movie Kicking and Screaming on a flight from PHL to LAX. It would have been yet another forgetful comedy if it hadn't been for the numerous coffee-related scenes where the main character 'discovers' coffee.

Some of those scenes reminded me of a few pet peeves I'd like to share about waiting in line for coffee at the local Starbucks/Coffee Bean/Etc.

Cellphones
I'm not against cellphones. I'm against idiots with cellphones who stand at the front of a long line of caffeine-deprived zombies, having a full conversation while the salesperson patiently waits for them to blurt out orders in between "uh huh, yeah, he said what?, really?, yeah..." That's just so wrong.

People Who Just Ordered And Stand In Front Of The Counter
Okay, you've just ordered your half-caff soy light-foam macchiato. Not only is that going to take a while, there are already ten other people who also just ordered, waiting for their drink. What do you do? Well if you're an idiot, you'll rush up to the counter where they hand out completed orders and lean over it like you're ready for the Olympic marathon baton hand-off. Oh, and don't forget to answer that cellphone call...

Regulars
It seems that coffee shops like to cater to repeat customers, greeting them by name and having their drink ready before they arrive-- while the rest of us stand in line like we're in Coach Class or something. Maybe they should charge more for that First Class service. Then those customers wouldn't be so inclined to strike up a conversation with the Barista while the little people are waiting for their drink.

People Who Think They're In A Real Coffee House
On a past visit to a local Starbucks, the guy in front of me ordered French Press. The salesperson didn't even know what it was, and the other person behind the counter gave this bewildered look, then disappeared in the back of the store (presumably the same place from the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark) and returned with a press. The whole process would have been humorous except that I was waiting behind this guy. After they got the press, he started giving them instructions on how he liked his coffee. Sheesh, guy, this is just Starbucks!!

Bulk Orders
Great there's just one person in front you. But when they get to the front, they uncrumple a wad of paper with a long list of cryptic orders from everyone back at the home/office/club/whatever. Oh, joy.

As you can see, most of my peeves have to do with other people getting in the way of my coffee. It comes with the territory of being a caffeine fiend. Deal with it.