coffee you can eat

[)on]

I know this 'product' was discussed elsewhere, but ran across this post and thought it might make a killer signature beverage. What?... takes 325ml espresso?.. and several hours? Don't let them bite your rhyme, Billy.

Have any Chicago-ites brandished the specially designed spoon?

[Phuong]

I have one of those spoons, and it would be cool to try the Espuma again. It's been over 2 years since I tried it. I'm still waiting for someone to feature the Espresso Caviars as a signature drink.

Phuong

[James Hoffmann]

I just don't think it would be that nice.
I've tried a lot of foams, mousses and similar with espresso and it is hard not to get it to taste pretty poor if more than 2 minutes old.

I am looking forward to the next twist on coffee and food science.

[Mike Paras]

Have any Chicago-ites brandished the specially designed spoon?

I stopped in on my way to work this morning. I took a blurry cameraphone pic.

The texture was fun, at least at first. It was sweet, and had this sort of sourish taste in the background that I didn't like. That taste is actually what is sticking with me now.

I felt bad for the guy who took my order, since it is called "espesso"- how in the world are they supposed to be able to hear the difference between "espresso" and "espesso" in a noisy shop? yeesh.

I am looking forward to the next twist on coffee and food science.

I am looking forward to Jay's foie gras cups at the next GLRBC, but it might not even be illegal by then.

[)on]

I like the blurry photos - that's how I imagine it would taste.

I wonder if people will call it expesso.

James, have you worked with gelatin? What's your favorite base?

[onocoffee]

[
I am looking forward to Jay's foie gras cups at the next GLRBC, but it might not even be illegal by then.

Mike-

The ideal thing about cups made from foie gras is that I can shape them by hand in front of the judges.




!

[James Hoffmann]

I like the blurry photos - that's how I imagine it would taste.

I wonder if people will call it expesso.

James, have you worked with gelatin? What's your favorite base?

Gelatin is ok but a little heat dependent for my tastes.
I've used combinations of gelan f, a methycellulose (possibly h), versawhip and xanthan gum to achieve foams and thicker more stable mousses.

Nothing wrong with gelatin, agar-agar or cargeenan (I can't remember how you spell this one!), I was just given access to fancier ones!

[xristrettox]

hmph

[xristrettox]

I'm still waiting for someone to feature the Espresso Caviars as a signature drink.

don't tempt me

[James Hoffmann]

I'd love to try your drink btw billy - any chance of posting a full recipe?

[Rich Westerfield]

I'm still waiting for someone to feature the Espresso Caviars as a signature drink.

don't tempt me

It goes back to what James said - you've got to eat the encapsulated spro balls within a couple of minutes of being made. You can't really hold them, unless you only want to show the novelty, not the flavor. Freeze them and they turn into the consistency of Milk Duds.

Although the process *seems* simple, they're a pain to make without a LOT of practice (or maybe I'm just a putz). Anyway, we think it would be awfully difficult to do within the constraints of a competition. We thought about it, but we realized it's a non-starter for us - perhaps someone a bit smarter might be able to pull it off.

[Jimmy Oneschuk]

[)on]

I'm guessing Jimmy's digital grin is in reference to this weekend's Canadian Barista Championship. Do we get a sneak preview or do we have to wait for the press to rave about your sig drink?

[Jimmy Oneschuk]

I'll be posting something here or on the blog on saturday night or sunday morning before the comp.

[xristrettox]

shit... so is everyone doing this then?

I've been working on this as well

[Rich Westerfield]

I'll be posting something here or on the blog on saturday night or sunday morning before the comp.

If you can pull it off, I will kowtow in the general direction of Saskatoon.

[James Hoffmann]

Damn it - I have a feeling the bar is going to get lifted way high and I will have to do something more impressive than silly gels to raise an eyebrow round these parts...

[onocoffee]

Damn it - I have a feeling the bar is going to get lifted way high and I will have to do something more impressive than silly gels to raise an eyebrow round these parts...

Said he who has lifted the bar to new heights forcing the rest of us to work much harder at our craft.

[xristrettox]

Let's raise the bar so high that we do away with sig. drinks!

[Phuong]

I'll be posting something here...

Absolutely swell! Looking forward to it.

Phuong

[nick]

Don't mean to thread-jack, but I gotta throw this in:

Let's raise the bar so high that we do away with sig. drinks!

Billy, your efforts have been admirable. Nobody that I know of has tried harder to do a "un-signature-drinkly signature drink" than you (I'm talking about years past, of course).

The sig-drinks are supposed to be coffee-coffee-drinks (with the "predominant taste" of espresso)... not just coffee-drinks (with just a hint of coffee flavor)... but you're rocked what I'd call coffee-coffee-coffee-drinks.

I have to confess something: with your S.O. Rwanda in Atlanta, and through your rosewater-americano in Seattle, I was always thinking, "What the heck is Billy doing? There is no judging criteria for 'hardcore' on the sig drink section!"

This weekend isn't just Canadian Nationals, it's the South-East Regional down here in the dirty South... and I haven't competed since Atlanta USBC, when I knew absolutely nothing about competition. For this weekend, I have this sig drink that I'm presenting, and all I can say about it right now is that Billy, I've been thinking a lot about you and those sig drinks of yours from years past.

Mad props, B.W. Let's hear it for coffee-coffee-coffee drinks. Hopefully, I'll reprezent well.

[xristrettox]

Let's hear it for coffee-coffee-coffee drinks. Hopefully, I'll reprezent well.

All the best Nick, keep us updated on the comp.

Thanks for the words.

[Phuong]

Billy, I've been thinking a lot about you...

Awe . the softer side of Nick shining through. That's so cute

May the force be with you this weekend!

Phuong

[Richard Hartnell]

Don't mean to thread-jack, but I gotta throw this in:

Let's raise the bar so high that we do away with sig. drinks!

Billy, your efforts have been admirable. Nobody that I know of has tried harder to do a "un-signature-drinkly signature drink" than you (I'm talking about years past, of course).

The sig-drinks are supposed to be coffee-coffee-drinks (with the "predominant taste" of espresso)... not just coffee-drinks (with just a hint of coffee flavor)... but you're rocked what I'd call coffee-coffee-coffee-drinks.

I can just see the next iteration now.

"And for my signature drink, I'll be preparing a little morsel I like to call 'single-origin Mexican Chiapas,' a drink I will be recreating via a harmonious blend consisting largely of water, oils, and suspended solids."

[bz]

if my car gets me to chapel hill, i hope to post video from sunday's round. 'means nick needs to make the finals.