Tuesday, May 08, 2007

How To: Coffee Art

How to Make Latte Art

Latte flower power
Latte flower power




While many agree that making a good cup of espresso is an art within itself, latte art refers to patterns made in the foam topping espresso drinks. If you want to get in touch with your inner barista (expert in coffee preparation), latte art is a critical skill which can take years to master.



Steps

  1. Pour enough milk for one cup into the steam pitcher. Put the steam wand at the bottom of the pitcher. Turn on the steam, and slowly raise the wand until it is near the top of the milk. Lower the pitcher as the milk rises so the steam wand stays 1 cm away from the top of the milk. The milk should not stretch too much nor should there be any big bubbles. Create a smooth, velvety milk as opposed the foam that sits atop most espresso drinks.
  2. Allow the milk to reach 80 ºF (27 ºC), then place the steam wand on the side of the pitcher, deep into the milk, positioning the pitcher to spin counterclockwise. Keep doing this motion until the milk heats to 150 ºF to 160 ºF (65 ºC - 70 ºC). Shut the steam and remove the steam wand and thermometer from the milk. Clean the steam wand with a wet cloth.
  3. Vigorously swirl the milk. If you see any bubbles, pound the pitcher on the counter several times and go back to swirling the milk for 20 to 30 seconds. Do this even while the espresso is pouring.
  4. Start pouring the milk into the espresso. To create a flower pattern, pour the milk into the bottom part of the cup, about an inch (2 cm - 3 cm) away from the bottom. Once the cup is about half filled, shake the pitcher back and forth while slowly moving it backwards. The flower design will move forward, filling the cup. Do this with a shaking motion originating at the wrist instead of moving your hand back and forth.
  5. Once the milk reaches the top of the cup, quickly pour the milk up the center of the pattern you created. Use a minimal amount of milk to avoid sinking the flower pattern.
  6. Embellish the design using stencils, powder, and milk foam. This step is optional, as many prefer to limit their latte art to "free form" methods, but you may want to experiment with the possibilities added by "etching."
  7. To write a word, such as "love" in the picture, melt milk chocolate and using a pin as a paintbrush drag the melting chocolate over the foamed milk.


Tips

  • If you want to pour a heart pattern, shake as before without moving backwards as much. Form a ringed circle then slowly pour milk through the center to make a multi-layered heart.
  • The espresso must be perfect.
  • You must use an espresso machine with a proper brew head and boiler and enough steam power to properly froth the milk. These machines can cost at least $500.
  • Before trying this with milk, try it first with water. While water doesn't have the same consistency as milk, practicing with water will allow you to get familiar with pouring and shaking at the same time.
  • Use fresh milk for every cup, even if you have milk left over from the previous cup.
  • Start with very cold milk -- keep the temperature right above freezing. Also, make sure you keep the steam pitchers refrigerated. Cold milk and steam pitchers will give you more time to create the smooth and velvety texture needed for latte art.
  • Use a cup with a wide mouth. It will allow you to see the developing latte art design more easily.
  • Instead of using a thermometer, you can keep two fingers at the bottom of the pitcher. When you can't hold your fingers there without burning them, its hot enough.


Warnings

  • Do not let the milk heat to over 160 ºF (70 ºC), as this will limit the sweetness of the milk.

Things You'll Need

  • Whole milk
  • Espresso
  • Straight walled steam pitcher with a sharp spout
  • Espresso machine with a powerful steam wand
  • 14 ounce (400 ml) latte cup
  • Thermometer

10 Most Useful Knots

How to Tie the 10 Most Useful Knots


Images
057-080-01-01.JPG
Mother Earth News editors

1: Overhand Knot
2: Figure-eight Know
3: Reef (Square) Knot
4: Sheet (Becket) Bend
5: Carrick Bend
6: Bowline
7: Clove Hitch
8: Timber Hitch
9: Taut-line Hitch
10: Sheepshank

Reduce Junk Mail

Reduce Junk Mail: Five Money Saving Tips

"I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees." – Dr. Seuss

Landfill and Junk MailThe Lorax tells the story about the plight of the environment and how we need to shift our emphasis away from consumption to a sustainable quality of life. Dr. Seuss encourages 4-year-olds to save trees. As a 40-year-old, I'm trying to save the environment.

Last week, a friend sent a gift for my fortieth birthday from a service that stops junk mail, plants trees and will hopefully help save the environment. I now have a membership to GreenDimes. Here are five tips to save time and money by trying to eliminate unsolicited offers in your mailbox.

Tip #1: Use an online service to reduce the amount of junk mail that you receive. Here are three that will do it for a small fee:

www.greendimes.com
www.41pounds.org
www.stopthejunkmail.com

Here's how GreenDimes stops junk mail. They write, "We've researched dozens of direct mailers and literally thousands of catalog publishers. They contact direct mailers and catalog publishers on your behalf and make sure that you stay off of their mailing lists. Most junk mail from national and regional direct marketers will stop, including credit card offers, insurance offers and unsolicited coupon flyers."

Tip #2: You can save the fee by writing the direct marketers yourself. Eco-Cycle provides a step-by-step guide to remove your self.

Tip #3: Call this Opt Out number: 1-888-567-8688 New American Dream writes, "The main consumer credit reporting agencies, TransUnion, Experian and Equifax, maintain mailing lists that are often used by credit card and insurance companies to send out junk mail. The good news is that you can call a single number to get your name and address removed from the mailing lists circulated by all three agencies (as well as that of a fourth company, Innovis)." Just call: 1-888-5-OPTOUT!

Tip #4: Ask Congress to create a national Do Not Junk registry modeled after the successful Do Not Call registry. Take action here!

Tip #5: Stop mail addressed to former residents. Are you still receiving mail address to a former resident? Jeanine and I still get a monthly credit card statement for the couple that we bought our house from. For two years, we've written, "Please forward, not at this address" on the envelope and nothing happens.

So here's a suggestion from the County of Los Angeles – Dept of Public Works: "If the former residents of your house neglected to fill out a 'Change of Address Form' or it expired, you can fill one out for them. You must fill out a card for each unique last name."

"On the card write 'Moved, Left No Forwarding Address' as the new address. Sign your own name and write on the form 'Form filled in by current resident of the house, (your name), agent for the above'. Once submitted, this information will be entered into the U.S. Postal Service's National Change of Address (NCOA) database and remain active for a year and a half."

Time is money. According to the Center for a New American Dream, each of us will spend an average of eight months of our lives dealing with junk mail. Take 20 minutes and get off the lists!