I let some intuition do the driving here as I wasn’t quite sure what I was up to but had a good inkling of where it was going to head.  This is not a quick recipe but it is rewarding and can feed up to 8 or give you leftovers galore. You can cut corners and I’ll let you figure that out. For me we have a huge supply of heritage tomatoes (tear drop, zebra, polish) I wanted to assimilate.

Spagetti Sopressata Bake

• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup pasta water
• 1/2 cup bell pepper
• couple bay leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 med. sweet onion
• 8 oz mushrooms (a package)
• 1.5tsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 lb sopressata (sliced & Julianned or cubed)
• 3/4 lb uncooked thin spagetti
• 2 cups Italian cheese blend (or favorites)
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tbls oregano
• 3 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp sugar

Cooking Steps, Start the Sauce

1. Smash and dice garlic
2. Dice chop onion, pepper
3. Food process or dice your tomatoes
4. Heat deep saucepan over med-high heat
5. Combine garlic, onion, pepper, 2 tsp salt, pepper, garlic powder in saucepan.
6. Heat until soft, about 3m
7. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and bay leaves
8. Raise to a boil and simmer covered for 30m

Sautee Time

1. Take your soporessata sauté/fry to a light/medium crisp, remove & set aside
2. Chop mushrooms, add butter—sauté through sweating, add 1tsp salt & some pepper continue cooking to your liking
3. Once first 30m is done with sauce add these to it for another 10-15m uncovered

Casserole Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 350’
2. Prepare spagetti according to package/your taste
3. Take 1 cup pasta water, add to sauce
4. It’s about layers; add sauce to baking dish, add noodles, add cheese
5. Top layer should just be sauce
6. Bake for 30m
7. Grate/add parma to top, return to oven at broil for 5m

Remove from the oven and let it sit 5-10m.  During which time you can make some garlic bread, tasty salad, or a side of choice.  Cut into portion squares and enjoy!

We got a healthy dinner, packaged 2 sizable portions, and are freezing a few portions for a quick meal in the future.

I think I’m finally fully out of my meat-choco-coma. It took a few days and a lot of chocolate bacon flashbacks, but I think I’m well on the mend. Mine and others in our area were struck with this fantastic affliction last Sunday when Lell Trogdon opened her doors for a friends fundraiser like no other.

Lell in conjunction with Serena, the Grateful Growers wonderful products, the Secret Chocolatier, and a cast of friends and family helped us reach far towards our Terra Madre goal!

Some Snapshots

If you are having trouble viewing what is below check out some of the pictures on flickr.
[swfobj src=wp-content/files/Flash/Fundraiser/Lell_Fundraiser.swf /]

A Day of the Porcinus

It cannot be understated what great pork raisers Grateful Growers are. It can also not be understated what Lell Trogdon can do with such fine materials. Pork shoulder, butt, ham, bacon, bratwurst and more were soaked, slathered, slow cooked, grilled, to perfection. Thunder Cats.. Hooo… oh wait. I digress.

In addition there was scones, cream sausage gravy, eggs with sausage and eggs with green chilis, with cheese grits for breakfast. Lunch onward was served the bulk of the meats and a few vegetables and a vegetarian lasagna made an appearance, but it was mostly about pork.

A meat induced coma was seen drifting in peoples eyes all day. It was awesome.

Dirty Little Secret

The Secret Chocolatier brought his upcoming arsenal of chocolate might out for a tour. Bill Dietz is my chocolate superman, he shares that title by many adoring fans in our area. We’re working hard to grow that fan base (join today!) and to that extent are opening up his culinary war chest to bring out some great eats.

The vast chocolate landscape included an almond encrusted triangular chocolate pate with accompanying caramel sauce, a chocolate mousse, a chocolate torte, chocolate chunk brownies dipped in dark chocolate coating, a chocolate fudge cake with chocolate icing, a chocolate fudge cake with cream cheese icing, and a carrot cake with cream cheese icing. Phew.. if the thought of that at your party doesn’t make you quiver, you don’t love a great dessert.

If the meat didn’t do it, The Secret Chocolatier did. Some looked frantically around for a place to nap. An outdoor sofa awaited many.

Pandora Traffle

Did I mention that The Secret Chocolatier donated a Pandora truffle for raffle? Weighing in at 16 oz it is something to behold, and hopefully to be shared by many. It was contended for, fought over, people schemed, but in the end the wonderful Denise Kuntz was given a phone call that she had won the prize (to the devastation of the still hanging crowd). Luckily Denise is sweet and said she would share!

All For Who? What?

All because Robin and I really want to be a part of a great experience with more great people in an effort to grow, capture, and bring back some of the inspiration of Slow Food’s Terra Madre. We’ve been fundraising for a few weeks and have had a great outpouring from family, friends, and even local farmers who share our passion, or want us to bring them back some of the experience.

Quick Terra Madre Primer, bi-ennial event in Turin, Italy:
What do you get when you build a conference around sharing culture, tradition, survival, and growth of the worlds food system.
5000 farmers, 1000 chefs, 2000 students and volunteers to collectively communicate.

We Help Each Other

I’ve taken to heart over the past few years that friends help each other. It’s been a rocky time for everyone I’ve known, across industries, across regions, but we share out support be it with kind words, time, opportunities, and out of pocket. Our friends are pivotal in our growth and we are so very blessed in having good ones.

Thanks to everyone who made our morning, lunch, and afternoon such a delight. To those who could not make it you were missed and while we tried to make up for your loss, we do poorly compared to the real thing.

Our goal is not met and we’re charging on! If you can help us let us know! (It’s a karmic win too!)

[Charlotte Shout](http://charlotteshout.com) culminated it’s month long September activity list with a [culinary arts showdown](http://charlotteshout.com/nav.cfm?cat=44&subcat=211). One of the guest chefs for the event, Mary Ann Esposito of [Ciao Italia](http://ciaoitalia.com/). Mary Ann and her daughter-in-law / scheduler extraordinaire Jennifer Esposito met with me for a lunch at [Ratcliffe on the Green](http://ratcliffeonthegreen.com). The conversation coursed around [Slow Food](http://slowfoodusa.org), world views, horticulture, and more; making for one of the best discussions I’ve participated in of the year.

If you’re a cook, a chef, or a watcher of our [public broadcasting station](http://www.wtvi.org) you have to have heard of Mary Ann Esposito. [Ciao Italia](http://ciaoitalia.com) has been on the air for almost two decades teaching the Italian way of cooking. She’s produced volumes of books, and is steeped in the Italian culture that was her grandmothers heritage.

Mary Ann has seen the division of cultures from American to Italian. As well being a Slow Food member who has enjoyed dinner and discussion with Slow Food founder [Carlo Petrini](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Petrini) this wonderful woman is honed when it comes to food choice understanding. She spoke of our cultures lost nature and how we’ve inadvertently let companies build our culture for us.

“We’ve lost respect for our food; many don’t even understand where food comes from.”, said Mary Ann. Her thoughts of change rest with our children, the seeds of the future. By bringing food back into the education system we bring attention from the beginning. That’s not all though we should be gardening for ourselves. Mary Ann and I reminisced on the Italian way of life where most if not all homes had some form of a garden from edible to herb. There is profound learning that comes from tending and toiling in the soil.

Mary Ann also talked of the breaking of the modern family unit and how bringing it back together started with meal preparation. It is an often asked question “How do two working parents and kids that are zinging around to after school programs have a normal dinner?” Ms. Esposito’s response was that the responsibility doesn’t fall to one individual, it’s the duty of the family as a whole. Let everyone participate. Book yourself for dinner, let it be an activity for your children. Children love to be put to work and explore; stage it so they can. Family meals require a little preparation and life is made easier if you use the three cupboard’s your house has; the pantry, refrigerator & freezer.

A funny moment happened when Ms. Esposito made a sweeping gesture when speaking of the “Stress for Thanksgiving”. She explains that we go through these giant gyrations to cook this once in a year meal when the reality is a [Thanksgiving](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving) meal is not really that different from any other meal. It’s the homes lack of general cooking that makes it such a stressed day. To which we with quick humor broke down the meal into fowl (or pork), casserole, bread, dessert. In a general sense that shouldn’t freak anyone out, right?

Not us foodies!

One thing on the mind of a local [Slow Food](http://slowfoodcharlotte.org) member dealt with the difference in agriculture zones and how should a Northerner deal with a shortened growing cycle compared to their southern counterparts. Mary Ann, while wishing she could plant earlier than May said we had to become more mindful of our regional foods. If the area has a longer winter the area must learn to conserve more. Canning and the harvesting of root or hard vegetables that can be stored for long periods of time. I can attest from holding winter squash an entire year (without preservatives heh) before turning it into a gratin that it’s possible to keep a crop. We also skimmed over food miles, gas usage, and the decay of the rail lines. I did mention that this woman has her chops up didn’t I?

On a softer note I asked her if she would ever publish children’s books. To me if we can’t get into the school system right some might see early readers or parent read books as a wonderful segue to it. Mary Ann said that she had a love for stories and that she had included a few in her book Celebrations, Italian Style. Her biggest roadblock seemed the publishers which is no surprise. Luckily publishers are having a harder time keeping afloat while self-publishing is rising fast. It’s my hope that Ms. Esposito will distill more of her love, history, and culture of her own into books for the little ones.

Before I reluctantly let Mary Ann and Jennifer go I asked how she stays motivated. She responded that she eats, thinks, and sleeps food. She loves to cook and pushes that out in every direction she can. It was an honor to break bread with these women and I hope I can spend more time with them in the future. If you would like to watch her in action [check here](http://www.pbs.org/stationfinder/index.html) for your local PBS affiliate. If they don’t have her on in your area let the station know your interest!

Luckily our Alice had the company of some adoring fans from our own celebrity chefs, the [Slow Food community](http://slowfoodcharlotte.org), and the [public at large](http://www.charlotteobserver.com/192/story/303217.html). From September 26th through 27th, Chef Alice Waters visited Charlotte, North Carolina gave talks, went on walks, and ate some of the best seasonal regional culinary fare the Queen City could muster.

North Carolina has lush land and when not suffering serious drought is a land of plenty. We’re overdue getting on the band-wagon of smart food choices for ourselves, our children, and supporting those that feed us. Alice Waters coming to Charlotte and delivering her [ideals](http://www.chezpanissefoundation.org/) to our city, our region, is a swift way to draw focus to the importance at hand.

Chef Waters was brought to Charlotte via the Grateful Growers, Slow Food Charlotte, and Charlotte Shout. Her first stop on her tour was the Johnson and Wales campus where she had a lunch with school officials and Compass Group associates. She gave about a 45 minute [lecture](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1443584153/in/set-72157602163643386/) speaking of the importance of food in our culture, lack of food culture, obesity in America, and how very few are taking the correct initiatives to change it because of the bottom line. It was a fantastic discussion where she laced a few beautiful provocative statements which went towards the Compass Group (the Compass Group is a mega-multinational-conglomerate with a hiring capacity over 500k, King Kong of the commercial restaurant business).

For the evening festivities [Slow Food Charlotte](http://slowfoodcharlotte.org) held a lottery seating for it’s members at [Ratcliffe on the Green](http://ratcliffeonthegreen.com/). There Mark Hibbs, Executive Chef of Ratcliffe, and Owner Zach Goodyear pulled out all the stops for a regional and seasonal Carolina tasting menu. Heirloom gazpacho, [Local salads](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1455086938/in/set-72157602163643386/), cheeses, [coastal fish](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1454221093/in/set-72157602163643386/), [stuffed chicken](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1455091552/in/set-72157602163643386/), [grateful pork](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1454226591/in/set-72157602163643386/), and a perfect soft [apple dessert](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1455095666/in/set-72157602163643386/) ending.

The next day she was greeted by Lell Trogdon of Slow Food Charlotte, and Kathleen Purvis of the Charlotte Observer and taken to [Grateful Growers](http://ggfarm.com) located in Denver, North Carolina. There she met many local sustainable farmers, chefs, and instructors from the area. The farmers of Grateful Growers, Natalie Veres & Cassie Parsons did the full tour explaining their raising of tamworth hogs, breeding program, how they raise chickens (the chics even get a good dose of classical music), and the movement cycles of the coop pens for the betterment of the land and the fowl. They ended their tour at the shitake logs which many Slow Foodies and friends helped last November to plug. They had just bloomed a few days before we got there and they plucked one off a log for Chef Waters. By the looks of it she really enjoyed her time with the farm girls.

With the sights and sounds of a farm in our heads many of us caravaned over to the Art Institute of Charlotte to follow Ms. Waters to her next visit. At the Art Institute she signed books and met more of our local chefs and dignitaries. Then [Chef Joe and Chef Tany](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1467877431/in/set-72157602163643386/), with the help of their culinary students, produced a magnificent six course meal that left us all wobbly. [House cured charcuterie](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1468717854/in/set-72157602163643386/), [butternut squash soup](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1467870803/in/set-72157602163643386/), [goat cheese puff pastry](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1467868997/in/set-72157602163643386/), [local pork belly & shank](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1467872927/in/set-72157602163643386/), [beef short-ribs](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1467845631/in/set-72157602163643386/), and a great [sweet potato cheesecake](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/1467875251/in/set-72157602163643386/). Again all local, all in season, all wonderfully presented.

After a short reprieve there was a reception for Ms. Waters at [Blue](http://www.bluerestaurantandbar.com/) with Executive Chef Gene Briggs. Alice got to meet some other regional Slow Food chapters and had a bit more face time with chefs of the area. Once again fantastic fare and enjoyable conversation followed her and this was no exception. There wasn’t as much time to relax and socialize as her main lecture at Queens Universities Dana Auditorium was coming up fast.

When she arrived at Dana I heard that she was amazed at the turnout. Thom Duncan said that Chef Waters was used to speaking to small groups of people and to have 500+ people show up to hear her talk was fantastic. We had groups from all over the eastern seaboard from New York to Florida that wanted to learn about the work Alice has been doing with the [Edible Schoolyard & School Lunch Initiative](http://www.chezpanissefoundation.org/work.html).

She went through a great speech calling out the education system for a lack of perspective. How were we teaching kids about their own and our planets emergencies. There was an urgency in her tone while she explained how food was culture and that we had for far too long relegated food to maintenance. The growing, cooking, serving, and eating of food is culture. That the more we separate ourselves the more we lose empathy, responsibility, integrated mathematics, design, biology, etc.

Living the fast food lifestyle of fast, cheap, and easy is driving us towards a sort of animalism. We teach by example and what we’re teaching is a dereliction of self and environment. Yet there was redemption in something as simple as a garden. How beautiful and poetic.

There are many things that stand in the way. The current farm bill promotes the food conglomerates getting cheap food, corn mainly, that allows them to make quarter sodas and feeding the population into obesity faster than we can walk. The farm bill should be a [food bill](http://slowfoodcharlotte.org/video/video/show?id=859287:Video:1383) and it should support farmers trying to create wholesome products raised through methods which produce a more nutritious, safer, food choice. It doesn’t, so get on the phone! The hidden cost of low cost fast foods is what balloons the health care bill while not at all making incentives for good business. The power of lobbyists.

Her solutions of getting kids graded on lunch, building gardens, bringing culinary ability back to the lunchroom, is a large endeavor with far reaching fantastic ramifications. It’s not insurmountable but it will require dedication and people, parents, teachers, turning on the lights of those above them. Everyone must see this for what it is, what it is doing, and wanting to not participate in the capitalising of Mother Nature via food conglomerates.

She left Charlotte with a standing ovation and chills running up many of our spines. Myself, and Slow Food Charlotte would like to kindly thank Chef Waters for gracing us and exposing us to better thoughts. As we carry this knowledge forward we would like to work with any group out there that is trying to facilitate change. Many activist, pro-humanist groups are working on the same problems and we need to touch base and support one another. Join us at [Slow Food Charlotte Online](http://slowfoodcharlotte.org) and participate in the discussion. Help move the needle forward.

In supporting a better set of food choices I participate heavily in [Slow Food Charlotte](http://slowfoodcharlotte.org). A group that by definition is working to hook up those in the fields to those who utilize their products; including keeping biodiversity alive in a world of constant consolidation.

Natalie & Cassie of [Grateful Growers](http://ggfarm.com) had a vision to host a [farm dinner](http://www.ggfarm.com/?page_id=9) on their property in a fashion like, but not connected to, the [CFSA](http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/) dinners in the past. They took on a hard challenge of wanting it to be an exemplary dinner as well as an educational tool.

To help with the education one of their earliest thoughts was, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if [Alice Waters](http://www.chezpanissefoundation.org/) could come?” With that in their minds they took off down a multi-month journey to bring the Queen of Organic to visit Charlotte.

As things would have it a multitude of scheduling conflicts is going to keep her from being at their wonderful dinner. Instead they have transfered that energy into helping her do multiple culinary school educational visits, holding a lecture on her [edible schoolyard program](http://www.chezpanissefoundation.org/edible.html), and signing books.

[Slow Food Charlotte](http://slowfoodcharlotte.org) is proud to be able to make her acquaintance and we hope you will to. If you have the time and want to get more involved with local agriculture, especially if you have children please join us Thursday, September 27th at the Dana Auditorium at Queens College for Alice Waters. You can buy your tickets [online](http://shop.slowfoodcharlotte.org) at the [Slow Food Charlotte Shop](http://shop.slowfoodcharlotte.org).

Thom & Nancy Duncan, Joe Bonaparte, Sammy & Melinda Koeningsberg, & Laura Beach gave recounts. Jump on over to the Slow Food Charlotte site and watch some of the footage I shot at the meeting.

As always if you want to look through the window of your plate and grasp more of the story behind it join Slow Food today!

Caffe Fresco has brought out a nice blend that can function in any role from espresso to press. Tony has done this by making a fairly bold blend that teeters into the french roast arena. This lets it stand up and not get lost on any of the levels. After touring some Yirgs this coffee had some gravity I had to adjust to. Since we ordered a few bags I’ve got some voluminous descriptors. In our first set I’m going through initial opening and three seperate cuppings. Then how it was as an espresso to cappuccinos.

This blend was created to support the Young Survival Coalition through their Tour de Pink.

Flossie’s Blend is a creation from deep within Fresco’s soul. A place where Vision is fueledby a promise to Flossie. Vision, along with patience and gumption, makes Fresco a viableentity. Fresco is ready to bring forward a message and cause, that’s been a long time coming!

— Caffe Fresco

Cupping / Vac Pot / French Press Notes

Bag Opening

• Steak
• Stew
• Fajitas

Fragrance

• Cigar
• Pipe Tobacco
• Dry Soil
• Old Earth
• Leaves
• Raisins
• M&M(tm) Shell/Coating
• Brownies
• Pie Crust

Aroma

• Outgassing (day 3)
• Cigar—burning
• Chocolate Souffle
• Steaming Brownie

Fragrance

• Dark Chocolate x3
• Chocolate Cherries
• Vegetal
• Sea / Ocean

Body

• Rich
• Thick

Aftertaste

• Mild Smokey
• Lingered
  

Espresso

Aroma

• Dark Caramel
  

Flavor

• Tart
• Apples
• Crisp / Snappy
• Easter Bunny Chocolate
• Raspberries
  

Aftertaste

• Clean
• Smooth
• Hint of Grain
• Cider
  

Cappuccino / Dessert (+sugar)

Flavor

• Chocolate
• Marshmallows
• Rich and Creamy
• Velvety
• Full bodied, robust
• Hint of Cherry
  
  
  

Afterthoughts; this blend in the vac/press realm kept toggling between a Kenya french roast or a full city+ Sumatra. It had enough boldness that I always wanted some milk to cut it. As an espresso it really had that classico Italian experience that really smoothed out with milk and softened with sugar. Venture here for something you can tour around your kitchen and feel good about supporting a good cause.

technorati tags:coffee, espresso, caffefresco, charitable, review

[Counter Culture Coffee](http://www.counterculturecoffee.com) has stepped up to the plate again with their new limited offering, El Salvador Grand Reserve Peaberry aka [Aida’s Grand Reserve](http://www.counterculturecoffee.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=61&category_id=3&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=72). This coffee was hotly debated in our cupping room and has since spread across vines; [Phil](http://onion-bean.blogspot.com/2006/11/aidas-grand-reserve.html), & [Jon](http://www.peacelovecoffee.com/blog/?p=63) are on board, as well it looks like [Murky](http://www.murkycoffee.com/2006/11/updates.html), 3 Cups, Pheasant Creek and a few others might actually have this darling on tap. That is if you’re ready for the new price ceiling of $45 a bag, that would break down to relatively 5.60 for a cup of coffee.

There are a lot of questions when you start delving into coffee. Most people don’t understand the sacrifice to the land and to the people for that .59c cup of joe at the gas station. Then again most people don’t understand their own local food chain, getting them to understand a foreign one is an even greater challenge. I asked [PeterG](http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciordia/72139376/) to help me understand what is going on here. I can be sold on ideas, I love new ideas! Here are a few choice selections from our conversation:

>Aida sorted peaberries from her three farms, which happen to be the three most desirable farms in El Salvador, from the coffee buyer’s perspective. Because she has a direct and very open relationship with her buyers, she approached us for input on what she should do with this coffee: i.e. submit it to the cup of excellence, offer it at private auction, etc.

>[…] Remember, the last time Aida’s farms saw auction they set records for the most ever paid for coffee (Kilimanjaro in 2003) and was the first-ever time a coffee producer had two coffees finish in the finals of a Cup of Excellence (also 2003). In contrast to the Petersons’ Esmeralda, Aida has shied away from the flashy auctions, and instead opted for direct, transparent, and committed transactions. Putting this coffee out to bid just was not consistent with that philosophy.

>[…] coffees at this level are about nuance rather than flash.

Peter and I agree on a lot. We want the coffee growers to feel like they can grow, can flourish, evolve without the bastardizing megaconglomerates taking whatever they want from the land and paying the individual less than sustainable. We also know that coffee in it’s next form is in it’s infancy. We are just now coming to terms with genetic impacts beyond anything our forefathers ever knew. It’s an exciting time to be in coffee as long as the world holds together.

What does this cup offer us beyond my notes below? It’s exactly what you want in a cup, just enough brightness, a smoothness paralleled only by other fantastic coffees, a stability that you’d expect from an award winning coffee. There are a myriad of little subtle notes that require a little inversion to meditate on. It really is a beautiful assembly roasted by artisans.

To me it’s a great step in the continued growth of the specialty community. To my father who drinks Folgers pods I doubt I will be able to get him to consider this a viable alternative. However the continued exposure I and others bring to these gems in an ocean of mediocrity it is my hope that we can continue to strive for that higher bar as humanists and nurturing better products out of the environment.

Cupping Notes

Fragrance

* Dried Fruit
* Lavender
* Peach Fuzz
* Milk Chocolate

Aroma

* Leather
* Tea like
* Green Grape Skin
* Cashew

On Break

* Plum
* Wet Soil

Brightness

* 5:10
* 6:10
* Snappy

Flavor

* Cashew / Macadamia
* Caramel Sauce

* Pear or Grape Skin
* Cardamom

Body

* Nice Coating
* Expected
* Round

Aftertaste

* Clean Finish
* Light Cling
* Very Stable

Tony Sciandra, the proprietor of [Caffè Fresco](http://www.doubleff.com/) makes a strong effort to educate those who buy his product. The general rules of thumb are posted on the site as well as in your purchase email he goes to a good length to make sure you understand how to use what you are purchasing.

>Fresco’s gentle roasting style ideally requires our espresso to have a min. of 5 days of rest after roast. Coffee, 3 days after roast. Day 8 is when the degassing completely subsides. For the sake of freshness it’s best to let the beans degas in their heat-sealed, one-way valved bags.

The Prime Flavor Window coincides with the rest and degassing. Our espresso begins to come into the window at day 5, and the optimum days are 7 through 14.

Your coffee has been roasted to a true Full City roast level. Therefore, for proper extraction use of a scale is suggested to measure the weight of the bean dosage. Suggest, 0.3 oz. of bean per 6 oz of water for coffee and 7 to 8 grams of bean for a single-shot of espresso.

This takes a lot of guess work out for new consumers and lets even those of us vetted to see roaster recommendations which help keep us in line. Tony lets you know the brew range as well to further create that perfect cup.

Enough common talk, what did we find. We started note taking on day 4, and finished the blend around day 12. I have to say this is one of the smoothest espresso’s I’ve had. Smooth is kind of hard to translate, was it the flavor, the body, the texture..what is smooth. Smoooth daddy-o. It was all of those things and more. It’s the most reocurring thought we had.

### Fragrance
* Caramel
* Mexican Hot Chocolate

### Aroma
* Roasty
* Clean
* Semi-Dry
* Wood…Birch maybe
* Sweet Cigar, mild

### Brightness / Acidity
* 3:5
* 2.5:5
* 4:5
* 3:5

### Taste
* Honey
* Clove
* Apple
* Cinnamon
* Toasted Almonds
* Ripe Banana

### Body
* Medium
* Comfortable

### Aftertaste
* Pastry
* Tart
* Mild Linger, then gone.

I would recommend this coffee to anyone from the beginner to a classic afficionado. As a shot it was refreshing and crisp turned into a cappuccino to latte it sweetens and near dessertifies (new word!). I found it never too heavy, never too bold. All things considered it’s just right, and it ages well too. I left one shot (beans) in the hopper and even at 20+ days it still retains much of it’s normal characteristics.

Here’s to quality purveyors of fine quality beans and practices. If you’re looking to try something new give [Caffè Fresco](http://www.doubleff.com/) some love.

-a

Check out his current latte art skill. This guy is killing me.

Look at his [flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/spinnaker007/) feed for more goodness.

Recently we sparked a little idea on doing online barista competitions through google video. Would anyone say his video is like throwing down the gauntlet? hehehhe! Sure wets my appetite.

Anyhow, it’s fun Steve. You rock. What are we learning next?