Welcome!

The coffee is brewing, the fireplace is crackling, and the muffins are baking. So come in to my virtual Village Blend to warm your bones and hang out for a little while.

 

—Cleo Coyle

  

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Now updating...

Friday - 9.5.08

  

Today Cleo's

Talking About...

 

 

 

We have a winner!

"Catherine" of Amarillo, Texas 
has won this week's FREE COFFEE drawing. Congrats, Catherine!

She won a free package of Cleo's
September Coffee pick.

 

 Stay tuned...

Cleo will announce her

September "Coffee Pick" soon!

 

Date and time of next coffee drawing

to be posted soon, too...

 

   If you signed up for Cleo's free newsletter, then you're already entered for Cleo's next "Free Coffee" drawing and all future drawings. To sign up, hit the button in the left column or send an e-mail that says:

 

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NEW 

READING GUIDES!

Have you ever wanted to hold your own
Coffeehouse Mystery reading group?
Maybe even over coffee or in a coffeehouse?

   

Free Reading Group Questions for Coffeehouse Mysteries 1, 2, 3 & 4
are now available in PDF form!

 

For a free guide to Books 1 & 2, click here

For a free guide to Books 3 & 4, click here

 

If you need the Adobe Reader software to read this PDF file,
you can get it free. Click here to go to the Adobe site
and click on the download Adobe Reader button. 

 

 

 

 

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My recipe for...

 

Chocolate Pots de Crème

 

Now available for free download!

Click here to get my recipe in PDF format.

 

  

 

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Congratulations to

Marsha of
Pawling, New York,

 

for winning last week's "Free Coffee" drawing!

 

 

Marhsa won a free package of Solar Roast Coffee. SCROLL DOWN to meet Dave and Mike, the two brothers who run Solar Roast, the only roaster in the world that uses solar energy.

 

   

 

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 Cleo's

Kitchen

Confidential

 

My talk

with

Executive

Chef Andrew

Bales...

 

 

Hi there. Cleo here. I grew up in a family of food-loving Italian immigrants. I've worked in food service, taken culinary classes, and dined out for years in NYC, but that doesn't mean I know what it's like to be a professional in today's culinary world. As a former journalist, however, I know the value of an interview for providing background and insights.

     My recent #1 IMBA bestseller French Pressed as well as my soon-to-be released new mystery Espresso Shot, both benefited from my talks with culinary pros, including Chef Andrew Bales, Executive Chef of the top-rated Bin 54 Steak & Cellar.

 

SCROLL DOWN
to read excerpts from my interview with him...

 

  

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Countdown to the publication

of Cleo's NEW

Coffeehouse Mystery:

 

4 weeks!

 

  Espresso Shot 
on sale 9/30

  

To pre-order
Click here

  

 

 

KIRKUS LOVES
CLEO

(& Clare & Matt & Madame!)

 

YEAAAAHH,
BABY!

 

The prestigious magazine
Kirkus just published
a review of my first
hardcover Coffeehouse Mystery!
 

   Review excerpt:

 

"Bridal jitters are the least of the problems for an amateur sleuth trying to smooth a path for her ex-husband's second wedding. Clare Cosi, manager of the Village Blend coffee shop, shares a past and a daughter with Matteo Allegro, who's about to remarry. Despite her misgivings, Clare's been hired to run the gourmet coffee and dessert bar at the high-profile wedding of Matt and Breanne Summour, the tough, beautiful editor of Trend magazine. Breanne doesn't much like Clare, whom she suspects of wanting Matt back. That's something Matt's mother, owner of the Blend, would dearly love to see, but Clare's moved on to NYPD detective Mike Quinn (French Pressed...[IMBA's #1 bestselling paperback, April '08]). When Breanne is almost run over by an SUV, it seems like an accident, but when a look-alike stripper hired for Matt's bachelor party is shot to death, Clare begins to suspect that someone wants Breanne dead...Clare visits underground restaurants, temples to high fashion and the hotel room of a seductive Italian sculptor in her attempts to keep the wedding plans on track and the bride alive..."

"A realistic depiction of New York City high and low life. The smattering of recipes, romance and caffeine-fueled detection add up to a lively tale."

—Kirkus

 

 

Click here to pre-order
Espresso Shot

 

 

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  Featured Interview
Posted August 23, 2008

 

 

 

CLEO'S KITCHEN
CONFIDENTIAL

 

 

An

Executive

Chef

Speaks to

Cleo about

Hiring, Firing

and Flaring

Tempers in

a Professional

Kitchen...

 

 

My Coffeehouse Mysteries Espresso Shot and French Pressed both benefited from talks with professionals in the culinary world. Below are excerpts from an interview I conducted with Executive Chef Andrew Bales at the top-rated restaurant Bin 54 Steak & Cellar of Chapel Hill.    

—Cleo Coyle

 

 

 

 

CLEO: As the head chef of a fine dining restaurant, you must face a lot of daily challenges with maintaining high standards for the food you serve.

 

CHEF BALES: At our level and our price point, if the dish is not prepared properly, it doesn’t get served. We’ve had to eighty-six an item because, for instance, I’d get a fish delivery and it’s totally substandard. I send it back. I won’t serve it. You get one shot at this price point. If you don’t do well the first time, your customer is not going to come back.

 

CLEO: As a manager how would you deal with a line cook who’s failing at his or her positing?

 

Pictured:
Executive Chef
Andrew Bales,
in his kitchen.

 

 

CHEF BALES: The managements starts with how we hire people. They get an interview. If they don’t seem too crazy and they're not high on their interview—and I’ve had that happen, people show up high or drunk for an interview. I had a guy fall asleep in an interview. (Cleo laughs.) Literally, we were talking and he’s nodding off. The interview is pretty basic stuff: a lot of cooking questions, questions about why they got into this business. Then we ask them to do something called “stage”(pronounced “staj”), which is essentially a day in the life. It’s an audition, a try out.

      They come in, prep a station, work a station with one of my staff. I want to see how they work with the staff, how they cook, their knife skills, how they handle themselves when it gets busy. And they’re interviewing us as much as we’re interviewing them. If they get through it and they don’t fall on their face, they get another interview, and we go from there.

 

    

Pictured: Part of Chef Bales sparkling clean domain.
A prep section of Bin 54's kitchen.

 

CHEF BALES: We’ve had plenty of people who’ve come in here—they said all the right things in an interview; they did all right things in their audition—and then when they come in to actually work, they kind of stand around and joke around and flirt with a waitress in the back and...they’re gone!

     My crew has been here a long time and if you’re going to fit in with them, you're going to have to work hard. They’re going to help you, but if you don’t keep up with them, work your butt off like they do, they’re literally going to push you off the line.

     One of the differences between a good restaurant and a great restaurant is how well the staff works together. And if you’re that guy who doesn’t want to work with people, these guys will let you know you’re not welcome here. Half the time, you don’t even have to fire people. They get the picture pretty quick.

 

CLEO: So tempers can flare in the kitchen? People can go at each other?

 

CHEF BALES: Oh, yeah, definitely. But if there’s a problem, you don’t deal with it during service. You deal with after service and you do it outside, or in the office. No matter what it’s about.

     There’s a sign on our cooler door that you see on your way out of the freezer and it says: "Whatever you do, let it bring joy." We’re in this business to please people. It’s service. I view this as a very noble profession.

 

CLEO: In the past, chefs like Tony Bourdain (a gifted writer as well a former drug addict and heavy drinker) have impressed the public with a kind of mythic "bad boy" chef image: The hard-partying chef and/or the temperamental bastard chef. What's your take on that?

 

Pictured:
Former Exec. Chef
Anthony Bourdain

 

  

CHEF BALES: As far as drinking or taking drugs: If you cannot come in and work 12 and 14 hour days, you can’t run a kitchen. Any job that you’re going to do well, you have to love what you do. And if you have to drink to get through your day, you better find something else to do. Owners won’t put up with it. If you’re constantly calling off, you won’t keep your job.

    The pan-throwing goes with a lot of the old-school style of managing restaurant kitchens. A lot of the older chefs—drinking and drugs were a part of it....People didn’t have a lot of social skills, and I did once work for a chef whose favorite thing to do was throw a pan at you.

     We don’t do that here. I’ve never yelled at anybody here—I can think of one guy I did yell at, but he was already yelling and screaming in my face and he was being fired...

    

CHEF BALES: I think the industry has changed a lot from those old days. A lot of the restaurants that are excelling employ more of a teaching aspect in how they treat their staffs instead of berating people because what are they going to learn—other than to hate you?

 

 

 ------------------------------------

 

Chef Bales was a great source of info. In fact his last comment above is what helped me shape my fictional Chef Tommy Keitel in French Pressed.

     If you read the book, you'll see that Chef Keitel is not a pan thrower (which his exec. sous chef turns into). He's the teaching variety of chef, who cares about his staff—which is why it was so easy for Clare's daughter to fall for him (LOL). Anyway, that "teaching chef" vs. "old school pan-thrower" was just one of the helpful insights that came from my interview with Chef Bales.

     You'll notice on the acknowledgement page of French Pressed, I thank Chef Bales by name. Once again, I send a hearty shout-out to him for the interview and the superb fire-grilled steak dinner! (The best perk of all that comes from interviewing a chef—YUM!)

 —Cleo Coyle

 

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Set a new course.
There’s coffee
in that nebula.

 

        Click me Î

—Captain Janeway

        

 

 

 

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 Hug your independent bookseller!

   

 

NUMBER ONE!  

The Independent Mystery Booksellers Association posted its lists of bestselling hardcovers and paperbacks for April.

 Cleo Coyle's
Coffeehouse Mystery:
FRENCH PRESSED
was the #1 bestselling paperback!

 

 

 

 

 

 

VISIT CLEO'S HAUNTED
BOOKSHOP!

Meet the ghost: Jack Shepard, private detective, gunned down in Cleo's Haunted Bookshop 50 years ago. Click here to learn more about this 2nd mystery series that Cleo writes under the name Alice Kimberly. 

       

 

 

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Top 10 Things To Do
With Coffee
(Other Than Drink It!)

 

...as suggested
by Hippyshopper.com

 

  

 

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Look who's been added to the

Village Blend Staff Page!

 

Name: Madame Dreyfus Allegro Dubois

Job: Village Blend Owner

Internet handle: "Coffee Queen"

Gender: Female

Age: 79 (and counting)

 

Read more by clicking on  the coffee cup icon in the left column labeled "Meet the Village Blend Staff."

 

 

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 Cleo's JULY - AUGUST

Coffee Pick:

 

 

SOLAR ROAST COFFEE

Pueblo, Colorado

 

 

Mike and Dave of Solar Roast Coffee in their Pueblo coffee shop. Click here or on the picture to visit their online site and see photos of their amazing self-built solar roaster, the only one of its kind in the world. Photo courtesy of and (c) Mike and Dave Hartkop. All rights reserved. Thanks, guys!

 

 §

 

What better "coffee pick" for summer than the only coffee roaster in the world to roast their coffee using a roaster powered by solar energy.

     The two brothers who own the business, Dave and Mike Hartkop, invented their first solar coffee roaster in their parents' back yard (in Oregon) using mirrors, a broccoli steamer, and old satellite dish. Today they roast with a custom-built solar machine in sunny Pueblo, CO. Their giant roaster, which they call Helios 4, uses sunlight in place of fuel on sunny days.

     I ordered a sampler pack of their own unique blends and thoroughly enjoyed it. (They also offer a sampler pack of single-origin coffees, which is a great way to sample coffees from around the world.)

     My husband and I were especially impressed with the "Zeus Blend" French Roast. Too many French Roasts taste too woody or smoky. The Solar Roast Zeus French Roast was smooth and refined. Richly dark and bold yet not overpowering. Very nice for an after dinner cup, especially since, as Clare Cosi would put it: The darker the bean, the less caffeine! (Zeus Blend, mmm-yum!)

 

    I found the answer to why their French roast is so good. Under FAQs on their site:

    Q: Does Solar Roasted coffee taste different from other coffees?

    A: Yes, but not only because it is roasted using solar energy! Our roasters are also designed to hold in the steam and hot gasses from coffee beans as they roast. Because of this aroma roasting, the beans retain a richer flavor and are not overly dried during the roasting process. This makes for a smooth rich flavor, without any burned bitterness.

     Cleo says: "Awesome!"

 

     Our second favorite of the Solar Roast blends was the Van Dieman. Complex and delightful on the tongue with a bright citrus note. Truly delish and great for a morning or afternoon pick-me-up cup. We also enjoyed their Willow Spring Blend, medium and dark roasted coffees blended together in a cup that was full bodied and smooth to the last drop. If you're looking for an espresso roast, they have one under the name "Aristotle Blend" - we didn't try this one, but if you do, let us know what you think!

     As to service: After I ordered online, they confirmed the order quickly by e-mail and sent the coffee in record time. Very efficient! Thumbs up for service, reliability, and even enthusiasm (they wrote a little personal note on my invoice, too)!

     Click here for the link to learn more about this unique American business. Props to you Dave and Mike. You've found an ingenious way to address the energy problems facing us all.

     Now will somebody please give these guys a plane ticket to Washington, D.C.?

 

Until next time,

—Cleo Coyle

   

   

 

   Congratulations to the winners of my July-August Coffee Drawings:

ELLIE of New Orleans, LA

SHARON of Harleysville, PA

&  JENNIFER of Glenolden, PA!

 

 Ellie, Sharon, and Jennifer each won
a free package of java from
Solar Roast Coffee!

 

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Cleo's May-June
Coffee Pick:

Papua New Guinea

 

Roasted by Williamsburg Coffee and Tea

 Click here to read Cleo's archived article about this excellent coffee -
"Jamaica Blue Mountain"
of the South Pacific!

§     

Congratulations to the winners
of my May-June Coffee Pick (below)!
ROBYN of Livonia, MI,
& KAREN of Port Orchard, WA

 

   

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3 TIPS

TO HELP OFFICE COFFEE TASTE BETTER!

So when I worked in an office some years back, a co-worker tried to improve the taste of the heinous pre-ground, pre-packaged coffee that our Office Overlords supplied to us.

     We had this flat-basket drip coffee maker in the break room and he'd make the coffee first thing in the morning by ripping open the aluminum bag, pouring the grounds in and adding a generous sprinkle of cinnamon.

     The cinnamon didn't work miracles: The coffee's taste was very mildly improved. But it DID send an amazing aroma through the office every morning!

     That said, I remain skeptical about suggestions like the ones in the article that I've linked to below. But the 10 suggestions of Mr. Curry's did remind me of three things I tried myself when faced with nothing but what the Overlords supply.

 

IMPROVING SEMI-HEINOUS
OFFICE COFFEE

 

CLEO'S TIP #1: 

Poor Girl's Mocha: Mix a half package of instant hot chocolate into the cup with the coffee. You want to pour it into the cup after your coffee is brewed. Then add your cream or milk.

 

CLEO'S TIP #2: 

 Pump up the Creamer Quality: Use heavy cream or half & half instead of skim or whole milk. To those folks worried about calories, here's the way I see it. Satisfaction with a really good cup or two of coffee will curb snacking so the extra calories for a better class of dairy will most likely help you stay on your diet.

  

CLEO'S TIP #3: 

Clean the pot! If your company's break room has a standard drip coffee maker, you can clean it with white vinegar. Pour a mixture of 1/2 part white vinegar and 1/2 part water where you normally pour the water. Run the coffee maker. Discard the pot of vinegar that's "brewed" up. Then run 2 more cycles with plain water. This will help clean the build up of bitter oils and mineral deposits in the machine (it shoud really be done once a month).  Click here for step-by-step instructions on cleaning your drip coffee maker.

 

For more tips on improving office coffee, and to read the article that inspired this one, click here!

 

—Until next time

Cleo Coyle

  

 

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SMELLING THE COFFEE

Science Daily reports that just smelling coffee may reduce stress and wake up genes in the brain that diminish the effect of sleep deprivation (in rats anyway). Click here to read more about this fascinating study - the first of its kind ever done.

—Cleo

 

 

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BIG COFFEE NEWS!

 Dubliner wins
2008 World Barista Championship!

  It's official! Stephen Morrissey of Ireland makes the best cup of coffee in the world!

   

     This year's World Barista Championship was held in Copenhagen, Denmark. Barista champs from over 50 countries competed for the top title, including the US barista champ, Kyle Glanville of Los Angeles.

     Winner Stephen Morrissey finished ahead of the national champions from Australia and the Netherlands in a competition to serve judges (in 15 minutes or less) four perfect espressos, four foamy cappuccinos and four signature drinks using espresso. Stephen impressed judges by flambeing a drink of panna cotta, blueberries, chocolate and espresso. Next year's competition will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA!

Click here or click here to read more.  

     

  

   

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MEET THE HEAD LIBRARIAN    

 

 Have you ever wanted to review cozy mystery books for a review site? Or start your own Web community? Then click here to read Cleo's archived interview with the founder of Cozy Library.com, the amazing Diana Vickery

 

  

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THE RETURN OF
JAVA THE CAT!

 

 

Reader posts on my green message board (in right column of this site) actually influenced a very special scene in my latest Coffeehouse Mystery: French Pressed (one that involved Clare Cosi's cat, Java).

To read the posts from readers and find out where the scene is located in the book, click here, where the article is archived.

 —Cleo

  

 

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CLEO GOES
TO JAPAN!

 

Here are some of the Japanese covers for my Coffeehouse Mystery series. (Funny...even though Clare Cosi's cat, Java, isn't exactly featured in every book, she's become the star of the Japanese cover art.)

 —Cleo

 

 

Cover of the
Japanese edition

On What Grounds

Java enjoying a delish cookie with her coffee...

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. version

 

 

 

 Published in Japan
by Random House
Kodansha

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Cover of the
Japanese edition

Through the Grinder

Java grinding beans
and frowning at mice stealing sack of coffee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 U.S. version

 

 

Published in Japan
by Random House
Kodansha 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover of the
Japanese edition

Latte Trouble

Java reading a "New Fashion" mag with a bottle of "Latte" in her arm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. version

 

 

 

Published in Japan
by Random House
Kodansha

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

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COFFEE TALK

 Below are some recent posts from my

Coffee Talk Message Board...

(little green board in right column)

 

E-mail notes can be sent to

VillageBlend@aol.com

 

 My answers are in blue

—Cleo

 

 

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COFFEE-DRINKING

COCKER SPANIELS

 

Meet Maisy Jo, a 14 year-old coffee-drinking cocker spaniel, owned and loved by Victoria, a Coffeehouse Mystery reader from California, USA.

 

Cleo recently received the following
email from Victoria...

 

 

Hello Cleo,

We are the owners of two "coffee" (cocker) spaniels! If I or my hubby walk away from our coffee cup for a second, it's gone! Thought it was because of the half-and-half, but they like it black too—weird! I have a picture on my cell phone of the 14-yr-old Cocker drinking out of my cup. Wish you could see it! Look forward to your next Clare Cosi novel!..I have all of your books and have enjoyed all of them! Pass them on to friends, but I always make sure they are returned to me! Be well.

—Victoria

 

Cleo's reply: Thanks for the adorable story, Victoria! And thanks for the picture, too. It made me smile today, and I thought it would make plenty of other people smile, too. So I'm very happy that you sent along the pic. Java joy to you and your hilarious coffee-drinking pups! You be well, too. 

—Cleo

 

 

If you have a comment or question for Cleo Coyle,
send and email titled: "Note to Cleo"
to VillageBlend@aol.com

 

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RE-POST FROM E-MAIL to VillageBlend@aol.com

Subject: "COFFEE MEMORIES"

Posted by: Davida of San Francisco

 

Cleo: I worked a small coffee kiosk my senior year of high school. Waking at 5 AM to open the booth and lay out the pastries. By first period psych class I had already had two eye openers (speed balls) and was sipping on a monkey mocha (banana flavored mocha). Our kiosk was in a hospital, and sometimes I would comment to the ER nurses pulling a double and sometimes triple shift (after making their quad shot, or worse six shot drink) that I totally didn't want them trying to find a vein in my arm. And then there was the doctor who always ordered her "why bother" Non Fat, Decaffe Latte...without the fat and caffeine, why did she bother? Anyway, I love your books, and would love to visit a real Village Blend someday.

—Davida of San Francisco, CA

 

Cleo's reply: GREAT memories, Davida. You had me laughing again. Thanks for sharing!

 

 

 

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POST FROM MESSAGE BOARD

Subject: "BOOKS MADE FOR COFFEE"

Posted by: Cierra Derrico, Georgia

 

Hi Cleo,

I love your books they are wonderful. I couldn't find that right mystery book until I first read Latte Trouble, then I started reading the other novles of the coffehouse books and I was hooked! You are a very talented writer and you really have a 9th grader (me) reading much more than I used to. Thanks for the very very interesting mystery books because I can just sip on some coffee, relax and read your books Thanks Cleo!!!

Cierra Derrico,
Clayton County, GA

 

Cleo's reply: Hi, Cierra! Thank you for stopping by my "virtual" coffeehouse. And thank you especially for reading my books. I am thrilled to hear that you enjoy them, and I'm absolutely delighted to hear that you're in 9th grade.

When I was your age, I discovered some of my favorite authors, many of whom I continue to read today. I can only hope you will continue reading me for years to come, too!

I see that you're from the beautiful state of Georgia!

I had the greatest time in your state when I visited Atlanta to attend "DragonCon" - that's a wonderful convention for fans of science fiction, fantasy, comics, and pop culture, among other things (all of which I love). So, in that spirit, I've baked you a "virtual" Georgia peach pie! This is actually a Maple Cappuccino Peach Pie, if you can believe it. There's a site on the Internet that sells a Maple Cappuccino SAUCE and this recipe uses it to create a peach pie with some very interesting flavors. Click here for the recipe or to find out how to get the sauce.

Thanks again, Cierra, for taking the time and trouble to stop by and post. Keep reading and I'll keep writing!

Java joy to you,

–—Cleo

 

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REPOST: FROM E-MAIL TO VillageBlend@aol.com...

SUBJECT: John Adams & joe

SENT BY: Marcia from NJ

 

Hi Cleo: I've been reading My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams, which my husband just gave me. I came across this bit of coffee history which I thought might interest you. I've copied it from the book which uses the spelling and punctuation just as it was written:

 

John writes to Abigail from Falmouth
July 6, 1774

 

I believe I forgot to tell you one Anecdote:  When I first came to this House it was late in the afternoon, and I had ridden 35 miles at least.  "Madam" said I to Mrs Huston, "is it lawfull for a weary Traveller to refresh himself with a Dish of Tea provided it has been honestly Smuggled, or paid no Duties"?

 

"No sir, said she, we have renounced all Tea in this Place.  I cant make Tea, but I'le make you Coffee."  Accordingly I have drank Coffee every afternoon since, and have borne it very well.  Tea must be universally renounced.  I must be weaned, and the sooner, the better.

 

 

Looking forward to your next book,

—Marcia from NJ

 

Cleo's reply: Great quote! Thank you, Marcia. (I've been enjoying the HBO mini-series!) 

 

 

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REPOST: FROM E-MAIL TO VillageBlend@aol.com...

SUBJECT: Java.net Coffee and Gifts in Houston, MO

SENT BY: Jane

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staff of...

Java.net Books and Gifts
418 N. Franklin
Cuba, Missouri

 

Cleo,

I read about the coffeehouse in Houston, MO, and wanted to let you know there is another new coffeehouse in rural Missouri. Jave.net uses Kaldi's coffee, which is roasted in St. Louis. Java.net baristas prepare a full line of specialty coffee drinks.

     The coffeehouse has computers and WiFi for customers, and sells new and used books. The operation is housed in a rehabbed 1930s Coca-Cola Warehouse. It has already become a social gathering spot. You will be glad to know that the shop's first book club meeting is discussing your book On What Grounds.

     If you are in the neighborhood, drop by Java.net at 418 N. Franklin in Cuba, MO. Cuba is also known as Rt. 66 Mural City because of its 12 outdoor murals along the Rt. 6 Corridor. I have pre-ordered French Pressed, and I am eagerly awaiting its arrival at Java.net.

—Jane Reed

 

Cleo's reply:

Thanks, Jane! I'm sending my shout-out to you and Java.net owners Mary and Joe Miller! I enjoy hearing about coffeehouses around the country—and letting my virtual "Village Blend" visitors know about them, too. I also enjoyed your wonderful article for the Cuba Free Press and linked to it below for anyone who'd like to read more. The rehabbed 1930's Coca-Cola Warehouse sounds absolutely awesome. If I'm ever in the area, you can be sure I'll stop by Java.net.

—Cleo

 

P.S. I'm reposting your photo of Java.net's delish iced mochas.

Cheers!

Photo by Jane Reed. Click here to read Jane's article!

   

 

Photo of Iced Mochas
served by Java.net
coffeehouse owner Mary Miller

 

"This drink is a shot of espresso, steamed milk with Ghirardelli chocolate, whipped cream, topped with more chocolate syrup and chocolate sprinkles. Definitely the chocolate lovers delight."

—From Java.net's website.

 

OH, YEAAAH,  BABY!

 

 

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E-MAIL SENT TO CLEO'S VillageBlend@aol.com BOX:

FROM: Karen

SUBJECT: "Good Idea"

 

Cleo, I think that you should eventually publish a Village Blend Cookbook.  One of my many resolutions is to attempt trying a recipe from the Village Blend.  Please note the word "attempt", that's why my son is a graduated chef from Johnson & Wales University.

—Karen

 

 

Cleo's Reply: 

Hi Karen. AWESOME that your son is a graduate of Johnson & Wales. What a great school!

     I recently took a class with a chef graduate of J&W (at a place in SC called Charleston Cooks!). He was great and told some wonderful tales about his training.
     In the coming weeks, I'm going to share a delish rice pudding recipe that I learned from him (and to which I added my own twist). You know, French Pressed might actually entertain your son! It focuses on a cutthroat New York restaurant kitchen. If he happens to read it, let me know what he thinks!

Thanks for the idea on a cookbook, Karen! Who knows what the future will bring!

  

—Cleo Coyle

  

 

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Visitors from across the USA,
as well as Canada and the UK, have posted on
Cleo Coyle's Coffee Talk Message Board.

 
To read even more posts and replies, click on the
green Coffee Talk chalkboard
at the top of the right colulmn and scroll down.

 

 

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