Welcome

to my *virtual* coffeehouse!

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

 

 

  

---

 

Last updated

 Friday, July 3, 2009

 

 

  

 

Cleo has been searching for her next Coffee Pick. TODAY she will announce it! Stay tuned...

 

You can read about Cleo's previous "Coffee Picks" by scrolling all the
way down the right column of this Home Page.

 

 

If you have a suggestion for a future
Cleo "Coffee Pick,"or "Special Java Mention"
let Cleo know...

 Send her a Coffee Pick e-mail 
@ VillageBlend@aol.com

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

Pupuccino

What is Pupuccino?

 Doggy treats in
coffeehouse flavors!

I kid you not: invetor John Dixon says his "caffeine free" dog treats will be available in various flavors including: French vanilla, mocha, hazelnut and others depending on your dog's taste buds. The treats are safe for dogs to eat and Dixon says making a deal with a pet food manufacturer is in the works.

     Okay, I might have considered this idea loco, but then I remembered the photo (above) that one of my Coffeehouse Mystery readers sent to me.

     Victoria, who lives in California, informed me that her cocker spaniel, Maisy Jo, loves coffee, as you can clearly see in the photo she took at the moment Maisy decided to finish the contents in one of Victoria's mugs. And Maisy wasn't just after the half-and-half in the cup. According to Victoria, Maisy even drinks coffee without cream!

     My point? Maybe Mr. Dixon isn't so crazy after all...!

 

Click here to read
the full "Pupuccino" press release.

 

 Till next time,
Cleo Coyle

 

  

 

---

 

 

 

Once again,

 

The Coffee
Countdown is On!

 

Wednesday evening, Cleo held her weekly
Free Coffee Drawing. "LAU" is the first part of
a longer e-mail address that Cleo randomly
selected from her newsletter subscriber list.
Now "LAU" has until Saturday, July 4th, to reply
to Cleo's notifying e-mail or Cleo will select a
new winner. Stay tuned! If the coffee clock above
keeps on ticking through Saturday, Cleo will hold
a new drawing Sunday morning, and YOU may
still win this week's drawing!

  

Sign Up for Cleo's
Weekly Free Coffee Drawings!

If you subscribed to Cleo's free
E-newsletter, then you are already entered
in Cleo's next drawing—and all of her future
weekly Free Coffee Drawings! To sign up hit the
button in the upper left corner of this site or send an
e-mail that says "SIGN ME UP" to Cleo's e-mail
box at: VillageBlend@aol.com

 

 

 Congrats

to my last four

Free Coffee

Drawing

winners!

 

 

 

Sherry of
Dunedin, Florida...

Vannie of South Orange, New Jersey!

Aimée of Levittown, Pennsylvania
&  Patty of Anza, California   

  

    

 Sherry, Vannie, Aimée,

Patty, and this week's

winner will each receive

a bag of...

 

Bishops Blend

 

Cleo's May-June

"Coffee Pick"

 

Scroll Down to read

Cleo's post and learn

more  about this delish coffee...

  

 

 To see the names and states
of many more of Cleo's Free Coffee
Drawing winners, keep scrolling down 
this Home Page...

 

 

  

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COFFEE: THE NEW BREATH MINT?

 

I think my character Matteo
Allegro, who pretty much defines the term "java lover," would
be highly interested in this bit
of coffee news!    

—Cleo Coyle

 

Scientists have discovered that an extract from coffee can inhibit the bacteria that leads to bad breath! If you're a reader of my Coffeehouse Mysteries, then you already know I'm always on the lookout for interesting coffee news. When I saw this story about coffee preventing bad breath, I thought of my character Matteo Allegro. No surprise, given the man's primary concerns are: (1) Coffee and (2)...

 

 Well, you get the idea...

Anyway...experts say this discovery may
lead to an entirely new class of mouthwash, breath mints and gum. So pucker up,
java lovers - and look for my mention of this bit of valuable trivia in one of my future Coffeehouse Mysteries!

 

  Click here to read
the full story at MSNBC...

 

 

 Till next time,

—Cleo

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

    Click me ^

 

 —Captain Janeway

Star Trek: Voyager   

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

 He was loved and hated, both for
good reason, but he was also a genius.
His music and the unforgettable way
he performed it became an important
part of our cultural landscape as well as
our personal memories...
(including mine).

 

Goodbye,

Michael

 

 Your music is your legacy,

and it's a great one.

 —Cleo Coyle

 

 

 To watch

Michael Jackson

perform

Man in the Mirror,

Click here

 

   

 

 

 CLEO'S PREVIOUS
YouTube PICKS:

 

 * Click here to watch: "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" 

Cleo says:   This song should be Mike Quinn's theme!

 

 

 * Click to watch
 "Coffee, Coffee"

Cleo says: LOL with Neil Crevice: Weird Al Yankovic would be proud.

 

 

  

Click here to watch

Star Trek Coffeehouse

 

Cleo says:
Kirk orders a latte.
Nonfat.

 

 

 

 

 

 If you have a "Coffee" themed
YouTube Pick,  let Cleo know.

Send her a YouTube Pick e-mail 
@ VillageBlend@aol.com

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

  

 

 

Learning to Coffee Lingo

 

 

 Hi there. Cleo Coyle here. If you've been reading my Coffeehouse Mysteries, then you know when a coffee  industry professional sips coffee, he or she considers an array of factors in evaluating the cup.  Entire books have been written on this subject, but you can learn some of the basics by reading food critic Laura Reiley's recent post for the St. Petersburg Times. Kudos to her for covering the basics in a brief, down-to-earth piece.  Clare Cosi would approve!

 

To read Laura's article, click here.

 

Till next time,

—Cleo Coyle

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

  

 

 

TIME TRAVELERS
or CIVIL WAR REENACTORS?

You decide...

  

Click on pic to go to NJ.com

 

Hi there. Cleo here. Had to share this great news photo from the perpetually overcast Northeast.

Rain, rain, go away!

   Click here or on the pic
to learn more about the
2nd Untion Brigade's coffee break
in New Jersey.

Drink with joy, gentlemen!

 

 

 

 

Till next time,

—Cleo Coyle

 

 

 

 

---

 

  

 

 

 

 

   If this is coffee, please bring me
some tea; but if this is tea,
please bring me some coffee.

 

 —Abraham Lincoln

 

(Oh, snap, Abe!)

  

   

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

 A quick and easy yet sinfully delectable chocolate cookie that makes great use of your leftover morning brew.

 

To get my free recipe, 
click here. 

  The document will appear in PDF format
(Adobe Reader). Simply print out the recipe
or save it on your computer.

 

 

Hi there, Cleo Coyle here. I'm perpetually on the lookout for recipes that make good use of leftover coffee. My husband and I drink a lot of it (big surprise, right?!) and we often have a cup or more leftover by the end of our writing day—various dregs from morning and afternoon pots o' joe.

My "Cuppa Joe Mocha Drops" make good use of that coffee. The cookies are moist and satisfying, like really good chocolate brownies, drenching the palate with sweet, chocolate flavor while offering a swirling hint of dark, sultry coffee in the background.

     I was inspired to create my Mocha Drops when I saw this recipe for Molasses Cookies, recently posted online by reporter Elizabeth Pudwill at the Houston Chronicle. Like my Mocha Drops, this recipe calls for almost a cup of cold coffee as an ingredient. It's just another idea for leftover joe—because why not make use out of every last drop?

Eat with joy,

—Cleo Coyle

  

Scroll Down for more
of Cleo's posted
recipes including . . .

  

 Cleo's
Banana-Walnut
Muffins

&

Chocolate
Pots de Crème

 

 

 

      

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

    

  

Cleo's Next Free Newsletter
Will Go Out SOON* and
include a Bonus Recipe for

CLEO'S FRESH
STRAWBERRY PIE

 

 

* My writing deadlines on top of computer troubles (Arg!) have delayed this
sending. So Sorry! 

—Cleo 

 

  

 

---

 

 

 

 Cleo's Banana-Walnut

Muffins with

Sweet Crunchy Tops

 

 "Sweet, warm, banana-y goodness
from the oven. Yum."

 

 Can’t you just smell them? My Banana-Walnut Muffins with Sweet Crunchy Tops carry the fresh-baked flavors of cinnamon, banana, and brown sugar—and they make great use of your overripe bananas, too! They’re delicious paired with any coffee, but I think the brighter, lighter bodied coffees are the best match.Try them with African or Central American varieties or
your favorite Breakfast Blend.

       —Cleo Coyle

  

  To get my free recipe, 
click here. 

  The document will appear in PDF format
(Adobe Reader). Simply print out the recipe
or save it on your computer.

   

 

Scroll All the Way Down
for more of Cleo's posted
recipes including . . .

 

 

 

Cleo's Chocolate
Pots de Crème

&

"Kerry's Spiedina"
An Italian Stew
that's also a great
pasta sauce

 

  

 

 

---

 

  

NURSE JUDY DOES NEW ORLEANS!

 Check out the fun Coffee Talk Message Board post from Coffeehouse Mystery reader "Nurse Judy," who is also a frequent contributor to the board. Today she gives us a taste of some of her favorite restuarants in NOLA and I embedded the links for you. To see the post and my reply, you must go to my message board. Click on the

  Green Chalk Board in the
upper right column

>>>>>>   >>>     >>

Or click on the little Coffee Cup in the
upper left column that says:

"Go to Cleo's Message Board"

<<<     <<<<<<    <<<<<

 

If you'd like to make your own beignets
(pictured above), click here to check out this delish recipe posted on a blog dedicated to
New Orlean's cuisine!

 

—Cleo

 

 

---

 

 

 

GOOD FOR

YOU 2

 

As my fictional sleuth Clare Cosi always says, too much of anything, even water, is never a good thing. The same goes for coffee. Flooding your system with bean juice is far from a wise idea, but studies show that drinking a moderate amount does appear to have health benefits . . .

     

To read a nicely footnoted
article on the health benefits of
drinking joe, click here.

 

 

Till next time,

—Cleo Coyle

 

 

  

---

 

  

 

  

“It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity. I bet this kind of thing does not happen to heroin addicts. I bet that when serious heroin addicts go to purchase their heroin, they do not tolerate waiting in line while some dilettante in front of them orders a hazelnut smack-a-chino with cinnamon sprinkles.”

  

—Dave Barry

  

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

Rx

Adopt a cat and
call me next year!

 

 

 

Study shows owning a cat
can reduce your risk of heart disease
and lower your blood pressure. Just one reason I gave Clare Cosi a
cat named Java!

 

 

Click here to read
about the study.

 

Click here to
learn more
about Adopt a
Cat Month. (June!)

 

 

Pictured above are three of the
NYC strays that I happily adopted,
along with their mother. Their
names from bottom left of picture:
Bobo, Cleocatra, and Rebel

 

 

Till next time,

—Cleo Coyle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

COFFEE BREAK

 

with...

 

 JOSH HARRIS,

 

the design student

who figured

out how to

get this...

 

to fit
into
this...

 

 Behold Josh Harris's Coffee Top Caddy, a nifty solution to those coffee runs for groups of friends and co-workers. "Okay, who gets two creams, one sugar; and two sugars, one cream?" 

 

 

Hi there. Cleo Coyle here. Industrial design is a marriage of art and engineering that we often take for granted in our busy lives.

Take the Moka Express. This beautiful, little eight-sided stovetop espresso pot didn't just appear off an assembly line—it was conceived and produced with care in the 1930’s by a talented metal worker and engineer named Alfonso Bialetti.

        I'm always curious about the creative process (be it writing or architecture) so when I noticed the "Coffee Top Caddy" posted online, I contacted the man who designed it:

       Josh Harris is a 21-year-old college student at Syracuse University, majoring in industrial design, which he explains is the study of product development.

      "This includes everything from tennis shoes to User interfaces on cell phones," Josh notes, "Everything that is unnatural had to be designed. My major makes sure we design these things to be useful, thoughtful and beautiful.”

 

 

 Till next time,

—Cleo Coyle

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

  Posted: June 10

 

 

 

Happy Birthday

Judy Garland

 

An American treasure.

 

Born - June 10, 1922

Died (at only 47) - June 22, 1969

  

 

If you know Judy only from her role as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, you are missing out on true genius.

       My favorite performance of Judy's is not in Oz, but in the film masterpiece A Star is Born (DVD pictured). Garland is middle-aged in this film; and, like my own heroine, Clare Cosi, her character of Esther (stage-name Vicki) has been knocked around by life, but she refuses to give up. Her spirit, spark, and humor are as bright as theater footlights, which is just one reason James Mason falls so hard for her.

   Judy was a master of communicating meaning and emotion through song lyrics, and her rendition of "The Man That Got Away" in this movie remains my all-time favorite female vocalist performance EVER.  In it, she conveys all the bittersweet heartache of a woman who has lived, loved, and lost—but still hopes, still dreams.

    Whenever I want to feel that moving and electrifying sensation one gets from a truly amazing performance, I pop the DVD of A Star is Born into my computer and click right to Judy's performance of "The Man That Got Away"...

 

Click here to see it
on YouTube.

 

    Just one of the reasons I love Judy—an American girl who became an American treasure...

 

Click on any of the links (below)
to purchase or read more about:

 

  

* DVD of A Star is Born

My link above will take you to the version of
A Star is Born that I recommend. It's the lovingly
restored release of this film masterpiece that includes scenes previously cut by the studio, some in still picture montages.

  

 

Click here to buy the CD one of pop music's
greatest live performances:
Judy At Carnegie Hall:
 Fortieth Anniversary Edition

 

     

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Judy.

You are still The BEST!

 

 

 

  

 Till next time

—Cleo Coyle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Pictured above: The Mud Truck, a popular gourmet
coffee truck, which used to be run by a married couple in NYC's East Village--like Clare and Matt, the two have now split, but the truck goes on! Click here or on the pic above to go to
the Mut Truck's Web site and learn more.

 If the recession is slowing your food service business, here’s some food for thought. Food Trucks are making a mint! Chef Josh Henderson, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, just told the Wall Street Journal he grossed about $400,000 last year, his first year in business, with only one truck in operation.   

 

Want to Find Gourmet
Food Trucks in NYC?

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best time for
planning a book is when
you're doing the
dishes . . .

—Agatha Christie

 

 

 

    

 

---

 

 

 

 

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO
STORE COFFEE?

 

Hint: Not this way! 

Yeah, I know. The question of how to store coffee is way too basic for your average Coffee Geek. And if you've read my first Coffeehouse Mystery (On What Grounds), then my amateur sleuth Clare Cosi has already answered this question for you. But if you haven't thought about the way to store coffee in a while or never thought about it, the answers may surprise you.

Click here for a brief, clear refresher
from a very cute site called YumSugar!

 

—Cleo

  

 

 

---

 

 

 

ANNOUNCING...

 

 Cleo's

May - June

Coffee Pick:

  

Bishops

Blend

 

Regular & Decaf

  

   

Hi there. Cleo Coyle here. 
My Coffee Pick this month is an incredibly smooth and satisfying coffee called Bishops Blend.

     As those of you know who've been reading my Coffeehouse Mysteries, a "blend" is a coffee that the roaster creates by literally blending a few types of single-origin beans. (Single-origin simply means that the coffee beans come from a single area—for example, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is a coffee that is grown in the Yirgacheffe region of the African country of Ethiopia.)

     Creating blends is a culinary art (something that my amateur sleuth, Clare Cosi, does as part of her job managing the fictional Village Blend coffeehouse), and I'm happy to report that the roasters for Bishops Blend have done a masterful job at creating theirs.

      The beans are roasted medium dark and the package came to me (via UPS) freshly roasted, beautifully oily, and smelling of chocolate. The coffee itself is a perfectly balanced cup. In no way flat—but not overly bright, either. It’s very smooth, almost creamy on the palate without a trace of bitterness. The finish is excellent, as well, with the slightest, pleasant "juiciness" you would get from an African bean but without the lemon or flowery notes, which makes it a cup that can be paired with almost any cake, cookie, muffin, or dessert.

     As the coffee cools, the notes include a slight vanilla flavor and even a touch of cinnamon; it’s a very “coffee” tasting coffee—one I could easily drink all day. In fact, I made a few pots of a Sumatra (sold by a major national company) and found myself not too eager to finish the cups. I couldn’t wait to get back to the Bishops Blend again; and when I did, I found myself downing every last drop.

     Even better, when you purchase a bag of Bishops Blend, a percentage of the money goes toward ERD (Episcopal Relief and Development), a charity that provides disaster relief around the world as well as enabling people in the poorest communities on our planet to climb out of poverty by offering long-term solutions in the areas of food security and health care.

  

 

 Click here to learn more
or purchase for yourself.

 

 

Buy a bag.

Change a life.

 

  

 

 Till next time,

—Cleo Coyle

 

 

 

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 LEARN ABOUT

CLEO'S PAST COFFEE PICKS

 

by scrolling ALL THE WAY DOWN
the right column of this Home Page...

>>   >>   >>  >>

     

  

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

Hug your independent bookseller!

   

 

NUMBER ONE!  

The Independent Mystery
Booksellers Association
posted its lists of
bestselling hardcovers
and paperbacks for April '08.

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

 

  

 

 

 

---

 

 

READING

GUIDES!

 

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

 

(Well, here's a little help...)

 

Free Reading Group Questions
are now available in PDF form!

 

 *

 

 For a free reading guide to
Coffehouse Mysteries #1 and #2
On What Grounds & Through the Grinder
Click here

 

 

 

#1 ON WHAT GROUNDS

&

# 2 THROUGH THE GRINDER

 

 

 

  

For a free reading guide to
Coffeehouse Mysteries #3 & #4
Latte Trouble & Murder Most Frothy
Click here 

 

 

 

#3 LATTE TROUBLE

&

#4 MURDER MOST FROTHY

 

  

 

 

Now
Available!

 

 

Reading guide to

 

 

Decaffeinated Corpse

 

For the free guide:

Click here.

 

 

 

 

 

  *

 

 

 

 

 

 Free guides
to Coffeehouse Mysteries

#6 French Pressed
&
#7 Espresso Shot

will be posted
in August.

      

 

 

 If you need the Adobe Reader software to read
the above PDF files, 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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MEET THE
GHOST

 

Meet the ghost: hardboiled private eye Jack Shepard, gunned down 60 years ago in a little bookshop now owned by a prim New England widow...

Being haunted by Jack isn't something Penelope Thortnon-McClure seems to mind—not when bodies start dropping in her little town. After all, Pen's never solved a murder before, but murder was always Jack’s business, even if he and his license did expire half a century ago . . .

  

Click here or on the dancing ghost
in left column to find out more about Cleo's Haunted Bookshop Mysteries.

 

National Mystery Bestsellers
Independent Mystery Booksellers
Association

 

        

---

 

 

 

    My recipe for...

Chocolate Pots
de Crème

 

 

Now available for free download!

Click here to get my recipe

in PDF format.

 

  

Scroll Down
for more of Cleo's posted
recipes including . . .

 

 

"Kerry's Spiedina"
An Italian Stew
that's also a great
pasta sauce

&

Cleo's Healthier Oatmeal Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

  

 

 

 

   

Click here to visit
"AgathaChristie.com" and learn more.... 

 

 

 

---

 

 

   

 

  The Divine

Miss M

 

  

Agatha Christie,
at home in Devon,
England, 1946. 

 

“Jane Marple is an unlikely literary heroine," writes Kate Mose in the foreword of a newly published Marple collection, "an elderly unmarried lady of a certain age living in St Mary Mead, a fictional village in the South of England.

   "At first glance there is nothing to mark her out, a relic of her Victorian upbringing, knitting and weeding the garden, not someone to whom anyone pays a great deal of attention. And this, of course, is precisely the point. Behind this façade is a shrewdly intelligent observer who takes advantage of the attitudes of those around her who see only a ‘fluffy’ old woman — including many literary critics, past and present — to pursue murderers, blackmailers, fraudsters . . . ”

The above was excerpted from the foreword to a new collection entitled The Complete Miss Marple, containing all 12 Miss Marple novels and 20 short stories by Agatha Christie,
published by HarperCollins.

     I have found sheer joy in writing the character of Clare Cosi, and she could never have existed without the great Agatha’s Miss Jane Marple, who inspired me in Clare's creation. So kudos to Agatha and to the Divine Miss M upon the publication of her complete works!

 

A final quote...

 

    “So what is it about Miss Marple that still attracts readers some 80 years on?” Ms. Mose asks in her foreword. “…changing times notwithstanding, the human heart does not change so very much. Love, jealousy, greed, anger, revenge — these are characteristics that endure, whether it be on a Caribbean island, among the tombs in Luxor, on the Devon coast or in an English village much like St Mary Mead. And, perhaps most important of all, because we recognise what Miss Marple’s companion, Cherry, says in Nemesis to be no more than the truth: 'Good people are scarce.' In art, as in life.”

 

I could not agree more!

 

 

Till next time,

Cleo Coyle

 

                  
More Miss Marple!
Read the short London Times
article, "Marple the Feminist," 
by clicking here!

  

 

  

---

 

 

  

 

 

 Cleo's Free Coffee drawing winners for
September '08 through May (so far): 

 

* Sherry of Dunedin, Florida

* Vannie of South Orange, New Jersey

*Aimée of Levittown, Pennsylvania

* Patty of Anza, California

* Big Steve of Pioneer, California

* Margaret of Pebble Beach, California

* Karen of Baltimore, Maryland

* Lin of Deltona, Florida

* Robin of Des Moines, Iowa

* Marla of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

* Scott of Sarasota, Florida

* Sandy of Yorktown, Virginia

* Stacey of Sidney, Ohio

* Lea of Clarksville, Tennessee

* Bruce of Buhler, Kansas

* KL of Elizabethtown, Kentucky

 * Jen of San Clemente, California

* Karla of Sugar Land, Texas

* Michelle of East Brunswick, New Jersey

* Cindy of Ocala, Florida

* Cheryl of Gaithersburg, Maryland

* Donna of Massillon, Ohio

* Jane of Cuba, Missouri

* Karen of Lincoln, Nebraska

* Christi of Bakersfield, California

* Sharon of Dover, Pennsylvania

* Jamie of Tinley Park, Illinois

* Susie of Brooklyn, New York

* Mary of Deerfield, Wisconsin - who "paid it forward" because she won last April! Java cheers for Mary!

* Sheilah of Wellington, Colorado

* Kimberlee of Joliet, Illinois

* Stefanie of Bainbridge Island, Washington

* Liza of Sacramento, California

* Karen of Yulee, Florida

* Anissa of Montgomery, Illinois

* Noreen of Tacoma, Washington

* Connie of Indepencence, Missouri

* Lorraine of Allentown, Pennsylvania

* Catherine of Amarillo, Texas

     * Brenda of Oakland, California

* Barbara of Cleveland, Ohio

 

 

---

  

 

 

MEET THE
QUEEN!

Shirley Jackson, 78 years young and
Queen Mother of the Totally Eccentric,
Adventurous Red Hatters of Vienna, Virginia!

 

 

Hi there. Cleo Coyle here. A short time ago, I received an intriguing e-mail in my VillageBlend@aol.com box, which said:

 

"I can not put these books down and am sharing with all my Red Hat ladies and we just
love them . . .  After reading your Coffeehouse books, the ladies comment on how much they've learned about coffee and are out there tasting all kinds . . . please keep writing. Faster and Faster.

 

Well, of course, I was thrilled to hear from royalty (LOL) and even more intrigued by the idea of a crew of CM readers getting together in red hats. So I wrote back to Shirley and she enlightened me!

     You see, the "Red Hat Society" is a national organization (with a delightful story behind it, click here to learn more). The worldwide sisterhood has more than 30,000 chapters in all 50 states of the U.S. and in more than 25 foreign countries. Shirley is the head of her chapter in Vienna, Virgina.

 

"We are 8 years old," Shirley told me, "and have 81 members in our chapter. Our chapter does lots of fun things. We just had a breakfast for 161 ladies all in purple pj's and fun red hats . . . some bras and all sorts of silk undies."

 

 (Cleo is working on getting photos of this! Stay tuned!)

 

 

 

  

 

---

  

 

 Behold...

  Bruce Porter's

Java Art

  

 

 

"I love drawing what
I call Java Art,"
Bruce told Cleo. 
"I call this one
'French Roast'."

 

Artwork courtesy of
Bruce Porter.
Click here to visit
his blog/website
and see more of
his work.

 

 

To read Cleo's archived article
on Bruce, CLICK HERE.

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

JAVA CHEERS TO TOP FINISHERS IN
     2009'S
WORLD BARISTA
CHAMPIONSHIP!

 

Recently held in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

#1 UK

#2 Canada

#3 USA 

#4 Ireland

#5 Korea

  

Special kudos to
Mike Phillips!!!!

    

Mike Phillips is our 2009 U.S. Barista Champ and is now...

 

ONE OF THE TOP 3 BARISTAS IN THE WORLD!!! 

 

How did he
get there?

 

"I really care about what I do," 30-year-old Phillips told the Chicago Sun Times. "I really care about coffee and the entire chain of things, from where the coffee is grown and processed, all the way to the shop where it's prepared and the customers who enjoy it."

   Mike works as a barista at Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, Chicago, Illinois. Of this weekend's competition he said: "It's just you up there with a machine and a panel of judges. You have 15 minutes to show them why the coffee you're serving is spectacular . . . and the skills you have demonstrate that you are preparing it better than anyone else.” He modestly added: "I didn't come here to win, I came here to make some good coffee and have some fun."  

 

 To see an online video of Mike, shown at the
US Championships, which were held in
Oregon last month, click here. 

  

  

Till next time,
—Cleo Coyle

    

 

 

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Kerry's "Spiedina"
an Italian Stew

  

 "An old school recipe from an
old friend..."

After coming home from a trip to Italy last fall, Kerry Milliron, a longtime friend of mine, posted about a traditional Italian dish called spiedina. I asked him if he would share this recipe with my Coffeehouse Mystery readers. He was happy to provide the details, and I was happy to make the stew, take digital photos, and go into a food trance of enjoyment as I ate it.

     This old school Italian stew is a very simple one to make. It also brings me right back to my childhood when my Italian-born mother and aunt would make a long-simmering meat sauce for Sunday’s pasta. If you make it, may you and your loved ones eat with joy!

    —Cleo Coyle

 

  To get the free recipe, 
click here.

  The document will appear in PDF format
(Adobe Reader). Simply print out the recipe
or save it on your computer.

     

 

From Kerry's
Italian Scrapbook

 

Perito, Italy (above)

 

 

Kerry's wife Julie (above) "in a kitchen even more outdated than our own," jokes Kerry. Julie is standing among the ruins of Herculaneum, an ancient Roman town destroyed in 79 AD, along with Pompeii, by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

 

Above photos courtesy of
& (c) Kerry Milliron 2009

 

  

Scroll Down for more
of Cleo's posted
recipes including . . .

  

 

 

Cleo's Healthier
Oatmeal Cookies

 

 

  

  

  

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Cleo's Spring '09

Coffee Pick:

  

ROOSTER
BROTHER's

La Minita Estate

   

"...there’s a lot of bad, defective coffee out there so you have to cup regularly to find the good stuff. The coffee team of myself, Gene and Mike cup green coffee on a regular basis all year. This kind of evaluation is very time consuming and labor intensive, but it’s the only way to maintain the level of quality our customers expect. We also roast in the store, everyday.” 

 

—George Elias

Rooster Brother
The Store for Cooks

29 Main Street
Ellsworth, Maine 04605

 

Hi there. Cleo here. I’m thrilled to tell you about my Spring '09 Coffee Pick. It's a coffee grown in the Central American country of Costa Rica and roasted and sold by a little shop in Maine, USA, called Rooster Brother.

This outstanding coffee from the La Minita Estate was recommended to me via e-mail by a Coffeehouse Mystery reader in Bangor, Maine, named Bud Knickerbocker. (Hi, Bud!)

 Pictured above: Coffeehouse Mystery reader Bud Knickerbocker of Bangor, Maine. “Hi Cleo!” Bud wrote to me via e-mail. “Your reply has warmed my heart especially after the 18”+ of snow we had over the past weekend (picture shoveling, snowshoeing, five deer under the apple tree, and soft gray quiet along Route 15)…”

 

It took me a little while to try Bud's favorite coffee, and when I did – WOW. Java heaven! This cup is obviously very freshly roasted.

 

 

 Rooster Brother's
roaster > > >

 

 

 The coffee tastes both smooth and sparkly (yes sparkly!). It’s so brilliantly bright in the mouth that it’s a delight to drink. There’s a touch of citrus juiciness, like the best African coffees, plus a nice body (not too heavy, just right), and my husband (who has a better palate than I) even detected notes of berry – “blueberry,” he says.

      This La Minita Estate is clearly a primo bean, but the absolutely outstanding micro-roasting is also the story of excellence here. The roaster is a little shop in Ellsworth, Maine, called Rooster Brother. They roast everyday and cup green coffee (not all roasters do this – and it’s an indication of the care and quality at work here). 

 

Pictured above: Gene - Rooster Brother's Master Roaster. (Hi, Gene! Your roasting is awesome!)

 

If I lived anywhere near Ellsworth, Maine, I’d be visiting Rooster Brother at least once a week - no doubt! As soon as I saw a picture of their shop online, I thought of my Haunted Bookshop mysteries and all the great Victorian buildings in New England. (Remember the Second Empire mansion that mailman Seymour inherits in The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion? 'Nuff said!)

 

 Pictured right: The Victorian building that houses the Rooster Brother store in Ellsworth, Maine (There's only one)!

 

George Elias and his wife, Pamela, started Rooster Brother 22 years ago. According to George, their building is one of the largest wood-frame structures in Maine. “It was built in 1895,” George wrote to me. “Originally built as an Odd Fellows Hall, it has been a car dealership, a general store and bicycle shop, a hardware store and now us. The building has approximately 12,000 square feet of floor space on four floors.”

   In addition to coffee, Rooster Brother sells wine, cheese and bread. On another floor they have cookware, knives, china, textiles and kitchen tools. On floor three, they have a kitchen that bakes bread, cookies, croissants and other goodies. (I’m SO there!)

     “The Rooster Brother store is a wonderful place to shop for coffee, tea and kitchen supplies,” Coffeehouse Mystery reader Bud Knickerbocker told me via e-mail. “We love going there for the smells and tastes they provide. Acadia National Park isn’t that far from their store and makes for a great day in Downeast Maine.”

  

Pictured right: Donna, who's worked at the Rooster Brother coffee counter for 22 years.
(Hi, Donna!)

 

Their online store is equally impressive. The care Rooster Brother puts into their cupping and roasting extends to their packaging and shipping.

(I say this after having recently sampled coffees from other roasters who not only poorly roasted their beans but shipped them to me stale. Ugh.)

     Needless to say, my experience with Rooster Brother was a high-quality one. I totally felt the love! Like Clare Cosi, these folks obviously care about the integrity of their product, have pride in their business, and want their customer's experience to be a good one. Their online store was easy to use, the confirmation of order was quick, and the UPS delivery flawless (with tracking). As for the Costa Rican source of their La Minita, George explained to me:

 

“We have a special relationship with La Minita, the estate in Costa Rica where this coffee is produced. All of us on the team have spent time on the farm and at the mill so we understand the process."

 

Pictured left: Mike from Rooster Brother's coffee team, picking ripe coffee cherries on the La Minita Estate farm in Costa Rica.(Hiya, Mike!)

 

I really enjoy learning about the origin of the coffee I drink—the long journey those beans take from soil half a world away to my little coffee mug. Well, thanks to Internet magic, you can *virtually* visit the Costa Rican farm where this coffee is grown by clicking here.

 According to George at Rooster Brother, the farm's owner, Bill McAlpin, is devoted to not only the quality of the coffee, but also the quality of the workers’ lives. There is housing, a medical clinic and even a soccer field on the Estate.

     Finally, George let me know that La Minita is often referred to as the “Lafite” of coffees because it is one of the world’s best and most consistent.

     Agreed! If you'd like to learn more about Rooster Brother or purchase the La Minita Estate coffee (or any of their other coffee or products), visit their web site by clicking here. They have a newsletter, too!

 

 

Till next time,

—Cleo Coyle
author of
The Coffeehouse Mysteries

 

  

A "Coffee Pick" P.S...

CM reader Bud Knickerbocker definitely knows his coffee! His brother (Dickie) and sister-in-law (Lisa) run St. John’s Coffeehouse in Covington, Louisiana, a place that has a lot in common with my fictional Village Blend! For one thing, it has a great history (the building it occupies is over 100 years old), and for another, St. John's obviously strives to be a warm and welcoming place for its community....

Pictured above: St. John's Coffeehouse
in Covington, Louisiana

 

According to Bud, “Dickie and Lisa lost their house as a result of Hurricane Katrina, but their coffeehouse never closed down. They provided their City with a quiet place to sit for a while.”

     That's just awesome. If you’re near Covington, Louisiana, Bud invites you to stop in at St. John’s Coffeehouse and say: "Bud says hi from Maine!"

      Click here or on the link below to *virtually* visit Dickie and Lisa’s St. John’s Coffeehouse online.

 

http://www.stjohnscoffeehouse.com/index2.html

 

 

 

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Cleo's Healthier Oatmeal Cookies

*with optional Maple Glaze

  

 “My version of this classic cookie recipe
uses more fiber-rich (& heart healthy) oatmeal than traditional recipes; also less sugar, less white flour, and I cut the butter in half by using applesauce—which also brings a delicate apple flavor to the party. The optional maple glaze gives you versatility, too.”

—Cleo Coyle

 

 To get my free recipe,

click here.

  The document will appear in PDF format
(Adobe Reader). Simply print out the recipe
or save it on your computer.

   

 

  

 

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   THE
AMANDA PROJECT!

 

  

Hi there. Cleo here. While researching today's coffeehouse culture for my series of Coffeehouse Mysteries, I took classes from Joe the Art of Coffee's adorable head barista and Director of Coffee, Amanda Byron.

  A Seattle transplant, Amanda is one of the top baristas working in New York today, and her advice and insights on working as a barista were a great help to me in writing the Coffeehouse Mysteries.

      Check out her pic below: Last year, Amanda appeared on The Martha Stewart Show (now seen @11 AM on Channel 4 in NYC). Click here for your own local listings...

  

Below is Amanda's
frothy handywork...

  

Pictured above: Amanda Byron, coffee director of
Joe the Art of Coffee, the Greewich Village coffeehouse that's been one of my inspirations for my ficitonal Village Blend. Amanda is showing Martha Stewart how to create latte art.

 

 

 

With a flick of her wrist, she creates a
beautiful rosetta using steamed whole milk.

 

  If you're planning a trip to NYC, check out the coffeehouse that Amanda oversees as coffee director...

 

(Click here to visit Joe, the Art of Coffee online and get directions.)  

 

   

So now you know
why Cleo loves Joe.

  

  

 

 

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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...

 

 

Hi there. Cleo here. I grew up in a family of food-loving Italian immigrants. I've worked in food service, taken cooking 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 new mystery Espresso Shot, both benefited from my talks with culinary pros. Below are excerpts from my interview with Andrew Bales, Executive Chef of the top-rated Bin 54 Steak & Cellar in Chapel Hill, NC....

   

 ------------------------------------

CLEO COYLE: 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.

  

 

Pictured:
Executive Chef
Andrew Bales,
in his kitchen.

 

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

  

CHEF BALES: The management 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.

 

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.

  

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

 

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

 

  

 

---

 

 

 

 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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COFFEE TALK

 

Below are some fun posts
and e-mails that I've received
from readers...

—Cleo Coyle

 

 

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: 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!

 

 

 

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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RE-POSTED 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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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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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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