East Coast Barista

Busy and full of excuses

2007-01-26T21:28:00.000-05:00

Yes I am! I have a hankerin to post more but I am considering a wordpress format. I really Like the style.
But what good is decorating your house if you don't really live there?
So I am faced now with the question of, "How much time do I really want to spend on-line?" the answer is...Not alot.
I find life to be sweeter as a participant rather than a pundit.
I am training two new Baristi at the cafe, we are renovating the upstairs after 2 years of mantaining it s a massive storage space, I am accepting more free lance training jobs, I am more of a health nut now, and I have a myspace page to attend to. Here \On top of other coutless trivial everyday things that consume my time.
And then there is my pursuit of more intimacy in the Lord. He cannot be secondary to career, relationships, anything. I must alway delight in the Lord. What I have in this life is a gift. Far be it from me to not worship the giver.
So, yes, I am at a crossroads.
I believe I will keep blogging.
But just know that life is more than coffee, more than work, more than you...
Life is, and is only found in Christ.
-CD

Full Service

2006-09-12T13:55:00.000-04:00

Alot to discuss...

Carriage House Cafe is now completely full service! Breakast, Lunch, and Dinner.
You can check out the new Wine, Beer, and Coffee menu at
www.carriagehousecafe.com
We want to elevate the coffee to the same level as the Wine and Beer. All the employees participate in cuppings and training for pairings with all the menu items. What we wanted to do was offer three choices and a decaf. These three represent three flavor profiles ranging from light, medium, heavy. (eth/col/java) This gives the customer a choice depending on what dish they order...all the coffees are on tap. The Decaf is a departure from what we have been doing.
It is from a different roaster www.cafekubal.com my friend Matt. This Decaf is truely amazing...nothing like decaf. And it's Swiss Water...which I have usually scoffed at but tasting is believing. It is deep, nutty, no very complex but totally satisfying...and...most importantly for decaf as espresso (since we only do french and americano decaf) not offensive in anyway.
We are working on some Dossiers to give to customers who express interest.
As for not working exclusively with Gimme! let it be said up front...

1. Gimme! Coffee is incredible!...they have a great staff, great selection, and Kevin is pretty cool too. We use them with considerable local pride and quality preference.
2. There are other roasters on this coast that also produce quality. We do not want to educate people about a brand primarily...but rather quality coffee as it is in the hands of the wider quality focused coffee community.
3. A restaurant who offers wine will not offer wine from only one vineyard. That is not to say they won't stock multiple wines from that vineyard...but it is to say that the diversity in their offerings will show that they are out to find the "right" wine for their customers...not the wine that will simplify their ordering process.

On top of that we have just setup a third -SOS- grinder that will further educate the customerto a varietals potential.
We are hoping to source a COE to add to the French Press offerings.

Also, we have been offering "Seasonal Signature Drinks" ...in a rush to get this menu up we simply put two things on it....a Shaken Iced Rosemary Latte and a Coconut Afagatto.
For the Fall season we will still have an Afagatto whos ingredients are yet undetermined but we will also have...

Autunno...the pumkin drink I did from 04 USBC

the Star anise and Ganache drink I did at this years 05 USBC.

Carriage House Version of the Torino Fav. the Bicerin

A seceret Sig drink for next years USBC (for live testing)

and of course Cider (not espresso related but up here in NY it's awesome!)

The SO french presses will probably rotate then into a different three or four selections.

I am really excited to see how much of what is talked about as being progressive in coffee we can adopt onto the cafe floor along with high quality food. I see the culinary path as the way to take if we are ever going to get coffee to the level of respect we dream it can attain.

More later hopefully...theres the Seattle Coffee Fest to consider as wellas the East Coasts first Barista Jam! Thanks to Cresent Moon Coffee and Tea and Coffee Labs Roasters

Drink it in.

-cd

2006-05-21T11:41:00.000-04:00

Congradulations to Matt Riddle of Intelligetsia! 3rd place in the World Barista Championships.
Things are looking up in the world of fine espresso. It is an exciting time to be a Barista

see

2006-05-08T15:46:00.000-04:00

see...I did it...it's as simple as that.
To help my self post I will outline the main items which I should recap from the past few months.
winter in NY
Life at the Carriage House.
R.I.P. latte art focus
Judging
USBC
competative comradery
Espresso menus...Carriage house style
Bow Hunting(not really)

And probably some other stuff as well. So as I prepare for the next post please enjoy a couple pics for your eye balling pleasure.

Heather, Phong, and myself took part in Charlotte Shout culinary art event last September. Good times...these are some screen shots from our booth where we wowed the audience with feets...er...feats of coffee.

NOVEMBER!?

2006-05-08T15:38:00.000-04:00

To use a word that is starting alot of Baristas posts these days....Wow! I really have been busy bit no blogging since November 05 ? Ridiculous. Just plain bad. Oh well.
I know that youu are probebly here reading this thinking "great...now that I'm out of wheat thins and baco bit what willI feed my face with tonight?" and "look, a puppy, I wish I could get one but it's so much work...and what about poop? There will be alot of that and barking too...can't forget barking. And HAIR! Dear glory the HAIR! I can't handle this!"
or you just may be thinking..."yeah right He won't blog beyond this post." Well you'd be wrong

watch...

To whom much is given...

2005-11-30T12:44:00.000-05:00

Etc etc etc.
In the last few months I have been busy.
I have been on the recieving end of a lot more responsability.
Here is the short story.
On August 30th I accepted a full time position of espresso cafe manager at the one year old casual fine dinning cafe the- Carriage House Cafe-
www.carriagehousecafe.com
I was in great distress because I knew that I had such a good thing at gimme! coffee and they have been such a blessing to me for the last two years. I could honestly say that those two years were my most formative as far as coffee is concerned. But I knew that this was the next step for me. I had a real deep feeling driving me to the carriage house. I'm sure you know what I mean when I say that I knew the time was then and now. So rather than drag out the descision I prayed it over for a couple months and one Friday afternoon made the desicion and it was the right one.
Since then I have been going full steam at the tasks nescaessary to being a manager. This includes paper work, bar time, training, suplemental information training, and since we are a fully functional food cafe...serving, dishes, and random creative input and brain storming.
Our Idea is one word. Excelence. Our food our breads, our coffee and tea. All that we put our hands to we want excellence. I was hired to over see one aspect of excellence ...coffee.
In the world of food service coffee is secondary and you can really ony find one or two places that are doing a decent job. The reason is that there is so much stuff the cheff has to conentrate on that coffee dips bellow their radar. To combat this you need dedicated and quality oversight of that area. That's where I come in.
We want to make progessive steps in espresso offerings that will change the temperature of the fodd and bev service water. Making it easier for "just coffee" cafes to get rid of things they have always wanted to but rely on for revenew. Since we serve a sit down crowd we can make move to eventually do away with to-go cup, drip coffee, 16 ounce beeverages etc. I see it as doing our part to bring about the espresso culture we all yearn for. Where consumers stop being consumers and start being people. Where People stop mindlesly drinking and eating and start really experiencing. Alot of what Chris Tacy says about progressive bar culture I can Identify with Although we are not surly bartenders we are, Lord willing along with other progressive "doers", going to make a difference so that the bar will be raised for everyones sake.
The first step we have taken is two fold.

One. Only french press in the evenings...."do you have just regular coffee?" "Why certainly...right here in our french press is our regular coffee"

Two. A desert and coffee/espresso pairing menu.
We have two of these. A Ginger creme brulee paired with a slightly hot spiced machiatto.
and a Valrona Chocolate Pot de creme paired with a Medium Mexican Malinal french press
(These are both evening items)
So There is a little of what we want to be about. I'll post more in a bit(I always say that don't I)

Other than that...I WILL write late.
God bless.

-Chris

Today

2005-08-19T12:03:00.001-04:00

Well...
Because of some unwanted comments on my recent posts I have turned off the comments function for further posts on this blog.
News...
I am currently reading John Eldridges "the Sacred Romance" Drawing closer to the heart of God. I am on the fith chapter and have had many -moments- with this book. The most recent is the realization that God purues me for a love relationship. He is always wooing me and I (we) his created...His beloved affect Him greatly. Just as one person can hurt another. So we, in our rejection of Gods loving heart, grieve Him.
selah.
-cd

loser SPAMers

2005-08-19T12:03:00.000-04:00

I tasted a Ruwandan today

2005-07-29T15:17:00.000-04:00

In a cupping today I finally got to try one of many Ruwandan coffees. The cup was extremely smooth with a fruity side note that did no settle down really...not very heavy...rather etherial. he shot however was EXACTLY like milk chocolate...very weird...and right at the end it settled into an unmistakable strawberry on the sides of the tongue.
It was good to try something with such a straight forward profile rather than a cup that is multi-dimensional. Sometimes all that dimension and expanding depth gets tiresome...like a entire orchestra playing non-stop for hours and hours...it turns into a bit of white noise. This was like a single guitar hitting the strings slowly each time with care and purpose...a welcome change of pace for my palate.
I think this is why I am a fan of having SOS shots on tap at an espresso bar...they satisfy the minimalist in all of us.

2005-07-21T20:09:00.000-04:00

Caffe Art Java rocks Montreal!

No apologies

2005-07-21T19:32:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone.
I've been keeping busy with a few things....Like what! you might roughly ask...well...
I have been training here at gimme! coffee.
Training a wholesale account in Montreal...www.caffeartjava.com
Did my first Latte art class for Bellissimo's ABC school in Portland thins past June.
I have been gearing up for a High profile gig comming up in Charlotte, NC this September...might get to give Emril some gimme! coffee...I can hear it now.
gimme!...BAM!

Our focus at gimme! right now is training up all the stores to be a bunch rock star baristas...we have set up a training area that is also our cupping and espresso lab. This has become my responsability. Scheduling, maintenance, training, cupping. I want to pick up a bar shift here and there as well. I have a full schedule training etc that I went off bar a couple months ago to dedicate more energy to the developement of our training model , both for our Baristas and for wholsale clients...and to get this new crop of Baristas up and going. It's all very exciting because we are really pushing the details in espresso and drink prep. We are, after all, espresso driven. Look for us to be more involved in the Barista events to come.
I am trying to find my rythm as BGA 's North Eastern Chapter Rep. as well

The Latte art Class was great...we had a class that was eager to learn and they really did a great job...Rosettas and hearts all around ...with the right training you can learn it in one day...it's an honor and blessing to be on board with Bellissimo in this capacity...I count them as true friends in this industry...thanks to Matt and Bruce! Their School is gonna blow up the spot!

In September there is an event called Charlotte Shout...at the end of this month long celebration there is a culinary arts extravaganza and they have a specialty coffee track included in the line up. This year is the fourth year for the event and this year more than any other year they have an incredible line up of celebrity chefs who will preform on a main stage and in demo booths.
This is what we, the coffee people, will be doing...on stage and demo area doing our thang...we have a world Barisat champion, USBC Champion, other coffee professionals...and myself who represents the latte art end of things...figures right? I am very phyched for this and will be practicing like mad. Cause this will probably get CNN, Food Network, etc coverage. Grace Lord.

We picked up a great account in Montreal who I had the privelage of training. Once fro a couple day in Ithaca...and again at there shop in Montreal the week before opening...These Guys are truely professionals and when it comes to espresso and latte art they really stick the landing. They all do latte art, tripple ristretto with our leftist, they just got their bottomless portafilters...and their food is awsome...the chef does a wonderful job. The whole three days I was there we drank practice espresso drinks and practice food...all of which was superb. If your reading this...you guys rock! They are dedicated to excellence.

Lastly...I just sent off a 9 bar article for fresh cup that will be published in September...and distributed at NACORE...cool.

Ok...really lastly...a thanks and shout out to Chris Tacy for being such a progressive voice for the espresso professional...you are not alone in your thoughts ...May we all learn how to enjoy espresso's raw beauty.

Any how...The Lord has truely blessed me this year...in coffee as well as in my personal relationship with Him...I will write more on that later but the Lord is pouring out His Spirit in the U.S. and it is very exciting.
Well...I have to catch the rest of this beautiful day...low humidity, sunny, 80... Thank you Lord.

Blessings,
-Chris Deferio

2005-06-13T16:16:00.000-04:00

To come in the next day....
Espresso etc.
Training etc.
Tip o the day

2005-06-13T15:16:00.000-04:00

Been a while since I posted and with some good reason...I just needed to gain some perspective. Not just on coffee but on but on life as it gets a bit more complicated each year. Lots of opportunities to stay busy but at what expense? At a cetain point you have to step outside your circumstance and ask....am I too busy to enjoy the blessings of today? If you answer yes then it is time to be still. Be still and know that He is God....(Psalm 46:10) This verse means more than just stopping for a breather but it means we are to lets something go....lay it aside or let die off for the sake of the ultimate importance and truth...He...is God. He Yahweh, Jesus. And we are graced by Him everyday with life and an opportunity to know Him in a deeper and deeper way.

If you are not a Christian (one who has been born- over again into newness of life in Jesus because of His final sacrifice for the sin debt we owed God) then that is the first step....Repent and turn to Him. If you are... then it is simply a matter of day to day intimacy and humbling ourselves before Him as our Lord and true companion. It was for fellowship and relationship with God that man was created. The nagging need or hole those who don't have Christ feel is the seperation from God as a result of sins rule in them...from Adam on to today. Thats why Jesus came...to draw all into the kingdom through His sacrifice and resurection....we have fellowsip with our Father God. But only through Jesus is this possible. I would callenge those wo read this to ask the Lord for understanding and revelation...then read the Gospel of Mark then the Book of Ephesians.

Anyway. Coffee is a passion of mine as well as a profession...I am blessed to be able to make a living doing it and blessed to be able to see the glory of God illustrated so beautifuly in coffee...as He allws us humans to discocer new things be it Latte art, espresso extraction etc....we must realize that these things were already set in place by Him...just waiting for us to discover. Glory to God for His creation...coffee.
May we all voluntarily bow before God on this earth. He is truely worthy.
Thats what I mean by perspective.

2005-05-08T15:39:00.000-04:00

"C" is for Chris loves Coffee

Yo ...can you say procrasti..mat ..naton...nope

2005-05-08T15:24:00.000-04:00

I know, I know....you start a blog then all of a sudden the idea gets old...but I have a plan...a weekly update!
Yup....every week.
I have been in the process of moving to a new apartment as well as alot of training etc.
Not alot of time for latte art practice but I have been able to reseach some signature drink ideas for 2006 and brainstorm some killer ideas for the BGA in the NE.
Also...I will release a new form of espresso extraction that we have been playing around with here.
I will write it up here as well as on coffee geek and the BGA forum. Progressive indeed. Get ready...

Reflections

2005-04-24T15:16:00.000-04:00

Are we really making any progress in developing the customers palate for great espresso?
Are customers ordering more espresso oriented drinks or are we just beating or brains out to satisfy only ourselves?
Take SOS shots for example...we have two or so people that order them and that is encouraging but I have to wonder if having it there is more of a way to satisfy our inner gourmet...rather that a practical addition to the menu.
B ut then again it has to start somewhere...we might not get alot of people orderin it but just like the Bible says..."do not despise small beginnings"...
I have been telling our new hires...we are the ones who usher the customer into new realms of understanding via their senses...mostly taste and then their ears...in spite of their misgivings and normal ordering disorder. I call it a disorder because the drink they order is usually the result of having to survive bad coffee elsewhere. It is a defense mechanism and is not normal. It's a social disorder that needs to be corrected...with grace, knowledge, patience, and of course....great coffee.
You don't have to try to avoid bad coffee by drowning it with milk and sugar....we'll hold your hand...it'll be OOOOOO KAAAAAAAY...
Think of it at first like an assisted living program...where eventually you learn how things really are and how they can be.
Anyway...I suppose it is a phsycological excersise as much as it is a culinary one...to prepare and to sell the consuming public on fine coffee and espresso...
I hope the thrid wave Barista will be common place in the near future.
-Chris Deferio

2005-04-02T10:04:00.000-05:00

Large leaf small leaf

2005-04-02T10:03:00.000-05:00

here's another layered one with the larger leaves.

2005-04-02T10:02:00.000-05:00

Layered Border

Spring

2005-04-02T09:37:00.000-05:00

Well....USBC is done...It was like espresso camp. Meeting all sorts of new people. Making great espresso, talking about espresso, just hangin out. Comming back home was a bit dissapointing....but thats reality. i Came in 8th in the opening round and sevententh in the semi-finals. I'd say that is pretty good. This year was my first year making a bid for the USBC title. I screwed up on my signature drink...and I went 3 seconds over time. ouch. But the things that got me excluded from the top were small things that had a cummulative effect. Like how hot my cups were, the taste of a couple cappuccinos, Foam on the caps, espresso being highlighted in the sig drink...I thought it was but they were really looking for less complicated flavors. etc.
I got my score sheets in the mail today...It's amazing just how subjective this whole thing is. I will be studying them for a bit getting ready for next year. This time the USBC is in Charlette, NC....so we can drive down rather than fly...whew. It's easier on the budget and on the equipment. Now for some needed rest.

News on other fronts... I am taking side jobs with Bellissimo doing training and latte art. I will be flying to Texas this monday to train for a day then fly back. This is a great opportunity for me to hone my skills as a trainer and to invest into my professional future. Praise God!

Also. I am moving this month...I don't have a place yet but by may 1st I should.
Spring...and it's raining...today is the first day of the famous Ithaca Farmers Market...truely a sight to see and an experience to experience. I think I might drive up to a maple festivle being held 45 minutes from here.
I will post more tonight...but I will leave you with some Latte art from a couple nights ago
I am into trying to perfect others techniques...like Schomer etc. I think that if you get to know your medium as an artist you can do fairly good reproductions...same with latte art. You ever say...how did they get that design?...if you know how milk reacts when it hits espresso...you can get it in a few trys.
Here's a couple...one explores the layered effect at the base.
The other takes the Schomer style big leaf latte art and adds the super imposed leaf at the bottom. Enjoy.

I've got back into the swing of things here.

One day till it's too late

2005-03-07T02:57:00.000-05:00

It's 3 am here...12:00 am in Seattle. 12:00 am ain't that bad...I'd better get used to the time change.
I went through my routine three times tonight after a short break...now I only have tomorrow night to practice the full thing all the way through. Three more times should do it and then I'll only have practice rounds at the USBC machines.
List of stuff yet to do.
-Laundry
-Hem table cloth
-get spoons for caps
-Mail out more extra stuff to the hotel
-pack
-pray

Time for some sleep before closing the store tomorrow night.
-CD

Get ready...

2005-03-02T18:16:00.000-05:00

Whew...well...Doug Zell, Amber Sather, Ellie Hudson, Jay, Rosetta twins (Schaads)Intelly crew in general. I hope you have forgiven my lapse in judgment. I value your friendship and fellowship.

Here I sit at the Carriage house Cafe organizing my thoughts for the USBC....I'll be going into practice tonight and every night till I leave. Looking for some sort of carry-on that I can use to have my breakable gear by my side...I don't trust the air port or UPS...in this case Brown can't do anything for me.
This last weekend not only did I compete in the Latte Art competition but I taught latte art classes. I had 5 classes total throughout the weekend six people in each class for a two hour time slot. A lot of work! I barely ever made it to the show floor...but it was a blast. I love to see people "get it". The more we understand our craft...the easier it is for us to give it. Most folks wether they had before or not, poured a Rosetta at the end of the class. Some were better than others but every time...when they finished and saw a leaf in their cup...they were floored. I'm glad that lots of people are interested in latte art. It shows that they want to add something "Extra" to their drinks. It is a good sign. The new girl at gimme!...Liz...got it fast...and she is pumped about espresso.
I am seriously looking forward to doing some driving around the North East spreading the word about the BGA and organizing a Jam etc. Since I am the only one on the Ballot for the North East...I am starting to plan out the strategy now.
I guess I need to get started practicing.
Much love and coffee.

Oops...red faced

2005-03-01T20:42:00.000-05:00

Hey all.
Well, I should offer an apology to those of you who read my last post regarding Intelligentsia.(rather than leaving it up...I have deleted it.) It was pretty unfair of me to project my little mood swing onto a public space like this...and mis-represent Intelligentsia in the process. I acted like I DESERVED something more than what I got...which is not true...I, in fact, got way more than I desrved. As an imperfect human I feel blessed for all the good things that have come my way this past weekend. Good fellowship, great coffee, and lots of fun.(the money was helpful as well...can you say-Bills-) :-)
I have much respect for those guys and for them to show up and be as involved as they were not only in the competition but during the ENTIRE event of Coffee Fest...the Party was killer and the folks I met were nothing but friendly. It really is a testament to how passionate they are about coffee and the coffee community. We need more groups like them who are willing to serve the Barista's and retailers etc. the way they have.
So I do apologize with a bit of a red face...nobody likes a poor me attitude..nobody...including me.
Ahhh resolve.
I would completely understand if, when I finally get to Intelligentsia...they switch my shot Black Cat with foldger decaf crystals in retribution...;-)
xoxo,
-Chris Deferio

2005-03-01T09:25:00.000-05:00

This is the superimposed rosetta with a heart at the top...could be called a tuplip I guess...done at gimme! and was sitting for a minute...hence the crema bubbles on the upper right.

Gone for the wind

2005-02-24T00:55:00.000-05:00

Well...in 5 hours I'll be on a plane to Chicago where lots of Latte Art awaits. I just hope I do well...I have concentrated so much on the USBC it may have had a negetive impact on my art...we will see. I did some really great practice pouring tonight.
I am more aware than ever now that the creator,God, created us to also be creators....He is the source of talent and artistic abilities...they are gifts that when they are demonstrated and used should be for His glory. Thank You God for the gift you have given me...may I honor you with it and may it help testify of Your greatness.

Good Night.

hey...I'm still alive. USBC, Latte art DVD, Latte Art competition, Moving, and training.Whew.

2005-02-19T14:28:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody.
As I write this I am just getting over a cold and have not been practicing as much because of it....well that ends today...I will run through my program about ten times tonight to reach my goal of 100 times by USBC time. This seems to be harder than I thoght but then, this USBC thing is harder than I thought. I want to go into it knowing that I stand just as good a chance at winning as any other person.
I fell flat on my face in the SERBC and learned a good lesson...be prepared! I was disqualified for going over time by 7 min!...ouch...not only that I did have time to calibrate my grind in the prep time and I broke one of my signature drink glasses. Over all I sucked. But I joked a bit through the whole thing. My total score...even withall the disasters...I would have placed in the finals..encouraging and discouraging all at once....
I was looking over the Rankings of the regionals and see that as they get further from the Pacific North West the top scores get lower by an average of about 80 points.
This, to me, indicates that it is a game of education and familiarity with the process. The folks in Seattle have been at it for a while and are more seasoned...less likely to upset the judges because they either have been judged by someone before...or their boss is one of the judges. Sort of sets the rest of us at a handicap right off the bat...but......
Because of that handicap...we(the non-North Westerners) have to work twice as hard to rech a level that rivals or even passes that of the average Seatllite Barista Competitor. In the end...I believe the strongest competitors will come from areas outside of the hotbeds we recognize as espresso havens. They will be the strongest because they have less initial support and are forced into being streetwise.
Well...anyway. Many a late night is still to come and, Lord willing, I will do well.

I am going to Chicago next weekend to Teach Latte Art and compete. I hope to win. I need the money bad :-)
I am really excited about the trip cause it will be my first official teaching job...I am being paid and flown out for it....and I really enjoy seeing people reach a point of breakthrough with espresso and Latte art. In 3 hours they will all make latte art and have good info to do so later...with consistancy.
I also get to do a cupping with some new friends at Inteligentsia.
I have been into reading about Charlie Trotter lately....some would say he is the David Schomer of the Culinary world. Totaly insane and driven toward excellence in his craft. A true inspiration. May be if I can swing it I can lay dow $500 for dinner one night......yeah.

Also in Chicago...Bellisimo Coffee Info group will release the DVD "Advanced Barista Training...Extreme Pours" . A video we worked on last year and is fresh off the press.
It is HOT!...
Billy Wison of the Albine Press in Portland, Matt Miletto of Bellisimo, Austin Gregory of Bellisimo, and Myself show you what you have wanted to see from a Latte Art video but have not been able to....cool pours....lots of em. Along with slow mo of all the pours. It is truely the BEST latte art video out right now.

Along with all that is going on now I have to move in March and am in the midst of training up 3 new Baristi....And soon 4 more. whew.
These are the days where I truely need the Grace of God to keep my eyes on what is important. Him and His kingdom...I hope to be a good and faithful servant of His in this industry and in my life. The Bible says....."whatever you do...do it heartily, as unto the Lord."
All this is for His glory.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
God Bless you...and remember that God is actively calling all humanity to Himself ...to a relationship with Him that is one of love and peace....made possible through the sacrife of Jesus who after dying as a final sacrifice for our sins (which seperate us fro God)...rose from the dead and is alive now....calling you....stop running away from life and truth...Life and truth is Jesus. Follow Him.
-Chris Deferio

USBC

2005-01-17T01:05:00.000-05:00

Ok....I have been really going crazy getting ready for the USBC (United States Barista Championship) and hence no posts. I have determined to go through my routine at least 100 time before Seattle. Lots of late nights at gimme! (where I am now at 1:06 am) ...An update will be coming soon.
For now....I am still tweeking my preformance and loosing sleep. In it to win it. It's about time an American...an East Coaster at that....win the World Barista Championship.
It's a bird!
It's a Plane!....
it's.....
Time for bed.
bye.
-Chris

2004-12-11T15:42:00.000-05:00

The Autumn Leaf....this is the actual design from Coffee Fest. I'll post a better on sometime.

Wud it like?

2004-12-11T13:53:00.000-05:00

So here we are...in the North Eastern winter...making sweet shots and missing the sun. Whats been going on....first lets start with the Latte Art Video/Seattle Coffee Fest trip.
After winning the Latte art competition in D.C. I was approached by Bruce Milleto of Bellissimo Coffee Info group and asked if I would like to participate in a New Latte art video being produced that upcoming fall. Of course I said yes. So come the fall I called Bruce and Matt and we arranged the shoot to coincide with the start of the Seattle Coffee Fest. Now I'm on a plane going to a two day video shoot in Portland. Sweet!
I get there and check into an awesome Hotel...the Hotel Lucia. Very posh. They had this theme of silver bowls of green apples all over the Hotel...kinda weird...but tasty.
The next day I got my first taste of Portland coffee at Stumptown Coffee on 3rd and ash. Killer place with a very sweet espresso. In milk it did'nt do much for me ...good none the less. I then met up with Matt Milleto and Billy Wilson who also are in the Video as well as Austin Gregory. We spent the day doing scenes of us walking, drinking coffee, kicking puppies, etc. and they did scenes where the just sat the four of us down and said-Ok now talk about coffee-....
Now normaly getting started is not a problem but whn there are cameras on you it is strangley difficult. Austin did a great job of jump starting the conversations with questions and once we got going it was all over. Blah blah blah coffee, blah blah blah espresso and so on. Real geeky. At the end of it all, believe it or not, I had no more interest in discussing coffee...at least not right after.

We ended the day with a fabulous Family style Italian dinner. Tommorow, the pours.
The next day we met at the American Barista and coffee school...newly opened by Bellissimo. We spent the whole day shooting Latte art and some time arguing over which espresso techniques would be on the film...so many different views on this, we (those who were'nt being taped at the moment)were asked to leave the room so no more rabbit trails of coffee discussion and contention would rise and get in the way of shooting. This was understandable because we only had that day to shoot. I love it. We were so into it we had to be reffereed.
I ended up pouring five designs...I hope they are all on the video after editing.
They included...the ornate Single Rosetta, Tripple Rosetta, Fire breathing dragon, Leaf super imposed on a rosseta, and the autumn leaf five leaf design.
The film crew was awesome.
The next day we left for Seattle where I competed in the Latte art competition....the meeting of Champions. Most all the Artigiano crew was there and a few guys and gals from Japan... It was a great trip cause I got to meet alot of new people....like some guys from Zoka, Artigiano, Billy Wison etc.
I left my pitchers in Portland(Which is mytrade mark move after also having lost my pitchers in D.C. due to the fact that they were in the car when the car was towed) so I had to buy one to practice with...I had no milk so when I was at my luxury suite at the Travel Lodge I would spend an hour or so pouring water. and right before going up I was -air pouring- the five leaf.
Round one.
I went up second after a guy who did not even get a decent shot out cause of a funky grinder. Felt sorry for him. I went up and He must have over adjusted because the grounds were as big as drip coffee grounds...with 5 minutes to prepare I had adjusted three times with whole half turns...same result. Now I am in the competition time and no good shots...the last shot....I had to pour milk in swirl it for fake crema and barely eeked out a big rosseta. Whew!
Last round.
The rosetta had gotten me to the finals and I planned my five leaf design for the win. I was pretty shaky before hand. I was air pouring the five leaf the whole time before going up. Finally I went up. I checked the grinder first thing....nice and dialed in. Did some practice pours. Then With only one design in mind I went at it and produced two five leaf lattes. 'The Autumn Leaf" The crowd and judges were sufficiently wowed. And I was happy with the last one( even though I have done better ones while practicing) Then the main competitor that would compete for first was up...J.C.Morris of Caffe Artigiano. He did a traditional design of a n intricate rosseta and heart on the tip. Very nice.
In the end...I thought I had first wrapped up with this first in Latte Art but the Victor turned out to be J.C.Morris by 2 points in the area of color infusion.
I actually am glad to have taken second with a cool and progressive design, than first with a traditional one...But J.C. deserves his props. He is a great Latte artist and I look forward to future tigh races :-)
You can see the five leaf on Coffee Fests web site www.coffeefest.com under the special attractions category.
In February I will be teaching latte art at Coffee Fest as well as competing. Maybe I will see you there. Bring your mittens baby.

I promise...

2004-11-30T18:48:00.000-05:00

Hello cats and kittens,
Much is a foot...hmmmm.....anyway. Alot has been going on that at the moment I cannot elaborate on. But I can give you a pre-view for the soon to be released feature presentation.

New Extreme Latte Art video recently shot in Portland with Bellisimo Coffee Info group to be released in January 05. The best latter art vid. to date staring Baristi from around the country including myself. Hold on to your hats and hide your children.
My second Latte Art competition after winning this past April in D.C. ends in a second place victory/defeat...by 2 points! But I am very happy with the design that I presented
Along drive down to North Carolina to Counter Culture Coffee to be a volunteer Latte Art instructer for the day...last weekend. Awesome.
I will be an instructor at Coffee Fest Chicago teaching latte art to the masses...would you like to share that with the whole class?
Thanksgiving, the state of espresso in the north east, my late obsession with spy thrillers and street fight movies (I might be living vicariously through film...look out punks), and of course my relationship with the Lord...foundations, and steady grace for the season.

(is it me or did that sound weird following my mention of movies featuring VanDame?...yes I said Van Dame...thats for you Nick)

Later

-CD

God, Coffee, Guitar, Life

2004-09-13T10:34:00.000-04:00

Good Morning!
Life is full of changes and challenges. Exciting ones.
God: I have always had a portion of my life that I have not allowed God to fully take a hold of. More recently though I have been challenged by friends, by life and the decisions that I have been contemplating (some life altering, some not so much so) but all in all It has led me closer to God. So close that those areas of my life that are not submitted to Him become blindingly obvious. I have passed a cross roads in my walk with the Lord. In the word, as Christians, we are instructed to "delight ourselves in the Lord" but I have been waiting till the feelings come to do this....I am now putting myself in His presence daily and emerging myself in the word and prayer, MAKING my delight be the Lord. So radical right?....Wrong. It's normal. The normal Christian life. I am simply overcoming my own stiff necked past with the help of the Holy Spirit. His mercies are new every morning. I was at a worship service this past weekend in Ithaca called Praise Alive...Before going , while I pondered everything that was on my mind, I simply asked the Lord.-What should I do?- As we worshiped I felt the answer come to me-"Seek me Chris, Please seek me"- Then I read in the scriptures "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7 Then the Lord confirmed this through two words given that God, that night was saying, that He wants people to pursue Him, as He does us. So there you go. This then is my Modus operandi---- Seek the Lord and His face first and He will give me wisdom and boldness to deal with circumstances and make decisions that affect my future, and all that He has planned or it.
Coffee: I've been The Bar Trainer here at gimme! Coffee for a few months now and I am really starting to get a solid routine down that produces good, if not great results. This largely depends on the time allotted for training and the individuals mental dispositions. Some learn fast, some don't. But my job of training is on going. Teaching the new Baristi to be passionate and vigilant behind the bar. To foster an attitude of respect for the art of espresso. It is an ever evolving industry and art form and I am blessed to be a part of it.
I've had some success in the industry with Latte art. Winning the D.C. latte art competition and now going to Portland to help make a Late art video and then on to compete again in Seattle. (All in October) This is an all expense paid trip, and then some. Come 2005 I will be flown out to Chicago and Seattle to do more latte art along with other past winners of Latte Art comps. We will also be teaching latte art at the event. cool eh? Plus they are paying us.
Right now I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my latte cups from espresso supply...got some neat new art tricks to practice!
Also, gearing up for the United States Barista Championship(USBC) in April 2005. 15 min to present 4 espresso, 4 cappucino, and for signature drinks....all the while being judged on every variable imaginable.....taste, form, presentation etc. It is going to be challenge...but I am confident....I have alot of practicing to do.
Gods glory is inseparable from our abilities, both what we have now and what He allows us to gain later...it is a gift from Him. Just Like....Exodus 31:3-5 "And I have filled Him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze,in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in ALL manner of workmanship."....I believe espresso too!
Guitar: Not much here...I've been really in to Joe Bonamassa and Stevie Ry Vaughn lately and have been participating in the open mic blues night here called blue Monday at a bar called The Nines. It's fun now...where before when I first started I was very nervous and would play pretty bad as I was all knotted up etc. But I'm over it.
Life: Life is Beautiful!

Some mild rambling on life

2004-09-12T20:52:00.000-04:00

I am very excited...Fall...the best season of them all...is finally hear!
I know most people like the summer but I am a sucker for foliage on Up-State NY hills, The mild temperatures,the easy attitude folks have, seasonal foods etc. It's just great! It has some nice spiritual conotations to it as well. All of our lives have seasons and many times our dreams that have been realized or the hope of dreams yet to be realized...have to die...only to be reborn at a later time. But never exactly the same as before. We get busy with all of lifes details and the stress builds and builds. We experience the Joy of seeing plans or desires come to fruition and we don't mind investing the energy it takes to keep the ball rolling. But everything has a maximum point of growth.
The maple leaf...depending on the circumstances it is placed it, can only grow so large. After that...the tree cuts of chrorophyll (the plants life blood, and the stuff that makes leaf green)by growing a thin layer between the leaves stem and the branch...not only that ...this layer weakens the leaves hold to the branch allowing it to fall easily in the wind. The colors we see in the foliage are the leaves true colors...they were there all along. Strange that the more impressive colors, the leaves true colors, are only visable at the end of it's life cycle...yet they were there all the time....Man looks at the outward apperance, but God looks at the heart. He sees our tue colors even though we might not be able to becuase of the clutter of life.
We all have seasons in our life and I believe that the fall season in life is meant to simplify, to bring to a close some areas weve been burdend with maintaining, to(sorry for the cliche) let go and let God. It's at this time...when we(as Christians) let go...and allow the Spirit to strip away the layers of calouses, un-necessary responsabilities and worries, and we Relax in Him. Have confidence in Him.
He knows our growth potential in the circumstances where He has placed us. And he will give you signs that He is bringing certain things to a close. As he does all the colors you have gained over that time will become evident...a testament to God's beauty developed within you through those circumstances. Take heart this fall season...Because He who has begun a good work IN you...will be faithful to complete it.
God Bless
-Chris

Latte art done at Gimme! Brooklyn...by yours truely

2004-08-13T00:56:00.000-04:00

Latte art done at Gimme! in Brooklyn...yours truely.

Welcome

2004-08-07T13:48:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my brand new site.
I will be treating this as an online journal, gallery, rant and news site as well as providing links.
As the title suggests, one of the topics that will be covered here is
Coffee, one of my great earthly passions. I work as a professional Barista and a bar trainer at Gimme! Coffee here in Ithaca, NY....where we are steadily representing the east coast espresso scene(the supposed under dog of gourmet coffee standards). We are in the business of espresso as a high class culinary art form.(more on this later)...Other topics? Glad you asked...
Guitar, particularly into blues at the moment.
Christianity, My lifestyle and all consuming passion...my relationship with Jesus Christ.
Life in general...
Thanks for stopping by,
-Chris Deferio