DUBLIN IS THE SECOND MOST COFFEE-OBSESSED CAPITAL CITY

DUBLIN IS THE SECOND MOST COFFEE-OBSESSED CAPITAL CITY

Jul 16, 2021 | CULTURE, WHO CARES

Quite bizarre title indeed, which obviously caught my eye: Ireland and coffee on the same sentence!

So you will forgive me if I overlook both Amsterdam (in first place) and the fact that the calculation developed by Brew Smartly falls into the extreme WHO CARES category, since they have invented an average between three variables:

Average rating.
Coffee shops per capita (per 100,000 people to take into account different population sizes).
Value of imports per capita (USD).

Find here the table with the total ranking.

In short, to quote “it’s a bit like dancing to math” but it’s still a reason to talk about Dublin and it shouldn’t be wasted laughing

So, for example, I take this opportunity to tell you about an unmissable digital exhibition: The Poetics of Print about the tradition of Irish printing and its role in the development of poetry that you find on the Trinity College library’s site.

Take the time to have look / click on it because it deserves: talking about Dublin has led us to beautiful things even about books.
What if I add another passion of mine?

At the Gaiety Teatre none other than James Joyce: The dead is scheduled and to follow, why not, the world premiere of Bedknobs and broomsticks which, however, I do not I know if I can imagine without the legendary Angela Landsbury aka Mrs. Jessica Fletcher

 

Isn’t it nice to be a little child again?
Then the magic is also knowing how to find atmospheres and stop moments like those in this shot

But let’s go back to the Dublin coffee shops: among the many I have chosen three.

The first for the name: Cloud cafe, and it is useless to repeat (read re-sing) the words I love of Carly Simon’s song, right?

The second because in a completely bizarre way it has as its symbol the manufacturing of footwear, wooden lasts and gestures that I have come to know and that have become part of my life for so many years now: Shoe Lane.
Not to mention the wonderful memory that the Singer machine gives me!

The third comes from a dream: a very stylish vintage van that I obviously envy, even if the logo would have been enough: Cocobrew. 

The dream has not only come true, but has grown and moved from van Cocobrew to the Temple bar district of which I leave you a look live with the cam while I wait for you to tell me something about Dublin.

MEETING OR DATE?

MEETING OR DATE?

Jun 24, 2021 | WHO CARES

The hare always fears, and the leaves, which fall from the plants in autumn, always keep it in fear and, more often than not, flee.
Leonardo da Vinci

Instead she trusted us and didn’t run away!

For me it was really very nice: I always follow Luisella’s fantastic photos on the blog Between Italy and Finland but it doesn’t seem true that it can happen to get so close to free animals even here in our land of fog and mosquitoes… which are normally the only guaranteed close encounters.

The curious aspect is that it was a déjà-vu or a “date” since exactly one year ago the same thing happened.

So can I hope we will find each other again?

MY FIRST PRODUCT TO TEST

MY FIRST PRODUCT TO TEST

Apr 23, 2021 | WHO CARES

My first product to try is a muesli with chocolate, a GOOD start I can say.

Generally associated with breakfast, a bit like coffee after all.

In the morning, are you the type of coffee on the go or do you rather take the time for a healthy sitting breakfast? I talk about “sitting” because considering some levels of lethargic sleep in the morning, knowing how to get up on time is not for everyone …

We could therefore divide into different types:

Fantozzi category: mentholated toothpaste on coffee flavor

or, on the contrary, all focused on extemporization

off course it also depends on the amount of hunger

or … on the rule “no carbohydrates” Miranda‘s style

alternatively: keep fit but doing sport

however it depends on the time available

So let’s go back a bit to the starting point: how long before do you get up? How many times do you postpone the alarm clock? Can you sit down to have breakfast before rushing to meet your day, or is it your day catching up with you while you are still in the r.e.m. phase?

In your opinion is it just a matter of organization or is it more a matter of attitude?

In any case, I suppose you will agree that, beyond all, the classic is timeless … at Tiffany‘s 

Can you tell me what breakfast you are?

COFFEE SABLÉ PASTRY COOKIES

COFFEE SABLÉ PASTRY COOKIES

Jan 2, 2021 | WHO CARES

Luciana asked me for the recipe and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jaya and Salvo too for their pasta recipes, and to answer Maria: Kefir tastes good to me, but consider that I don’t like sweetening … it is actually acid with a very slight slightly “alcoholic” tip so Jaya’s advice to add fruit smoothies (or simply fresh fruit) or to make other types mixing using fantasy is more than appropriate for someone who is not much for “raw” things like me laughing

But let’s get to Sablé Pastry: the first time I tried it was when I was looking for a recipe for something sweet that was egg-free since my father couldn’t eat them.

To tell the truth, many recipes, starting for example with Il cucchiaio d’argento, include eggs in the preparation, but they seem perfect to me even this way: sablé means sprinkled with sand, a concept that can be associated with the idea of a certain amount of friability, otherwise I miss the difference with the shortcrust pastry, but you correct me if I’m wrong.

Ingredients:

150 g of flour

100 g of butter

50 g of sugar

20 g of coffee

a pinch of salt

The coffee must not be hot and you can also dose it by eye according to the consistency of the dough: so that the resulting paste is smooth and elastic.

Before being worked, the dough must rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, after which you can indulge yourself with the shapes.

Who has cute stencils?
For example, I obviously have a weakness for wings …

Transfer to baking paper and bake at 180° for about 18 minutes, to keep an eye on and evaluate also based on the thickness of the cookies.

I don’t know about you, I would then dip the edges in melted chocolate or pair the cookies with a generous layer of Nutella in the middle laughing too much? Come on, with the first coffee it fits …

KEFIR

KEFIR

Dec 22, 2020 | WHO CARES

I received a particular gift: a family of lactic ferments that I am very happy to adopt: the Kefir.

The Treccani definition  defines Kefir as a frothy, creamy and slightly alcoholic drink obtained by lactic-butyric fermentation of milk.

This exotic name comes from the Caucasus and is very popular especially in Russia. It consists of granules: the Kefiran, composed of bacterial polysaccharides that contain live microorganisms.

Kefir can be considered a probiotic that is, a microorganism that once ingested exercises beneficial functions for the body.
Here you can find the nutritional properties and the main benefits.

Have you ever tried to keep lactic ferments?
The procedure is simple:

  • the granules are placed in a glass jug with a wide opening and covered with milk

  • a sheet of kitchen paper must be placed on the opening of the jug and secured with a rubber band

  • they must be stored in a place at room temperature and not exposed to direct light for 24 hours

  • after which it is necessary to pour the granules into a colander

  • in case the product is not drunk immediately, it can also be kept in the refrigerator for the following day

  • the granules should not be rinsed, simply cover them again with the milk in a clean jug

After a few days the little family will increase in volume, in fact during my previous adoption I had started to periodically give a part of it to my friends #kefirsharing laughing

LET IT SNOW

LET IT SNOW

Dec 4, 2020 | WHO CARES

🎶 Oh, the weather outside is frightful

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we’ve no place to go,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…🎶

Poll:

How do you think coffee keeps hotter?

  1. With milk or cream based on the principle of thermodynamics according to which the greater the temperature difference, the greater the cooling rate.

  2. In a heated cup.

Pin It on Pinterest