Pittsburgh’s hottest spots for coffee

by Rachel Papernick, Junior Staffwriter, The Tartan

A pleasant aroma, the hiss of steam, and silent sippings are are all familiar to Pittsburgh’s java-drinkers. Neither few nor far between, this city’s cafés offer many unique tastes for addicts in search of the next cup. College students are in their prime coffee drinking years; each cup of Joe brings us closer to academic survival, keeping our bodies functioning despite all natural opposition to being awake. And lucky for us, we live in a day and age where quaint cafés are the norm and being addicted to those lush little beans is hip. But where should you go when you want the best buzz? Here’s a pocket guide for picking the right café for your caffeine needs - Click Here

College football's first big weekend huge wake-up call

By the end of July it's like a coffee addict facing 11 a.m. without ever having had his morning cup of joe. People get jittery. Testy. On edge. By the end of August, with all the teasing and titillating reports it is almost too much to bear. But its finally here. College football.

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Cantwell says she could not find a decent cup of coffee

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell said Wednesday that the first thing she did when she returned to Washington, D.C. from her recent Iraq tour, was to find a Starbucks, because nowhere on the trip could she find a decent cup of coffee. "Whether in Afghanistan or Iraq, our troops are doing a great job," she also said, just hours after returning from a two-week trip that included stops in Israel, the West Bank, Pakistan and Turkey. "At the same time, we need to give them the resources they need."

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Coffee has its benefits

By DAN COX / Cox News Service

DAYTON, Ohio -- The British Coffee Association reports that 1.4 billion servings of coffee are consumed every day, and you can bet there's a spoonful of guilt in every cup.

Coffee has long had an image as being unhealthy -- not that it kept people from drinking it.

So, a blurb in the August edition of Better Homes & Gardens proclaiming the health advantages of a daily cup of coffee got our attention. Drinking coffee, it said, could reduce the risk of colon cancer and kidney stones and might help curb the symptoms of asthma.

Could it be true?

Martha Grodrian, the outpatient dietitian with Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, says she often hears people say how unhealthy they believe coffee is.

"People have tried to pin negative things on coffee," Grodrian says. "The truth is it isn't as unhealthy as most people think it is."

Coffee beans, like tea leaves, have natural nutrients that are transferred to the coffee we drink, Grodrian says.

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RABBI PLISKIN'S DAILY LIFT

Daily Lift #338 True Acts of Kindness

The less gratitude you receive for doing a kind act, the greater the value of the act. True kindness is when we do not receive anything in return for what we do.

Instead of feeling resentment towards the person who is ungrateful, take pleasure in doing a more elevated good deed. Focus on how your kindness towards that person is more altruistic.

Don't tell yourself, "How awful it is that I'm doing all this kindness and this person is not doing me favors in return." Rather, tell yourself, "This is a great opportunity to do a true act of kindness!"
(see Genesis 47:29 with Rashi; Rabbi Pliskin's "Gateway to
Happiness," p.106)

Aish.com

Coffee Fest Announces 2004 New Show Dates and Locations

Seattle, Wash. - Coffee Fest trade shows is excited to announce a new northeast home and changes for its 2004 schedule. The dates and locations are to occur as follows:

Washington, DC - March 19-21, 2004
Las Vegas, NV - June 12-14, 2004
Seattle, WA - October 15-17, 2004

Dates and locations have changed so that Coffee Fest Las Vegas will not be held over the NASCAR racing weekend, which has taken place the past two years. Coffee Fest Atlantic City has been moved to the brand new, state-of-the-art Convention Center in Washington, DC.

“After three consecutive years of producing Coffee Fest Las Vegas over the same weekend as the NASCAR Race, it became apparent that the event needed to be moved away from the NASCAR racing weekend, as this particular weekend is one of the busiest in the city,” said Coffee Fest Show Manager David Heilbrunn. “Airplane flights, hotel rooms and rental cars are all in short supply over the racing weekend and seemed to be holding down maximum attendance.”

In addition to moving to a preferable weekend, Coffee Fest has needed a larger venue and will now be produced at the Venetian Hotel/Sands Expo Center.

“Coffee Fest Atlantic City, which had been produced three times, never reached the attendance potential representative of the region being served,” Heilbrunn said. “While the facility was more than acceptable, the geographical location seemed to limit growth and attendance. Moving to the new Washington, DC Convention Center will provide easier access for attendees throughout the eastern United States and will in turn result in tremendous attendance. In time, Coffee Fest Washington, DC should even eclipse the attendance of Coffee Fest Seattle,” he continued.

“These changes have not occurred without a tremendous amount of research and consideration, and are envisioned as extremely positive, designed to attract more attendees to each of the shows,” Heilbrunn concluded.

Coffee Fest trade shows, one of the nation’s leading trade shows for the specialty coffee and gourmet tea industries, is designed specifically for coffee house owners, specialty retailers, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs. Coffee Fest was created as both an educational and marketing vehicle for the proliferation of the specialty coffee, gourmet tea, and alternative beverage industry.

Roast Your Own Coffee

Did you know that your great grandparents probably roasted their own coffee? It wasn't until the 1920s that marketing mass-produced coffee in cans caught on.

That convenience has allowed us to forget that home roasted coffee is so good... That fresh coffee is so good for that matter. And even with the resurgence of specialty coffee shops in the last ten years, very few people know that home roasted coffee was ever a possiblity at all. It's like never in your life having tasted or smelled truly fresh bread! But unlike bread, roasting fresh coffee is easy, and only takes about ten minutes.

An interesting point about green coffee is that it almost doubles in size when roasted, so that even with a 2.5 ounce roaster you end up with about a half cup by volume of freshly roasted coffee. That translates to about ten cups of brewed coffee in a drip coffee maker.

Coffee roasting produces smoke similar in density to slightly burnt toast, but smelling wonderful. You should always use the roaster at a stove vent however, or where there is other good ventilation. A very darkly roasted coffee will produce more smoke than a lightly roasted coffee. You'll be able to judge easily what works best in your own environment.

Coffee Project