Wednesday 6 November 2013
All you need to know to host a soup swap
When Angelika Heim had her first child three years ago, she started making large batches of soup to freeze as a time-saver for feeding her growing family.
She told her other new-mom friends what she was up to, some of whom happened to be excellent cooks, and before you could say, “Pass the ladle,” a soup swap was born.
The first time she held a swap, she invited four close friends to her house, asking each one to come with a big pot of soup. The recipe ideas were shared via e-mail ahead of time to avoid duplication and to invite feedback about allergies and aversions. Then, on the day of the event, “we divided up the soups into separate containers and everyone went home with five different freezer-ready meals,” says Heim, a Toronto lawyer who recently gave birth for the second time.
That first soup swap was named Super Bowl Sunday and the gathering was so successful that it soon spawned a second edition with a third planned for later this year. (A sauce swap is also in the works.)
“I do the swaps because I love to cook but sometimes my repertoire starts to feel repetitive,” Heim explains. “Trying other people’s food serves as inspiration and gives our family a night off from cooking, which is great when you have a toddler and newborn in tow.”
But the soup swap is popular for more than just the break from cooking that a well-stocked freezer provides.
The event itself gives the friends an excuse to get together on a Saturday afternoon and relax over a gourmet brunch that Heim prepares. There are no kids or husbands in attendance, there is always wine and the conversation typically touches on everything but soup – at least until the warm bottles and Tupperwares (and accompanying printouts of the recipes) are distributed at the end of the afternoon.
The soup swap is said to have originated in 1999 in Seattle by Web consultant Knox Gardner, who took the notion of soup-as-soul-food and turned it into a social-media phenomenon when he created the site soupswap.com.
Since its launch, followers from all across North America and as far away as Scotland have participated in National Soup Swap Day, whose seventh annual instalment took place this past January, following the tips laid out on Gardner’s site.
As he writes on his blog, soup swaps cement communities: “It’s good to know your neighbours and to have them know you. Drinking wine, swapping soup and listening to how much care and interest people put into cooking for others is a great way to start.”
That has certainly been the experience of Lydia Walshin, a Rhode Island-based e-cookbook author who is herself a National Soup Swap Day devotee. “I’ve hosted four soup swaps,” says Walshin, who shares her own recipes on the two websites she runs, soupchick.com and theperfectpantry.com.
“The first time, I invited five girlfriends, so we had six soups to swap including my own. The last time I did it, 24 women came. It’s definitely growing in popularity.”
This can present its own challenges.
Not everyone owns a pot that can hold more than six quarts of liquid, so for a larger soup party – that is, anything more crowded than the host and five guests – a little more organization (and a lottery system) will be required. Here are Walshin’s suggestions for a swap that’s sure to be a hit.
1. Let every guest know how many soup containers to bring and what volume of soup each one should hold (a quart-sized jar, bag or Tupperware is a good choice). And ask guests to bring all soups to the swap frozen. (They’re easier to transport that way.)
2. Ask all participants to e-mail their recipes to you before the event. You can collate them into a single document and forward them to everyone after the swap, but print one copy to have on hand the day of the gathering so that attendees can peruse the ingredient list of each soup before making their selections.
3. For a larger group, organize a lottery system. Start by making numbered tags to determine what order guests will choose their soups in. (You’ll need as many numbers as you have guests, not including yourself, because as host, you should be the last to choose in each round.) At the swap, you’ll place all the numbers in a bowl and invite guests to draw. Number one chooses a soup first and so on until all the guests have picked their first soup. Next, they’ll put all the numbers back in the bowl, then choose again for the second round, repeating until all the soup is spoken for.
4. When introducing the soups at the beginning of the swap, choose a lively storyteller to present her soup first – explaining what’s in it and why she chose the recipe. People tend to follow the leader, and a good presenter will set the tone for the evening. If you are the best presenter in your group, go first.
5. Invite the best soup makers you know, and don’t be afraid to challenge them with ground rules – all soups, for instance, could be gluten-free or meatless.
After all, it’s no fun when the only soups left are meat-based and the last people to select their soups are vegetarians.
Of course, it’s the host’s responsibility to trade a jar or two to make sure guests leave with soups they will enjoy.
She told her other new-mom friends what she was up to, some of whom happened to be excellent cooks, and before you could say, “Pass the ladle,” a soup swap was born.
The first time she held a swap, she invited four close friends to her house, asking each one to come with a big pot of soup. The recipe ideas were shared via e-mail ahead of time to avoid duplication and to invite feedback about allergies and aversions. Then, on the day of the event, “we divided up the soups into separate containers and everyone went home with five different freezer-ready meals,” says Heim, a Toronto lawyer who recently gave birth for the second time.
That first soup swap was named Super Bowl Sunday and the gathering was so successful that it soon spawned a second edition with a third planned for later this year. (A sauce swap is also in the works.)
“I do the swaps because I love to cook but sometimes my repertoire starts to feel repetitive,” Heim explains. “Trying other people’s food serves as inspiration and gives our family a night off from cooking, which is great when you have a toddler and newborn in tow.”
But the soup swap is popular for more than just the break from cooking that a well-stocked freezer provides.
The event itself gives the friends an excuse to get together on a Saturday afternoon and relax over a gourmet brunch that Heim prepares. There are no kids or husbands in attendance, there is always wine and the conversation typically touches on everything but soup – at least until the warm bottles and Tupperwares (and accompanying printouts of the recipes) are distributed at the end of the afternoon.
The soup swap is said to have originated in 1999 in Seattle by Web consultant Knox Gardner, who took the notion of soup-as-soul-food and turned it into a social-media phenomenon when he created the site soupswap.com.
Since its launch, followers from all across North America and as far away as Scotland have participated in National Soup Swap Day, whose seventh annual instalment took place this past January, following the tips laid out on Gardner’s site.
As he writes on his blog, soup swaps cement communities: “It’s good to know your neighbours and to have them know you. Drinking wine, swapping soup and listening to how much care and interest people put into cooking for others is a great way to start.”
That has certainly been the experience of Lydia Walshin, a Rhode Island-based e-cookbook author who is herself a National Soup Swap Day devotee. “I’ve hosted four soup swaps,” says Walshin, who shares her own recipes on the two websites she runs, soupchick.com and theperfectpantry.com.
“The first time, I invited five girlfriends, so we had six soups to swap including my own. The last time I did it, 24 women came. It’s definitely growing in popularity.”
This can present its own challenges.
Not everyone owns a pot that can hold more than six quarts of liquid, so for a larger soup party – that is, anything more crowded than the host and five guests – a little more organization (and a lottery system) will be required. Here are Walshin’s suggestions for a swap that’s sure to be a hit.
1. Let every guest know how many soup containers to bring and what volume of soup each one should hold (a quart-sized jar, bag or Tupperware is a good choice). And ask guests to bring all soups to the swap frozen. (They’re easier to transport that way.)
2. Ask all participants to e-mail their recipes to you before the event. You can collate them into a single document and forward them to everyone after the swap, but print one copy to have on hand the day of the gathering so that attendees can peruse the ingredient list of each soup before making their selections.
3. For a larger group, organize a lottery system. Start by making numbered tags to determine what order guests will choose their soups in. (You’ll need as many numbers as you have guests, not including yourself, because as host, you should be the last to choose in each round.) At the swap, you’ll place all the numbers in a bowl and invite guests to draw. Number one chooses a soup first and so on until all the guests have picked their first soup. Next, they’ll put all the numbers back in the bowl, then choose again for the second round, repeating until all the soup is spoken for.
4. When introducing the soups at the beginning of the swap, choose a lively storyteller to present her soup first – explaining what’s in it and why she chose the recipe. People tend to follow the leader, and a good presenter will set the tone for the evening. If you are the best presenter in your group, go first.
5. Invite the best soup makers you know, and don’t be afraid to challenge them with ground rules – all soups, for instance, could be gluten-free or meatless.
After all, it’s no fun when the only soups left are meat-based and the last people to select their soups are vegetarians.
Of course, it’s the host’s responsibility to trade a jar or two to make sure guests leave with soups they will enjoy.
Should you always tip at bars or restaurants? How much?
If you look up the etiquette for leaving a tip, pretty much the only thing you won’t find is a consensus.
Everyone seems to have their own set of rules and rationale for each situation. Tipping is of course standard for table-service, but many people get upset if they get prompted to leave a tip in the digital payment terminal for counter-service.
We are warmer to the idea of a tip jar and on the occasion that someone impresses with their customer service behind a counter, we are happy to leave a tip. But the opportunity for that employee is somewhat limited as the interaction is very quick, so counter tipping doesn’t happen often. Even worse is when you call in a take-out order and get the tip prompt on the terminal when you’re simply picking up the food.
Using the automatic tip that is added to the bill of larger groups as a guideline, the standard tip for table-service is 15 per cent. We have the flexibility to adjust that up or down but it’s worth considering what the server is responsible for, and what is beyond their control. If the food is bad, that doesn’t warrant a lower tip. Conversely, if the food is great, that doesn’t warrant a larger tip. Presumably the menu prices will reflect the food quality, location, and ambiance of the restaurant. From a consumer’s perspective, the tip should be based on the service.
Last week I had two separate cab drivers earn themselves no tip within minutes of getting into their cab. Both took personal calls and spoke quite loudly for the majority of the trip. How else do I justify leaving a tip for the great drivers who help with luggage, engage in polite conversation when appropriate, and don’t drive like they’re trapped in a pinball machine? If the tip is a reward that moulds behaviour, I certainly want to encourage what I like, and discourage what I don’t.
That’s our prerogative, right?
Apparently not, according to some. I’ve often heard the argument that tips are necessary for the recipient to earn a decent living: the hourly pay in many food retail jobs is low, so servers rely on tips to bolster their earnings. Servers may rely on tips, but that doesn’t mean they should expect one. It just means that they have a greater incentive to provide good service. I’m happy to tip 20 per cent or more - when it’s warranted. But I’m also not afraid to forego a tip for poor service.
The notion that tipping should be mandatory in order to make it financially worthwhile to be a server suggests the economics of that business are wrong. If the restaurant can’t afford to raise the hourly wages and pass on the increase to customers, that restaurant isn’t good enough.
Conversely, when tipping is mandatory, that’s effectively the same thing as raising prices. But it precludes the great servers from making more money since their exceptional service wouldn’t be rewarded as much. Even worse, it could be rewarded at the same level as poor service.
Give us your two cents on tipping. What’s your philosophy? Do you have any rules of thumb? For example, some people tip a percentage on the food total before tax, and then a flat rate per bottle of wine when eating out. Others just tip 15 per cent on the total no matter what. Some never tip for delivery or counter service. Do you?
Everyone seems to have their own set of rules and rationale for each situation. Tipping is of course standard for table-service, but many people get upset if they get prompted to leave a tip in the digital payment terminal for counter-service.
We are warmer to the idea of a tip jar and on the occasion that someone impresses with their customer service behind a counter, we are happy to leave a tip. But the opportunity for that employee is somewhat limited as the interaction is very quick, so counter tipping doesn’t happen often. Even worse is when you call in a take-out order and get the tip prompt on the terminal when you’re simply picking up the food.
Using the automatic tip that is added to the bill of larger groups as a guideline, the standard tip for table-service is 15 per cent. We have the flexibility to adjust that up or down but it’s worth considering what the server is responsible for, and what is beyond their control. If the food is bad, that doesn’t warrant a lower tip. Conversely, if the food is great, that doesn’t warrant a larger tip. Presumably the menu prices will reflect the food quality, location, and ambiance of the restaurant. From a consumer’s perspective, the tip should be based on the service.
Last week I had two separate cab drivers earn themselves no tip within minutes of getting into their cab. Both took personal calls and spoke quite loudly for the majority of the trip. How else do I justify leaving a tip for the great drivers who help with luggage, engage in polite conversation when appropriate, and don’t drive like they’re trapped in a pinball machine? If the tip is a reward that moulds behaviour, I certainly want to encourage what I like, and discourage what I don’t.
That’s our prerogative, right?
Apparently not, according to some. I’ve often heard the argument that tips are necessary for the recipient to earn a decent living: the hourly pay in many food retail jobs is low, so servers rely on tips to bolster their earnings. Servers may rely on tips, but that doesn’t mean they should expect one. It just means that they have a greater incentive to provide good service. I’m happy to tip 20 per cent or more - when it’s warranted. But I’m also not afraid to forego a tip for poor service.
The notion that tipping should be mandatory in order to make it financially worthwhile to be a server suggests the economics of that business are wrong. If the restaurant can’t afford to raise the hourly wages and pass on the increase to customers, that restaurant isn’t good enough.
Conversely, when tipping is mandatory, that’s effectively the same thing as raising prices. But it precludes the great servers from making more money since their exceptional service wouldn’t be rewarded as much. Even worse, it could be rewarded at the same level as poor service.
Give us your two cents on tipping. What’s your philosophy? Do you have any rules of thumb? For example, some people tip a percentage on the food total before tax, and then a flat rate per bottle of wine when eating out. Others just tip 15 per cent on the total no matter what. Some never tip for delivery or counter service. Do you?
Monday 4 November 2013
If the Iron Chef can eat it so can i!
http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1015237/spicy-shrimp-saute.html
Spicy Shrimp Sauté
By MARIO BATALI
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup sambal
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
- 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons light sesame oil
- 1 cup sliced scallions
- 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
- 1(14-ounce) can light coconut milk
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped.
Preparation
- 1.
- Combine curry paste, fish sauce, sambal and chili sauce in a medium bowl; add shrimp, tossing to coat. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add oil, and heat till smoking then add the shrimp mixture, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add scallions; cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and coconut milk. Cook for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add
Michael Moss on Getting People to Eat Their Vegetables
Behind the Cover Story: Michael Moss on Getting People to Eat Their Vegetables
By RACHEL NOLAN
Tony Cenicola/The New York Times Michael MossGenerally The Times doesn’t commission ad campaigns for vegetables or for anything else. How did you come up with this rather odd idea?
The reporting started out in a very different direction. The idea was, how could we get blueberries to cost less so that people would be more open to buying them? This led me into the morass of supply issues like pricing. I spent weeks and weeks trying to untangle that. And I came out of the tunnel with a different question: how better to understand the demand side, which seemed more important. Farmers would never grow more fruits and vegetables if people didn’t want more of them. And that way the price would never go down. I had done some reporting for my book on the genius marketing strategies employed by the snack-food industry. I had spoken to the former president of Coca-Cola, Jeff Dunn, who had gone to work doing what he calls his “karmic debt” for a farm that grows baby carrots. And they had done a little campaign toying with the idea of stealing from the playbook of the junk-food industry to apply it to baby carrots, and it seems to have worked. I thought that baby carrots were too easy. I wondered if an ad agency could do something similar for one of the toughest sells in the produce aisle, broccoli.
So you chose broccoli because you thought it was, Bush Sr.-style, the hardest sell?
Exactly. From Bush Sr. to seeing it play out in my own family and knowing that it triggers bad memories for many baby boomers. But I also chose broccoli for being loaded with a huge number of nutrients. It has great potential, but a lot of negatives to overcome before selling more.
Did the ad-agency employees complain to you about the difficulty of selling broccoli?
They were really struggling. The Victors & Spoils employees were on a mission to try to understand what broccoli means to people, so they did a lot of interviews. They asked, for example, what people’s one-word associations with broccoli were. These were things like “healthy” and “good for you.” And it really seemed you couldn’t sell based on these criteria. That’s what the government has been trying and failing to do for years. People associate broccoli with something that wouldn’t help sell it. After the ad people had wandered around Colorado talking to farmers and chefs and people in schools, when they asked me what my single-word association with broccoli was, it was “despair.” I had no thoughts on how they would come up with anything at all.
The campaign they finally came up with was to pick a fight with kale, based on Pepsi versus Coca-Cola. How was it that that war helped raise sales of both?
I thought they were going to go after French fries or potato chips. Because ultimately that is what we are talking about here from a public health standpoint. Some of these people who had worked for Coca-Cola knew the secret of the great soda war, which is that when Pepsi went after Coca-Cola, or vice versa, ultimately sales of both went up. When the people at Victor & Spoils looked around for the big shot in the produce aisle, they realized it was kale. And they took off after kale. At first I was aghast — because the mission is not to drive down sales of kale — until they explained to me that sales of both would go up. Marketing people call this “buzz.” Of course, “43 percent less pretentious than kale” is obviously tongue-in-cheek.
That was just the first phase, which would play well in Brooklyn or Portland. They came up with another stage to go after people who weren’t paying much attention to vegetables at all. And that’s when they came up with the “alpha” vegetable. The idea was broccoli as a big, powerful vegetable that could appeal to both women and men. The idea is to push emotional buttons of both groups. That’s what the ad people study and know about. And for that second group they came up with big, muscular ideas, like roasting broccoli in a helicopter over a volcano.
One of my criteria in choosing Victor & Spoils was that they let me sit in on their creation of this campaign. I happen to think that the video that Gabe Johnson has done to accompany this story is just fantastic. It takes you inside a “Mad Men”-like setting where real ad-agency people are struggling and ultimately triumphing. It is so much fun to watch them work. They spend most of their time selling consumer goods that are arguably very questionable for the world’s health, and so it is fun to watch them use their talents to do some potential good for the world.
Victor & Spoils did this campaign free for The Times, as an example, but might broccoli growers seize on it and actually roll it out?
Over the course of reporting this, back in June, people at the Produce Marketing Association started seeing the light on their marketing practices. They used to think, like the government, that all they had to do was say vegetables were healthy. They now know that they have to do something bigger. They have also come to realize that it doesn’t have to cost tens of millions of dollars to buy TV advertising. Social media is more affordable. That’s critical because produce farmers have thinner margins than those who make other products in the grocery store. Picking up on this campaign might cost about $3 million to $7 million, depending how big you wanted to make it. That’s within the means of the Produce Marketing Association.
The New York Times Mag asks: Can You Make Cabbage Cool?
By THE STAFF
Petar Kujundzic/Reuters But if kale can be made trendy, could the same happen to other vegetables? And what if advertising agencies that have successfully marketed processed food put that same energy toward broccoli?
Michael Moss, a reporter for The Times, decided to find out. For his article in the magazine this weekend, he asked the agency Victor & Spoils to create advertisements for broccoli. One resulting slogan calls broccoli “the meat of any salad.”
Think you can do better? We invite you to come up with a slogan or branding concept for these other tough-sell vegetables: peas, cauliflower, beet, cabbage or turnip. Submit your idea below. If it’s inspiring enough, our art department will create some mock advertisements and help bring your campaign to life.
50 Crazy Good Things to Eat and Drink: the ultimate guide to Toronto’s thriving artisanal food scene
Sommelier-blended tea: Sloane Teas (Image: Anya Chibis)
Small-batch root beer
Nickel Brook Brewery
Babbling Brooke’s Root Beer contains only ingredients our grandmothers would recognize: cinnamon bark, star anise, orange peel and water. The soda has a strong licorice bite, a hint of vanilla and a minty finish. $2. 864 Drury Lane, Burlington, 905-681-2739.
Leslieville-roasted coffee beans
Pilot Roasters
Andy Wilkin moved to Toronto from Wellington, New Zealand, bringing with him his native city’s coffee mania. He founded a pair of cafés (Te Aro and Crafted) and a roasting business, which supplies dozens of espresso bars with his blends. He makes trips to Central America to establish direct trade relationships and adjusts the roasting process with each new bag of beans. His Burnout Dark Roast is smooth and chocolatey, and his Ethiopian Sidama is bright with an uncanny hit of blueberry. $13–$16 a pound. Te Aro, 983 Queen St. E., 416-546-4006.
Pineapple beer
Spearhead Brewing Company
This two-year-old Etobicoke brewery makes an unusual Hawaiian-style pale ale that’s infused with pineapple juice. It has a hazy copper colour and a faint caramel sweetness. The finish is hoppy but not as bitter as a heavy IPA, making it an excellent early autumn sipper. $14 for six bottles. LCBO 294520.
Raspberry Milk
Moo Milk Bar
Danielle Oron, who trained at New York’s French Culinary Institute, opened Toronto’s only milk bar last year. She stirs add-ins like vanilla bean paste and house-made fruit preserves into creamy two per cent from Hewitt’s Dairy in Hagersville. The raspberry version has only a touch of sugar, which makes it a tart cereal soaker or light milkshake alternative. $3.50. 1918A Queen St. E., 647-343-4272.
Sommelier-blended tea
Sloane Teas
Hoda Paripoush, one of a handful of certified tea sommeliers in Canada, imports some of the world’s highest-quality and rarest leaves, like a single-estate Darjeeling dubbed the Cristal of teas for its pedigree. She mixes them with natural spices, scents and blossoms, creating tea so unusual and layered, it’s easy to get geeky over, with talk of top notes, balance and finish. Case in point: the Persian Palace is a perfect blend of malty Assam black teas, intensely aromatic cardamom and Jaipur roses. $26. Sloanetea.com.
Micro-distilled hooch
Still Waters, 66 Gilead, Dillon’s, Toronto Distillery
Ontario spirit distilling is poised to become a mini-movement. Concord’s Still Waters recently released a micro-distilled whisky called Stalk and Barrel. Because whisky takes at least three years to age, however, most of the new breed of hooch artisans are focusing on spirits they can bottle and sell more rapidly. For Dillon’s, a family-run operation in the Niagara fruit belt, that means a fearsome un-aged white rye made from 100 per cent Ontario rye (most big brands are supplemented with corn). In Prince Edward County, 66 Gilead infuses whole wheat vodka with fresh Canadian pine needles grown on the property, and makes gin that tastes like lavender and cucumber that even compares to Hendrick’s in smooth drinkability. Closer to home, the fledgling Toronto Distillery Company has set up shop in the Junction; its organic grain liquor (a.k.a. moonshine) will definitely put hair on your chest. It’s available both neat and in cocktails at the Queen West hipster bar Happy Child. Still Waters whisky, stillwatersdistillery.com; Dillon’s The White Rye, LCBO 337600; 66 Gilead Pine Flavoured Vodka, LCBO 288464; Toronto Distillery Company, 90 Cawthra Ave., 416-558-5523.
Falooda
Royal Paan
After a taste of the royal falooda, bubble tea seems as staid as a cup of orange pekoe. The rose-scented Indian milkshake is made with soft serve, puréed cashews and almonds, soaked basil seeds, a healthy splash of rose syrup and a fistful of chewy vermicelli noodles. The disparate components are suspended in the thick goo and come up helter-skelter through the straw. The mix of sweet and flowery flavours is very nearly overpowering, yet irresistible—an acquired taste that’s worth acquiring. Take-home tubs $3.50–$5. 2654 Islington Ave., 416-743-7226; plus three other GTA locations.Late-Night Food: Toronto’s 15 Best Snack Bars open past 11 pm!!!
THANKS FOR THE LOW DOWN TORONTO LIFE!
http://www.torontolife.com/galleries/late-night-food-toronto-2013/#food-and-liquor-2
The late-night food at west Toronto’s Happy Child (Image: Renée Suen)
 | BAR VOLO587 Yonge St., 416-928-0008 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | HAWKER BAR164 Ossington Ave., 647-343-4698 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | 30303030 Dundas St. W., 416-769-5736 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | THE FEDERAL1438 Dundas St. W., 647-352-9120 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | ODDSEOUL90 Ossington Ave. Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | FOOD AND LIQUOR1610 Queen St. W., 647-748-7113 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | BELLWOODS BREWERY124 Ossington Ave., 416-535-4586 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | ARCHIVE909 Dundas St. W., 647-748-0909 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | HAPPY CHILD1168 Queen St. W., 647-748-1599 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | GERALDINE1564 Queen St. W., 647-352-8815 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | HOOF COCKTAIL BAR923 Dundas St. W., 416-792-7511 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | BAR ISABEL797 College St., 416-532-2222 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | THE LIBERTINE1307 Dundas St. W., 647-748-8288 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | A-OK FOODS930 Queen St. W., 647-352-2243 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
 | 416 SNACK BAR181 Bathurst St., 416-364-9320 Click here for suggested snack pairing |
Timmy's got a new blend and people are liking it!
I am what some would call a “coffee snob”! I know a little
too much about the subject and indulge in coffee as though it is a fine vintage.
In fact, I am likely the first to argue that coffee can be appreciated the same
way we appreciate wine – the aroma, the colour, the legs and the origin all
influence the body, thickness, flavour and delectability of coffee. I love
coffee! So when I learned that Tim Horton’s recently launched a new blend of café
I was intrigued, sceptical, but intrigued nonetheless!
There is a spectrum of coffee drinkers in Canadian society. At the far left are the Tim Horton’s coffee
drinkers. Those that drink it – Love it!
Timmy’s has a cult of followers that will drinking nothing else. All they need is a “Double Double” and they are on their way. Tim Horton’s customers
have been described by some as “blue
collar” or “proletariat”. In some ways, this description is very accurate. Their existing blend – which I believe is dark
and nutty. The biggest change that Tim
Horton’s has made to their coffee in years has been the size of their cups. Other
than this – their coffee has been the same since forever.
On the other end of the coffee spectrum are the Starbucks
lovers – the “bourgeois” of the coffee drinkers in society. These elitists want
to pay more, so that they can pronounce the size of their coffee cup on French –
Grande this and Venti that! In fact, this group of snobs spend a little too much
time perfecting their choice of coffee ie. “Ill
have a Venti an extra hot half sweet, half soy, mocha frap with a shot of caramel
with extra foam and a some cinnamon”.
As for me, I dislike Tim Horton’s – it often tastes burnt
and is rather watery for my liking. Let’s move on to condiments. I would argue BUT
FOR the 25% crème that is added to my
double double, Tim Horton’s coffee would be undrinkable. Despite more strong and
biased opinions about Timmy’s coffee, I am super excited to try this new blend.
I have a feeling this blend will bridge the divide and breed a new middleclass amongst
the coffee drinkers in Canadian society. Stay tuned to see what I have to say about
my experience. I am praying it is nothing like my recent McDonald’s experience
which was a total disappointment (those that think that McDonald’s coffee is
good are delusional and will be dealt with by me at a later point)
DISCLAIMER: I understand that I will have divided society
with this article and am prepared for the consequences.
Tim Hortons’ first new coffee blend since 1964 “actually tastes like coffee”
(Image: Tim Hortons/Facebook)
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