matcha latte

It's cold. It's been raining for hours now. And it's such a struggle to maintain my focus when all I really want to do right now is to hit the snooze button and sleep for at least 10 hours.

But I can't, because I have tons of work to finish and that dreaded word -- deadline -- is hanging over my head with ever-increasing pressure. So I'm wishing for the next best thing: a soothing, invigorating cup of matcha latte, preferably prepared the way Mochicream Cafe makes 'em.

A Starbucks Freebie

Yesterday I got lucky again and got myself another free drink from Starbucks.

As I was paying for my order (a tall hot latte and a waffle), the cashier pulled out this extra long receipt and wrote something on it before giving it to me with a smile.


It took me a while to figure out what she was saying, but the gist was that I've just earned myself a free drink (of my choice) on my next visit to any Starbucks store -- that is, after completing several steps, the first of which is the log on to their customer survey page (MyStarbucksVisit) using the 16-digit code found on the receipt.

Latte Art

Latte art is a method of preparing coffee created by pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso and resulting in a pattern or design on the surface of the resulting latte. It can also be created or embellished by simply "drawing" in the top layer of foam (Wikipedia)

Latte art is one aspect of coffeemaking that combines fun, art and technology. At a glance it looks rather like a whimsical and playful activity, but it is actually a serious topic for baristas around the world, because it requires learning a painstaking technique, a certain amount of precision and dedication to pull off, as well as a basic knowledge of chemistry.