Why?
I was scrolling a new-found blog, my friend Dea’s blog when I saw my name on her blogroll. I was touched that someone actually placed my blog in her blogroll. boohoo.. This blog was already somehow abandoned because I have been focused on my new mommy blog.

And so, today, I vow that I will be nurturing this blog again.

And it’s back to its original blog name – The GIrl With The Pink Shoes

Welcome back me!

xoxo

Normal “American coffee” is brewed by mixing the grounds of roasted coffee beans with hot water, allowing the mixture to steep briefly, and then straining out the coffee grounds. This is an extremely simple process. “Regular coffee” usually means an 8 ounce cup of American coffee with a teaspoon of sugar, and a small amount of milk or cream mixed in.

Espresso can be made with the same coffee beans, and they can be roasted in the same way as for American coffee, although sometimes superior coffee blends – mostly Arabica – are used (because the resulting drink is more concentrated, and the flavor of inferior coffee will be harder to ignore), and sometimes darker roasts are used in espresso for a more intense flavor.

But espresso can be made using the very same coffee and the very same roast. However for espresso, the coffee must be ground finer than what is necessary for American coffee. This is because of the brewing technique. What makes the beverage an “espresso” is the special brewing technique. And the special brewing technique is why we require a special “espresso machine.” Although (arguably) espresso can be made in a pot on the stove, the result is inferior, and is not recommended.

For espresso, the coffee grounds are compressed into a dense “puck” of coffee, and hot water (about 195-200 degrees Fahrenheit, but not boiling) is forced through the puck under high pressure (between 9 and 15 bars), to produce an extraction which we call “espresso.” The extraction should take at least 25 seconds (to allow sufficient time for the water to be in contact with the coffee), but it should not take more than 30 seconds. The grind needs to be fine enough to create a dense puck so that the pressure can be maintained during the extraction. An espresso machine maintains the water at the right temperature, and controls the pressure and the duration of the extraction. This cannot be accomplished on the stove.

The resulting extraction, espresso, has a much more intense flavor than regular coffee. This is why espresso cups are tiny. The normal serving of espresso is about an ounce and a half – the same as a shot. A 2.5 ounce serving is called a double serving, or a doppio (which is Italian for “double”). Milk or cream is never poured into espresso (except when making other drinks, which are no longer called “espresso”), although espresso can be sweetened with sugar if desired.

Cappuccino and Latte are drinks made with espresso and milk. The distinction is that in cappuccino, the milk is “frothed” (using the steam wand that is part of any espresso machine) into a “microfoam” that is about twice the volume of the original milk. In latte, the milk is merely “steamed” (heated, with the result being hot milk with a small head of froth) using the same steam wand, but a different technique. For frothing, the milk is converted to a “microfoam.” The microbubbles in the foam are formed by forcing hot air into the tightly-knit “fabric” created by the protein molecules in milk. So ironically, skim milk, being higher in protein, will produce a more voluminous foam than whole milk. For latte, the goal is not to create that much foam, so any type of milk works.

For cappuccino, we start with equal portions of espresso and milk. The milk is then “frothed” (in a special frothing pitcher) into a microfoam that is roughly double the original volume of the milk. The microfoam is then poured over the espresso. (If the espresso is poured into the microfoam, then the drink is called a “latte macchiato.”)

For latte, we start with twice as much milk as espresso. The milk is then heated (but not frothed) to 150-160 degrees Fahrenheit (but not hotter) using the steam wand. The hot milk and espresso are then poured together into a serving cup. Whatever microfoam had formed in the steaming process is poured over the top of the latte. Sometimes, the foam is poured artistically to create fancy designs on top of the drink.

Optionally, powdered or shaved chocolate and/or cinnamon can be sprinkled on top of either drink. This is a matter of personal taste.

…written by your friends at TheCoffeeBrewers

http://www.thecoffeebrewers.com/article2.html

1. Shuji Kida Hair Salon
Address: G/F City Center Bldg., 338 Ortigas Ave., Greenhills, San Juan
Contact: 726-9928
Operating Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (last call is at 7 p.m.), Monday to Sunday (except special holidays)
How much to shell out: Ladies’ cuts range from P400 to P2,500, Men’s from P300 to P2,500; Color starts at P2,000

2. Sei Salon
Address: 6/F Republic Glass Building, 196 Salcedo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Contact: 812-0943
Operating Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday (except public holidays)
How much to shell out: Cuts are at P1,700; Color starts at P2,000

3. Univers Phyto Salon
Address: Heaven on the 5th, Rustan’s Makati
Contact: 893-5007
Operating Hours: Sunday to Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (except special holidays)
How much to shell out: Cuts are between P1,000 to P5,000; Color begins at P3,500

4. Propaganda Salon
Address: Unit 303, Greenbelt Mall 1, Paseo de Roxas, Makati
Contact: 893-4098; telefax 840-4773; mobile (0917) 830-6515
Operating Hours: Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (except special holidays)
How much to shell out: Cuts start at P700, color starts at P2,100

5. Louis Phillip Kee
Address: One McKinley Place, G/F, 4th Ave. corner 25th St., Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
Contact: 856-3388; 856-4848
Operating Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily (except special holidays)
How much to shell out: Cuts start at P1,280, color starts at P2,000

6. Basement
Address: EDSA Shangri-la Carpark Building, Shangri-la Mall, EDSA
Contact: 638-2222; 638-6666
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (except special holidays)
How much to shell out: Cut starts at 400; color starts at P2,100

7. Hairworks
Address: G/F BSA Tower, 108 Legaspi Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Contact: 888-4817 or 888-4819; hairworks_salon@yahoo.com
Operating Hours: Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Closed on Sundays
How much to shell out: Cuts start at P280; Color starts at P1,904

8. Henri Calayag Salon
Address: G/F The Residences at Greenbelt (TRAG), Esperanza Street, Ayala Center, Makati City
Contact: 799-1495/491-4596; (0920) 918-1880; henricalayag_salon@yahoo.com
Operating Hours: Daily from 10AM to 8PM (except special holidays)
How much to shell out: Women’s cut and blowdry starts at P700, Men’s at P600; color starts at P2,000++

9. Emphasis
Address: Ayala Basement, The Peninsula Hotel, Ayala Avenue, Makati City; Rockwell G/F Joya at Rockwell, Plaza Drive cor. Joya Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City
Contact: 843-7629; 403-0117 and 19
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (except special holidays)
How much to shell out: Ladies’ cut starts at P750, Men’s at P630; Color starts at P1,600

10. Philippe’s Salon
Address: Jannov Building II, Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City (near UCPB)
Contact: 830-3030
Operating Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
How much to shell out: Cuts start at P500; color starts at P1,900

So whether it is to update your ‘do or avail of the best wrinkle creams for that much-needed skin therapy, do try to check out any of these salons.