#eastcafe

Rainy days aren't always good for business, but I find that they are good for me. It gives me a bit of time to take a big deep breath and just slow down for a day. When I get the opportunity to do this I tend to spend the day reflecting on what I am doing in my little cafe. The passion that is so strong a the beginning of a project can sometimes get a little lost when you are in the middle of it all. 

A rainy day gives me that time to remember why I do what I do! It is all about the food and challenge myself to try new and different things I would never had the confidence to do!

A rainy day at the cafe revives my passion!

Fresh From the Markets

Passion! It is so important when starting any project, and there is one person I know who has so much passion for her food she prepares. Her name is Sally. Having tasted many of sally's preserves I finally convinced her to let me use them in the cafe. That is where Fresh From the Markets has come from.

Before the sun rises on a Saturday morning Sally is up before the rest of us and out at the markets picking up the freshest produce available before she spends he rest of the day making jams and preserves with such unique flavors that you won't find elsewhere.

So popular these flavors have been, they are now available to buy and take home in collectible Ball Mason Preserving jars.

Aromatic Spiced Beetroot in Vinegar

Strawberry, Clove & Cinnamon Jam - $7.50 delicious on toast, scones and anything else you like you jam on.

Aromatic Spiced Beetroot in Vinegar - $7.50 bursting with flavor, you don't need much to spice up your salad.

Sweet Cherry Tomato & Eggplant chutney with mixed peppers -  $7.00 for those who like their chutney with a bit of a kick! you wont be disappointed by the many layers of flavors you will taste!

And because I didn't feel Sally had enough to do, I had her make me her Burnt Fig & Hazelnut Muesli! Served with Greek Yogurt and mixed berries, this Low GI breakfast treats you to the unique flavor of burnt figs amoungst all the crunch of a quality muesli.

This Muesli is also available to buy and take home

Sally's Fresh from the Markets Burnt Fig & Hazelnut Muesli -$8.50

I am so happy to be using and stocking Sally's Fresh from the markets products in the cafe I hope you will enjoy it Just as much as I do.

Hope to see you all soon. 

WOW!!!! That is the only way I can describe my time in New York! I was lucky enough to spend 11 beautiful days in this amazing city during the Summer with my best friend and experiene a lot of what this city has to offer.

I like to think of myself as a bit of a foodie, considering I run a cafe you would hope that I do have an interest in food I guess. So whenever I came across something new or a little bit different I had to give it a go! and of course photograph it! this is something my best friend Sam got a little sick of, so I didn’t get to capture everything, but I have enough to share with you for now! 

Coffee is a great place to start! having been in in LA for 3 days and an over night flight in to New York i was really in need of a real coffee. Now everything you hear about coffee in the US is true, it is not good! I hate to say it but we would end up in Starbucks most of the time for our coffee only because at least we know what to expect and if we ended up with a really nice coffee it would be a pleasant surprise! 

I was  surprised however when I came across a little coffee house at the South St Sea Port. It wasn't the way I would normally have my coffee but it looked a little fancy so i thought I’s give it a go! However I was unaware that this coffee was to be served Ice cold! 

I wasn't having a bar of that, so I made the poor girl heat up the water so I could have my hot coffee!! Cold Brew coffee??  What I didn't know was that cold brew was something I would grow to love during my time in New York. 

So, what is this cold brew coffee?? Isn't it just brewed coffee chilled to use in Iced coffee?? NO... it is not! 

This is what I discovered!! Cold brew refers to the process of steeping coffee grounds in room temperature water for an extended period. cold brew seems naturally sweeter due to its lower acidity. Because the coffee beans never come into contact with heated water, the process of leaching flavor from the beans produces a different chemical profile from conventional brewing methods.

Now that all sounds very scientific... probably because i copied it directly off Wikipedia. But what i can tell you about cold brew is that it is different, but once you get used to it, it is a really good alternative to a hot coffee on a hot summers day! not only is it thirst quenching, but it doesn't leave you feeling bloated from a large amount of milk. because the coffee is slightly sweet rather bitter I found myself drinking it black rather than adding milk. Best of all, it still gives you the coffee kick that will get you through the afternoon!

So, of course i have returned from this wonderful trip determined to give this cold brew a go as we are about to head into our summer here in Australia. what I did find was that there are many different methods that you can use to create your own cold brew as well as especially developed drip filters. But My favorite method was the most simple of them all. The only down side to this method I'm using was the amount of time that it takes to filter the coffee down to the concentrate... To create 4 liters it would take approximately 5 hours of filtering on top of the 20-24 hours of brewing time. Is it all worth it?

Well, you will have to tell me!!!

This is it! The east cafe cold brew! and I am so happy to say that the customers feed back has been very positive!  I have even had people come back to the cafe asking for my special brew! 

This brew really is a great find. Not only does it taste great on its own, I have started using the the concentrate to make my iced coffee's. I even like mine with just a dash of soy milk.

So next time it is just too bloody hot for your regular coffee fix, come down and try our Cold Brew Coffee over ice... If you are a coffee lover, you will be glad you did!