Food Photos

Monday, December 12, 2005

Bleargh...

Rather ill at the moment. Made some cookies this weekend with my girlfriend. Will post recipe once I'm feeling somewhat less awful.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

How about some coffee in my Coca Cola...

Not sure who thought this one up, but apparently Coke is planning on putting coffee extract into Coca Cola. They're going to call it Cola Blak. I think I hate the name more than anything else about this new beverage. Cola Black? Just freaking call it Cola Black. Why the lame-ass attempt at being "edgy?"

I'm also not entirely sure what the point of this drink is. If you want more caffeine, there are plenty of beverages out there (Jolt, Mountain Dew, any of the "energy drinks") that can keep you awake for 48 hours straight. I guess the Coke execs thought adding coffee extract would somehow enhance the soda's flavor?

Anyway, I doubt this will catch on. I'm not much of a soda drinker, though, so maybe it'll attract a small, hyperactive following.


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE:KO - news), the world's No. 1 soft drink company, on Wednesday said it will launch a coffee-infused soft drink called Coca-Cola Blak in various markets around the world in 2006.

The news of the launch came hours before Coke Chief Executive Neville Isdell was scheduled to address financial analysts and investors in New York.

The new drink, a combination of Coca-Cola Classic and coffee extracts, will be first launched in France in January before being rolled out in the United States and other markets during 2006.

A Coke spokesperson said Coca-Cola Blak will be a mid-calorie drink, similar to Coca-Cola C2, which was launched in April 2004 and contains half the sugar, calories and carbohydrates of regular colas. The formula for the new beverage is expected to vary based on local tastes.

Analysts have said one of the keys to the company's future is capturing more consumers who have moved away from sugary soft drinks to diet versions, or to healthier low- or no-calorie beverages.

Saturday, December 03, 2005

La Mill Coffee

I'm considering ordering some coffee from La Mill Coffee in Alhambra, California. They've apparently won the Taste Maker award in Food & Wine and were also featured in Los Angeles magazine. They definitely have a slick website.

Anyway, not sure what I'm going to order at this point. I'm leaning toward the La Mill Espress roast. I'm a fan of Segafredo's Espresso Mocha blend, so I'm interested in finding out how La Mill's Espress blend compares. I'll report on my findings sometime in the near future.

Friday, December 02, 2005

Coffee News

Looks like Peet's roasting center is moving. Check out the press release below. Not sure how this will affect the company, but hopefully it'll mean some interesting blends of coffee. It's also a sign of the company's financial health, which is a good thing because Peet's produces pretty decent coffee overall.


Peet's Coffee and Tea, Inc. to Build New Roasting Facility in Alameda, California
Tuesday November 29, 4:00 pm ET

Company announces contract for development of new roasting facility to meet long term growth plans

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. (Nasdaq: PEET - News), a specialty coffee roaster and marketer, announced today that it has selected The Waterfront at Harbor Bay Business Park in Alameda, California, as the site of its new 135,000 square foot coffee roasting and distribution facility. The new facility is intended to support the company's long term growth plans by helping to meet the growing customer demand for Peet's distinctive quality coffees and teas.

"We look forward to calling Alameda the home of our new roasting facility and making a positive contribution to the community," said Patrick O'Dea, President and Chief Executive Officer of Peet's Coffee & Tea. "We are excited to build a facility that we believe can meet our Western U.S. growth needs for the foreseeable future and feel comforted in doing so just six miles from our existing roasting plant, which will allow us to retain our dedicated Peet's employees."

Alameda Mayor Beverly Johnson said, "We welcome Peet's to our community. We're proud to add them to the growing list of companies that are choosing to locate in Alameda. Our central Bay Area location, attractive neighborhoods and quality schools support our position as a very competitive business location for a wide range of businesses."

Peet's will work in partnership with leading Bay Area developer, SRM Associates and Pacific Coast Capital Partners to develop the new roasting facility. Construction is scheduled to begin April 2006 with completion December 2006. Relocation of Peet's roasting and distribution operations to the new facility is expected to be completed by the end of March 2007. The cost of this phase of the project, which includes both land and construction related costs, is estimated at just over $17 million, with total costs once completed, of approximately $24 million.

"We are pleased to be working with Peet's to develop their new custom facility," said Joe Ernst, development manager for SRM Associates. "Peet's Bay Area roots, valuable staff and reputation for producing coffees and teas of uncompromising quality and freshness will complement the existing businesses located at The Waterfront at Harbor Bay."