How to Make a Macchiato

photo credit: dreamstime.com

Do you want to add more to your coffee shop? Are you tired of the same old drinks that you serve every day? Well, then it’s time to branch out into other drinks to make your coffee shop a little more interesting.

A Café Macchiato is an Italian name meaning “marked” with froth. This drink is basically a single shot of espresso mixed with a touch of frothy, delicious, thick milk. It is not a latte, nor is it a cappuccino, but it is an espresso drink with its mark at the top with foam. The foam covers the espresso so it protects it from exposure to air. Even if it’s only a small drink, a Macchiato can actually be pretty difficult to make. Steaming milk is actually a tough skill, especially for those who truly want to master the art of making the perfect espresso shot with the perfect froth.

To make your macchiato, you need to be prepared with the basic ingredients. Prepare a set of espresso beans and milk.

Start the process by steaming the milk. Use a 12 oz pitcher for steaming the milk. While you won’t need all the milk, you should still fill the pitcher up to the nozzle to give the pitcher enough time for steaming. If you have more milk in the pitcher, you have more time to steam it up to 155 degrees. This means you can have more time to play with the foam. Since a macchiato means that you will be marking it with foam, you need to make more foam.

Next, use the tip of the nozzle to touch the surface of the milk. Now, in order to mix the foam and the milk, you need to start swirling and surfing the nozzle. Try not to separate the two until you’ve poured it into the cup. As much as possible, avoid making bubbles. If you need to remove bubbles, spin the pitcher or tap it.

For those who are skilled in making these types of drinks, swirl the milk with the double espresso shot. However, if the machine doesn’t allow you to do this, continue swirling the pitcher. To make a good shot of espresso, grind the beans fresh and tamp three times. To make a good shot, you need about 21-27 seconds, depending on the beans you use and the machine.

Give the pitcher another swirl for more foam. If you didn’t get enough foam from steaming, lessen the milk by pouring it out. Use a spoon to hold the foam as you pour some milk out. Now spin it again. Get your espresso cup and hold it at an angle. Pour the freshly-made frothy milk into the espresso, right in the middle for emphasis. Raise the pitcher while you pour so you can keep the speed steady. Don’t pour too much milk into the espresso. If you put too much milk, then you’re now making a cappuccino. As you pour the pitcher, jiggle it a little, so that the pitcher does all the movement. Pour only until you see fit and then pull the pitcher away from you. This will help you create a heart at the top of the espresso shot.

Congratulations! You’ve now made a macchiato. If only you can add coffee syrups and use other easy ingredients, right? 

Read More

Tips to Starting a Catering Business

The food industry nowadays has been increasing gradually, due to the fact that everyone seems to want to eat more and more. With various events upcoming, food is something that you know will never run out of business. And if you happen to be a good cook, then you might want to start your own restaurant. Unfortunately, starting a restaurant isn’t easy. You need a lot of money to buy your own place, set up the permits and prepare everything for the opening. On the other hand, if you start a catering business instead, you just might save yourself the trouble of all the restaurant expenses.

photo credit: sajianambang.com

So how do you start your own catering business?

1. First, you need to do some research first.

Before anything else, you need to know how the catering industry works. In order to do this, you have to do some research to make your business work. It might take a few months, even years. But if you’re truly acquainted with catering, you’ll know how your business should work too. If you really want to know how catering works, you should also do some catering of your own. Get a few catering jobs. See how everyone works. See what your business would need. The best way you’d know how to improve your catering business is to see what other people lack.

2. Second, find a licensed kitchen for cooking

Unfortunately, you can’t really cook at your own home, especially if you have a small kitchen. You’d need a lot of space and equipment to get the food going. Before you start making plans of licensing your own kitchen at home, you should try renting first. It’s going to take a lot of money to build and have a licensed kitchen so you might as well try and rent first. Look around the area for some kitchens and get their hourly rates. You’d need this for your packages.

3. Get catering equipment and supplies

Now, your catering business will not work without catering equipment. This includes the platters, the plates, custom beverage napkins if needed, utensils and more. If you cannot afford to buy your own catering equipment and supplies, you can also look into renting. Renting won’t be as sustainable, but you can always change that in the future.

4. Create your own packages

Once you have all the expenses sorted out, you need to create your own catering packages. Create a list of the things you could offer your customers. Make a wedding package, maybe a budget and luxury wedding package. Consider creating a package for other events too. Be flexible with your packages and give your customers a lot of things to choose from.

5. Attend socializing events

When you have everything in place, you need to do some socializing to get to your target market. Attend weddings; meet wedding planners and event planners. Get on their list so that they have someone to call when they need a caterer. Catering businesses usually thrive on word of mouth marketing. Make a lot of contacts and your business will benefit from it in the future. 

Read More

6 Types of Coffee Drink for Your Café

photo credit: 123rf.com

If you own a new coffee shop, then you probably have only the basic drinks served to your customers. One way or another, you need to start branching out to different types of drinks in order to impress your customers and target a bigger market. If you continue to sell only a limited menu, you could be closing your doors to bigger possibilities. Besides, everyone who likes coffee tends to try other caffeinated drinks as well.

Here is a list of the most popular types of coffee drinks for you to try at your coffee shop.

1. Espresso – this is a type of black, condensed coffee, which you can make by forcing water through dark, roasted coffee beans with high pressure. By brewing the espresso perfectly, it should have golden-brown cream at the top of the surface. If you add sugar, it will float on the crema for a few seconds before it sinks to the bottom of the drink.
2. Frappuccino – made popular by Starbucks, this drink can be achieved by mixing blended coffee, whipped cream, ice and other secret ingredients. However, if you want to achieve the same caffeinated goodness in your own home, you can also easily achieve a Frappuccino by mixing coffee syrup with plain coffee or espresso with ice and whipped cream.
3. Cappuccino – very popular for it’s strong, but delicious taste, a real cappuccino is 2 parts of espresso, steamed milk, with milk froth at the top. If you can make this drink properly, it can also serve as the customer’s dessert. If you want, you can also sprinkle cocoa or grated chocolate over the milk froth. You can also give the drink a twist by giving your customers an option between “scuro” or less milk and chiaro or more milk. If you add ice, you can make it an iced cappuccino. And if you add skim milk, it becomes a “skinny”.
4. Café Americano – this drink is made of lots of hot water mixed with 1 shot of espresso. Despite its controversial name, many coffee shops have this drink perfected, resulting in a rich, creamy coffee, perfect for drinking before an energetic activity. This drink can be mixed with milk, but it should be kept to a minimum to make most of the espresso flavor. On hot days, you can also turn this into an Iced Americano beverage.
5. Café Latte – this drink can be made by mixing espresso, steamed milk and a bit of milk froth. While this beverage is usually drunk without any twists or special ingredients, it is also a popular drink used to dip desserts like cookies, sponge cakes and especially Italian bread. Perfect for drinking during breakfast.
6. Café Au Lait – for those who think café latte is too strong, you can recommend them to this beverage. This drink has the less kick that a café latte has because it is made with brewed coffee instead of an espresso shot. Mix it with milk and sugar, this drink is also a good beverage for dipping. 

Read More

5 Ways You Can Make Your Restaurant Different

photo credit: mentalfloss.com

In order to stand out among the other restaurants in the area, you need to find a way to make your restaurant a little different.

1. Serve unique food – this is where every restaurant usually varies. The type of food they serve is a huge factor in deciding if a restaurant is definitely different than others in the area. If the food being served is only of mediocre quality, people won’t have enough reasons to come back to the place. But if the restaurant serves good food, people would want to go back to the restaurant no matter what. On the other hand, you can also serve a different cuisine. People like to taste various cuisines and if no other restaurant in the area offers that kind of food, you’ll have a separate market on your own.
2. Be creative with your supplies – one thing that differentiates restaurants from the others is the way they brand themselves. If you truly want your restaurant to stand out, you need to give your customers something to remember you by. Logos are very important when it comes to branding your restaurant. Every time a customer sees the logo, they should remember the good food they ate. If you want to instill the logo into the minds of your customers, you need to put the logo in places where customers will be likely to look at. This includes printing custom beverage napkins, plates, cups and even special uniforms with logos for the staff. The more they get to see the logo, the easier it will be for them to recognize it in the future. 
3. Set a theme for your restaurant – if you’re creative with the supplies you serve in the restaurant, you should also think of adding a theme for your restaurant. With a theme decided for the restaurant, it’ll be easier to determine how to decorate the place. You can get comfy seats, buy custom-made tables and chairs and decorate the place according to the theme. The unfortunate thing about setting a theme for your restaurant is that it will definitely cost a lot of money to customize it.
4. Offer something different – part of the reason why a customer will remember your restaurant is because you offer a different kind of eating experience to them. Some restaurants will offer you the chance to eat at the top of a building. Others will have you eating in a transparent tube above the cities. There’s even a restaurant that will allow you to eat in the middle of the sea! If you can give them a unique dining experience, they’ll never forget your restaurant. 
5. Choose a good location – location is always part of a restaurant’s dining experience. There’s really nothing compared to eating out at the top of the building or being in a restaurant with good atmosphere and a good view. In the same way, if your restaurant is located in a convenient place for customers, you’ll also find yourself an easy target market.

Read More

5 Most Popular Coffee Syrups to Taste

One of the best ways to change the basic flavor of your coffee is to add flavored coffee syrups. No more ordinary coffee for your daily dosage. And if you don’t like the actual taste of coffee, you can still enjoy a good cup of caffeine with a flavored taste, just by adding these syrups. If you simply want a different type of coffee for your breakfast, you can always buy bottled syrups to help you change the taste into something more flavorful. Out of the hundreds of different types of coffee syrups, here are 5 of the most popular flavors you need to taste.

photo credit: whatscookingamerica.net

1. Vanilla – this aromatic flavor is popular for cakes, pastries and even ice cream. Because it is a basic taste for different kinds of food, it adds elegance to anything you mix it into. Despite vanilla being a popular additive for experienced chefs, beginners can also use it to spice their drinks. And if you’re not satisfied with the ordinary taste of vanilla, you can also try other vanilla tastes like French vanilla and vanilla bean.
2. Chocolate coffee syrup – who doesn’t love chocolate? If you hate the bitter taste of coffee, then you’ll definitely appreciate the sweetness of chocolate added into your coffee drink. Because chocolate is a popular flavor for syrups, they are usually inexpensive, allowing chefs and bartenders to easily mix the sweetness of chocolate to dissolve the bitterness of coffee. If you add just the right amount of coffee and specific ingredients into your coffee, you can enjoy the delicious mocha beverage. All you need now is some ice, whipped cream and cherries to top your iced mocha coffee drink.
3. Buttered rum isn’t a common flavor for syrups. However, this flavor is actually pretty unique with your ordinary coffee. Buttered rum is a good additive for those who have a sweet tooth. If you’re curious as to how buttered rum actually tastes, it’s similar to sweet butterscotch candies. On the other hand, you don’t like the actual rum flavor (actual alcoholic taste) for your coffee, you can use buttered rum instead. But if you’re adventurous and you really want the alcohol kick, you can also add a bit of real rum to make your coffee drink taste like the actual alcoholic drink.
4. Mint flavor – nothing better than spice for your coffee. Everyone likes the slightly minty taste. If you add this mint flavor to your coffee, you will definitely enjoy the extra “kick” from its flavor. Besides, mint is also known to be a calming and soothing component, perfect for those who need something to keep them relaxed. If you don’t like the mint flavor alone, you can also add chocolate for Java goodness.
5. Caramel flavored syrups are also delicious for coffee. If chocolate is too dark for you, caramel is a great alternative. As a mixture of brown sugar and butter, you’ll enjoy the creamy, smooth syrup for your coffee. Great way to sweeten your morning cup of coffee. 

Read More

How to Make Your Own Coffee Syrup

Nowadays, the ordinary type of coffee isn’t necessary at all. Despite the fact that you might need strong coffee to survive your day, you don’t have to suffer a bitter tongue just to get your hourly dose of caffeine. Instead, you can always get the caffeinated beverage with coffee syrup to enjoy an energizing drink without the after taste. That would be the ideal situation if there’s a nearby café or restaurant near your place.

However, if you cannot buy coffee from a café or the grocery stores have run out of stocks, you can enjoy the alternative way to enjoying your coffee. By making your own syrup, you can control how much to add in your beverage and how many times you can drink flavored coffee.

photo credit: naturesflavors.com

Don’t worry, you don’t need to be Betty Crocker to make the syrup. In fact, you can make your own chocolate coffee syrup within a few minutes!

What do you need to make your own chocolate coffee syrup?

Before you start cooking, you need to prepare the ingredients to make your syrup. You’ll need a half cup and 2 tablespoons of white sugar, half cup of unsweetened, powdered cocoa and half cup of water. You’ll also need a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

How do you make your own chocolate coffee syrup?

Now that you have your ingredients ready, you can begin your cooking process. Start cooking by mixing the sugar and powdered cocoa in a medium-sized saucepan. Continue stirring until the lumps have disappeared inside your mix. Turn the stove up to heat at medium rate. At this point, you can start adding the water and the salt, slowly into your mix. Cook well and stir your syrup as frequently as you can.

Wait around for some time until your syrup starts to boil. The liquid will thicken a bit and you can continue to stir while it cooks for a few more minutes. When you think the liquid has thickened enough, take your saucepan from the stove and let your mix cool for at least 5 minutes. By then, you should be able to smell the slightly chocolate-y flavor. Once your syrup has cooled down, you can add the vanilla extract. This will heighten its aroma and add to its chocolate taste.

Since this recipe makes more than what you need for one drink, you can store the rest in an air tight container and leave it in the refrigerator until your next use. This way, you don’t waste any syrup at all.

Now that you have your coffee syrup, you can start making your caffeinated beverages. Remember to use only 2 tablespoons or less to a cup of coffee or coffee and milk. Unless you want a really sweet beverage, you can add more of your home-cooked coffee syrup. Pour the syrup slowly so you can taste test until you have poured the right amount.

Enjoy your flavored coffee with some pastries and a good book. Best way to spend a weekend!

Read More

Ideas to Make Your Restaurant Unique

There are so many restaurants nowadays that you don’t even know which one to choose to eat in. People will either choose the restaurant nearest their homes or they will pick out one that offers them a unique experience. The only way for you to stand out over the other restaurants is to make sure that you have a unique restaurant.

photo credit: dallas.about.com

1. Adopt a theme – this may be a corny concept, but remember, the more noticeable your restaurant is, the better for your restaurant. Adopting a theme doesn’t have to be corny, though. You can always choose to build a restaurant on an admirable or noticeable theme. You can bank on becoming a Navy restaurant, where your waiters and waitresses all wear Navy-themed uniforms and you focus on serving seafood. You can choose a Halloween theme where you sell gross, bloody cupcakes and design your restaurant with blood and gore. You can even choose a superhero theme where young kids can play around with superhero items. The more creative you can be with your theme, the more possibilities for your restaurant.
2. Brand your restaurant – every restaurant needs to be branded if they want to stay longer in the market. A brand is text, image, icon or all that people can associate with your food and services. In order to brand your restaurant, you should be open to expanding your marketing strategy. Create an interesting logo for your restaurant. Have some custom beverage napkins printed. Also consider branding the plates and cups so that every time your customers use it, they’ll see your logo. The more they get to see your logo in a span of a few seconds, the more they’ll remember your restaurant when they need to.  
3. Sell unique food – branding your restaurant is good for marketing strategies. But if you offer unique food, you take on marketing on a whole new level. Your food and services greatly define your restaurant so if you can offer your guests a unique experience, they’ll be more likely to remember your restaurant the next time they need to eat. Be creative with the food you sell. Create a good, complex menu with interesting pictures and descriptions of your food. Hire an experienced chef who can whip up exotic food. Being different in the restaurant business can be hard because that means you have to top everyone else’s ideas. But if you can pull off the unique factor with your ideas, you can easily establish a reputation with your customers.

Offer exquisite services – if you have unique food in your menu, offer unique services as well. People like to be pampered. If your waiters and waitresses can offer friendly and courteous services, your restaurant will most likely make an impression on your customers. You can always add additional services and entertainment like a singer on stage, maybe waiters singing the Birthday song for a customer. Some restaurants also get dancing waiters just for the entertainment of their customers. Maybe you can even provide free cake for celebrants dining in your restaurant.

Read More

10 Characteristics of a Good Restaurant

Starting a new food business? How do you know if your restaurant is good enough to be sustainable?

phot credit: besttopdesign.com

Here are 10 characteristics that every restaurant should have.

1. Cleanliness – every restaurant should bank on their cleanliness. It is important that a restaurant should be clean, because this can affect the health of their employees and customers. Without a clean restaurant, the restaurant shouldn’t be open at all. Make sure that your service and dining area is clean at all times.
2. High quality food – no restaurant can survive without high quality food. This is the best way to attract more customers to your restaurant. Always taste-test your food so that you know how it tastes and you know your customers will like it. If you serve food that may not be delicious for your customers, you’ll end up losing them.
3. Good service – even if you serve great food, a restaurant won’t last long if the people who serve them aren’t friendly or courteous. Sometimes, if a restaurant has good service but mediocre food they can easily bank on building relationships with customers.
4. Reasonable prices – a restaurant should always price their food right. If your food is overpriced for its taste, customers will definitely lose interest.
5. Uniqueness – because there are so many restaurants nowadays, it can be hard to stand out amongst them. The only way you can be remembered by your customers is by giving them some uniqueness in your restaurant. Whether it is by service, by the aesthetics of a restaurant or by the food you serve, you need to give your customers something they will remember.
6. Aesthetics – a good restaurant should be considerate of how the place looks. Every eatery business has to be interesting and comfortable. They should be designed well, look pretty with good tables and seats, comfortable lights and good entertainment if needed.
7. Branding – in order for a restaurant to remain sustainable for longer periods, they need to eventually start building their brand. They can start with a good logo. They can use custom beverage napkins or plates that are printed with their logos. The more people will remember their logo, the more they will associate your restaurant with good food or everything they remember when they ate at your restaurant.
8. Safe equipment – a good restaurant will not only think about their customers and guests, but they’ll also consider the safety of their employees. It is crucial that the restaurant only gets safe equipment to allow employees to provide good food without any hassle on their parts. Besides, any good company will always think about their employees’ safety too.
9. Complex menu – customers are more likely to return to a restaurant because they have a complex menu where they can choose different types of food. If the menu is only limited and the customer finds that they cannot eat anything there, they’ll have no choice but to find a different restaurant.
10. On time delivery of food – nobody likes to wait hours just for their food. If a restaurant can deliver food on time, they’ll be able to impress their customers. 

Read More