Skip to main content

Captain Caffeine’s latte art

Captain’s Log, Supplemental

Blog book giveaway:
To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there.
The Reliance (Legacy of the King’s Pirates book 2) by M.L. Tyndall
Scimitar’s Edge by Marvin Olasky
Bonus giveaway: The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Coffee Geeks Unite!

I discovered my husband isn’t the only coffee lover who’s so uptight—er, exact about his coffee.

When in Grand Rapids, I discussed the espresso machine Captain Caffeine bought when I got my contract.

(What espresso machine, you ask? Well, my husband let me quit my biotech research position to try writing full-time for six months, and if I got a contract, then I promised him anything.

Yup, anything.

He loves his lattes and wanted a new espresso maker. I was picturing a $20 Krups machine. (Okay, maybe not $20, maybe like $50.)

Nope—he got this all-stainless steel contraption from Italy and a monster of a coffee grinder.)

Back to Grand Rapids—after describing said metal kitchen counter decorations, VP Mark Bolinder said he liked Captain Caffeine already. Well, guess what he’s getting in a week as soon as my husband roasts it?

(Yes, Captain Caffeine roasts his own coffee and can tell the difference between a week-old roast and a two-week-old roast. Scary, I tell you.)

My husband is working on what’s called latte art—baristas will form shapes in your latte with the foamed milk (and there’s apparently a very exact science to get micro-bubbles and not macro-bubbles that involves temperature and fat content, etc.—yeah, makes my head spin, too).

He’s finally making recognizable shapes. Hence the celebration:



What do you think? He’s currently working on making a flower.

Comments

Delia said…
All I can say is...

Ouch! My head's hurting from all the spinning! lol.

I'm seeing an apple, and if that's right then it's a really good apple. If it's not supposed to be an apple...uh...well...my vision's not so good.

Honestly though, that's cool.
Winter Peck said…
LOL! I'm just glad my newly addicted coffee lover husband isn't that particular about his drink. As long as its strong, sugared up and hot, he doesn't care.

Can't wait to see the flower.
Rachelle said…
Speaking as a former barista... that's whack!

P.S. I have to admit I'm almost -- almost -- as much of a coffee freak as Captain Caffeine.
Carol M said…
I enjoy a good cup of coffee but I'm not at all like Cajptain Caffeine. I will even drink instant! lol I didn't know you could make pictures like that! lol
Carol M said…
oops! Captain Caffeine! lol
Julie Carobini said…
I am so impressed, I just don't know what to say--and that's saying a lot, lol. Think I'll have my own captain take a look at this...hah.
Anonymous said…
Wow. I think I'm in coffee love with the Captain! And this from a girl who grew up on New Orleans' chickory---still buy good old Community Coffee. But what a man! Maybe he could reproduce your book cover?
Camy Tang said…
Delia,

Yes, it's supposed to be an apple. Isn't that impressive?

I also might be more impressed because previous attempts looked like a big white butt.

Camy
Anonymous said…
Oooo, pretty coffee. I'm going to have to print this picture out and take it to Panera tonight for the barista to copy when I get their caramel mocha.
Geekwif said…
Wow! I thought my husband was a coffee freak. Yours has him beat for sure! That latte art is quite a talent.
Jolene said…
Wow. Is that an apple? Looks like a pretty apple to me. :) Such talent...
Love, love love, love, love it! I can so see it happening. This thing is going to be huge. Okay. Maybe not here in the Midwest, but huge...somewhere...

Popular Posts

I’m done

Captain’s Log, Stardate 05.17.2006 Blog book giveaway: My Thursday book giveaway is THE PREACHER’S DAUGHER by Lyn Cote My Monday book giveaway is BLIND DATES CAN BE MURDER by Mindy Starns Clark . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for THE PREACHER’S DAUGHTER and post the title for another book I'm giving away. Stay tuned. I’m done. At the beginning of the year, I made a goal of three books this year. That’s four months per book. I started this manuscript January 15th. I finished in the wee hours of May 17th, so it took me about four months, a day and a few hours. Yay me. I’m going to bed now. Yes, this is the espresso maker on the right, and a professional coffee grinder on the left. By the espresso maker, I mean the one I promised to my long-suffering husband if I got a book contract, as a reward for letting me quit my biotech job and write full-time.

I GOT A CONTRACT!

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.29.2006 I had a wonderfully funny blog post planned for today, but I got sidetracked by some news yesterday! Zondervan has offered me a three-book contract on my Asian chick-lit series ! I’m still stunned by everything that’s happened. The series is actually a 4-book projected Asian chick-lit series about four cousins who fall under the infamous family title "Oldest Single Female Cousin," and their ruthless, wealthy grandma applies pressure on each of them to improve their lack of love interests. I think the first book is tentatively scheduled to be released in August 2007. The blurb on the series is on my website here . Brandilyn Collins posted to the ACFW loop about my writing journey, and Tamara Cooper asked that I share it. And since you all know how much I like to talk , here it is. My writing journey: Like most writers, I have wanted to write since I was very young. (In high school, I wrote a fantasy novel that will never see the light of day ...

Romantic guys

Captain’s Log, Stardate 10.13.2006 Heroes: I’m a TV junkie, I admit it. I’m hooked on the new series called Heroes. (It’s like X-Men, but before they realized their powers and came together to become the X-Men. And without the funky costumes.) Okay, regardless of the X-Men type storyline, one of the heroines—a high school girl—is talking to a boy she likes, the quarterback of the football team. He’s sweet-talking her and being very flattering. She says he doesn’t really know her very well. He goes into this romantic spiel about how he notices she draws unicorns in the margins of her notes in class, etc. Now here I pause the TiVo and turn to Captain Caffeine. Skeptical Asian wife: “That’s so un-guy-like! How realistic is it for a typical guy to say something eloquent and romantic like that?” Captain Caffeine: “It sounds romantic because he’s the quarterback of the football team.” Confused Asian wife: “What do you mean?” Captain Caffeine: “If he were a computer geek, he would sound like...

ICRS Tuesday

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.11.2007 I started the day with a great meeting with Al Hsu , an editor at InterVarsity Press. We discussed Asian Americans—fiction, non-fiction, the church, family. He’s been in publishing for many years and is very wise. We had a great discussion. I also met his wife Ellen, who’s totally nice and is also into card-making! I wandered the floor and happened to meet Robin Jones Gunn. She asked if I’d eaten yet, and since I hadn’t, said to join her for lunch. On the way to lunch, we met Mark Mynheir, and he gave me a copy of his book, got The Void . Isn’t that cool? Robin has so much wisdom. I loved having lunch with her. She gave me such good advice, both professionally and spiritually. I hope I’ll get a chance to have lunch or dinner with her at the ACFW conference in September. I met up with agent Steve Laube, and walked with him to his next meeting, but on the way we were hailed by Cec Murphy and agent Jeff Dunn. Jeff had been the first editor to request...

Ironman

Captain's Log, Stardate 11.12.2008 I realize I’m late in posting this, but I just saw Ironman a couple weeks ago and it was FABULOUS! It was the most entertaining movie I’ve seen in a long time. I even liked it better than Mr. and Mrs. Smith (although that flick is a close second). I think because the acting was great. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow were fantastic. I especially liked how the Pepper character is an older woman with more maturity than, say, MaryJane in Spiderman . Pepper was strong, intelligent, and relatively cool under fire. And did you guys catch the Easter Egg at the end of the credits??? Awesome!!!