Taste is one of the most evocative memory triggers. Yet, I often feel that food can communicate beyond one's known realm of experience. It can teach you about a place you've never been, show you rolling fields of crops in your mind's eye, cast the heat of a summer day on your skin, and put the taste of earth and sky on your tongue. Some foods speak volumes of their birthplace. The Zirikana, Rwanda micro-lot: Rusenyi coffee from Intelligentsia is one. In my longstanding love affair with coffee, this one just made the list of cups I will never forget.

A Bourbon varietal from the Byumba Province, the micro-lot is a special "reserve" offering from the Rusenyi farm. The flavor is so inviting, delicate, and wonderfully wintery that it seems almost at odds with its origin. The crisp light tang of wild blueberries, hints of spiced cider, a touch of cinnamon, clove (and perhaps nutmeg), and a clear helping of molasses can all be found in this cup. But don't take my word for it, give it your own thorough tasting. Words fail the true pleasure of this experience. 

Zirikana is part of Intelligentsia's Direct Trade program. Direct Trade is  a collaborative program between Intelligentsia and the grower encouraging best practices in production, environmental stewardship, handling, and offering 25% above fair trade pricing directly to the grower. So, this is one African indulgence you can feel wholehearted about.

Available from Intelligentsia for $9 per half pound, the micro-lot: Rusenyi Zirikana shouldn't be missed. Intelligentsia has been roasting and distributing award-winning coffees for almost 15 years. Expect to see this micro-lot on their upcoming roster of accolades.

There are some things I can't leave the house without. When I'm facing a long day, knowing I've got a few cups of my favorite hot java with me smooths out the morning.  I've let it go six hours and the four cupfuls of goodness inside were still steaming. At a half-quart, my Stanley Thermos fits easily in my bag aside the other essentials: laptop, sketchbook, pens, pencils, bike lights, and sweater.


In addition to doing an admirable job with my brew, this thermos looks pretty tough. Lacking the sensitive and subtle lines popular in many of 2008's designs, this style of this thermos can be summed up in one word: Moxie. Stanley has been making them since 1913. That's more lunch hours than I can count. And I don't think it matters much to them if my jobsite is a computer lab. A guy's gotta have his coffee.

For the uninitiated, an espresso tamper is a tool used to compress finely ground espresso into a tight cake inside a machine's filter basket.

A rookie might describe my Reg Barber Espresso Tamper as a heavy metal disc, flat on the bottom, with a bulbous handle shooting from it like a mushroom cap. More aptly defined, it is a hand-made, customized, specialized tool, crafted to a standard that elevates it to nothing short of a work of art.
Reg Barber has been crafting Artisan espresso tampers since 1995. I've been using mine since 2005. I pick it up 3-4 times per day, and take pleasure in it each time I do. It's perfectly balanced, comfortable in my hand, sized for my machine, and visually striking. Best of all: my shots were notably improved by the quality of it's tamp.

Take my word for it, Reg Barber's pieces are timeless and irreplaceable. Bases are machined from Stainless, Aluminum, Brass, and Copper; while handles are turned in everything from Polished Aluminum, to Zebra Wood (with dozens of possible combinations).

Pricing depends on materials, but expect to be in the $50-65 range for most models.
You can find yours at Reg Barber Enterprises.

My better half has recently taken to collecting tea cups en masse. We're using them as party favors for an upcoming event. Of the 60 or so she's found, this one stands alone, ratcheting the coolness factor to a new level.

The Maneki Neko lucky cat, or welcoming cat is a popular omen haunting the entries to tens of thousands of Japanese shops and restaurants. The beckoning kitty ushers in either customers or money (depending on which paw is raised).

I've seen similar tea cups with drawn kitties, but it may take you some time to track down this exact model. You can also find cups molded into the shape of the lucky cat.

We got it from Japan on eBay. $8