Welcome!
The coffee is brewing, the fireplace is crackling, and the muffins are 
baking. So come in to my virtual Village Blend to warm your bones and hang out for a little while.
—Cleo Coyle
Today Cleo's
Talking About...
YEAAAAH, BABY!
NUMBER ONE!
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The Independent Mystery Booksellers Association posted their lists of bestselling hardcovers and paperbacks for the month of April.
Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse Mystery:
FRENCH PRESSED
was the #1 bestselling paperback!
Click here to see
the entire IMBA list.
VISIT CLEO'S HAUNTED
BOOKSHOP!
Meet the ghost: Jack Shepard, private detective, gunned down in Cleo's Haunted Bookshop 50 years ago. Click here or on the dancing ghost in the left column to learn more about this 2nd mystery series that Cleo writes under the name Alice Kimberly.
The Winner of last week's Free Coffee 
Drawing was "Krista" from New Hampshire! Congratulations, Krista!
Krista won a package
of Cleo's April Coffee Pick, "Purple Princess" from Honduras. To read about this coffee, scroll down...
Have you ever wanted to hold your own
Coffeehouse Mystery reading group,
maybe over coffee or in a coffeehouse?
Reading Group Questions for Coffeehouse Mysteries
#1 & #2
Now Available!
To get the questions free
in PDF form, click here.
If you need the Adobe Reader software to read this PDF file,
you can get it free. Click here to go to the Adobe site
and click on the download Adobe Reader button.
THE WORKING LIFE...
COFFEE MEMORIES
A Coffeehouse Mystery Reader (Davida of San Francisco, CA) shares memories of working a coffee kiosk. Scroll down this home page to the "Coffee Talk" featured posts area.
Stay tuned!
Cleo's May Coffee Pick
to come later in the month...
Cleo's April
Coffee Pick:
"Purple Princess"
Scroll ALL THE WAY down this Home Page
to read about this amazing coffee, grown in Honduras by the farm owner pictured above, and featured in my latest Coffeehouse Mystery: French Pressed. (As always, links are provided on where you can purchase it, too.)
BEHOLD!
The Cat Who Wrote
FRENCH PRESSED...
Scroll down to read Cleo's recent post about the return of Java to the series...
* Check out French Pressed review and Cleo's author interview in this month's
Gumshoe Review
Click here to read more...
*ANOTHER BONUS RECIPE FROM: FRENCH PRESSED (variations on pots de creme) will be included in Cleo's May 20 Newsletter.
To subscribe to Cleo's free newsletter,
hit the button in the left column
or send an e-mail that says
SIGN ME UP to VillageBlend@aol.com
Cleo last updated this site on:
May 16
THE RETURN OF
JAVA THE CAT!
This candid photo reveals the scandalous truth: My cat, Mr. Felloes, is actually my in-house editor. Late last year, when I was writing my latest Coffeehouse Mystery, French Pressed, Mr. Felloes pointed out to me that Clare's cat Java seemed to have disappeared from the Coffeehouse Mystery series.
"This manuscript is putting me to sleep," Mr. Felloes complained. "Put Java the cat in a scene and I'll give a crap!"
Ack! Hairball!
Of course, I ignored Mr. Felloes' notes on the manuscript (as well as his drool and claw marks), but then my CM readers spoke up!
No kidding. While I was working on French Pressed, the following posts appeared on my Coffee Talk Chalkboard (just click on the green board in the right column to post your own message), and their heartfelt content really did persuade me to add Java to the very next Coffeehouse Mystery, which happened to be French Pressed (more on the scene I wrote, below these "Where's Java?!" posts)...
§
From Coffee Talk Message Board Post 9/11/07...
Clare's Cat
One question about a character in On What Grounds. What happened to Java? Those of us with pets, especially cats, think of them as one of the family. I sadly have more pictures of my cats than of my grandchildren. Shouldn't Java be around a little more?...
From Message Board Post 10/8/07...
Coffee Loving Pets
I just read the post from Charlie-Rourke O'Brien. Loved it. My adoption mom & her daughter make Lattes & make some froth (flavored) for me. I also still want to know what happened to Java.
—Smokie Lane of Amarillo
And, finally, I received this post in March:
(Yes, French Pressed was on its way to being printed by then, but this post made me realize that Mr. Felloes was right, all along!)
From Board Post 3/5/08...
Luv your books. But where did the cat - Java- go?
I luv your coffee books! I started in the middle of the series with LATTE TROUBLE and went forward with books 4 and 5. I am just now reading ON WHAT GROUNDS and WOW-there is Clare's cat, Java. I'm not to the end yet, but...where is Java in the rest of the series? I loved your books before I knew of Java, but luved them more after the little coffee beaned colored tabby appeared.
Also, I luv all of the splendid caffeine-charged info and recipes that are in your very well-done mysteries. I am an avid reader of everything, especially mysteries. Your series is a java junkie gem! My coffee-crazed friends are loving my new coffee facts that I am quoting from your books. really!...
Have a java, jazzy day!
—Roxy from Georgetown, TN
§
So where exactly is Java's big scene in French Pressed? Well, turn to page 37 in your mass market paperback editon and read through page 45.
I originally conceived this scene as taking place between Clare and Mike in the kitchen of Clare's duplex apartment. In the scene, Clare is fixing coffee for Mike, something she usually does downstairs in the espresso bar. Now that they're seeing each other, however, she invites him up to her place.
At first, the addition of Java to this scene between Clare and Mike was just for fun, but as I wrote, I realized Java was actually playing a pretty significant role in the little give-and-take between the two humans.
You'll notice as Mike throws Pounce treats to Java, he also throws little pieces of information out to Clare on the case he's been working in the area nightclubs. They are playing the kind of guessing game that they usually play, but with Java added to the scene, the humor becomes a little more telling: Clare enjoys this interaction as much as Java enjoys those little cat treats. Clare's addicted, you see...not just to coffee, but to sleuthing. In more than one way, Mike is catnip to her. Funny stuff. And lots of fun to play with, thanks to my CM readers who reminded me not to diss the cat!
Adding unexpected elements to the writing process is always great fun and a good challenge for any writer of popular fiction. I'm all for having "notes" come to me in karmic ways as well as traditional one. And, actually, it's not a bad life lesson, either.
In my experience, notes from the universe always lead me down surprising roads—and, this time around, anyway, I'm very glad to have the chance to take you down those roads with me.
Thanks very much to those of you who posted about Java. From now on, I'll try harder to remember to include her in Clare's adventures. I know my Japanese publisher, Random House Kondansha would agree...
Here are some of the Japanese covers for my Coffeehouse Mystery series (you'll notice that even though Java isn't exactly featured in every books, she's become the star of the Japanese cover art...)
Cover of the
Japanese edition
On What Grounds
Java enjoying a delish cookie with her coffee...
U.S. version
Published in Japan
by Random House
Kodansha
Cover of the
Japanese edition
Through the Grinder
Java grinding beans
and frowning at mice stealing sack of coffee
U.S. version
Published in Japan
by Random House
Kodansha
Cover of the
Japanese edition
Latte Trouble
Java reading a "New Fashion" mag with a bottle of "Latte" in her arm.
U.S. version
Published in Japan
by Random House
Kodansha
If this is coffee, please bring me
some tea; but if this is tea,
please bring me some coffee.
—Abraham Lincoln
Oh Snap!
Rachael Ray Makes Gaffe
Over...Coffee?!
So there's this daily blog written by New York magazine called "Grub Street," which has the inside track on New York's foodie scene. The editors recently reported a hilarious story that caught my attention merely because it's about coffee.
Click here to read about Rachael Ray's apparent gaffe on the set of her show (off camera), calling Dunkin' Donuts coffee, well, merde and asking for "MY" coffee, which was, apparently...(oops!) Starbucks.
Yeah, I know, this wouldn't be a big deal at all if she wasn't promoting Dunkin' Donuts. But then I can't blame her. I myself have given up on the Dunkin' Donuts coffee at the stores near me.
In my own experience, when it comes to fast food coffee, McDonald's premium blend is making me very happy for the price; Starbucks seldom disappoints me; and (really sorry Rach, but...) Dunkin' Donuts has disappointed me with undrinkable coffee more times than I can count.
But, hey, maybe it's just the New York City Dunkin' Donuts. Maybe franchise owners in other parts of the country actually care about quality (one would hope so for the chain's sake). I gotta say it, though...if Dunkin' Donuts invested the money paid for celeb endorsements into their coffee beans, there'd be no stopping the stampede for their java...
Scroll all the way down this Home Page to read about some great African coffees grown by artisan farmers. (Pictured left.)
By the way, everyone, I really like Rachael Ray! She's obviously worked her rear end off to get where she is (and I honestly have to like any chick who makes an Italian rear fashionable again, thank you VERY much since I have one, too!).
I think this gaffe (if it's really true) is just a passing thing, and all will be well with her growing Oprah-like empire, to which (despite snarky comments by fiftysomething TV guys like Tony Bourdain!) I have to say, YOU GO, GIRL!
I actually love Tony, too. C'mon, his sexy arrogance, hidden under too-cool-for-school hipness, actually inspired me to create my very own chef character in my latest Coffeehouse Mystery, French Pressed
SCROLL DOWN FOR A REPLY FROM A DUNKIN' COFFEE FAN FROM MA!
Chain-smoking, formerly drug addicted,
heavy drinking Tony Bourdain
smacked down Rachael Ray
last October for peddling donuts,
which are (gasp) bad for your health.
Right.
If you missed the Bourdain
smackdown, click here!
It's a riot.
Till next time,
—Cleo Coyle
COFFEE TALK
Below are some recent posts from my
Coffee Talk Message Board...
(little green board in right column)
E-mail notes can be sent to
My answers are in blue
—Cleo
RE-POST FROM E-MAIL to VillageBlend@aol.com
Subject: "COFFEE MEMORIES"
Posted by: Davida of San Francisco
Cleo: I worked a small coffee kiosk my senior year of high school. Waking at 5 AM to open the booth and lay out the pastries. By first period psych class I had already had two eye openers (speed balls) and was sipping on a monkey mocha (banana flavored mocha). Our kiosk was in a hospital, and sometimes I would comment to the ER nurses pulling a double and sometimes triple shift (after making their quad shot, or worse six shot drink) that I totally didn't want them trying to find a vein in my arm. And then there was the doctor who always ordered her "why bother" Non Fat, Decaffe Latte...without the fat and caffeine, why did she bother? Anyway, I love your books, and would love to visit a real Village Blend someday.
—Davida of San Francisco, CA
Cleo's reply: GREAT memories, Davida. You had me laughing again. Thanks for sharing!
POST FROM MESSAGE BOARD
Subject: "BOOKS MADE FOR COFFEE"
Posted by: Cierra Derrico, Georgia
Hi Cleo,
I love your books they are wonderful. I couldn't find that right mystery book until I first read Latte Trouble, then I started reading the other novles of the coffehouse books and I was hooked! You are a very talented writer and you really have a 9th grader (me) reading much more than I used to. Thanks for the very very interesting mystery books because I can just sip on some coffee, relax and read your books Thanks Cleo!!!
Cierra Derrico,
Clayton County, GA
Cleo's reply: Hi, Cierra! Thank you for stopping by my "virtual" coffeehouse. And thank you especially for reading my books. I am thrilled to hear that you enjoy them, and I'm absolutely delighted to hear that you're in 9th grade.
When I was your age, I discovered some of my favorite authors, many of whom I continue to read today. I can only hope you will continue reading me for years to come, too!
I see that you're from the beautiful state of Georgia!
I had the greatest time in your state when I visited Atlanta to attend "DragonCon" - that's a wonderful convention for fans of science fiction, fantasy, comics, and pop culture, among other things (all of which I love). So, in that spirit, I've baked you a "virtual" Georgia peach pie! This is actually a Maple Cappuccino Peach Pie, if you can believe it. There's a site on the Internet that sells a Maple Cappuccino SAUCE and this recipe uses it to create a peach pie with some very interesting flavors. Click here for the recipe or to find out how to get the sauce.
Thanks again, Cierra, for taking the time and trouble to stop by and post. Keep reading and I'll keep writing!
Java joy to you,
–—Cleo
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REPOST: FROM E-MAIL TO VillageBlend@aol.com...
SUBJECT: John Adams & joe
SENT BY: Marcia from NJ
Hi Cleo: I've been reading My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams
John writes to Abigail from Falmouth
July 6, 1774
I believe I forgot to tell you one Anecdote: When I first came to this House it was late in the afternoon, and I had ridden 35 miles at least. "Madam" said I to Mrs Huston, "is it lawfull for a weary Traveller to refresh himself with a Dish of Tea provided it has been honestly Smuggled, or paid no Duties"?
"No sir, said she, we have renounced all Tea in this Place. I cant make Tea, but I'le make you Coffee." Accordingly I have drank Coffee every afternoon since, and have borne it very well. Tea must be universally renounced. I must be weaned, and the sooner, the better.
Looking forward to your next book,
—Marcia from NJ
Cleo's reply: Great quote! Thank you, Marcia. (I've been enjoying the HBO mini-series!)
REPOST: FROM E-MAIL TO VillageBlend@aol.com...
SUBJECT: Java.net Coffee and Gifts in Houston, MO
SENT BY: Jane
Staff of...
Java.net Books and Gifts
418 N. Franklin
Cuba, Missouri
Cleo,
I read about the coffeehouse in Houston, MO, and wanted to let you know there is another new coffeehouse in rural Missouri. Jave.net uses Kaldi's coffee, which is roasted in St. Louis. Java.net baristas prepare a full line of specialty coffee drinks.
The coffeehouse has computers and WiFi for customers, and sells new and used books. The operation is housed in a rehabbed 1930s Coca-Cola Warehouse. It has already become a social gathering spot. You will be glad to know that the shop's first book club meeting is discussing your book On What Grounds.
If you are in the neighborhood, drop by Java.net at 418 N. Franklin in Cuba, MO. Cuba is also known as Rt. 66 Mural City because of its 12 outdoor murals along the Rt. 6 Corridor. I have pre-ordered French Pressed, and I am eagerly awaiting its arrival at Java.net.
—Jane Reed
Cleo's reply:
Thanks, Jane! I'm sending my shout-out to you and Java.net owners Mary and Joe Miller! I enjoy hearing about coffeehouses around the country—and letting my virtual "Village Blend" visitors know about them, too. I also enjoyed your wonderful article for the Cuba Free Press and linked to it below for anyone who'd like to read more. The rehabbed 1930's Coca-Cola Warehouse sounds absolutely awesome. If I'm ever in the area, you can be sure I'll stop by Java.net.
—Cleo
P.S. I'm reposting your photo of Java.net's delish iced mochas.
Cheers!
Photo by Jane Reed. Click here to read Jane's article!
Photo of Iced Mochas
served by Java.net
coffeehouse owner Mary Miller
"This drink is a shot of espresso, steamed milk with Ghirardelli chocolate, whipped cream, topped with more chocolate syrup and chocolate sprinkles. Definitely the chocolate lovers delight."
—From Java.net's website.
OH, YEAAAH, BABY!
Post Subject: DUNKIN' DONUTS COFFEE FAN!
Posted by: Sister of the Queen of Beans
Cleo: When my sister turned 50, and being well known as a coffee bean Queen, it was only natural to give her a big party!! She goes to Dunkin Donuts daily (by the way, here in Massachusetts its good)! So I decorated the room in orange/pink colors, and baloons too. I sprinkled real coffee beans on each table, the centerpiece was cans of coffee with flowers. I made her a lovely pair of coffee bean earrings, necklace, bracelet to match. We gave out the ceramic coffee mugs from DD to all the guests. We had a blast, and everyone was really "hyped up" all night!!
Cleo's reply:
HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY,
QUEEN OF BEANS!
Here's a virtual doughnut to you for stopping by and letting me know about your hilarious DD birthday bash! Thanks for sharing. I LOVE all the clever coffee-themed kitsch that you thought of doing for her, too. What a great sis you are!
Java joy to you and your java-loving sister.
And from one Queen of coffee beans to another: Happy Birthday, girl!
—Cleo Coyle
E-MAIL SENT TO CLEO'S VillageBlend@aol.com BOX:
FROM: Karen
SUBJECT: "Good Idea"
Cleo, I think that you should eventually publish a Village Blend Cookbook. One of my many resolutions is to attempt trying a recipe from the Village Blend. Please note the word "attempt", that's why my son is a graduated chef from Johnson & Wales University.
—Karen
Cleo's Reply:
Hi Karen. AWESOME that your son is a graduate of Johnson & Wales. What a great school!
I recently took a class with a chef graduate of J&W (at a place in SC called Charleston Cooks!). He was great and told some wonderful tales about his training.
In the coming weeks, I'm going to share a delish rice pudding recipe that I learned from him (and to which I added my own twist). You know, French Pressed might actually entertain your son! It focuses on a cutthroat New York restaurant kitchen. If he happens to read it, let me know what he thinks!
Thanks for the idea on a cookbook, Karen! Who knows what the future will bring!
—Cleo Coyle
Visitors from across the USA,
as well as Canada and the UK, have posted on
Cleo Coyle's Coffee Talk Chalkboard.
To read even more posts and replies,
click on green Coffee Talk chalkboard in right colulmn
and click through the pages.
APRIL '08 Coffee Pick: Purple Princess
CLEO'S APRIL
COFFEE PICK:
PURPLE
PRINCESS
also known as...
"Finca El Puente,"
from the country of Honduras
Pictured above is Marysabel, the owner of the farm
that produces this amazing coffee
If you've read even one of my Coffeehouse Mysteries, then you know what an important role coffee plays in each story. In French Pressed, coffeehouse manager and barista Clare Cosi must stage a coffee tasting for the demanding exective chef of a top New York 
restaurant.
"So, okay," I said to myself, "if Clare has got to impress someone as hard to please as Chef Tommy Keitel, then I've got to find some really excellent coffees out there for her to serve the man..."
Coffee beans grown in Kenya are among the finest in the world, which is why I put Kenyan coffee on Clare's short list. (Kenya was also my March Coffee Pick, and you can scroll down to read more about this wonderful coffee)...But I knew Kenya alone wouldn't be enough to persuade Chef Tommy Keitel to include Clare's 
coffees on his precious restaurant menu. I needed something really different, a coffee with a flavor profile that would get the attention of a world-class chef. That coffee was actually easy for me to choose: It's a coffee grown in Honduras, on the farm of Finca El Puente—a coffee nicknamed the "Purple Princess." Everything I write about the Purple Princess in French Pressed is true (see page 100 of your mass market edition). It's an elegant, award-winning coffee that's greatly desired at 
coffee auctions. How does it taste? Silky smooth with floral and fruity notes of lavender, plum, and grape. These "purple" fruits along with the "regal" elegance of the silky body is what led Peter Giuliano, coffee director of the boutique roaster, Counter Culture Coffee, to nickname this amazing offering "Purple Princess" —a name now widely used to refer to this superb coffee.
Another wonderful thing I discovered while researching this coffee was that the farm on which the Purple Princess is grown is owned by a woman: Marysabel Caballero Garcia.
Pictured above is Marysabel, owner of the farm that produces the excellent "Purple Princess" coffee. Click here or on the photo to go to the Counter Culture Coffee Web site and read what Marysabel's says about running her coffee farm. You can also order "Purple Princess" coffee from Counter Culture. The company delivers freshly roasted whole beans via UPS. Click here to order the coffee for yourself.
Marysabel was also recently profiled as one of "Ten Incredible Women in Coffee" in the April-May issue of Barista Magazine, a great magazine to read if you work in the coffeehouse trade. (Click here to learn more about Barista Magazine.)
Marysabel inherited her farm from her father. And, like many women who must prove themselves where men have gone before, it wasn't easy...
"At the beginning," she told Barista Magazine, "it was difficult to take over my father's role as the head of the farms; the employees refused to obey my instructions because they couldn't accept that a woman could be in charge in this work. But little by little, I gained their trust...Over the course of a few months, we became a good team and in addition to respecting me, they all came to care about me, as well..."
Even though 70% of the world's coffee is grown in South and Central America, Honduras is not a country known for its coffee, but there's a great story behind 
that, too...a love story.
Marysabel credits her husband, Ezri Moises Herrera, for figuring out that the area where they ended up cultivating the Purple Princess coffee had the conditions similar to excellent coffee-growing regions in his native Guatemala, a country well known for many excellent estate and cooperative coffees.
Ezri and Marysabel married in 1996 and together began planting and cultivating their award-winning crop.
Above is a map of Central America. As you can see, Honduras—the country where the Purple Princess is grown—is bordered by Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, three countries far better celebrated than Honduas for exporting superior coffee. The Purple Princess is a great exception to that!
If you'd like to try this coffee for yourself, it's imported and sold through two excellent coffee 
roasters. Click here to purchase it from Counter Culture Coffee of Durham, North Carolina (that's where I get mine because I live on the East Coast).
The other excellent roaster where you can purchase Finca El Puente is Stumptown Coffee of Portland, Oregon. At this time, Stumptown is not offering Fince El Puente for sale, but this boutique roaster is a top one, so if you're curious to take a look at their other coffees, just click here.
Till next time,
—Cleo Coyle
Posted: March 22, 2008
CLEO'S MARCH
COFFEE PICK WAS:
KENYA
One of the coffees featured in
my 6th Coffeehouse Mystery:
French Pressed
Click here to read about
Kenyan coffee farm tours.
Africa is it, folks, the continent where the first coffee plant sprang from the earth. That’s one reason why I chose to begin Cleo’s 2008 World Coffee Tour in January with Ethiopia, 
where coffee was first discovered.
(Scroll down to read about my picks for January - Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, and February - Rwandan Village Blend.)
For this month’s coffee pick, I’m pleased to take us to another African nation: Kenya.
Kenya has wonderful growing conditions for coffee, especially the slopes around Mount Kenya (remember high grown is high quality). Mount Kenya is located about 95 miles northeast of Nairobi, Kenya's largest city. The mountain is actually a dead volcano 
(it last erupted around 3 million years ago), so the soil is rich in its foothills and the rainfall is good, providing great conditions for growing Joe. Despite Ethiopia's location just to the north—where the coffee plant was originally discovered around 1,400 years ago and still grows wild—the coffee farmed in Kenya came to the country only a few hundred years ago via missionaries who hoped to create a cash crop for the country.
These "Bourbon" coffee plants (mutated versions of the Ethiopian plant) were then cultivated by the Kenyan farmers into a crop that's become one of finest and most respected in the world.
March and April is the time when Kenya's top grade lots come to auction—this is another aspect of the country's coffee farming that's unique, the trading of the coffee itself. You see, in Kenya, the farms are small. The farmers form cooperatives to market their crops. By law, these cooperatives must sell their coffee through the auctions held at the Nairobi Coffee 
Exchange.
Click here or on the picture to see more photos of the NCE.
Coffee buyers request samples, evaluate them, and bid on them through a licensed bidder. Most of these lots are bought by exporters, who mix this higher quality Kenyan coffee into blends with lesser varieties. However, savvy buyers like Counter Culture Coffee roasters of Durham, NC, and Peet's Coffee and Tea of San Francisco, CA, are very particular about bidding on pure, uncut lots.
The late Alfred Peet (2nd from right)
cupping coffee in Nairobi in 1985
Here's how Peet's describes its buying process...
"...we narrow down hundreds of offerings to the few we bid on. It’s a frenzied and exciting time, with intense competition to secure the most sublime lots. We’re sent samples direct from the auction, and have just a day to taste, debate, compare and then finally make our bids. Only a few select lots meet our standard for Kenya perfection: wonderfully aromatic, juicy, lively, with complex flavors hinting of citrus and blackberry."
I haven't tried the Peet's Kenyan yet, but I trust the company's quality and have no problem linking to it. Click here to read more about Peet's Kenyan.
I have tried Counter Culture Coffee's Kenyan and loved it. What I especially like about Counter Culture is their offering the coffee in a lighter or darker roast.
When I was writing French Pressed, I knew I wanted to use a Kenyan coffee for the scene in which Clare must persuade a top New York chef to serve her coffees in his restaurant. I specifically ordered the Counter Culture French roast Kenyan to sample for this–and it was one delicious cup!
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The hints of spice in the Kenya make it a great coffee to pair with my Banana Crunch Muffins, a bonus recipe I'll be sending to my newsletter subscribers before the end of March.
Counter Culture's Kenyan lot has wonderful body, and a clean, bright finish with notes of spice, clove, raisin, and sweet lime. Ah, but this is the lighter roast. So what happens when you French roast these same beans? It's like covering sweet cherries with 
chocolate. The depth of the dark roast is there but so is the fruitiness of the African bean. Yum.
(As Counter Culture warns, beware of roasters who don't know how to handle these beans, then you'll just get an overpowerig carmelized smokiness without the subtler flavors.)
If you'd like to read more about Counter Culture's Kenyan coffee or puchase it for yourself, click here for the lighter roast and click here for the French roast. FYI: My March free coffee drawing winner—"Pat" from Cordova, Tennessee—chose the French roast.
Finally, Kenya is also the country where Danish author Karen Blixen, who wrote 
under the pen name Isak Dinesen, owned and ran a coffee plantation in the early 1900s, near the final years of European colonialism in the country. If you've never heard of her, I highly recommend the film based on her life and memoir of the same name: Out of Africa. To learn more about the film, click here
Till Next time,
—Cleo Coyle
Posted: February 14, 2008
CLEO'S FEBRUARY
COFFEE PICK WAS:
Rwanda's
Village Blend
Our coffee world tour continues! As I mentioned with last month's Yirgacheffee pick, Africa is where coffee was born – every variety of coffee plant throughout the world’s coffee belt is some form of hybrid that originated on that continent.
Like Ethiopia and Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda grows some of the finest coffee in the world. It has great conditions for it – good rainfall, volcanic soil, and high altitude mountains. But just over ten years ago, the country was scarred with one of history’s worst genocides. Over one million people were slaughtered in under 100 days.
These days, the Rwandans are working hard to rebuild their country. 30,000 independent coffee growers still climb the hills, tend the soil, and carry the beans on their shoulders down to cooperative village wash stations.
When Bill Gates’s recent grant put the Rwandan struggle in the news again (click here to read more about the grant), I thought it would be great to support the farmers and buy some Rwandan coffee. Around the same time, I learned about Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co. from a reader’s post on my Coffee Talk message board (Karen from Deland, Florida. Thanks, Karen!). 
I went to the site and saw that they offered a coffee called Akadugudu Blend. As soon as I learned that "Aka-dugu-du" is the Kinya-rwanda word for "Village," I knew I just had to feature this amazing coffee.
(As you know, if you are a reader of my Coffeehouse Mysteries, the stories are set in the fictional landmark coffeehouse called the Village Blend in Greenwich Village, New York.)
I give high marks to Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co. for confirming my order fast via e-mail. I chose to have my coffee sent in their foil bag, and it came to me very freshly roasted with paperwork that included information about the coffee and even the DATE on which my coffee was roasted.
I opened up the package and was immediately impressed with the freshness of the beans. When brewed this blend of medium and 
dark roasts combines the best of both worlds - the brightness of a medium roasted African bean, including some hints of the trademark floral and citrus notes you'd find in a good Yirg; yet it also has the full body and base spicy and chocolate notes of a darker roast. This blend produces a really good cuppa joe with good body, a clean finish, and not a trace of bitterness!
This was also literally good to the last drop. Sometimes even good coffees don't make it to the end. But this one's flavor and smoothness held up through the cooling process. Even as it sat in the cup, it maintained its flavor. My compliments to the roaster - and, of course, the Rwandan farmers!
DRINK COFFEE
DO GOOD
I was also extremely pleased to learn that when you purchase this coffee, you are also helping a group of over 150 women from the Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa ethnic groups. A portion of the money from each bag is donated to a fund that provides the widows with micro-financing loans to start small businesses.
That’s why, on this Saint Valentine’s month, my coffee pick is the Rwandan coffee "Village Blend" from Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co. Just a little but heartfelt valentine to the widows of Inyakurama.
If you would like to learn more about ths coffee and coffee roaster, click here and look for the coffee labeled Rwandan Blend: Akadugudu. This page also has the medium roast and dark roast coffees available unblended. I'm going to be purchasing these in the future, too!
Till Next time,
—Cleo Coyle
P.S. Here is Karen's original post that told me about the site. Thanks again, Karen! I'll keep my eye out for those chocolate-covered espresso beans on the site, too!
Posted: January 16, 2008
Coffee Talk Message Board
(green board in right column)
Dear Cleo,
I'm addicted to coffee and mysteries so your wonderful series is perfect for me— I love visiting Clare's world. Thank you for creating it! I know of a company that sells phenomenal Rwandan coffee. Twice a year, they also sell dark chocolate with ground espresso beans that is simply to die for. Warning: if you prefer milk chocolate this probably is not the candy for you. Sadly, it's only been available prior to Easter and Christmas. The website is www.DrinkCoffeeDoGood.com
Take care,
Karen
DeLand, FL
Posted: January 16, 2008
CLEO'S JANUARY
COFFEE PICK WAS:
Ethiopian
Yirgacheffe
One of the coffees featured in
my 6th Coffeehouse Mystery:
French Pressed
If you have any interest in expanding your understanding of what distinguishes one coffee from another (from country to country and region to region), the exotic Yirgacheffe should be a must-taste coffee on your list. And if you're a tea drinker, this coffee has the aromatics that may convert you!
Above is the community of Harfusa. It is one of the coffee-farming areas in the hills that surround the town of Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia. Click on the picture to go to the Counter Culture Coffee site that features the sale of the "Ethiopian Yirgacheffe" they produce.
For coffee lovers, Ethiopia is it, baby! The motherland, where coffee was first discovered over one thousand years ago and 
consumed by local tribesmen.
All the varieties of coffee trees that are grown and cultivated the world over sprang from trees that originally grew in Ethiopia. Today, coffee stil remains the countries main export.
Yirgacheffee is one of Ethiopia's most famous coffees. It is so distinctive that when cup tasters sample coffee from other regions, they even refer to a coffee as tasting like a "Yirg."
So what does Yirg taste like? For me, there are two things that make it amazing.
1. Mouthfeel
Yirg gives you a "juicy" feeling. Your mouth salivates in a way that you would when you'd bite into a juicy piece of citrus fruit. (I remember how strange it sounded to me when I first heard a coffee described as 
"juicy," but when I tried Yirg, I understood!)
2. Aromatics
Yirgacheffe has intense floral notes in its characteristics, usually with lemon and sometimes jasmine and other exotic notes. It's a delightful cup, with a medium body, and good but not overwhelming acidity (acidity is a plus when it comes to coffee. In the trade it refers to a brightness in the flavor not bitterness). In a coffee blend, Yirgacheffe provides the high aromatic notes.
Yirgacheffee can be found on sale at a number of boutique roasters. For my January pick, however, I'm going back to one of my favorite boutique roasters, Counter Culture Coffee, located in North Carolina.
I like to buy from Counter Culture for a number of reasons. They're seriously reliable for one thing, and they’re fanatics for roasting their beans fresh (roast date is always on the package). They also supply cafes up here in New York where I live (Café Grumpy in Chelsea being the one I sometimes frequent).
There's another VERY good reason I like to buy from them: Counter Culture Coffee’s credo insists that they will never buy coffee for less than the cost of production plus a fair premium.
As they say on their website, “We believe that everyone in the chain of great coffee deserves to prosper."
Amen!
They also assure us that most of the coffees that they source are certified organic, shade-grown, or both. "In every case," they say, "we support environmentally responsible coffee-growing practices because it makes sense: great coffee grows in the rich, fertile soil of healthy forests.”
Amen again. Or as I put in Murder Most Frothy—
"What was owning anyway?...You couldn't own a person. You couldn't even own land, really. The Earth itself was just a rental. Our time on it was basically one big share..."
Of course, amazing coffees like this imported and roasted in small batches by boutique roasters always come at premium prices. But this isn't a coffee for swilling, folks. I don't smoke, I don't play the lottery, and I don't drink much wine. This is my splurge. Exotic coffees!
So when you have a special occassion, think about Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, and the hard-working African families who've cultivated it for generations in the hills around Yirgacheffe.
Till next time,
—Cleo Coyle
To post
a comment or question to Cleo,
click on the green Coffee Talk chalkboard
in the right column
OR
send an e-mail to Cleo at
with the subject line: NOTE TO CLEO.
How Cleo Spent
St. Patrick's Day...
New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade is the largest in the world with 2 million spectators lining Fifth Avenue. To see Cleo's pics and comments from the celebration, scroll to the very end of this Home Page and click on the Archive Link to How Cleo Spent Saint Patrick Day. Or click here.
FYI...Since we were in the West Village on St. Patrick's Day, we stopped by the 6th Precinct (home of Detective Mike Quinn) to take a look at the Police Museum (uniforms and badges from all over the country and the world, including Italy, where my grandfather was a mounted policeman.)
The 6th's Wall of Honor, a tribute to the officers of the precinct who died in the line of duty, including the heroes of 9/11.
You can read
Cleo's previous posts
by clicking on
any of the article titles below...
Boy was I wrong:
Coffee shop to be noted in NC
French Pressed
Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony!
Yes, like the Japanese with their tea traditions, the Ethiopians have a very special way of enjoying coffee. Click here to learn more!
BEST BARISTA
IN THE USA!
Congrats to Kyle Glanville
Winner 2008 US Barista Championship!
Kyle works for Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea in Los Angeles. He edged out 58 of the nation's other top baristas to become the nation's best coffee server. He also qualifies to compete in the World Barista Championship in Copenhagen Denmark, June 19-22. Good luck, Kyle! Click here to read more.
NEXT FREE COFFEE DRAWING...
Thursday, May 22
If you signed up for my free newsletter, then you're already entered for my next FREE COFFEE drawing on Thursday, May 22 and all of my future monthly drawings. To sign up, hit the button in the left column or send an e-mail that says:
SIGN ME UP to
VillageBlend@aol.com
Hillary vs.
the Coffee Maker
I know, I know, you probably already heard about the YouTube video showing Hillary Clinton struggling to get a cup of coffee from a convenience store coffee machine. All I can say is: Senator, next time just call Clare Cosi! Click here to see the video.
NOW ON SALE!
C l e o i s
H A U N T E D...
to purchase
THE GHOST AND THE FEMME FATALE
Cleo's New
Haunted Bookshop Mystery
--------------
Cleo here. Yes! I write a 2nd mystery series under the pen name Alice Kimberly. Don't miss my new book, The Ghost and the Femme Fatale, on sale May 6 at a bookstore near you (haunted or not)! To learn more about my 2nd mystery series, just click on the dancing ghost in the LEFT column of this Home Page.
COFFEE HEALTH NEWS
A cup of coffee a day could offset Alzheimer's disease. Click here to read more.
COFFEE COMPOST!
Did you know that old coffee grounds = good compost for your garden? Click here to read more. (Who knew coffee repelled slugs? Now there's a hilarious metaphor for a CM book.)
In Paris, Coffee TASTES Like Compost
Click here to read a report on the state of coffee in the center of gastronomy. "The Bitter Truth about French Coffee" by Laura Anderson.
TAKING COFFEE CAMPING
A friend of mine (Hi, Terri!) asked me how to brew coffee on a camping trip. I had some ideas, but this article has some even better ones! Click here for tips on brewing coffee (and even espresso) in the woods. Click here to shop for coffee-making camping gear.
COFFEE SHOPS:
The New Office
Click here to read an MSNBC article on the new generation of self-employed, doing business over a hot cuppa joe.
Java Wedding Favors?
Click here for some great ideas on giving coffee and tea as wedding favors. (I'll tell Clare, since she's about to cater a VIP wedding in the next Coffeehouse Mystery: Espresso Shot! )
GOOD NEWS FOR FAIR TRADE!
Fair Trade Coffee prices will be going up in June 2008, which means coffee farmers will be getting more money for their Arabica beans. Because so many coffee farms are located in the poorest corners of the world, this is great news.
What is Fair Trade coffee?
Click here to learn more.
(For new Fair Trade pricing Click here.)
HERE AT LAST!
To ORDER
my new
Coffeehouse Mystery:
FRENCH PRESSED
Cleo here again. My 6th Coffeehouse Mystery, French Pressed, is now in stores. To read more about this book, click on the coffee cup in the left column "About the Coffeehouse Mystery Books" and scroll down to Book #6 in the series.
Coffee is Culinary!
Click here to read about a master chef Marcus Samuelsson's work with a master coffee blender to pair coffee with food. Coffee as a culinary experience: Clare would approve!
Coffee Recipes!
Acclaimed chef Marcus Sameulsson created a yummy Chocolate Cinnamon Bread recipe for Starbucks. If you'd like the recipe, click here!
Coffee Dessert Recipes
The National Coffee Association has some great coffee recipes. Click here to get them.
For even more coffee recipes, click here
DOOR COUNTY COFFEE...
And for coffee recipes from DOOR COUNTY COFFEE, a family-run coffeehouse in Wisconsin, click here.
A shout-out of thanks to Mary T., a Coffeehouse Mystery fan, for mentioning her fave coffeehouse on my Coffee Talk Message Board (the green chalkboard at the top of this column)
MOOSE COFFEE AND GIFTS
Stop in and say hello to Melissa!
Thanks to CM reader Melissa for telling us about the place where she works as a barista, Moose Coffee and Gifts of Houston, Missouri. Melissa enjoys experimenting with coffee drinks. Her latest favorite is: "Espresso, steamed milk, white chocolate, caramel, and vanilla." YUM! Click here to read more about her coffeehouse.
If you have a favorite coffeehouse, coffee drink, or recipe, share it with me and my virtual Village Blend visitors! Just click on the chalk board above and post away!
—Cleo Coyle
COFFEE AND BABY FORMULA?!
I laughed out loud at this blog from Sarah Bates of Zanesville, Ohio. Click here to read how a baby changed everything for this coffee connoisseur.
—Cleo
STRANGER THAN FICTION
"Maid Cafes" of Japan
Click here to read about cafes where women dress as maids and their"geek" clientele are fighting crime by packing weapons...
Japan's Romance with Kona Coffee
Click here to read about the growing interest of Kona Coffee-drinking in Japan.
Want to Grow
Your Own
Coffee Plant?
Thanks to CM reader“Linda" for posting info about where to buy coffee plants and seeds. Click here to go to the coffee seed catalog page and scroll down. Look for the "coffea" plants listed in ITALIC alphabetically.
Coffea arabica $3.84 -12 seeds
Coffea catura $3.29 -12 seeds
Coffea kona $3.95 -12 seeds
Linda also says: "Gurney's Plant and Seed catalog has small coffee plants for $8.95 each. Click here and look for item # 11295 for coffee plants."
Coffee Health News!
Coffee May Help Prevent Ovarian Cancer
A Harvard study found women who drank 3 or more cups of coffee or tea a day were 25% less likely to develop Ovarian Cancer than those who drank none. Click here to read more.
Coffee May Boost Memory
in Older Women
USA Today reports...
Women older than 65 who drank more than three cups of coffee a day — or the caffeine equivalent in tea — showed better memory retention than men, a French researcher reports. Click here to read the short USA Today report. Or click here to read a longer Scientific American article.
Painting RECOVERED!
This $5 million painting, titled “The Coffee Picker,” and painted by Brazil’s most famous painter, Candido Portinari, was stolen from the Sao Paulo Museum of Art. A priceless Picasso was also stolen. Click here to read about the recovery!
McDONALD'S TO OPEN McCAFE
Click here to read the Wall Street Journal's Page One story about McDonald's plan to take on Starbucks to the tune of $1 Billion. Written by Janet Adamy.
"...McDonald's added a position to its crew: barista."
"Franchisees say that many of their customers don't know what a latte is."
Cleo suggests they read
LATTE TROUBLE!
Coffee Lover Invents
"The Barista Game"
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Did you know there's a new board game in which you win by making the perfect cup of coffee? Click here to read about the game designer who invented it.
Asleep at the Wheel
When you have to stay awake on a drive, what's better: a nap or caffeine? French researchers say if you're in your 20s, take a nap. If you're between 40 and 50, however, drink that cuppa Joe to stay awake. Click here to read more in the NY Times.
Coffee and Health
Coffee has been enjoyed by cultures the world over for 1000 years, and recent studies are showing coffee's potential health benefits. Here are just a few...
- Coffee No. 1 source of antioxidants
- WebMd - Coffee as Health Food
- Coffee may prevent colon cancer
Making joe for a Living...
Click here to read an interesting article about the owner and roaster of the Clarksville, Tennessee, coffeehouse Mugsy's—a favorite coffeehouse of CM reader "Kimberly," a life coach who sometimes meets clients here. Click here to go to Mugysy's website.
BIG COFFEE NEWS!
Ethiopia announces commercial culitvation of low-caffeine coffee plants! Ric Gostwick's "dream" coffee from Decaffeinated Corpse is no longer fiction! To read about this amazing breakthrough, Click here
#1 Bestselling Paperback
When the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association published its list of top selling mystery novels for July 2007, Decaffeinated Corpse made the #1 spot on the paperback list. Thank you, Coffeehouse Mystery readers. You helped to make Decaffeinated Corpse a national bestseller.
SEPTEMBER '07
CLEO's COFFEE PICK
for SEPTEMBER 2007 was