Monday, February 21, 2011

A Steady Hand and Philip Marlowe

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"I turned the hot water on and got the coffee-maker down off the shelf. I wet the rod and measured the stuff into the top and by that time the water was steaming. I filled the lower half of the dingus and set it on the flame. I set the upper part on top and gave it a twist so it would bind. The coffee maker was almost ready to bubble. I turned the flame low and watched the water rise. It hung a little at the bottom of the glass tube. I turned the flame up just enough to get it over the hump and then turned it low again quickly. I stirred the coffee and covered it. I set my timer for three minutes. Very methodical guy, Marlowe. Nothing must interfere with his coffee technique. Not even a gun in the hand of a desperate character. The coffee was all down and the air rushed in with its usual fuss and the coffee bubbled and then became quiet. I removed the top of the maker and set it on the drainboard in the socket of the cover. I poured two cups and added a slug to his."

Raymond Chandler
The Long Goodbye

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"Dingus" is what tough guys say instead of "thingey". Properly called a coffee syphon, its use draws plenty of notice at Steady Hand Pour House in the Emory Village. Dale Brett Donchey brewed this measure of Bolivian anjilanaka. The resulting intensity and depth of flavors are worth all the theatricality.
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From distant origins to the cup, art and science conspire at every stage: growing, selecting, roasting and brewing to give full expression to the beans. More than an indulgence, drinking it was an exploration and a celebration.
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