Morning Daydreams - Kauser
In collaboration with our incredible partners at Baratza, Glitter Cat Barista presents Morning Day Dreams, a series of written and photographic work in which Glitter Cat Legends give you a glimpse into their lives and how coffee fits into them. Kauser Inamdar has gifted us with an essay, photos, and recipe to brighten your day.
Morning Start with Latte Art
By Kauser Inamdar
What do you look forward to in the morning? I look forward to my morning cup of coffee. It may sound cliché, but I literally think about what coffee I’m going to have the next day, the night before. Sometimes I dial in my espresso beans in the evening so they’re ready for the morning, sometimes I look up new coffee shops to explore locally or when I’m traveling, and sometimes I watch coffee education/latte art videos to learn more. When people ask what I do, I like to say I “turn coffee into code” - I’m a senior software engineer in the tech industry and a tech career coach.
My typical workday morning routine is first making a delicious and filling breakfast. If someone asked what’s my signature breakfast meal I can cook, it would be either scrambled eggs or a breakfast sandwich - I’ve iterated on both of them a lot and I’m happy with the different combinations I have around them. Then I make a latte and pour some latte art (or blob depending on the day). My daily latte art practice which started January 2021 has been my keystone habit to propel positive changes in other areas of my life. This coffee ritual has brought me purpose, peace, and community. I then enjoy engaging with my Instagram community @codealatte in the mornings to share coffee updates, see what delicious coffees everyone is brewing, and catch up on everyone’s latte art. That’s why my signature beverage is a “Codealatte Latte” - a “regular” latte with latte art (or a blob), posted to Instagram with a coffee pun. I’m so thankful to have found my coffee community through Instagram and Glitter Cat Barista. I love the coffee community and story behind Nirvana Soul Coffee, so I feature their beans in my latte.
I’m also thankful to have coffee friends working at the coffee bars at my company. Seeing my favorite baristas makes me really happy and it’s nice catching up with them when there isn’t a rush. I value my daily interactions with them because they always brighten my day. Whether it’s been greeted by my name, or them remembering something I had said earlier, pouring a special latte art pattern, or answering my coffee questions, I appreciate their hospitality. I also appreciate how cafe spaces allow for serendipitous interactions with co-workers - from interacting with familiar faces, to making new acquaintances. I had missed such interactions when the offices were closed in the pandemic.
I would love for fellow home baristas or any coffee enthusiast to consider doing any of the following to deepen their coffee experiences. First I’d love them to either attend public coffee cuppings or practice cupping coffee at home. Learning to cup coffee and build my coffee palate as part of DiGi2TiON (online coffee competition by Glitter Cat Barista) was life changing. I started to view coffee in a whole new lens, with multiple dimensions, using vocabulary with shared context when discussing coffee profiles. This also helped me learn to dial in espresso based on taste as well. Second, I encourage folks to watch any of the professional competitions World, US based, or any country around Barista, Latte Art, Brewing, and other categories out there based on their interests. When I first watched Andrea Allen’s World Barista Championship routine in 2021, I was so fascinated by her storytelling, coffee execution, and process. This opened up the dynamic world of coffee, technicality, and creativity for me. Third, I would suggest (if they haven’t already), to connect with and support their local coffee shops and roasters to build community. Finally, I would encourage folks to have a growth mindset around their coffee and latte art journey. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and if you’re still struggling around it, post about it or ask others - you will find opportunities and connections that will open up to support you.
Overall, coffee sparks joy for me, as it does for many people. I believe coffee is a common language for us to connect with each other, and I am excited for people to build their coffee education as well. Time to make another cup of coffee!
“Codealatte” Latte
My specialty coffee journey started with lattes and latte art, so I wanted to showcase that “simple start” as part of my morning routine.
Ingredients
6oz whole milk to fill an 8oz cup
You can use any milk (dairy, non-dairy)
You can use 8oz milk if you wish to fill a bigger coffee cup
Preparation
Grind 17g of coffee beans into a portafilter
Prep the puck with a distribution tool and tamp
Pull a double shot of espresso (mine yielded 34g) in one of your favorite coffee cups
Steam milk
Pour latte art (or blob) with your favorite latte art pitcher (Mine is from Slow Pour Supply)
To make it a “Codealatte” Latte, post it on social media with your favorite coffee puns :)
Enjoy!
