I've taken a great interest in recent coverage of the D.I.Y. and craft movement, especially this non-coffee related but nevertheless interesting cover story from MKE. It is, no doubt, a response to the cheap corporate drivel that gets shoved down our throats every day. In any case, it is an encouraging backlash to the studied helplessness that infects almost all of conventional American life today. The symptoms range from the unwillingness/inability to walk anywhere--even a few blocks or less--to the absurdity of having sandwiches delivered. I'm confident that were it not for the sogginess issue, someone would already be making money delivering cereal. Wait--not only is this actually already happening, there is a restaurant where you can go to eat cereal. (Note the pic of the Evanston location. Isn't it great that our nation's brightest minds think it's awesome to pay $3.99 for a bowl of cereal? Can I have an $80,000 degree, too?)
How much of the American economy of 2007 is predicated on the assumption that we're absolute f*cking morons?
In this spirit, I'm going to share a few things that you may already know, but many do not.
For DIY white mochas, white chocolate syrup is available at World Market. Same goes for flavored syrups, of which WM has an extensive selection. Most grocery stores as well as Wally World carry a limited selection of flavored syrups. In an earlier post, I mentioned Tarzhay's nice range.
Pourover is a cheap and easy way to get started with DIY drip coffee.
Don't let yourself get bamboozled by the apparent complexity of your favorite customized drink. Here's someone who says it much better than I. Or do a little Google research. If that doesn't help, post a comment and I'll tell you the ingredients and how to make it.
