#12: My Favorite Coffee Products, Best Coffee Shops, Oxford, Mississippi Travel Guide
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
Hello Friends,
The latest edition of the newsletter includes my home espresso essentials, favorite coffee shops, an Oxford, Mississippi travel guide, and a delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe I developed using Mesquite Flour and Tahini.
Please feel free to comment if you have any questions, responses, brilliant ideas, or you feel like sharing a favorite recipe, restaurant, or anything else. You can also email me: marlayoung@mac.com.
You can always access the archives here, including the travel guides. I have linked many resources for you. Click on the highlighted green text to access the link.
Thanks for reading!
P.S. If you've found your way over but are not yet subscribed, let me help you with that:
📚 READ
The Lantern House by Erin Napier: From the co-host of HGTV's #1 hit show Home Town comes the quintessential home celebration. Erin wrote the book in hopes that children will realize the importance of home and how we all contribute to the next chapter of its story.
The Palace Papers by Tina Brown: Full of powerful revelations and with exclusive access, the author takes readers behind the palace walls to tell the story of the Windsors over the last twenty years since the death of Diana.
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss: Chris Voss, a former FBI top hostage negotiator, shows you how to use the techniques he learned and tested working as a kidnapping negotiator. He shows how to use these skills in the workplace and every other aspect of your life.
📺 WATCH
Ozark (Netflix): Ozark is coming to an end. The final seven new episodes hit Netflix. Be sure to watch the final farewell. Everything about the series was fantastic. The finale stays consistent with the characters and the problems of living in that type of world. I thought the series was well done with great acting.
Slow Horses (Apple TV+): Slow Horses is a spy thriller television series based on the 2010 novel of the same name by Mick Herron.
The Northman: This historical fable, based on the legend that inspired William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, tells a blood-soaked tale of Viking prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) who seeks to return to his kingdom and avenge his father. The movie is a visual masterpiece.
Everything Everywhere All at Once: Michelle Yeoh plays Evelyn, the unlikely and unassuming hero who wants nothing more than to file her taxes but is tasked with saving not just the world, but every world in every universe.
Severance (Apple TV+): A sinister technology corporation, Lumon Industries, uses a "severance" medical procedure to separate the non-work memories of some of their employees from their work memories. One severed employee, Mark, gradually uncovers a web of conspiracy from both sides of the division.
Downtown Abbey A New Era:Â The Crawley family goes on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess's newly inherited villa.
Top Gun: Maverick: A preternaturally youthful-looking Tom Cruise slips back into his leather jacket and aviator sunglasses for this big-screen blockbuster sequel that comes more than 30 years after the original. This time around, his love interest is played by 51-year-old Jennifer Connelly.
🎧 LISTEN
Jason Aldean Georgia: The latest album includes new tunes and live performances from his previous hit songs. I’m listening to God Made Airplanes on repeat.
Huberman Lab Dr. Rhonda Patrick Micronutrients for Health & Longevity: Dr. Patrick is a leading expert on the brain and general health, aging, cancer, and nutrition. In this episode, she provides extensive information about the key micronutrients most of us need more of to enhance our immediate and long-term health. The information about Omega-3 was very helpful. She does a great job explaining complex topics.
Found My Fitness Podcast Ep. 74: Dr. Dominic D'Agostino on Developing a Well-Designed Ketogenic Diet and Harnessing its Benefits: This episode includes a ton of practical information on how to start the ketogenic diet and which biomarkers to measure to assess suitability, how dietary fiber can be beneficial on a keto diet, plus Dr. Dom's personal diet and supplements.
Rhonda Patrick has a great page on her FoundMyFitness site all about the benefits of Sauna, which includes one study that found people who regularly use saunas are 22% less likely to die from a sudden cardiac event.
Found My Fitness Dr. Rhonda Patrick (Instagram)
Dr. Peter Attia #203 What Causes Heart Disease: Dr. Attia goes into great detail about the development of cardiovascular disease and how it can take hold at a very early age, the role of cholesterol, and more. He also discusses the critical metrics and biomarkers found in blood work and diagnostic tests.Â
🎾 PLAY:
Break the Love: Your one stop shop for drop in tennis clubs based on your interests & levels.
HOT LIST
Portland, Maine
Sticky Sweet Ice Cream *V *GF
Spokane, Washington
Boot Bakery & Lounge *GF *V (Skip the coffee and go to Indaba.)
Austin, Texas
ATX Cocina Happy Hour (fish tacos *GF)
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
My Favorite Coffee & Espresso Products
When coffee is made with the right equipment, the right technique, and the right coffee beans, it’s worth the investment that pays for itself rather quickly.
Here's a list of my favorite tools and products for drinking espresso or a pour over.
Breville Oracle Espresso Machine: About five years ago, I purchased a good quality espresso machine. I did a lot of research and decided to buy The Breville Oracle. The Breville Oracle is straightforward, despite how complicated and fancy it looks. It also comes with everything you need including a built in grinder.
Beans: Some of my favorite roasters are Temple Dharma Espresso, Panther Coffee East Coast Espresso, Tartine's '04 Latin America blend, Heart Stero Espresso, and Vesta Goosebumps Espresso Blend.
It is essential to purchase espresso beans if you use an espresso machine. Espresso is roasted for a longer time, usually past the second crack, so it has a toasted and deeper flavor. The beans are also roasted for longer, removing a lot of the acidity while releasing more oiliness. This creates a heavier, fuller feeling in the mouth.
It is also important to buy a bag of beans within two weeks of the roast (this date will be written somewhere on the bag), so you can drink it within one month of roasting. This is when it will taste the best.Beanz.com: Find local coffee beans from small batch coffee roasters and deliver them directly to your door weekly or monthly.
Breville Bambino Plus or Bambino Regular Espresso Machine: The Breville Bambino Plus or Breville Bambino Regular Espresso Machine is the best for beginners. You can explore three heat and milk texture settings without a device taking up half of your kitchen counter. It's ideal for apartments, offices, and small kitchens.
Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine in Pink: The Rancilio Silvia Espresso Machine in Pink is on my wish list. Silvia Pro X is available in 4 colors: stainless steel, black, white, and pink. If you are a little more advanced, this is the machine to purchase. It's a reasonable price for the espresso quality it can make. It's easy to use, simple to clean, fast, reliable, and light to maintain. It's also the machine many barista pros use at home.
Baratza Encore Grinder: Never ever get your beans pre-ground. Invest in a grinder at home and grind your beans right before you make your pour over or espresso. This will allow for optimum flavor. The Baratza Encore grinder is recommended by many baristas. I use the Rancilio Coffee Grinder.
Coffee Vault Canister: I keep my beans in a stainless steel coffee vault canister to keep them fresh.
Acaia Pearl Scale: I use the Acaia Pearl Scale. For precision, it's best to use a scale to confirm that you're doing each shot (that is, measuring out the coffee grounds) correctly.
Pour-Over Coffee: Invest in a V60 Dripper, V60 Filters, a Burr grinder, a digital scale, and a gooseneck electric kettle to make the perfect pour over coffee.
Nurtamilk: The Nutramilk makes a variety of nut butter and milk in a short amount of time. After a few months of use, it will save money and is worth the investment. You can use a VitaMix to make a variety of milk, but you have to soak the nuts overnight and then strain the milk, while this does everything for you.
Nut Milk Bag: This nut milk bag is perfect for homemade nut milk.
NuMilk Home Machine: The NuMilk home machine will be available soon. It is easier to use than the Nutramilk, but you cannot make nut butter. I have sampled the oat milk at Tandem Coffee Roasters in Portland, Maine. I liked the taste, and the baristas gave their product a thumbs up.
Nutrabullet Pro: I use a Nutrabullet for making smoothies and Bulletproof Coffee. I also use the Magic Bullet personal blender for travel.
Yeti Mugs: Yeti Mugs keep my coffee warm for hours at a time. I love how the handle feels on my hand. It's available in a variety of colors.
MiiR Mugs: I think MiiR makes the best-insulated coffee mugs. I like their line of Camp Cups because they come with a lid, but I also have their Flip Traveler for long walks and car rides.Â
Drift Magazine: Drift is my favorite coffee magazine. Each issue highlights a different city.
Standart: StandArt is a print magazine about coffee culture and lifestyle.
RDY App: The RDY App is a must if you like supporting local coffee shops. You can skip the line by ordering on the app and earning rewards. In my guide below, most coffee shops I list are featured on the RDY App.
Roasters App: This app helps you locate coffee shops around the world.
Coffee Subscription: Shop the best specialty coffee subscription from the nation's best roasters on Trade. Fresh coffee roasted to order and delivered right to your door. A coffee subscription makes a great gift.
NuMilk: NuMilk is my favorite brand of nondairy milk. You can purchase NuMilk at some Whole Foods locations.
Minor Figures Unsweetened Barista Blend Oat Milk and Minor Figues Barista Blend Oat Milk:  If I do not have time to make a homemade milk, I like to use Minor Figures Unsweetened Oat Milk. Some of my favorite coffee shops also use Minor Figures Barista Blend Oat Milk.
MCT Oil: MCT Oil is an energy source found in coconut oil, which provides quick energy that lasts, and aids in the absorption of caffeine from coffee. It also cuts down on the acidity of the coffee so that you can drink it on an empty stomach! I'm not sure how valid those claims are, but I notice that I feel significantly less jittery and more focused, and it works as an appetite suppressant. Start with a tiny bit of MCT oil and work your way to the recommended one to two teaspoons.
Mr. Black Cold Brew Espresso Coffee Liqueur: The best liquor for espresso martinis.
Táche Pistachio Milk. This pistachio alternative is subtly nutty and froths well.
Royal Rose Cardamom-Clove Syrup. I use a teaspoon of Royal Rose's syrups for a cardamom latte.
Milk Frother: I use this milk frother if I am traveling and will not have time to go out for coffee.
Nutrabullet Immersion Blender: The Nutrabullet Immersion Blender is a great budget buy. It can be used to make Bulletproof Coffee.
Aeropress Go Portable Travel Coffee Press: I use the Aeropress for Espresso if I’m traveling and will not have time to visit a local coffee shop.
Taika Latte: Taika is an adaptogen-infused coffee that's designed to provide a boost of energy without making you feel wired. Taika offers four drinks: black coffee, oat milk latte, macadamia latte, and matcha latte. The oat and macadamia lattes are sweetened with allulose and monk fruit.
Bulletproof Creamer: Bulletproof Original Creamer is a keto coffee creamer made with grass-fed butter and MCT oil. Combining these quality fats with coffee gives you Bulletproof Coffee: a rich, satisfying drink that kick-starts your day and keeps you strong. I like the vanilla flavor. I also use the Bulletproof Vanilla Collagen Protein Powder. The creamer tastes better in coffee. I prefer the collagen protein powder if I make a protein shake.
Tips
Learning how to pull espresso involves a lot of trial and error, tasting bitter coffee, and trying again.Â
Some great tutorials include Whole Latte Love's machine-specific tutorials, Seattle Coffee Gear's videos on making specific drinks, Barista Hustle, Breville Tutorials, and European Coffee Trip's how-to on making latte art.
Scott Rao's The Professional Barista's Handbook is chock full of espresso theory and science.Â
Check out this video tutorial for espresso and milk steaming.Â
Follow Morgan Drinks Coffee, the 2022 United States Barista Champion, on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram for great tutorials.
Follow James Hoffman, the World Barista Champion 2007, on YouTube and Instagram for great tutorials and product reviews.
The best training is taking a hands-on class taught by a barista pro. A barista pro will help you understand what changing variables like grind size, beans, temperature, extraction time, and pressure can do to your coffee.
If you live in Philadelphia, Function Coffee offers private classes and coffee equipment repair.
Counter Culture offers classes at various locations, including Dallas, Miami, and D.C.
Check with your local coffee shop about classes for the at-home barista. You can also hire a barista pro to come to your home.
Bulletproof Coffee
I make my version of Bulletproof coffee. I started drinking an espresso version of Bulletproof about four years ago. I began because I'd heard that it keeps you full for longer. Strict Bulletproofers have the coffee as their breakfast. I also heard that the high-fat content is supposed to help the caffeine release more gradually. MCT oil is an energy source found in coconut oil, which provides quick energy that lasts, and aids in the absorption of caffeine from coffee. It also cuts down on the acidity of the coffee so that you can drink it on an empty stomach! I'm not sure how valid those claims are, but I notice that I feel significantly less jittery, and more focused, and it works as an appetite suppressant. Start with a tiny bit of MCT oil and work your way to the recommended one to two teaspoons.
You can follow the original recipe, but here's what works for me. I make espresso, steam ¼ cup of nondairy milk, add one teaspoon of MCT oil or brain octane oil, one tablespoon of Bulletproof Vanilla Collagen and blend the contents in a Nutrabullet or use an immersion blender. You can also use Bulletproof Hazelnut or Vanilla Creamer and omit the butter and MCT Oil.
RECIPES
Go Get Em Tiger's Famous Almond Macadamia Milk
Oat Milk Latte Espresso Martini
My Favorite Coffee Shops
Alabama
Birmingham / Revelator / Domestique
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Davis / Temple
Los Angeles / Go Get Em Tiger / Dayglow / Bar Nine / Canyon
Long Beach / Steelhead
Marine Del Ray / Ten
Palm Springs / Cafe Ka Jefa
Sacramento / Temple
San Diego / Lofty Coffee
San Franciso / Tartine / The Coffee Movement / Verve / Hedge
Santa Monica / Upgrade Labs (Bulletproof Coffee) / Gnarwhal
Colorado
Denver / Sweet Bloom
Delaware
Wilmington / Brandywine
Florida
Boca Ratan / Mane
Ft. Myers / Shift Coffee Bar
Jacksonville / Ground Level / Bold Bean
Lakeland / Concord
Gainesville / Concord
Miami / All Day / Threefold Cafe / Panther
Orlando / Deeply
Sarasota / Breaking Wave
St. Pete / Bandit
Tampa / Kingstate
West Palm Beach / Composition
Idaho
Boise / Form and Function
Illinois
Indiana
Indianapolis / Amberson / Coat Check
Kentucky
Louisville / Sunergos Coffee
Louisiana
Baton Rouge / Magpie Cafe
New Orleans / Congregation / Spitfire / Bearcat
Maine
Maryland
Baltimore / Artifact Coffee / Good Neighbor
Hyattsville / Vigilante
College Park / Vigilante
Massachusetts
Boston / KoHi
Michigan
Minnesota
Minneapolis / Vitality
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Bozeman / Treeline
Nebraska
Omaha / Archetype
Nevada
Las Vegas / Vesta
New York
New York / Mast Market
North Carolina
Ohio
Cincinnati / Collective
Cleveland / Lekko / Parable Parable
Columbus / Mission
Oklahoma
Pawhuska / Pioneer Woman Mercantile
Tulsa / Chimera
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Lancaster / Passenger
Philadelphia / Ultimo / Two-Person Coffee
Pittsburg / KLVN Coffee Lab
Rhode Island
Providence / Bolt / Plant City
South Carolina
Charleston / Second State
Greenville / Methodolical
Tennessee
Texas
Austin / Machine Head / Codependent
Dallas / Houndstooth
Longview / Silver Grizzly
Lubbock / Monomyth
San Antonio / Revolution
Waco / Common Grounds
Utah
Salt Lake City / Three Pines
Virginia
Arlington / Common Wealth Joe
Charlottesville / Lone Light
Richmond / Recluse
Washington
Seattle / Sound & Fog
Spokane / Indaba
Wisconsin
Milwaukee / Likewise
Washington D.C. / Somewhere Cafe / Lost Sock
Puerto Rico
San Juan / Cafe Regina / Comunion / Barista Squared / 787 Coffee
Aruba / Island Grind
Mexico
Mexico City Café con Jiribilla / Café Avellaneda
Turkey
Istabul / 4LW
Here’s a link to the PDF file if you would like to save the list.
I’d love to hear more about your favorites in the comments below!
LINK LOVE
How to support the cancer patient.
Apple email now blocks trackers.
Photos from The Bachelorette’s Joella Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers stunning wedding.
Ten things to do when your child is being bullied.
Your guide to removing personal information from Google.
This website will convert baking recipes to your preferred measurement system.
The ultimate Joshua Tree National Park guide.
How does Spotify know you so well?
36 hours in Milwaukee.
How it pays to live near Trader Joe's.
How to instantly free up space on your iPhone.
Tokyo city guide.
Inside the cutthroat world of royal correspondents.
How to get rid of heartburn.
Are these items in your emergency backback?
A weekend guide to Denver.
What to pack for every type of hike.
Are You Really Muted?: A privacy analysis of mute buttons in video conferencing apps.
How much should you be tipping for beauty services?
You’re trying to log onto a public Wi-Fi network. The pop-up login won’t appear, here’s what to do.
Schools should go back to teaching kids 'Adulting 101'.
Too much breast cancer and not enough answers.
How to host guests with food intolerances.
RECIPES
Sally's cream cheese frosting is the best.
Ina Garten's lemon chicken recipe.
The best Keto fudge brownies.
How to make paleo onion rings.
This baked truffle fries recipe is full of flavor and ready in under 30 minutes.
Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies *Vegan and Gluten-Free
I first heard about mesquite flour while visiting Texas. I sampled a chocolate chip cookie made with mesquite flour at Pharm Table in San Antonio. I liked the flavor of the cookie, but it crumbled too much. I wanted to develop a recipe, so I purchased mesquite flour at Central Market in Texas. If your local grocery does not stock mesquite flour, you can order on Amazon.
Mesquite flour is gluten-free, rich in specific nutrients, and low on the GI index. It adds a nutty, caramel, molasses flavor to the cookies. I think it’s one of the best-kept secrets in alternative baking. Alternative flours are a new trend in baking, so you don’t have to follow a gluten-free diet to enjoy this recipe.
The secret ingredient to a soft and chewy center is the tahini. The mesquite flour adds an intense flavor.
This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. It’s chewy, crispy, and gooey-in-the-center of the cookie.
Ingredients:
1Â cup Mesquite Flour
1 cup Oat Flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt or kosher salt
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp (140 g) organic vegan unsalted butter
2.75 oz. well-stirred tahini (I use Soom Tahini.)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup tightly packed coconut sugar
¼ cup maple sugar (*You can substitute coconut sugar.)
2 cups chocolate chips
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Mix the cold butter and sugar on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Scoop down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and tahini. Scoop down the sides of the bowl.
Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well incorporated. Scoop down the sides of the bowl.
Add the chocolate chips all at once and nuts if using, and mix until the chocolate is evenly distributed at a very low speed.
Transfer the dough and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. This step is essential, so the dry ingredients have time to absorb all the moisture, which keeps the cookies from spreading too much when baked.
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to portion the cookie dough into balls and place them at least 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.
Bake for 10- 12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers are still gooey. Be careful not to overbake. *Warning: Every oven is different. Please keep an eye on your baking time. The cookies will look puffed when you pull them out of the oven but will fall and crack into the perfect cookies as they cool. Yours may require less or more time. The butter will re-solidify, which keeps the cookies together. Cool the cookies on the pan for 10 minutes, or until the edges and bottoms feel firm to the touch and transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes:
I use Miyoko’s Organic Cultured Vegan Butter (unsalted) for its clean ingredients and rich buttery taste. Trader Joe’s sells this butter for the best price. Make sure the butter is cold/chilled. Room-temperature butter will result in an overly soft cookie.
Singing Dog Vanilla makes my favorite vanilla extract. Since the vanilla extract is naturally organic, there is no need to pay extra for organic vanilla extract.
Tahini tends to separate like natural nut butter—the oil floats to the top while the rest of the tahini stays at the bottom. For best results, you’ll need to stir the tahini well before using it in this recipe.
Cookie dough should always be set aside to chill in the refrigerator before it is baked. This solidifies the fat and keeps the cookies from spreading as they bake. It also allows for complete hydration and avoids a gritty, flat cookie.
I like to freeze the balls of cookies on a flat tray. Once the cookies are frozen, you can freeze them in a plastic bag. The baking time does not change for frozen cookies.
To give your cookies a better presentation, hold back some of your mix-ins, chocolate chip, nuts, salt, etc. Scoop out the dough and add additional mix-ins onto the top of each cookie.
I like to add fleur de sel to the top of my cookies for a salty and sweet combination.
Here’s a PDF file if you would like to save the recipe.
Oxford, Mississippi Travel Guide
Oxford is home to the University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, and is one of my favorite college towns. There are many great restaurants, shops, and bookstores. The Ole Miss campus is stunning.Â
EAT
Ajax:Â An actual southern meat & three classics.Â
Big Bad Breakfast: Local’s favorite for breakfast.
Boure:Â Creole with a twist.
City Grocery: Known as a landmark in the Oxford dining scene. Be sure to head to the upstairs bar for drinks and one of the best balcony views.Â
Jinsei: Best sushi in town and fantastic Happy Hour specials.
Ravine: Fine dining for a special night out, located 3 miles south of Oxford.
Rice and Spice:Â Super casual Thai restaurant near Ole Miss.Â
Snackbar:Â French Creole meets Southern Mississippi fare.Â
St. Leo’s: Modern, big city-style dining on The Square.Â
SWEETS
STAY
Graduate Oxford: Centrally located on The Square and within walking distance of the Ole Miss campus. Check out the rooftop bar, The Coop, for drinks and appetizers.Â
DRINK
The Coop: The rooftop bar at The Graduate overlooks the Square.
The Library: It’s your classic college town bar.
SHOP
SEE
Rowan Oak: Located just a short five-minute drive from the Ole Miss campus is William Faulkner’s home; tucked away in a beautiful neighborhood in the woods, you can take a self-guided tour of the house for $5.
Ole Miss Campus
DO
Southside Art Gallery: The gallery regularly hosts artist receptions, live music, and participates in the Oxford Art Crawl.
Attend a Live Thacker Mountain Radio Hour Show: If you find yourself in Oxford on a Thursday in the fall or spring, Thacker Mountain Radio Hour is a MUST. The free show is taped and broadcast every Thursday at 6 pm during the fall and spring. The hour-long live radio shows feature readings and various musical performances.
Oxford Art Crawl: The monthly crawl, hosted by the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, hits traditional gallery and museum spaces, pop-up art events, and the Powerhouse Community Arts Center. Follow their calendar to jump on the next crawl!
University of Mississippi Museum
Feel free to email me at marlayoung@mac.com or comment below if you have any questions.
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