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Range: A Triumph in Generalist- A personal Book Review!

How many Times! Have you heard the phrase Jack of all Trades, Master of None! 
While there might be a few who proudly brag about this, but most of us don’t take this seriously!! 
But! What’s important being a Specialist in one Field or have a range of understanding of different fields, interest. 
Considering 2020 when the world is taken over unexpectedly by a virus that’s invisible and has destroyed lives and livelihood for most of us since we were highly dependent on that one Job,  or on that one skill we thrived on. Would it be better to have a few ranges of skills to survive? Didn’t lockdown force us to sharpen our other skills? 
Isn’t it better to be a Jack of all trades and master of none? 
Would there be so many of these inventions and discoveries if mistakes weren’t done by the inventors? Would Nintendo ever be known as a Gaming company from a flower card selling company if the owner of the company had not noticed its’s employ’s talent and skills? 
Would we still have so many artist and sportsman if they were based on their qualifications and not on their range of skills they had been skilled with? Patience, Focus and timing the ball. 
Aren’t skills equally of value than qualifications? 
Most of the filmmakers did not go to film school. Most of the business Ideas did not come after being qualified. They came about to solve problems by founders who dropped out to fill in the Gaps. Today Online Education is thriving and then there was a time when they said online education is waste of time! These courses online aren’t credible. 
But the next graduates would be the ones who will qualify digitally by studying from home. 
No! You can’t deny that a Specialist isn’t needed. But there are very few fields which require Specialist example being doctors and medical professional. Other industries and business thrive on Evaluation and Analysis. 

You must read the book. It’s will change the way you see things. 

The Guestlist by Lucy Foley-Personal Book Review


A book that was on my reading list for months !! A story themed around a wedding celebration. 
Yes!! It’s unusual to find a thriller around a wedding and this was one reason the book got my interest and the second it being a thriller. 
The writing style is similar to Girl on the Train!!
The Story starts unfolding when family secrets and friends start realising what relationships meant to them. 
While even betrayal of trust is one of the elements of the story where some confessions let out secrets that never unfolded, But the island celebration changes many fortunes and reveals all the secrets. 
A weekend fast-paced thrilling read by Lucy Foley. 

Looking to Brew Coffee at Home?

Which Coffee Equipment should you invest in? 

Pour Over /V60: Looking to brew a cup of coffee that’s clean & light? 

Brew Time: 2-4 Minutes 

Type of Coffee: Medium Dark Roast 

Grind Size: Medium 

Method: 

Step 1. Heat the water for a minute or two. 

While the water is boiling/Heating 

Step 2 Place the V60 on a Carafare and place the filter it should be wet first so that any paper taste will be diluted or removed. 

Now Add about 15 gm’s of coffee 

Step 3: Slowly swirl the water (Water should be around 200-300 Ml)  from the kettle over the coffee and around the filter, Let it bloom and repeat this process in between 30 seconds of interval.

Step4:  The coffee would be now brewed and flow into the carafe. For Iced Coffee just add the Ice in the carafe and follow the same process as earlier. 

Equipment Required: Kettle, Water, V60, Coffee, Stirrer and Cups. 

Difficulty level: Expert or a lot of practice to perfect the pour-over. 

French Press: Looking to brew an Americano? 

Brew Time : 3- 4 Minutes 

Type of Coffee: Medium Dark Roast 

Grind size: Medium/Coarse 

Method: 

Step 1. Heat the water for a minute or two. 

While the water is boiling/Heating 

First, remove the plunger and add coffee to the French press base. 

Step 2: Add hot water   ( Water should be about 200-400 Ml) into the French press and stir the coffee from the top, insert the plunger until the brim.

After about 3-4 minutes plunge the plunger and serve the coffee 

Equipment Required: Kettle, Water, French Press, Coffee, Stirrer and Cups. 

Difficulty level: Easy, a perfect way to start learning and brewing coffee. 

Moka Pot:Looking to Brew an Espresso Style coffee? 

Brew Time : 3- 4 Minutes 

Type of Coffee: Medium-light/Dark Roast 

Grind size: Medium/Coarse 

Method: 

Step 1. : Add water  ( Water should be around 100 to 200 Ml) at the bottom base and insert the middle base and add coffee now tighten the Pot.

Step 2: keep the coffee on the gas stove for a couple of minutes, until the hissing sound starts coming and as and when the coffee starts flowing up reduce the speed and switch off the gas. 

Equipment Required: Water, Coffee,  and Cups. 

Difficulty level: Medium 

AeroPress: Looking for a coffee that would be brewed in less than 2 minutes? 

Brew Time: 1-2 Minutes 

Type of Coffee: Medium Dark Roast 

Grind Size: Medium Fine 

Method: 

Step 1. Heat the water for a minute or two. 

While the water is boiling/Heating set up the Aeropress maker. The coffee cup measure should be upside down. The rubber plunger should be pressed inverted from the bottom. 

Step 2: Add about 15 gm’s of coffee by placing the funnel on top first so that the coffee doesn’t spill out. 

Step 3: Now add the heated water ( About 150-200 Ml) and stir the coffee for about  30 seconds to 60 seconds. Now place the filter on the cap and lock the Aeropress ( Note the filter should be rinsed, wet before inserting it, for a better brew experience ) 

Step 4: Now slowly invert the Aeropress on to the mug and press the Aeropress. (Note if the coffee flows without the plunge, you need a finer grind) 

Equipment Required: Kettle, Water, Aeropress, Coffee, Stirrer, Funnel and Cups. 

Difficulty level: Medium to slightly difficult 

Verdict: choose the coffee equipment, By knowing how much time! You are willing to spend to make a cup of coffee each day

To watch videos on how to make the coffee using the equipment and to know more about coffee follow my Instagram account -Link is mentioned below.

https://www.instagram.com/akhilnanda/?hl=en

Coffee -Dope Test

Dope Test 2021: 

  • Swarnagiri coffee:  Comes from Swarnagiri estate also known as The Golden Mountain and Coorg’s gift to the world of coffee. This estate is run by the same family for the last five generations. It’s a Single Estate 100 % Arabica coffee 

Moka Pot: 

This Coffee when you make it with a Moka Pot has a very strong taste notes of Tobacco and has bitter after taste.

Made with 15 gms of coffee & 200 ml of Water.

V60:

When I made this same with V60 the nutmeg and Dry fruits gave the balance to the coffee

  • Mysore Nuggets: It’s said there is just about 2% of India’s AAA-rated beans ( A quality that has been roasted for a longer time to give a stronger flavour to your brewed coffee.) that qualify as Mysore nuggets. The aroma is so powerful you would have had a caffeine high by just opening the bag of this. Another speciality coffee that’s 100 % Arabica 

French Press:

The Mysore Nuggets was Coarsely ground for the French Press and had the butterscotch & cornflakes more prominent than the Caramel. Flavours we’re too diluted.

V60 :

The Coffee when you make it using the pour-over method taste and of toasted cornflakes with a hint of caramel & butterscotch that balances the coffee very well!

  • Nilgiris: Nilgiri Estate is known as Blue Mountain since it’s derived from a word Nilagri that translates to Blue Mountain as there are blooms and cluster of flowering species Strobilanthes kunthiana’ that are also known as Neela Kurinji hill slopes of Tamil Nadu. Sugar Cane, Orange and Eucalyptus to are grown in the same region giving this coffee distinct flavours 

V60:

The Coffee has prominent notes of raisin and Malt and slight hints of Jaggery and Butterscotch.

Moka Pot:

The Coffee taste the heavy and very strong taste of Malt 

  • Polaris: This is an Astral Blend that has been two coffee estate blended for a cold brew experience that doesn’t need to be had only black but can be enjoyed with milk or as a cocktail 

Cold French Press: The Coffee when you have a cold brew French Press is stronger and darker with caramelised and Smokey taste are sharper in the French Press 

Cold Pour Over: All the three notes nutty, Slightly Smokey and caramelised flavours go with this Polaris cold brew coffee a light brew that closely reminds me of the araku selection coffee. 

  • Whiskey Barrel: Specialty Robusta Coffee that has been aged in a whiskey barrel that has the fermented taste to it! A must-try for all the experimental coffee drinkers. 

Iced pour-over: Has a sharp taste and smell of Fermented Whiskey with more oakish barrel taste. That makes the coffee drink less sweetish. 

French Press: This taste just like Whiskey the fermented smell & taste sweeter. This taste more like coffee and less like whiskey! 

If I have to choose a coffee that I would order again. It would be the Nilgris.

F&B and the future of of contactless

Well! 
We all had questions of what it would be like post-COVID, What would it be like going to a restaurant or what would it be like to travel! 
During my recent visit to Mumbai! This was the first visit to eat out at a dining restaurant. 
We all took our seats at the table we reserved and sat down waiting for someone to come and take our orders. 
But, here we were instead handed over a QR Code that we had to scan, browse the menu and for this particular cafe/Restaurant ( Homemade) we placed the order on the web page itself and minutes later the dishes we ordered were served. 
This contactless communication! Was very smooth and hassle-free! 
But, is this the future of not just hospitality but also other business where we will be interacting less with humans and more with technology? 
Will, this not make more of us redundant? 
Will Amazon Go – A shopping experience in the states by amazon where you are billed as you fill your baskets become a reality all over? 
Will online shopping/ Become more of a virtual shopping experience. 
I remember a couple of years ago Rayban had a VR Page on their website. Where you could experience how a particular glasses looked on you. Are we going to see more of us communicating from the comforts of our home and less of ending up at the outlets? 
What about the Spaces/Real estate are we seeing a future of brands having fewer or just one outlet where we can shop (Touch and feel)  and others get converted into warehouses? Isn’t this more like global-localisations? Where we all get connected to being one world?