a zesty farewell to citrus season

so what if this was all just an elaborate excuse to get my apartment smelling all citrusy for a whole weekend? god forbid a girl creates a sensory experience!

citrus saturday

an orange, grapefruit & lemon filled cafe just felt like the perfect transition into spring (ciao winter!). this saturday, we took advantage of the tail end of citrus season with a very zesty menu featuring an orange vanilla latte, espresso tonics w lemon, a citrus & honey olive oil cake and lemon meringue tartelettes. if that’s not a refreshing lineup to manifest warmer weather and mark the end of the longest winter ever, I don’t know what is.

I’m not gonna lie - I surprised myself with these citrus floral arrangements. there was a bit of a standoff between me, armed with an aggressive amount of toothpicks, and a stubborn assortment of citrus. but somehow, my orange tetris situation proved to be structurally sound. dare I say, I might be slightly more qualified now to one day live out my dream of being a florist?

if you feel inspired to give this citrus floral sitch a try, i highly recommend making yourself some fresh OJ with all the leftovers - it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

currently brewing

RANDOLFO “EL SAPO” PACHECO

shaughnessy cafe

montreal favourite, shaughnessy, kindly supplied us with some beans - which is a big deal to me considering this was one of my regular study spots while i was a student living downtown. we love shaughnessy!

this roast paired perfectly with all the citrus we had going on. notes: chocolate, nutty, sweet & balanced.

Country: Guatemala

orange vanilla latte

ingredients

• 2 oranges (i did one navel and one cara cara, but you do you!)

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 cup water

• 1 waz of vanilla extract - if you’re unfamiliar with kate’s measuring unit system, this is basically whatever amount your gut tells you

directions

1. cut oranges in fourths, squeeze juice out into a saucepan and then plop oranges in

2. add in rest of ingredients

3. bring to a boil, then simmer for a little bit (15 ish), adjusting and adding ingredients to taste while stirring every few mins

4. take a good min to appreciate the citrusy aromas in your space (necessary)

5. strain syrup to remove pulp, let cool, store in fridge

6. iced orange vanilla latte ratio - 1 waz of syrup (larger waz than the aforementioned vanilla extract), milk of your choice, and a double shot of espresso. garnish with a piece of candied orange on top :)

other cafe details

milk - minor figures

citrus cake recipe - food52

croissants from boulangerie jarry

pastry labels - george & willy

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