Coffee and Pumpkin
Yes, it is that time of year again. Time for everyone to bring out their costumes and play tricks or beg for treats - and this season is definitely not limited to kids.
Halloween means pumpkin for many. It makes for an interesting flavor added to coffee. It brings a taste of autumn to your favorite cup of joe. If you’re wondering where you can get hold of some Pumpkin spiced coffee, you can order some online from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
If you’d like to try making some pumpkin flavored coffee for yourself, here is a pumpkin latte recipe. It’s better if you use espresso but if you don’t have an espresso machine of your own, you can use strong coffee.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tbs canned pumpkin
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbs vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground
- 1/2 cup strong coffee, or 1/4 cup espresso
PREPARATION:
Heat milk and pumpkin in a saucepan until steaming (make sure to keep the flame low). Add the vanilla and cinnamon and stir. Transfer the milk mixture in a blender, and whip for 15-20 seconds until thick and foamy. Pour it into a tall glass, then add the espresso.
Technorati Tags: Halloween, coffee, latte, espresso, pumpkin
Coffee and Hauntings
With Halloween right around the corner, ghosts, ghouls and witches are once again making an appearance. Though most will usually see only kids running around in costumes, some say that they see more than just trick or treaters. In fact there are some haunted coffee houses. Who knows, you may just see a ghost or two while you have a cup of your favorite brew.
If you take your coffee at 705 Franklin Street in Clearwater, don’t be surprised if things suddenly move. Owner Robin Loesberg claims that her coffeehouse has a resident African American ghost whom they call JJ. She says that he is a protective spirit who probably has some unfinished business. He makes his presence felt several times a week. Nobody knows who he is though there are no records of anyone dying in the building, even way back when it was still used as a citrus storage warehouse.
So keep your eyes open. You may just find yourself with unexpected company, even if it isn’t Halloween.
Technorati Tags: coffee, ghosts, Halloween
The Grind
If you’re trying to create that perfect cup of coffee, then it is necessary to learn the science behind the art of making coffee. Precision plays a part, as does having the right equipment. One of the most basic elements however is the grind.
The finer you grind your coffee, the bigger the surface area. This basically means that you may extract more flavor from the same volume of coffee. The degree of fineness of your grind is dependent on your equipment.
“A coffee bean has “good” flavors which are usually the first to get extracted. Then there are the “bad” flavors that come out especially when your grounds come into contact with too much water. In order to make a perfect cup you will need to determine how much water actually comes into contact with your grounds and for how long. Too long and too much water makes for a cup best undrunk.
Among the best equipment for coffee truly is the espresso machine. It is designed to force a small amount of water through very tightly packed (some say tamped), finely ground coffee which produces a brew that contains perfectly concentrated flavor. You extract the absolute best fom your coffee. Still, the key is in the finely and evenly ground coffee.
Technorati Tags: coffee, science, grind, perfect, espresso
Coffee Date
If you’re new to the dating game or been out of it for a while, here’s a tip that you should keep in mind. If you’re meeting someone for the first time (blind date or otherwise) choose to meet them over coffee. That way you do get to chat but you aren’t stuck with them for an hour or more, especially if you do find that they just aren’t your type.
The way they choose might even help you decide on whether a relationship is worth pursuing. For example, if you’re looking for someone who is decisive, you defintely won’t want to keep seeing someone who takes 30 minutes just to decide on what kind of coffee to drink.
Coffee is well known to inspire conversations. Use your favorite cup of joe to see if you have found a like minded soul. You may be surprised at how fast time will fly and you’ll be very much inclined to meet again, assuming of course he didn’t bore you. Oherwise, just enjoy your delicious cup of coffee. At least it should satisfy your taste buds even if your date is a bust.
Technorati Tags: coffee, dating, conversations
Grounds For Divorce
Did you know that in Constantinople (what is now known as Istanbul) a woman could divorce her husband for failing to keep the family Ibrik or coffee pot filled? If this old Turkish Law were still in effect and applied in more countries, there would be a lot of divorced women on the globe.
Coffee assumed a social importance. This beverage may not be flashy or knock anyone out but it has a way of creeping into ones heart and soul and becoming simply unforgettable. You simply get accustomed to having it as a part of your daily life.
Though coffee may no longer have as much power as it used to in social situations, its popularity has by no means faded out. Thankfully coffee no longer determines whether a man will choose you for a mate nor if it is time to kick him out. We can simply savor the taste of this delicious brew and imagine the days gone by.
Technorati Tags: coffee, wedding bargaining, Turkish custom, marriage, divorce social norms
Extra Uses For Coffee
You’ve made your brew. You’ve savored your cup of joe and you’re about to throw out the grounds and dregs. Stop right there! Don’t waste perfectly useful coffee.
First off, if you take your coffee black and have indoor plants, pour the dregs onto the soil of your potted plant. It will make the soil richer. Your plant will love it.
Try this before hiring the services of someone in pest control if you have an ant problem. Sprinkle the coffee grounds around your lawn, or place them in a ring around areas you want them to keep out of. Some suggest placing coffee grounds around the anthill. Others recommend taking about a pound of coffee grounds, mixing it with a quart of hot water and pour in the mixture over the anthill. That will drive them away. The bigger the anthill, the more coffee you’ll need.
So the next time you are thinking of just dumping your coffee down the drain or into the trash, pause. The remnants can still be useful to you.
Technorati Tags: coffee, household tips, ants, pesticide
Yet More Trivia
Here are some more interesting facts that you may or may not yet know about coffee. Some things to think about over your next cup of Joe:
- Along with peanut butter and beer, coffee is on the top ten list of “most recognizable odors.”
- Arabian Wine is the name by which coffee was first known in Europe.
- Some green coffee beans are stored for years before roasting. Some experts believe that certain beans, when stored properly, improves with age
- Coffee was advertised a medicine in the 1600’s in England. It was advertised in 1657 as a cue for gout, scurvy and other illnesses. From the University of California comes a scientific report to gladden any coffee lover’s heart. They found that the steam rising from a cup of coffee contains an equal amount of anti-oxidants as that found in three oranges. These antioxidants help prevent cancer and heart disease being heterocyclic compounds.
Technorati Tags: coffee, trivia, medicine, health, cancer, antioxidants, roasting
Works of Art
Coffee is a wonder. It’s a delicious beverage that can warm the body on a really cold day. It helps get people up and running as they go about their day. It also inspires some coffee lovers to create works of art.
Take for example the painting above. This beautiful rendition of Van Gogh’s Starry Night was done entirely with coffee. Its painter, Karen Eland, is a self taught painter and coffee lover. She has a full gallery of coffee art which she created between working on restoring pieces for the Louvre.
Karen is by no means the only talented artist who has discovered the joy of painting using the source of our favorite brew. There are many others who have created works of art using coffee, some of whom, like Karen have their works available online.
It’s easy to get started on coffee art. It simply starts with loving coffee and having a love of painting.
Technorati Tags: coffee, paintings, coffee art, Louvre, Starry Night, Van Gogh
Coffee Recipes From the Food Network
Though coffee has been around for centuries, it often feels like it’s a new fashion trend because new coffee places keep popping up. These places have more than just your basic cup of coffee and definitely none of it is instant.
We have discovered that there truly are some people who are gifted with taste. They set the standard for food. They help please our palates. Thy help us become kitchen wonders just like they themselvs are. These are the chefs.
Chefs love coffee as much as we do. They use it in various recipes, not all of them drinks. The 2 recipes listed below are from the Food Network celebrity chefs that are a must try.
Coffee Granita by Alton Brown
- 2 cups lukewarm espresso or strong black coffee
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons coffee flavored liqueur
- 1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar melts. Pour mixture into 9 by 13-inch metal pan and place on level shelf in freezer for half an hour. (Mixture should only come about 1/4-inch up the side of the pan.) Remove and use a dinner fork to scrape any ice crystals that have formed on the side or bottom of the pan. Return to freezer and repeat scraping every 20 to 30 minutes for 3 to 4 hours. Once mixture is thoroughly frozen, fluff with a fork and allow flakes to “dry” in freezer another half hour before serving. When served, the granita should look like a fluffy pile of dry brown crystals.
Scoop into goblets and top with barely sweetened whipped cream, add additional citrus zest if desired.
Cardamom Coffee Custard by Gale Gand, Host of Sweet Dreems
- 2 cups whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons dark-roast coffee beans, crushed with a heavy skillet
- 4 green cardamom pods, crushed
- 6 egg yolks
- 2/3 cups sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 whole coffee beans, for garnish
Directions:
In a nonreactive saucepan, bring the milk, vanilla bean, crushed coffee beans and cardamom to a simmer over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the egg yolks, sugar and salt until pale yellow and fluffy. With the mixer running at low speed, mix in the cornstarch, then very gradually pour in the hot milk mixture, mixing it in as you go.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve back into the saucepan, to smooth it and to remove the spices. Whisking constantly, cook over medium-high heat until thick and just boiling. When the mixture thickens, the whisk will leave trail marks on the bottom of the pot and the mixture will have a few large bubbles boiling up to the top. Cook just until no starchy taste or feeling remains. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted. Pour into 4 custard cups, ramekins, or mugs and chill, uncovered, at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve chilled, placing a whole coffee bean in the center of each serving.
Technorati Tags: coffee, recipes, food network, sweet dreams, dessert, Gale Gand, Alton Brown
Black Forest Coffee
Coffee can be simple yet complex. It can be sweet or spicy. The variety that you can have is as numerous as the number of coffee lovers and the limit of their imagination.
Coffee is often drunk to finish a meal. It is often partnered with a delicious dessert. A nice coffee cake or a piece of warm apple pie a la mode makes for a delicious end to a great meal.
If you don’t have time to make your favorite pastry or cookie to go with your coffee, there is no reason why you can’t still have coffee and dessert at the same time. Try this simple recipe to turn your coffee into a Black Forest Coffee. It is quick and easy to make in under less than 30 minutes.
You’ll need the following ingredients:
- 4 cups hot brewed coffee
- 1/2 cup chocolate syrup
- 1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
- whipped cream
- chocolate syrup
- marashino cherries
Directions
Simply mix the coffee, chocolate syrup and cherry juice together. Pour the resulting brew into mugs. Top each with the whipped cream, garnish with a single cherry or with cherry bits as you prefer then swirl some chocolate syrup for extra texture and design. Serve to your guests.
Technorati Tags: coffee, recipe, black forest, dessert
