Give Thanks for Coffee

Ah the fellowship of family for the purpose of eating, drinking, and being thankful. Since we are American and very much focused on food and drink, many people wonder which coffee goes best with the meal. An adverage coffee snob might tell you which coffee pairs with your specific dessert. I am not your adverage coffee snob, so I say "Which ever coffee you like the most." For instance, I love Sumatran coffee. It's a strong bean. Many call it "earthy" and it goes great with cinnamon and other earthy flavors. Kenyan coffee on the other hand goes well with Berries and other light flavors because of it's tanginess. However, I don't like Kenyan coffee and I would rather have tea.

short Story

It all began in a far away land shaped like a Boot! Our good friend Howie sailed across the sea and found wonderful things in Italy. Bar like stores thats sold perfect little frothy beverages! Most people there ordered condensed coffee... called Espresso. There were two sized, Short (8oz) and tall(12 oz). Howie thought, "How Wonderful!" and brought Wonderful frothy beverages back to the states! Americans were happy, at first. But after awhile they became very unsatisfied. They would pound on Howie's Door while shouting, "WE WANT MORE! WE WANT MORE!" Howie decided to do what he does best. Please the customers. So Starbucks Added a size. "But what's bigger than Tall?" Howie wondered. "We'll call it GRANDE." The Americans were happy again, at first. But after a while they became very unsatisfied. They would pound on Howie's Door while shouting, "WE WANT MORE! WE WANT MORE!" Howie was lost, "What's larger than a Grande?" He searched for answers and decided that the 20oz would be called Ventie, which means 20 in italian. Is our story over... Well my friends, Is 20oz of coffee enough for you?

Bored

So In my boredom, I searched Starbucks on youtube. This is one of the coolest guys I don't know. I still don't understand why he didn't get decaf and a good night's sleep!! But anywho.

Happy= coffee

Milk

Here are some facts about milk that will keep you from getting sick. I highly recommend a digital thermometer. It's good for several things around the kitchen, including checking the temperature of questionably done meats. Whether you are heating milk with steam, with the microwave or over the stove, it is important to heat milk to at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit. That will for sure kill the bacterias that breed in food. Do not heat milk over 170 degrees. It boils and then taste scowled.

I am having a Café Au Lait. I microwaved 6oz of milk for one minute and thirty seconds (microwaves vary so check every 30 seconds.) Add 6-8 oz of coffee and sugar to taste.

Espresso Brownie

This weekend I made Brownies and mixed in some Via Instant coffee. I used 2 packets and then made the brownies as directed on the box. I had some guest who weren't coffee fans so the flavor was faint. However, if you miss the Espresso Brownie and are looking for a fix, try 4 packets of our Favorite instant coffee (VIA duh) per box of brownies. :) mmm

Frenchie Friday

C'est Vendredi (it's friday). Ever walk into a coffee shop and feel like you were ordering in a different language. You are!!! Just be happy it's a real language! (french and Italian) On Friday's we will celebrate the French (to a degree) and their wonderful coffee skills.

So, what does it all mean?

Café~ Coffee. (it cooks my noodle to walk into a café that doesn't sell coffee)
Café au lait~ (oh lay) Coffee with milk. However, if you order this at Starbucks they will probably ask you if you wanted your milk cold or hot (steamed). Hot? They call that a Misto, which is Italian for "mixed" (I guess the "with hot milk" is implied. Cold? They will point you to the milk counter where you get to fix your coffee just the way you like it.
French Roast~ This means that the beans were roasted (cooked) extra long and all the oils are brought to the surface. It is a really strong cup of coffee. Sometimes, it can taste burnt depending on the bean.
French press~ One of many ways to brew coffee. This method is full contact. The grinds are totally emerged in the water for the full brewing time (4 minutes) instead of just running through them. Makes a very flavorful cup and great for coffee tastings.