Cooking With Coffee – 5 Ways to Bring Coffee Into Your Cooking
June 18, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•St. Louis
• 0 Comments
Cooking With Coffee – 5 Ways to Bring Coffee Into Your Cooking
Before most of us even open our eyes in the morning, one word flashes in bright neon lights in our brains: coffee. But coffee doesn’t have to be relegated to the breakfast table. From cocktails to dessert, coffee can spice up any number of dishes. Rich in antioxidants, the health benefits of coffee are only one more reason why this delicious fruit continues to pop up in culinary news all over the country. Here are 5 great ways to incorporate coffee into your meals.
1. There’s always room for dessert
From coffee flavored ice cream to coffee cake, coffee and dessert naturally go hand-in-hand. Next time you sit down to a bowl of chocolate or vanilla ice cream try pouring a little cold espresso over the top. Feeling even more adventurous? Ground up espresso beans can add a satisfying crunch to an ice cream sundae.
2. Give your meat an added kick
From vinaigrettes to marinades all of our favorite meats can benefit from a little seasoning. Next time you are making a dry rub for pork or steak try adding some finely ground coffee beans or add a cup of brewed coffee to your favorite marinade for added flavor. These days coffee is popping up in all kinds of Missouri culinary experiences from coffee pot roast to coffee chicken wings, the only limit on coffee’s versatility is your own imagination.
3. Happy Hour
Mocha’s have become a morning staple but the perfect combination of chocolate and coffee is just a satisfying after 5:00. The next time you are entertaining and a bottle of wine is feeling a little too ordinary try a coffee flavored cocktail. Vodka, a shot of espresso and any chocolate liquor is guaranteed to be a hit. Pour in a martini glass and toss in a few whole coffee beans and you’ve got a drink that is both classic and original.
4. Break out the blender at breakfast
If you’ve already had your morning cup of Joe but could use a little caffeine boost, try this idea from the culinary news. Add coffee or espresso to your morning smoothie. Soy milk, bananas even peanut butter a little ice and some java and you have a great mid-morning pick me up.
5. Get saucy
The next time you want to give you’re BBQ an added jolt, try adding coffee to your BBQ sauce. Gravy is another great vehicle for the new coffee craze. The bitterness and acidity of coffee are a perfect complement to the earthy flavors of game meats and birds.
Since its earliest discovery, coffee has been enjoyed not just as a beverage but as a fruit with as many uses as there are stars in the night sky. If you would like to learn more about the uses of coffee in everyday cooking perhaps a Missouri culinary school could give your skills that added kick you are looking for.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in St. Louis. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in St. Louis offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in the St. Louis, Missouri area. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/St-Louis for more information.
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