Cafe Pergolesi Espresso Steak Rub Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup ground sweet ancho chile or chile powder

1/4 cup Cafe Pergolesi ground espresso

4 Tablespoons hot smoked Spanish paprika

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon dry yellow mustard powder

1 Tablespoon salt

2 Tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon powdered ginger

2 teaspoons Chipotle chile powder

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Preparation Instructions:

Mix all up and store in an airtight container.

Tips:

Keep for use on grilling steaks and other meats.

Apply liberally to one side only, put this side down first.

You can grill on an open fire or on a griddle indoors.

If using 1″ steaks, about 4-5 minutes on each side will give you a medium rare steak.

I like to put a half teaspoon of herb butter on top of steak when serving.

Another suggestion is to mix a few tablespoons of this rub into about 1/2 stick of butter,

and my favorite idea – add some chocolate powder

Facebook Fans Can Win A Free AeroPress Coffee Maker (a $30 Value!) from Big City Coffee -

Contest Entry at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-City-Coffee/52474325578

Here’s our new contest…
Help Us Add 400 New Fans in 5 Days and
Win A Free AeroPress Coffee Maker

We’ll be giving away 10 Prizes!
Here’s how to win the AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker and Big City Coffee.

Check the UPDATES for the Contest Rules!

Guest Post:

Do you love artisan coffee? When growing up my parents only drank some instant microwave coffees and I thought that was all there was to it. Then one day a friend of mine gave me some real artisan coffee and there has been no going back since then. I didn’t realize how much there was to enjoy and learn about coffee. Now I love to explore the world through gourmet coffees that are grown in so many places. I love the smell and aroma of Sumatran blends that take me on a journey to South Asian rain forests. Also the robust flavor of African roast coffee really stimulates my senses. I have also learned the importance of owning a quality coffee maker and coffee grinder. I have started also to look into a coffee roaster and I’m intrigued by all the different blends and recipes and look forward to experimenting at home. Since the time when I have really started to get into coffee I have invited my instant coffee drinking parents over and have treated them to a bit of the real stuff and they also have become converts to artisan coffees. My Dad even lamented the years of wasted coffee enjoyment that he had suffered and vowed never to go back to that old microwave variety. Everyone should enjoy delicious coffee it is a wonderful start to a day.

Consider Coffee Clubs As A Welcome Gift For A Coffee Junkie

If you need a gift for a coffee lover, why not consider a subscription to one of the many “coffee clubs”? For the genuine coffee lover, such a gift can be an exciting peek into new worlds, opening up new blends and treats that might have been otherwise overlooked. Coffee clubs remove the recipient’s risk because they provide samples to new and exotic coffees without spending the money to purchase an entire pound that might not be palatable to a coffee fanatic.

The problem with a gourmet coffee club is that there are a bewildering number of choices and making a decision can be overwhelming, especially to the non-coffee-junkie who just wants to please the recipient. There are strange choices to consider – like “Bonzai Pipeline” coffee. Usually, the recipient receives two samples per month but there are questions to consider:

* Duration of the club membership which ranges from one month (usually around $25) to a year ($275 is an average price)?

* Decaf or regular?

* Gourmet coffee or flavored blends?

* Whole bean or ground?

But to the true coffee lover, the degree of roasting is the most important because the temperature and time spent roasting are critical to flavor. Longer roasted coffees cost more because:

1. They take longer to prepare.
2. The longer they are roasted, the less volume they have since the bean dries out. Since there is less of this coffee produced, the costs are naturally higher.

If you don’t know an American from a French roast, here’s a quick primer to make choosing a bit easier.

Cinnamon Roasts: these are the most lightly roasted beans – and the most acidic. This is a caramel-colored coffee – about the color of cinnamon – with not a lot of body. The transition of green, unroasted coffee bean to the familiar grounds that smell so delicious, happens in stages called “1st and 2nd crack”. The beans crack or pop while roasting. Th beginning of the roasting process is called “first crack” and Cinnamon Roast is definitely a first crack coffee.

American Roast: is roasted a bit longer than the Cinnamon Roast coffee, but it’s definitely a first crack coffee. This is very common in mass market American coffees and where most of these roasts stop. American is a full bodied, acidic coffee.

City Roast: is the end of the first crack coffees with a high acid content and a very strong, delicious aroma.

Full City Roast: as they continue to roast, the coffee beans will begin to crackle again. This is the beginning of the “second crack” roasts. Full City is a medium to dark roast with a sweet flavor and less acidity and more oil than than previous roasts and it has chocolate or caramel undertones.

French Roast: this coffee has been roasted so long that it has no acidity, a dark color and a generous amount of oil. The most noticeable characteristic is a bittersweet or burned taste that coffee drinkers either love or hate. The famous coffees of New Orleans and cajun country depend upon this roast.

Italian Espresso Roast: is the darkest possible roast and its color is almost charcoal black. One barista described it as “actually burned to a crisp”. The temperature of these beans reaches 480F and this roast is used for cappuccino and espresso. Its acidity is very low.

If giving memberships to coffee clubs appeals to you as a gift-giving strategy, then these are the basics you will need to consider when choosing the appropriate membership. You can find these clubs all over the Internet and in magazines so there are a huge number of options. Any coffee junkie will thank you!

Lose weight safely, and still drink your coffee, with one year of Free weight loss tips.

This Coffee Marshmallow Mousse recipe is great anytime you need a tasty dessert real quick!

Ingredients:
48 lg. marshmallows
1 1/4 c. extra strong Big City coffee
1 c. whipped cream
Grated dark chocolate

Heat up 48 large marshmallows with 1 1/4 cups double strength coffee.
Stir until marshmallows are melted.
Turn into a medium bowl and chill until it thickens up – about 20 minutes.
Fold in 1 cup of whipped cream and keep chilled until served.
Garnish with grated chocolate.

So…eat!

Happy Birthday, Ava!
We baked you a cake

Enjoy!

The Goddess Loves You! Just don’t push it till she’s had her coffee! Enjoy the coffee & kitteh

I’m just going to have to give up coffee, that’s all there is to it. ~ Captain Janeway, USS Voyager

I’m at Panera Bread – http://bkite.com/03Ao7

firing up the computer…looking for flip video deal, sipping some fresh brewed coffee…checking email, lining up appointments for the day, drinking more coffee, and generally making a mess of my to-do list…

“All the coffee in Columbia won’t make me a morning person”….enjoy!