Coffee Drinks

In the first post to this thread, I stated that I only add alcoholic stuff to my coffee as a luxury flavoring ingredient, not for recreational reasons. So, it's OK to mention the stuff. I will investigate some of the suggestions.

I have gotten into a habit of repeating many things in my food and beverage intake and I love variety. That's one of the reasons I have returned to Cooking Bites, to get some provocation to mix things up with some alternate meals and beverages, to diversify my intake. It may take a little more work, but that's OK.

So, thanks for the input on those alternatives. Don't be shy about mentioning what you like.

I usually add stuff to my coffee, not the other way around, adding coffee to something else. But I can see the possibilities. And it can go beyond beverages, Coffee Smoothies, for example, work ok, but including Coffee in Marinades and for flavoring food is possible and should be explored.

Not having an Expresso Machine anymore, it's difficult for me to produce thick Coffee Syrup and so, difficult to concoct some Coffee Food applications.
 
I do make a coffee liqueur with rum - I thought it was great but need to make it again for photos since I lack them. It was a big hit and all got drunk up at the last holiday party I went to - December 2019. But for now I'll keep this with morning beverages....

For a brief while I had a coffee machine that made expresso-like drinks and lattes.... sort of the "cheap" version that you had to warm up the milk in the microwave first, and use a side attachment to "latte" it. It also made it easy to make iced coffee, too. Unfortunately it died a sad death not long after the return-window passed... I've saved the carafes because they are otherwise useful as pitchers.

I now have a small battery-operated latte whisk I can use any time in conjunction with my Cuisart or my French press - heat the milk, whisk, pour over coffee. I've only made plain lattes and occasionally chocolate ones - with dark powdered chocolate, and NO added sugars.

The only way I've ever made sweet coffee at home is if/when I add a scoop of coffee ice cream to the mug.

When out, I will sometimes order a pumpkin latte or an eggnog latte. BUT I don't make these at home. (Maybe I'll experiment during the upcoming holidays with a home-made eggnog latte?)

With regular coffee, I never add milk unless it is bitter. My preference is just plain whole milk - no extremes either way. (Ie, I prefer not to have reduced fat milks or half and half milk). Skim milk is like adding badly colored water to coffee - anything less than 2% is undrinkable because it dilutes the coffee without doing anything flavor-wise. About 4 years ago I weaned myself off of whole milk in every coffee cup I drank to none at all, no intermediate stages. (Of course, lattes are lattes, and not essentially the same beverage - and I use whole milk for those because I have no reason to buy lesser grades of milk in part since they go bad so much more quickly in the fridge. I don't use enough milk to begin with to go through the smallest container I can buy, before it goes bad!)
 
NOTE: I keep packets of sugar for houseguests. I also keep packets of types of fake sugars for houseguests, the latter "liberated" from fast food places or the like when I've been on the road and had to buy something at one, anyway.

Out at dinner with folks, I will generally order decaf. Although if at my Connecticut book club facing a two hour drive home, I want my caffeine straight up! (No idea when these sorts of events will happen again.)
 
Kahiwa Coffee Roasters is a relatively new local coffee roasting factory and coffee importer. The owner's relatives lived in Kenya - that's how the company got started. We made experimental designs for their new café at the uni and got to taste their coffees. In reality, a large architectural office designed the roastery/café which is located in a new art exhibition center.
Hemmers Dad went out to Kenya for six month to help commission a Cement Factory. The Mau Mau had just started to flex their machete's. Dads driver was an ex Scot's Guard called Mungo Bisset. Mungo would come to the UK by sea once a year and bring Dad a sack of green beans. At 6ft 3" he looked like a giant to me.
 
including Coffee in Marinades and for flavoring food is possible and should be explored.

You must try my coffee infused eggs! The only way I use coffee is in cooking. I never drink the stuff. And the idea of adding sweeteners of any kind isn't my thing either. But coffee in savoury dishes - that I do like.
 
There are no foreign coffee bars here like Starbucks. We would on occasion go to a Costa cafe in the UK. Shopping yesterday in Tommy I notice for the first time Costa ground coffee with a new product sticker discounted to about £1.90 for 200 grams. I very rarely buy ground but at that price. I tried it this morning, it was very good.
The good thing about Croatian coffee bars is they are nearly always sighted near to a bakery, you are expected to bring food with you.

“The only people in Croatia whose social lives do not revolve around going for coffee are the deceased. You go for coffee for a business meeting, you go for coffee when you're catching up with your friend or family. And you take your time. One small cup of coffee in Croatia can easily last two or three hours. That's no joke,” adds TimeOut.

The writer also notes that Starbucks would never understand the coffee-drinking rules in Croatia. “Firstly, most Croatians have their own cafe bar. That's not to say they actually own the place, but they usually do have a regular spot where they like to go. Secondly, you can never interrupt a Croatian couple who are having coffee. Joining two friends drinking coffee at a table in Croatia, without prior arrangement, would be considered as rude as if you had intercourse with one of their spouses in front of them on the terrace. The coffee drinker might be your long-lost brother, not seen since he was taken from your tearful mother's arms some 20 years ago, but it would still not be acceptable to interrupt him and his friend for more than the time it takes to say 'Hi, I'll call you!' and certainly not attempt to join them.” Why Has Starbucks Skipped Croatia?
 
I have had Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cafe Da) before and it was great.

As a token reward for helping my housemate fetch her new refrigerator, I was gifted some Vietnamese Instant Coffee, 3 In 1. I don't think it will stack up against Cafe Da, but I'll use it when I have a short morning before going out and forgo brewing coffee.

3In1InstantCoffee.jpg
 
I'm trying something new in my Coffee this morning, Butterscotch Chips and Honey.

Well, its still late night. I couldn't sleep and woke around 11:00pm. Can't get back to sleep, so I'm going into my Breakfast routine.
 
I tried Hawaiian Gold Kona Medium Roast Gourmet Blend Whole Bean Coffee this morning. I can say that it is very tasty.
 
Every month I try something new in terms of coffee. I have already tried coffee with various additives of nuts, peanuts, honey, whipped cream and so on. But the most important thing that I have noticed during all this time is that delicious coffee does not depend on additives, but on the quality of the coffee beans. I have searched the internet for the best coffee bean for pour over. And came across a delicious coffee called Volcanica Coffee - coffee of Ethiopian origin from the Yirgacheffe region. I can only say one thing, this coffee does not need to be mixed with anything because it is perfect. Also, I would like to know your tips and suggestions for various delicious coffee beans.
 
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