Wednesday = Recipe Day

LUSCIOUS PUMPKIN LATTE

Ingredients: 

2 heaping tablespoons cooked or canned pumpkin 
2 cups milk or ¾ cup unsweetened condensed milk 
4 tablespoons vanilla syrup 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1 cup coffee, brewed strong or ¼ cup freshly brewed espresso 
Spice for dusting, optional

Directions: 
In a small saucepan, heat the milk with the pumpkin until it combines, then add vanilla syrup and cinnamon (or pumpkin spice.) Heat until steaming, stirring frequently.

Carefully pour into a blender and blend on high for 20 seconds, until it foams. Pour into a tall heat-proof glass, then add the espresso or coffee. Dust with cinnamon or pumpkin spice and serve immediately.

YIELD: 2 servings; recipe easily doubles

So Brazil is to blame for my pricey morning latte...

Your morning cup of Joe may start to cost more. Coffee production is likely to decline across Brazil due to a combination of recent dryness, the credit crunch, and biennial growth cycle. In an increasingly tough economic time, these factors are likely to urge prices higher.

The Brazilian government predicts that the country will harvest 39.2 million 132-pound sacks of coffee beans this year, a drop of 16.2% from 2008.

Over the past 30 days, major coffee growing regions in western Mato Grosso and eastern Rondonia have only seen about 75% of normal rainfall. In the past two weeks, areas in western Minas Gerias, where nearly 50% of Brazilian coffee is produced, have received only half of normal rainfall. The tiny province of Espirito Santo, which accounts for 25% of the coffee crop, saw above normal rainfall earlier this month. However, even that area has turned much drier over the past one to two weeks.

Nevertheless, the credit crunch has been forcing many coffee growers to forgo purchasing sufficient amounts of fertilizer. When enough fertilizer cannot be applied to the coffee plants, disease is more easily spread and yields are reduced. Unfortunately, the timing of this economic crisis is very poor as Brazil coffee is in the midst of a slower growth cycle that typically occurs every other year.

Brazil, the world’s largest producer of Arabica beans, is expected to see a 24% reduction in their harvest of this variety. Furthermore, the country is only second to Vietnam in robusta beans used by Nestle and Kraft to make instant coffee. While robusta may not be as severely affected, a five percent decline in production is still expected. With the drop in production, coffee prices are likely to rise. Currently the price of Brazilian coffee is around $1.18 per pound and is expected to trade between $1.25 and $1.35 in the coming months.

While it is unknown when the economy will recover, Mother Nature will be providing some beneficial rain to most coffee regions over the next week. Areas in Mato Grosso, Rondonia, and western Minas Gerias may see 3 to 6” of rain by next Wednesday, with isolated higher amounts. In comparison, only 2 to 4” fell in these provinces in the past 14 days.

Source: http://supermarketguru.com

Wednesday = Recipe Day

CAFÉ AFFOGATO

When in Italy, if you ask for your ice cream "affogato" you are served a bowl of ice cream with a shot of espresso on top of it. It's not too difficult to imagine why this delectable dish has made it across the Atlantic and how it now has a hundred or more variations. It can be as simple as putting a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a mug and pouring on some freshly brewed, hot coffee. As the ice cream melts, stir it a bit, then drink. Ah!, you'll say. Here's another way to make it that's elegant and company-worthy. This recipe calls for gelato, the true Italian ice cream that is more dense, more intensely flavored than ice cream and stands up to the shot of heat more effectively. A high-quality, French vanilla bean ice cream is an excellent substitute. You can also experiment with other flavors: coffee, raspberry, and chocolate ice creams or gelatos are fantastic.

Ingredients:
2 pints vanilla gelato
8 ounces or 1 measuring cup, Hazelnut or Original Blend Coffee, brewed double strength
2 tablespoons, crushed hazelnuts or crushed almonds, optional 1 pot Original Blend Coffee, brewed fresh and hot

Directions:
Brew the coffee.
Line up four tall, heat-resistant parfait glasses on the kitchen counter. Place two scoops of the vanilla gelato into each one.
Slowly pour in just enough coffee to coat the scoops, about two ounces in each.
Garnish with crushed nuts.
Serve immediately along with dinner cups for the remaining coffee.

Yield: 4 generous servings.

Sunday Funnies

A coffee shop in town was having a contest that if you buy a large coffee you get a scratch off card. Well one day this blonde lady walked in and bought a large coffee and began to scratch off the ticket and started screaming saying I won a RV. Well she was running and screaming around and the manager come out and said miss please calm down and let me see the card because we don't have a RV as a prize. So he took it and started to laugh and said miss this says you WIN A BAGLE!

Saturday Matinee

Latte with Chocolate or a Mocha...

"I want a latte with some chocolate in it," she orders.
"A mocha?" I ask.
"What's the difference between a latte and a mocha?"
"A mocha is basically a latte with chocolate in it."
"What's a latte?"
"It's espresso with steamed milk."
"Oh yeah I want that! Espresso with steamed milk. Can I get some choclate in that?"
"One mocha coming up."

Wednesday = Recipe Day

ESPRESSO BROWNIES

These freeze well, so you can always have some on hand, although they’re so delicious it’s difficult to wait until they thaw! 
Fortunately that doesn’t take long. 
If you just cannot wait, these taste wonderful cut into chunks and mixed into vanilla ice cream.

Espresso Brownies 
Ingredients:
5 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate, coarsely chopped 
2 1/2 sticks unsalted (sweet) butter, softened 
3 tablespoons espresso coffee beans, finely ground to a pulverized powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
2 1/2 cups sugar 
5 large eggs 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions:
Preheat the over to 325°F. 
Butter and flour a 9”x12” baking pan and line it with parchment paper to avoid losing even one crumb.
In the top of a double boiler, combine butter, coffee, and salt and heat over simmering water until just melted and smooth. 
Remove from heat and allow to cool. 
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, and vanilla and whisk until a smooth yellow cream. 
Slowly add the melted chocolate and combine well. 
Slowly and gently fold in the flour until it is well incorporated. 
The batter should look pale chocolate brown and smooth. Fold in the walnuts. 
Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the batter on top. 
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
Here’s the hard part. 
Allow the pan to cool on the rack for an entire hour. 
When the timer rings, run a knife around the edges of the pan, then cut into squares while still in the pan. 
Transfer each brownie to a serving platter or one out of every five; no one will see you.

Makes 1 dozen large brownies or 24 bite-size ones