I love my coffee. Some would consider me a coffee snob, I don’t think that I’ve acheived that moniker yet, but I’m probably close. Since we live on a somewhat tight budget, that means I mostly drink the cheap stuff. (Folgers, Maxwell House, etc) and they get me my fix during the day, but there’s nothing like a good cup of Joe…good Joe.
This morning, (the past two actually) our coffee has been horrible. Upon closer inspection of the cannister of Folgers, we realized that the grounds smelled burnt. And sure enough, in tasting the coffee, thats exactly what we were tasting. (Don’t get me wrong, I still downed it – I need my coffee — but its not been very enjoyable.)
I like to kick back with a hot cup coffee on the weekends and just soak in the morning. Many times for me, you just can’t beat a french pressed cup of the blackened goodness. It provides a very smooth texture to the coffee and it goes down easy, even if the stuff is burnt or a bit strong, the press helps. However, we only have a single-serving press, so its only on a rare occasion that I make it that way. Even the cheap stuff is good that way but I’m still mastering the whole process.
Also on occasion, I’ve roasted my own beans using the hot air popcorn popper method and that works quite nicely. I managed to burn my beans the first few times (I like a dark roast) and it wound up tasting only slightly better than the stuff I’ve choked back this weekend. I’ve gotten better at it and am down to my last batch of raw beans and need to buy some more. Combine my own beans with a french press and I’m in heaven.
One thing that I’m going to try the next time we brew a batch of bad coffee is to try to make an Arabian mix out of it. Where I used to work, we would occasionally make a pot of strong coffee Arabian style — so I’m told– in the afternoon. It involves 1 teaspon of Black Pepper and 1 teaspoon of Cardamom right in the filter before you brew. The problem is, I’ve already got a bad pot of coffee brewed so I need to figure out how much to add to a single cup to do single servings, (since I’m pretty sure that my wife won’t like the stuff). The Black Pepper/Cardamom combo really comes out and I’m wondering if I won’t notice the the burnt flavor as much. The other problem I have is our local grocer doesn’t seem to carry Cardamom. (I’m not sure that this is “traditional Arabian coffee” — according to some of the googling I’ve done, its not — but its very good).
I need my coffee in the morning, it doesn’t have to be caffeinated (but why?!?), I just need it. I like in the evenings as well as I’m sure many people do. I think hot strong coffee is the perfect match for piece of pie, or other after dinner treat. I just love coffee!
So having said all that, I’m curious to know if there are any strange recipes for coffee that you have come across. If you’ve got a unique coffee brewing method or recipe, etc…please let us know in the comments. I’m always looking something new to enjoy.
I’m off to find Cardamom…