Monthly Archives: December 2019

Coffee-Infused Foods: Cooking with Your Favorite Beverage

Coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages. It is found virtually worldwide, from street markets in Ethiopia to high-end coffee shops in Europe. But did you know that coffee isn’t just for drinking? Plenty of professional chefs and hobbyists are coming up with great ways to cook with it. Their coffee-infused foods are to die for.

If you are someone who likes to be creative in the kitchen, it is well worth digging around for a few coffee-inspired recipes. Coffee is a very tasty ingredient for all sorts of foods. It works well with sweets, breads, meats, and more.

Note that some recipes call for instant coffee. This is the one area where coffee-infused foods can be tricky. Why? Because instant coffee is traditionally made with robusta rather than arabica beans. They produce a more bitter flavor and have twice the amount of caffeine. Instant coffee has a more defined impact on the taste of coffee-infused foods.

As a Dry Rub

One of the more interesting uses of coffee as a cooking ingredient is to combine it with a number of spices to create a dry rub. It even works well straight up. Using coffee as a dry rub allows the flavor of the roasted, ground coffee to seep into meat prior to cooking.

One suggestion is to combine ground coffee with cocoa and a touch of sea salt. Rub the mixture into a high-quality steak and let the meat sit for several hours in the fridge. Throw the steaks on the grill and let them cook to your desired level of doneness. You will have a delectable steak that reminds you of cappuccino.

Coffee in Your Baked Goods

Maybe you prefer to bake. No worries. Coffee is a great ingredient for all kinds of baked goods. For example, take your typical chocolate chip cookie. A good chocolate chip recipe can be enhanced with just a touch of instant coffee. If German chocolate layer cake is more to your liking, liquid coffee is a great ingredient for the frosting.

Coffee and Savory Foods

Savory foods are a better vehicle for coffee than people realize. For example, how do you feel about fish tacos? A good piece of fish mixed with a few vegetables and a tasty slaw combine to make an excellent taco that satisfies. Cook that fish with some coffee and you will knock it out of the park.

We can go on and on about coffee-infused foods. Here’s the point: coffee works equally well as a beverage and an ingredient for your cooking. We encourage you to look around online for some interesting recipes and give it a try.

As experts in office coffee delivery service, we are fully confident that you will find some great ways to cook and bake with your favorite beverage. Galaxie Coffee can even provide you with some exotic blends you can’t get anywhere else. Ask about them when you call to arrange coffee service for your office.

Coffee and Carbs: A Simple Answer to a Simple Question

Google the phrase “coffee and carbs” and you will find a ton of articles discussing whether you should limit coffee consumption while restricting your intake of carbohydrates. Perhaps this is due to some of the carb restrictions imposed by diets like the popular keto diet. Well know that you have nothing to worry about from coffee itself.

The idea behind restricting carbs is to encourage your body to turn to fat as a source of energy. As the thinking goes, the more the body relies on fat, the easier it is to lose weight. Limit carbohydrates and the body has no choice but to turn to fat as an energy source.

The point of this post is not to discuss the pros and cons of a low-carb diet. That is best left to nutrition experts. Rather, we simply want to address the question of whether coffee should be excluded from a low-carb diet. In a word, no it should not.

No Carbs in Black Coffee

Black coffee has virtually no carbs. Neither does straight espresso or Americano. Carbohydrates do not come into play until you start adding extras like cream and sugar. Indeed, those additives can be quite carb-heavy, which is why some diet experts tell people to avoid coffee. They assume that their clients are unwilling to drink their coffee black.

If black coffee works for you, drink it to your heart’s content and do not worry about carbs. Keep reading for a few suggestions for getting around the bitterness of a typical drip-brew coffee.

Try Cold Brew Coffee

One of the best ways to avoid the bitterness of black coffee is to go with cold brew. The cold brew process results in a less bitter coffee that some people even describe as slightly sweet. Such sweetness really depends on the brand of coffee you choose, but less bitterness will be consistent across the board.

Drinking cold brew with a couple of ice cubes further reduces the bitter taste. As an added benefit, it is quite refreshing. Drinking an ice-cold cup of cold brew can be just what you are looking for after a heavy workout.

Switch to a Lighter Roast

Another thing you can do to reduce the bitterness of black coffee is switch to a lighter roast. A lighter roast will give you a lighter color and a less obtrusive taste, so you should be able to get away without added sugar or cream. If you still want to add something, look for a non-dairy creamer with a low-carb count or choose a non-dairy milk – like, almond or soymilk. Non-dairy milks tend to be lower in carb content.

Black coffee has almost no carbs. If you are on a low-carb diet, that is good to know. In the meantime, Galaxie Coffee would be more than happy to serve your office anywhere in the greater New York Metro. Contact us to learn more about our coffees, teas, juices, and beverage equipment.