I only have several hours before our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, and most of my dishes are ready for cooking. This year, it’s slightly different for us as my immediate family is spending the night away from the rest of the extended family. As such, I would have to prepare all of the food. Since we’re not that big of a family, though, I wouldn’t have that much to prepare.
It’s a bit too late for me to put this idea to work for tonight, but maybe we can do this tomorrow or later in the week – a coffee-themed meal. We’re a family of coffee drinkers so I already know that this idea will be a hit, and as I sit here sipping my nth cup of brewed coffee, I am trying to think of how to incorporate coffee into a whole meal.
Is there any sound basis for this idea, though? I mean, I might be biased towards the use of coffee for entrees, main courses, and desserts simply because I can’t get enough of it. I did look it up, though, and many chefs are already using coffee as marinades or rubs for meat. One reason for this is that the enzymes found in coffee grounds work as a meat tenderizer. Of course, the coffee flavor is a BIG plus. As for desserts, it is easy to think of coffee-flavored goodies: brownies, cakes, jellies, and the like.
In the next few posts, I will try to share recipes – I shall start my search now.
Originally posted on December 24, 2009 @ 9:36 am