The Art of Painting with Coffee

Coffee painting is not a new art form by any means, but has recently been increasing in popularity. Not only is it appealing to the eye and smells great, it is a great medium for any artist who is looking to try new things.

The art of painting with coffee is known as arfé, which is a combination of the words "art" and "café". Coffee artist from all around are being featured in galleries and on TV, making appearances on shows like Martha stewart, and even sponsored by big names like Nescafe.

Paintings by these artists go for hundreds of dollars and are the focus of a lot of international attention. Though there are many people who encounter coffee painting and think that it is nice but dismiss it as a passing fad, painting with coffee is more than just a novelty, to many people it is a genuine art form.

So if you are intrigued by this branch of coffee culture and are aching to give it a try, it is simple and easy to do at home. Coffee paint is created simply by adding coffee (usually instant) to water and varying the strength to get different tones. Some even boil the coffee to get the darkest colors possible. From that point all you need is a bit of talent and some watercolor paper to create your own aromatic works of art.

Coffee From Around the World - Tanzania Peaberry

Tanzania Peaberry coffee renders a flavor that is concentrated and offers a more lively cup, full body and distiguished aroma.

Harvested on the slopes of Mount Kilamanjaro near the Kenyan border, this gourmet African coffee displays many of the characteristics of Kenyan coffee, though much lighter in acidity.

Click here for more information about Tanzania Peaberry Coffee.

Coffee From Around the World

Looking for coffee from around the world?

Explorer’s Bounty, marketer and manufacturer of premium certified organic food products offers coffees Africa, South America or Asia. Explorer’s Bounty single-origin varietals include:

• Expedition El Dorado from Colombia


• Expedition Blue Nile from Ethiopia


• Expedition Inca from Peru


• Expedition Silk Road and Expedition Adventure from Sumatra


• Expedition Grano de Oro from Costa Rica
  

Ground and whole bean varieties are available and are USDA certified organic.

Explorer’s Bounty also employs fair trade practices by partnering with non-profit organizations throughout the world in an effort to promote a higher quality of life and sustain the earth’s resources.

Visit Explorer’s Bounty to go shopping or to learn more about coffee from around the world.

Another Great Reason to Visit Hawaii

37th Annual Kona Coffeee Cultural Festival

Coffee has been cultivated in the rich Kona volcanic soil of Hawaii’s Big Island since the first half of the 19th century. So it’s only fitting that the state’s oldest food festival is the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. The 37 Annual Festival will be held November 2-11, at various sites on the island.

The mission of the Festival is to promote Kona coffee and the multi-cultural heritage of the Kona coffee pioneers. Festival visitors can enjoy nearly 50 Festival events, such as contests, coffee tastings, seminars, ethnic foods, two parades, the Miss Kona Scholarship Pageant, Living History Farm Tours, art exhibits and an outdoor concert.

This year’s festival has added a barista training workshop in which participants will learn how to taste and prepare espresso and other specialty drinks using Kona coffee. Instructors will work individually with participants from entry level to experienced professionals.

Also new this year is a free Japanese edition of the Kona Coffee Driving Tour Brochure. The brochures, both English and Japanese, provide a map of Kona Coffee Country and locates nearly 60 Kona coffee farms that offer tours, tastings and retail outlets. The brochure also provides background information on Kona coffee heritage.

For more information visit http://www.konacoffeefest.com/.

Add a Little Spice to Your Coffee

There are lots of ways to improve on basic cup of coffee. A few cloves, a pinch of cinnamon or even some whole fennel seeds can really create a whole new cup of coffee. Adding whole spices before you brew is a good way to do this.

Here are a few recipes for spiced coffee. These are all for coffee served hot... mmmmm!

Fragrant Spiced Coffee

3 cups brewed coffee
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Blend together brown sugar, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon (use ground spices, not whole). Mix coffee and cream together with the spice mixture. Serve hot. Serves 4.

Mediterranean Coffee

3 tbs ground coffee (coarse)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp anise seed (whole)
Pinch of dried orange peel pieces

Combine all the ingredients, and brew by your favorite method. Using a french press or a plunger pot is the traditional brewing style for this particular coffee recipe. Makes 1-2 cups of coffee.

Sweet Fennel Coffee

3 tbs ground coffee
2 cinnamon sticks, broken
6 whole fennel seeds, crushed
1 tbs brown sugar

Mix coffee and spices, and brew by your preferred method. Add the sugar to your finished cup for that sweet touch. Also makes 1-2 cups.

Enjoy!!!

Cheers!

Want to try something delicious?

Try a Javatini... especially tantalizing for the true coffee-lover!

Combine the following ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake...

1 1/2 ounces vodka
1 ounce Kahlua
1 ounce espresso, cooled

Strain into a martini glass rimmed with cocoa or sugar. Garnish with chocolate shavings if you like and...

Enjoy!

Grow Your Own Coffee Beans

For the True Coffee Lover...

You can enjoy your own coffee, as well as the glossy dark green leaves and fragrant white flowers of this easy-to-grow, unique plant.

In 3-4 years your plant will bear fruit which will ripen to red in the fall, with a sweet pulp surrounding each bean. Simply harvest the desired amount of beans, roast in an oven or roaster and cool completely. You’re now ready to grind and brew your own homegrown coffee!

It can be moved outdoors in the summer for pollination.

What an ideal gift for any coffee-lover who has a green thumb!

Coffee Beans from Animal Droppings???

Yes, you read the title correctly...

Kopi Luwak coffee beans have actually been eaten by a small animal before being collected and roasted.

Animalcoffee is the original source of authentic kopi luwak on the internet.

Based in Indonesia Animalcoffee has been supplying genuine wild collected kopi luwak from Sumatra, Java and Bali since 2002. The kopi luwak is sourced directly from coffee plantations as luwak scats (droppings) so there is no ambiguity regarding the authenticity of the coffee beans.

Animalcoffee is apparently the ONLY source of natural, unprocessed kopi luwak.

Surprise someone with a gift box of the rarest coffee there is. It's also the strangest in my opinion!

Java-Log: The World's Only Eco-Friendly Coffee Firelog

For you real coffee-lovers out there...

Check out Java-Log ~ the most innovative, funky new fireplace item that has quickly become the people’s choice firelog. It offers a wonderful solution to the much detested chemical smell often associated with other firelogs since Java-Log has No Chemical Smell.

Java-logs are man-made fireplace logs that are made up mostly of coffee grounds.

For for the environmentally conscious coffee-drinker, you will appreciate the fact that Java-Log contributes positively to several environmental concerns and burns beautifully, hassle free.

Java-logs burn a natural flame since coffee has 25% more energy than wood and 3x the flame per unit of energy. Java-Logs produce significantly fewer emissions than firewood.

What a "crazy-fun" gift idea for a fellow coffee-lover!

Coffee Dacquoise Hearts

Looking for a great Valentine's Day treat for a coffee lover? Well, look no further!

Ingredients:

2/3 cup hazelnuts
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 pinch cream of tartar
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon warm water
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened

Preparation:

Prepare Hazelnuts:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Toast nuts in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven until skins are split and nuts are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and rub to remove skins (not all skins will come off), then cool. Finely chop 1/3 cup nuts and reserve.

Make Meringue Hearts:

Finely grind remaining 1/3 cup whole nuts with cornstarch and 1 teaspoon sugar in a food processor (do not allow to become a paste). Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1/4 cup sugar.

Reduce oven to 250 degrees F.

Cover 2 baking sheets with foil. Using cutter or cardboard template as a guide, trace 6 hearts on each sheet with pointed end of a toothpick (for a total of 12). Brush foil lightly with oil.

Beat egg whites and a pinch of salt with an electric mixer until foamy, then add cream of tartar and continue to beat until whites hold soft peaks.

Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until whites just hold stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in ground-nut mixture gently but thoroughly and transfer meringue to pastry bag.

Staying within traced lines, pipe 4 solid hearts and 2 hearts with a heart-shaped space in center on each baking sheet (there may be meringue left over). Bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until dry and pale golden, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool 10 minutes, then carefully peel meringues off foil and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Make Buttercream:

Stir together espresso powder and 1 teaspoon warm water until dissolved.

Bring remaining 1/4 cup warm water and remaining 1/2 cup sugar to a boil in a very small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, washing down sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water, until candy thermometer registers 238 degrees F or a drop of syrup forms a soft ball when dropped into a cup of cold water.

When syrup reaches boil, start beating yolks in a bowl with electric mixer until thick and pale.

When syrup reaches soft-ball stage, slowly pour it in a thin stream down side of bowl into yolks, beating constantly. Continue to beat at high speed until cool to the touch. (It is important that mixture is properly cooled before proceeding.)

With mixer at high speed, add butter 1 piece at a time, beating well after each addition until incorporated, then beat in dissolved espresso. Continue to beat buttercream until fluffy.

Assemble Hearts:

Spread 1 tablespoon buttercream evenly over each solid heart. Top each of 4 solid hearts with another solid heart, buttercream sides up, then top each stack with an open heart. Spread about 1 tablespoon buttercream around sides of each heart, then coat sides with reserved chopped hazelnuts.

Chill hearts 30 minutes, then let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.

Serve with coulis & Enjoy!!!

Recipe Provided By: Epicurious.com

Valentine's Day Gift for Coffee/Tea Lovers

Looking for creative ideas for Valentine's Day?

This gift basket was so easy to put together and would be a great gift for just about anyone!

It includes four glass Cappuccino mugs, four napkins with napkin rings, a set of four drink charms from Acorn Accessories and a decorative rose heart.

Drink charms a "charming" way to tell guest’s glasses apart. The charm hangs from the handle of a mug (or stem of a wine glass). They add real "charm" to this gift basket!

If you want, you can also add to top off the gift with a pound of coffee beans or some unique tea.

Of course, the drink charms can also be used on wine glasses! As an alternative gift idea, simply replace the coffee mugs with wine glasses and add a bottle of wine.

For more drink charms, check out Acorn Accessories!