Last time I visited the farm of my family friends in Hawaii, we harvested cacao and I came home with bags and bags of cacao nibs. I decided to try making a fancy version of mocha chip ice cream using some of those cacao nibs, and sweetened condensed milk like Vietnamese iced coffee. My only…
Tag: Coffee
Iced Coffee
My dad told me he had been adding cinnamon to his coffee grounds when he makes coffee, and it opened my eyes to the wonders of flavoring coffee before you brew it rather than just adding the flavoring afterward. It better infuses the flavor, plus you don’t get the grittiness of the spices floating around…
Vietnamese Iced Coffee Pie
It’s that time of year again… March 14… in other words, my favorite holiday – Pi(e) Day!! My Pi(e) Day party has now become an annual event, which I’m delighted that people are excited to celebrate with me no matter what random day of the week 3.14 might fall on. Since I require everyone to…
Grand Central Market Restaurant Review
Gold Dig #36 Grand Central Market isn’t so much a restaurant as it is an experience. It is an indoor market in Downtown LA, filled with stalls of cooked food, fresh produce, breads, cheeses, and spices. I have somewhat mixed feelings about it being part of Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list. I understand his love for…
Coffee Braised Pork
When you slow-cook pork in a delicious braising liquid, two awesome things happen – the pork becomes so tender it literally falls apart, and the meat absorbs all the juiciness and flavor of the liquid. When that liquid is coffee… it’s magical. If you dry rub pork with coffee grounds then braise it, you’re basically…
Amaretto Coffee Cupcakes
I know that cupcakes have been all the rage lately, but I have to admit I haven’t been swept up by the craze. I just can’t get super excited about paying $6 for a single cupcake at some shop dedicated solely to the art of the cupcake. With $6 worth of ingredients, I could make…
Swedish Chocolate Balls
One of my best friends is Swedish. She taught me how to make these awesome chocolate balls, which are a common Swedish dessert. They have a great texture from the oats, and a flavor from the dark cocoa that makes them rich but not overly sweet. I added a bit of strong coffee, which gives…