Loving This

I'm kinda loving this Irving Farm Coffee packaging.  Just saying.

Le Parker Meridian Knave

My parents stayed at Le Parker Meridian during their visit a while ago.  After taking them to the Burger Joint on a previous visit, (I think my dad's heart was set on the possibility of having a burger everyday that he was here - and he did), we ended up stopping by the Knave, also connected to Le Parker Meridian.  I'll talk about the Burger Joint at another time, but on this dreary, rainy day, I want to chat about the Knave.

The Best Thing In My Mouth - Birch Iced Coffee

Birch Coffee on 27th Street, between 5th and Madison Avenue is selling these growlers of iced coffee, which they call BRRRCH (so cute).  I have been searching for a growler of iced coffee since last year.  At my BFF's wedding it was a staple while we were hanging out at the cabin, so I was quite excited when I realized I could purchase a growler in NYC, and it was so close to my office.  It is $20 for your first growler, and $15 for refills.  A perfect summer-time caffeine buzz, and definitely the best thing I have had in my mouth this week.

Click here to learn about the Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden - so much fun.

Valentine Coffee Cup Wrappers

Aren't these cute and perfect for Monday's cup of Joe?  Click here for the downloadable pdf of the Je T'aime coffee cup wrappers from Eat Drink Chic.  Have a lovely and loving V-Day weekend :)

Coffee Ice Cream

I made this coffee ice cream from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop about a month ago.  It went so quickly, that I forgot to snap a photo of the finished product.  Below is the recipe:

Ingredients for David Lebovitz's Coffee Ice Cream:

-1 1/2 cups whole milk
-3/4 cup sugar
-1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans
-Pinch of Salt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
-5 large egg yolks
-1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/4 teaspoon finely ground coffee

Warm the milk, sugar, whole coffee beans, salt and 1/2 cup pf the cream in a medium saucepan.  Once the mixture is warm, cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Rewarm the coffee-infused milk mixture.  Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  Slowly pour the warm coffee mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.  Pour the custard through the strainer and stir into the cream.  Press on the coffee beans in the strainer to extract as much of the coffee flavor as possible, then discard the beans.

Mix in the vanilla and the finely ground coffee and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

For another coffee treat, try this Chocolate Espresso Mousse Cake!

Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Coffee

For me, Starbucks is more of a public bathroom hot spot than a place to get coffee. On Sunday though, while out with friends I found myself forced to get a cup of coffee. Along with the coffee came Starbucks' latest gimmick-the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew. According to their website it is "pretty revolutionary" and "a life-altering concept." I had to laugh a little and then wonder who came up with this nonsense. Starbucks prides themselves on their flavorful instant coffee and the convenience of just adding water. Ummm...has anyone heard of a drip c one ? I know that you have to have coffee grounds, cone, filter, and hot water, instead of just the instant coffee package and hot water, but I have never found that to be difficult. In fact, I think the most challenging thing would be to find hot water. I think the only person who would find this useful would be someone who only has a microwave, otherwise making real coffee seems just as easy.

So after I turned my nose up at even the idea of drinking instant coffee, I decided to give it a try and see if the Starbucks VIA lived up to its high reputation.
The package is small, so it would be convenient to carry with you in your purse or attache case. Basically you heat up water, rip open the package to dump in the minuscule grounds (which reminds me of the iron powder in the Wooly Willy Magnetic Drawing Face), and then stir. It instantly dissolves.
Overall, the taste was alright - maybe it's great compared to other instant coffees, but I have never tried them. It was definitely not any better than a cup of coffee from a pot at work, and it especially didn't compare to my one cup drip cone. The most confusing and unsatisfying part about my cup of Starbucks VIA is that it didn't have any aroma, which is an important quality to a great cup of coffee.

Starbucks VIA cost $9.95 for a 12 pack (that is 83 cents a cup) or $34.95 for a 48 pack (which is 73 cents a cup). You could pay a little more for a real cup of coffee, or better yet - buy your own beans and make some yourself.