Stop and Smell the (Instant) Coffee
Recipe developer Nik Sharma, our February/March featured chef, encourages all home cooks to dip their oven mitts into the art of instant coffee. He says, “Coffee and chocolate pair well. Adding a bit of instant coffee to chocolate-base cakes, cookies, and desserts intensifies the chocolate flavor.” Think tiramisu, chocolate truffles… Need we go on?
In general, instant powders are a clever way to add flavor to your cooking without adding more liquid. This is especially helpful when baking or even blending smoothies. Sharma favors Kava® Instant Coffee, which has served its loyal coffee customers since ‘62, and as a monthly CrateChef subscriber, you’ll receive this product and all its versatility in your box.
Kava® Instant Coffee is full in flavor and contains at least 50% less acid than other leading coffee brands. As a result, you can easily enjoy the richness of the product without all the bitterness. Sharma’s latest cookbook, The Flavor Equation, highlights the chef’s Chocolate Miso Bread Pudding which calls for just a teaspoon of the instant coffee (pg. 133). A little goes a long way and it lasts a long time. Other uses include dry rubs and meat marinades, milkshakes and smoothies, and homemade coffee ice cream.
Having shelf-stable pantry staples is a must for home cooks – especially for those mornings when you forget to reload on coffee. Do your future self a favor and buy this instant coffee to make food and drinks better, instantly.
