Coffee Cuisine on Coffee & Me

Affogato: The Two-Ingredient Coffee Dessert

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:34:00 -0700

What Affogato Is

Affogato (ah-foh-GAH-toh) is Italian for “drowned”. It is a scoop of cold gelato or ice cream “drowned” in a shot of hot espresso, and it is the fastest good dessert you can make: two ingredients, two minutes, no cooking.

In Italy it usually means one scoop of vanilla (fior di latte or crema) gelato and one shot of espresso. The fun is in the contrast: hot and cold, bitter and sweet, a melting puddle of coffee cream at the bottom of the glass.

Classic Tiramisu: A Coffee Lover's Recipe

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:34:00 -0700

Why Coffee Makes or Breaks It

Tiramisu is coffee-soaked ladyfingers layered with a sweet mascarpone cream and dusted with cocoa. There are only six main ingredients, and the coffee is the one you taste most. Use good, strong coffee and the dessert tastes bold and balanced; use weak or stale coffee and it tastes like sweet cream on wet cake.

The name comes from the Treviso dialect phrase tireme su, “pick me up”.

Coffee-Rubbed Steak: Rub Recipe, Grind and Cooking Temps

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:34:00 -0700

Why Coffee on Steak

Coffee and beef share a lot of flavor: roasted, toasty, a little bitter. A coffee rub gives a steak a dark, savory crust with hints of cocoa and smoke, and it does not make the meat taste like a latte. It is one of the easiest ways to use up a bag of beans that is past its best for brewing.

Which Coffee and Which Grind

Roast: a medium-dark or dark roast is the best match. Their chocolate and roasted notes suit beef. A light roast works but adds a sharper, fruitier acidity. Avoid flavored coffees, which can taste artificial once heated.