testing 1, 2, 3: cafe frappe

For the hectic summer mornings when you're strapping on your shoes, rummaging for your keys and forced to forfeit your coveted cup of coffee, don't even fret. It may take a little planning, but a homemade iced coffee frappe could be just the thing to revive your manic Monday.

Since the days have gotten warmer, I've fallen hard for the Espresso Frappe down the street (found at Columbia Heights Coffee in DC). However, in my current financial state, I cannot justify paying $3.63 for the creamy goodness. (Although I already have, too many times to count...) Many of you may also be addicted to the Starbucks trademarked, Frappuccino, which can be even more expensive. The photo above, featuring three authentic Greek Frappes, is brought to you by Robert Gourley via flickr. It's DIY time, folks.

I'm on a mission to make my own fabulous frappe- a recipe that I can make a batch of, freeze it and then transfer to the fridge before I want it the next day. After some conscientious web searching, I found a few different recipes to try, nay, to test.

This is a test, and I invite anyone to try these recipes (or others) and report back with your favorites and why. I will be judging the recipes based on these criteria: cost of ingredients, ease of assembly and the ultimate-taste. This post will include the recipes, and later this week I will share my verdict.

Cafe Frappe Uno
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup cream
1/2 tsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs coffee substitute or 1 tsp instant coffee
(optional additives: nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut extract, hazelnut syrup, etc)

Mix all in a blender, then add about 2 cups crushed ice (or 3 cups cubed). As the drink gets thick, like a milkshake, stop adding ice and enjoy.

Cafe Frappe Due
1/2 cup cold strong coffee
or 1 teaspoon instant coffee and 1/2 cup cold water
2 cups cold milk
1/4 - 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups ice
(Flavorings can be added.)

Put all in a blender and blend till a consistency you like.

Cafe Frappe Tre
3 tbs sugar
1 cup 2% milk
2 cups ice
2 small scoops vanilla ice cream
(Add chocolate for mocha flavor.)

Blend until ice is completely crushed.

restaurant rated: eatonville

After visiting the newest Andy Shallal eatery, Eatonville, I was dying to share my thoughts. As he has successfully done with the Langston Hughes-inspired coffeehouse, Busboys and Poets, Eatonville is a lively tribute to the author and folklorist, Zora Neale Hurston. Named after Hurston's beloved hometown in Florida, Eatonville is a true exhibition of the senses. From the murals and annual ZNH Arts & Humanities Festival posters on the walls to the homemade lemonade served in old mason jars, this restaurant well worth a visit. Pictured below is the Hush Puppy appetizer.

Restaurant Rated: Eatonville

actual location: 2121 14th St. NW Washington DC 20009
cyber location: www.eatonvillerestaurant.com
hours: lunch from 12:30p to 2:30p weekdays, dinner from 5p to midnight
price: $$
seating: bar, booth, table, patio
brunch: yes, Sunday 10a-3p
cash/credit: both

Restaurant Rating:
Food: B
Drink: A (lavender lemonade? Mmmm)
Service: B
Atmosphere: B (eclectically comfortable)

You can read a full review of Eatonville soon at allthingscottage, as well as several other of my recent articles. Our summer issue is up and just getting started, so keep checking back for new material.

weekly recipe: black bean brownies

Ok. Yes. I have noticed that my recipe posts tend to be desserts... From the beginning, this was not planned. What can I say? I love sweets. And my middle name is Baker. So there you are.

This week's recipe is an adaptation of Heidi's Black Bean Brownies at 101 Cookbooks. I know the idea may raise an eyebrow or two, but you really have to try them first. My friend and I made these as the feature presentation in a birthday package for our friend in New York. Despite the unique texture, these brownies are deliciously chocolately with a caffeinated kick.

LB & SB's Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:
-4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
-2 sticks unsalted butter
-1 can black beans
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-¼ cup ground coffee (espresso works best)
-¼ teaspoon sea salt
-4 large eggs
-1½ cups honey (agave nectar is preferred, but hard to find)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 11x18 or 9x13 inch baking pan lightly with canola oil spray.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute and salt. Mix well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the honey and beat well. Set aside.

Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.

Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares.

Makes 45 (2-inch) brownies.

Consumption tip: The brownies will be a bit gooey even after they cool. I recommend refridgerating them overnight before consuming, and they age well too.

my first time: coffee cupping

I've been surprised how many coffee drinkers I know have never heard of the ritual of coffee cupping. It just goes to show how little we caffeine addicts really know about our precious brews. My friend and I went to a free cupping hosted by Counter Culture Coffee's regional training center in DC. It was a neat experience: informative, challenging and satisfying.

After a short introduction about the nature of cupping, CCC's representative Alex, explained how the process worked. Each person received a cupping form on which we were to mark our reactions to the six different stages of the cupping. Here you can find each step and its purpose. CCC uses the following categories: fragrance, aroma, break, brightness, flavor and aftertaste. During the cupping, participants are asked not to talk about the coffee so as not to influence each other's taste buds.
Throughout the cupping, I discovered that my sense of smell and taste proved to be at a loss for words. (And I was certainly shown up by the baristas who do this sort of thing for a living and were able to extract flavors like cedar, steamed broccoli and fig from their palates.)

We tasted three different coffees from Burundi, Colombia and Sumatra. Overall, the Colombian La Golondrina roast was my favorite during the cupping process, but the Bwayi Lot #8 from Burundi coffee was better brewed in the cup. You can read the complete cupping notes from last week at the CCC DC blog here.

If you're into coffee (or have done any other kind of tastings before), I recommend cupping. Especially with Counter Culture Coffee because their coffee is delicious, their employees are knowledgeable and the cuppings are free.

travel tip: eco-aviary

The "Go Green" movement has impacted a lot of different areas in our everyday lives, especially transportation. And with summer heat creeping in through the window, you may be itching to take a trip. If you really want to be a environmentally conscious traveler, check your airline's CO2 emissions and compare them with others.

What's that you say? You didn't know that was possible? Well, it is.

And, of course, our trusty Internet has a plethora of information on the subject. Most helpful, although not perfectly up-to-date, the TRX carbon emissons calculator shows the pollution produced from a particular flight when you give the airline and the destination. To find out more about your carbon footprint from the plane, check out this three-part series in Tree Hugger.

Next time you fly, be sure to calculate your CO2 emissions to choose the most eco-friendly flight.