Welcome to the C.I.A. An Agency unmatched in its espresso pulling capabilities, functioning as one team of baristas, fully integrated into the coffee community.

Special Announcement

Posted by Brittney Murray Friday, April 29, 2011 7:15 PM

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I have since decided that all new posts will be posted on Thursdays. Sorry for the gap in posts everyone and I look forward to sharing more coffee/tea knowledge with you.

Video: The Perfect Cup of Tea

Posted by Brittney Murray Thursday, April 21, 2011 4:48 PM
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CIA Episode 2: The Perfect Tea from Brittney Murray on Vimeo.

Sorry this post is late everyone, I've had an incredibly insane week.

Things to Remember:

  • Japanese cast iron teapots are the best, but you don't have to use them
  • 1 teaspoon per 8 oz. of water (don't use a measuring teaspoon here)
  • Don't use the infuser that comes with the teapot and remember to prep it by swishing around hot water inside the pot (remember to dump it out before adding the tea)
  • Boil your water and dump it inside the teapot, allow it to brew according to the type of tea you're using (for black tea, between 2-3 minutes)
  • Place a small strainer over the cup to catch the tea leaves and pour yourself the perfect cup of tea

Recipe: Earl Grey Tea Cookies

Posted by Brittney Murray Thursday, April 14, 2011 8:31 AM
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It's been a while since I posted something pertaining to tea, and in my opinion, that's a shame. I'm from the South, so most Southerners are used to good tea, although it's usually iced and sweet. I'm not opposed to sweet tea, but I encourage my readers to branch out a little in the realm of tea. Truth be told, I didn't fall in love with hot tea until my trip to Ireland in 2005.


A few months back, I went to visit a good friend who is as equally addicted to coffee as I am, and that's when I was introduced to Earl Grey tea cookies. First of all, doesn't that cause the brow to furrow in confusion right there? Stick with me here because these cookies are fantastic and great to have not only with tea, but coffee as well. Remember, I enjoy things that can pull double duty. If you don't have Earl Grey tea? No problem, use this recipe with any other tea that you may have. I've discovered that chamomile is a wonderful substitution for this recipe.


Yield: 2 Dozen

  • 1 cup all purpose flour 
  • 1/4 cup sugar 
  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar 
  • 1 tablespoon Earl Grey tea leaves (use the ones in tea bags, not loose leaf) 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pulse together all the dry ingredients in a food processor until the tea leaves are pulverized.
Add vanilla, water, and butter. Pulse together until a dough is formed. Form the dough into a log onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Wrap the paper around and roll the log smooth. Freeze now, or chill for at least 30 minutes.
When chilled, slice the log into 1/3 inch thick pieces. Place on baking sheets and bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.

Video: How To Make French Press Coffee

Posted by Brittney Murray Tuesday, April 12, 2011 8:03 AM
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Things to Remember:

  • Make sure the coffee is a French Press grind or coarse grind
  • 1.5 grams of coffee (ground) per 1 ounce of hot water
  • Pour hot water slowly over the grounds and stir
  • Place plunger onto the press but DO NOT PUSH DOWN YET!
  • Set timer to 5 minutes
  • Once the time is up, then slowly press the plunger down and you're ready to rock n' roll
Huge props to Willie and Becky for helping me out with the video!

Alternative Uses for Coffee

Posted by Brittney Murray Thursday, April 7, 2011 8:12 AM
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When you get up in the morning and you’re sipping your daily brew, do you ever wonder about the alternative uses for coffee? Oh, is that just me? I love things that can pull double duty, whether it’s furniture, technology, or one of my favorite beverages. So what are some alternative uses for coffee, you ask? 

Facial/Body Scrubs

That’s right, your favorite cup of java can taste great and make your skin look fantastic as well! When coffee is applied to your skin, it helps redistribute fat cells and can decrease the formation of cellulite as well as prevent varicose veins. Below you’ll find a simple recipe to make your own scrub at home:

  • 2 cups of coffee grounds (any brand)
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar or Epsom salt (if you're using it as a facial scrub or you have sensitive skin, then use normal sugar so that it's gentler on the skin)
  • 2/3 tablespoon of massage oil
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and you're ready to enjoy your new scrub. If you would like to add some essential oils to the mixture, feel free. I usually add 10 drops of lavender oil because of how relaxing its scent is. You could also add brown sugar to the mixture, as much as you'd like to get the right texture and it'll give the scrub a pleasant sweet scent.

Cooking

I’ve used coffee in my kitchen for a variety of recipes, but the one I’ll be sharing with you today is for coffee crusted steaks. Sounds odd, believe me I thought the same thing until I tried them. They’re delicious and the best part is, it only takes 30 minutes to make. Do I have you onboard now? 

  • 1/4 cup coffee grounds
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 (8-10-ounce) bone-in ribeye steaks
Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, combine coffee grounds, brown sugar, molasses, adobo sauce, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, and salt.
  2. Rub 1/4 cup coffee mixture on each steak.
  3. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Cook steaks in batches, for 5 minutes per side, or until desired doneness. Allow steaks to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Compost

I’m not going to say that I try to be “green” in everything that I do, but I do try to spend as little money as possible so I make my own compost to help the plants in my garden. I found an inexpensive kitchen compost bin at a local store and began dumping coffee grounds, egg shells, orange rinds, etc into it. I wouldn’t recommend anything like fish unless you love having your house smell like the New York harbor. The great thing about the compost bin is that it does come with a filter so I don’t have to stink up my entire house. Don’t have a compost bin? No problem! Here’s a DIY compost bin that I found on The Happy Housewife. I will be upfront and tell you that I haven’t made this myself, but from what I’ve read, it should do the job. 


Keep in mind that these are just a few alternative uses for coffee. I bet you didn't realize just how versatile your morning cup of joe could be? Please try some of these alternative uses and shoot me an email or a tweet to let me know how it went. I love hearing from my readers!

Improving Your Daily Brew

Posted by Brittney Murray Monday, April 4, 2011 12:30 PM
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There are times when you reach for that pot of coffee and feel like something is missing. That once satisfying cup of joe just isn't hitting the spot anymore and you don't know why. How about improving your daily brew? A few of the things I'm going to suggest are things that I've tried myself. I don't feel right about recommending methods that I haven't tried myself.


Water


Really? Could it be something as simple as the water you're using? Yes. Water can effect the taste of your coffee, so if you live somewhere that the water is typically hard, I'd recommend using bottled or filtered water (NOT distilled) when you brew a pot. If you're skeptical of this, then try a little experiment. Make a pot one day using your normal tap water, and then the next make one using bottled or filtered. I can taste the difference, but keep in mind that if you're new to coffee the subtle nuisances will not be as predominate to you to start off.


Storage


How do you store your coffee beans? Whatever you do, don't freeze or refrigerate them! All you're doing is speeding up the process of degrading the beans. The best method of storage is to pour the beans into an airtight container and as long as you don't store them near the oven, room temperature will be fine. If you'd like the maximum about of flavor to your coffee, I recommend buying whole beans and for about $15-$20, you can find a decent coffee grinder so you can grind your own beans. Put the grinder on a medium setting when you're grinding beans for your coffeemaker. That's important!


Over-extraction


Hate it when you go over to a friend's house, they offer you coffee and after your first sip you swore that coffee proceeded to stand up and have a conversation with you? That's some strong coffee! Contrary to popular belief, the less coffee grounds you add to the filter, the more bitter the pot of coffee will be and that's not a good thing. That's less surface area for the water to move through as it brews your coffee so what you're effectively doing is over-extracting the oils from the grounds and leaving yourself with a pot of motor oil. The adequate measurement for brewing a great pot of coffee is 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 ounces of water. I realize that seems like a lot, but trust me, the flavor of the coffee is going to change your mind. If it's too strong for you? No problem, add some hot water to your cup and voila, instant fix, but be careful when doing this or you'll dilute the coffee too much.


Syrups/Spices


Sometimes when I need something more than a little cream or sugar, I'll add cinnamon to my cup of coffee. It's easier to add the spice directly to the coffee grounds in the coffeemaker prior to brewing, but you can add it directly to your cup. One thing to keep in mind when you do add cinnamon to your cup, pour in about one to two inches of coffee, heat it in the mircowave so it's even hotter and then stir to make sure the cinnamon dissolves completely. Another option is to use coffee syrups to add a little something extra to your daily brew. Only add in syrup after you've poured yourself a cup and the great thing is, there are hundreds of flavors to choose from, including sugar-free ones such as chocolate, vanilla, raspberry, etc.



Keep in mind that these are only a few methods of improving your daily brew. The water type, storage of the beans, and insuring you don't over-extract the beans are a must. Save the syrups and spices for when you really can't go with a simple pot of coffee.