Café Crescendo

It's finally fall and we're loving everything pumpkin! Be sure to add this delicious recipe to your cookbook folder: Pumpkin Cake with Maple Frosting

Super moist pumpkin cake layered with maple-flavored, cream cheese frosting. Get the recipe over at MonPetitFour.com/pumpkin-cake 🧡via Mon Petit Four

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October's embrace, where the crisp air meets a warm cup of coffee, and the world turns into a canvas of autumn hues. 🍂☕🍁

☕🎶 Brewing Up Some Coffee Magic at Cafe Crescendo! 🎶☕

Hey there, coffee aficionados! It's time to embark on a tantalizing journey through the wonderful world of coffee at Cafe Crescendo!

☕Espresso Elegance
First stop: Espresso! It's like a swift symphony for your taste buds. A concentrated burst of flavor that'll wake you up like a musical crescendo. 🎶

☕Cappuccino Charisma
Next up: Cappuccino! Creamy, dreamy, and oh-so-lovely. The perfect blend of espresso, steamed milk, and a frothy kiss of foam. Sip it and let your worries fade away.

☕Mocha Madness
Craving a sweet serenade? Our Mocha is here to indulge your senses. Chocolate and coffee, a match made in heaven, topped with whipped cream – pure decadence!

☕Latte Love
Ah, the Latte! It's like a warm hug in a cup. Smooth espresso, silky steamed milk, and a dash of artistry in the foam. Savor the love.

☕Cold Brew Coolness
Beat the heat with our Cold Brew! It's like a refreshing jazz riff on a hot day. Smooth, bold, and ready to cool you down.

☕Caramel Macchiato
For a sweet twist, try our Caramel Macchiato. Espresso meets caramel and milk, creating a harmonious blend of flavors. It's like a caramel dance party in your mouth!

☕Iced Americano Adventure
Need a caffeine kick? The Iced Americano is your go-to explorer. Espresso meets ice and water, creating a bold, chilled masterpiece.

☕Hazelnut Symphony
Get nutty with our Hazelnut Coffee! It's like a Nutcracker ballet for your taste buds. A delightful fusion of coffee and hazelnut, with a sprinkle of joy.

Whatever your coffee mood, we've got a brew that'll strike a chord with your taste buds. Join us at Cafe Crescendo, where every cup is a melody, and every sip is a symphony. 🎼☕

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As French author, Albert Camus said, “L'automne est un deuxième ressort où chaque feuille est une fleur,” which translates to mean “Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.” -Mon Petit Four🍂🍁
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🍁 OCTOBER, you know what that means 🤩 APPLE CIDER DONUT milkshake, sundae, or ice cream sandwiches! via Lewis Farms and tons of deliciousness! 🍎😋

"If New York is known as the city that never sleeps, D.C. might be the city that never stops reading.

Despite being a place where people get paid to read endless memos, reports, policies, and bills, D.C.’s parks, cafes, Metro cars, and bars, always seem to include someone with a book in their hands.

The Library of Congress and its annual National Book Festival, the DC Public Library’s 26 branches, numerous independent bookstores, and venues that regularly host star-studded author events and book talks ensure reading is ingrained in our city’s culture.

In these places, book lovers come together for communal experiences around reading, so it’s no wonder that the District is home to many eclectic book clubs."

City Paper contributor Serena Zets explores D.C.’s eclectic book club at the link below.
https://bit.ly/3NfPjZh

Photo courtesy of Little District Books

Happy Valentine's Day!

Our second session in the 2023 Roast Summit program will be "Current Green Coffee Grading vs Green Quality of Different Processes" presented by Luz Stella Artajo Medina.

This session will discuss current green coffee grading vs green quality of different processes. What are we lacking in the coffee industry in terms of green coffee quality and processes in the specialty coffee industry?

About the presenter:

Dr. Luz Stella Artajo Medina holds a Bachelor's degree in Food Engineering from Universidad de Caldas, Manizales - Colombia and a Ph.D in Food Technology from Universitat de Lleida, Lleida - Spain. She also holds a Master in Coffee Economic and Science from Università degli studi di Trieste in Trieste, Italy and a Master in International Business Management from Universidad de Barcelona. She started her professional activities in laboratories dedicated to olive oil analysis in the area of Research & Development and Quality Control.

Luz joined the coffee world in 2007 as the auditor of the Cup of Excellence in Colombia (COE), one of the most prestigious coffee competitions in the world. She has been working with the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) for years, as a Regional Coordinator in South America back in 2012, and currently as a consultant for different projects. Dr. Artajo is also a Q Instructor (Q Arabica Grader and Q Processing), and is part of the first cohort of the Q Processing Expert Level, as well as a Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Campus Inspector. She was recently recognized as 2022 Distinguished Instructor by CQI, being the only woman in earning this achievement.

She has been training international cuppers and working in processing projects mainly in Colombia for the last five years, and in different countries all around the globe. Her expertise is being appreciated in the field of processing specialty coffees as well, working closely with farmers in origin.

Learn more about this free online event and register here: roastmagazine.com/roastsummit2023

Melissa's Buttered Rum Cake recipe is a stellar choice for any special occasion. >> https://www.melissassouthernstylekitchen.com/buttered-rum-cake/

No matter what life throws your way, remember that it's always worth trying. Everything isn't possible for everyone but there are a lot of things you can do if you just try.

Pineapple Lemonade Punch! 🍍🍹
The Best Sweet Fresh Citrusy Flavor! 💖💚
Get the Recipe now: Everyone's Favorite! ⭐️
https://myincrediblerecipes.com/pineapple-lemonade/

Everyone should believe in something. I believe I will have another coffee. 😍😍😍😍

Weekly Coffee News: Greatest Hits Auction, USCC Qualifier #2 and More Welcome to DCN’s Weekly Coffee News. Keep up with all the latest stories by subscribing to DCN’s newsletter, featuring breaking coffee industry news and fresh coffee job listings. Los Fav…

"The Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake – the only from scratch Lemon Pound Cake recipe you will ever need! It tastes amazing!"
GET THE RECIPE--> https://buff.ly/356gY8R

It may be hard, but the time is now, and now, and now, and tomorrow, and the next day and the now that is to come.

Lemon 🍋 Velvet Cake + Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients

Cake 🍰
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1¾ cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup butter-flavored shortening
2 eggs
1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pure lemon extract
1 heaping teaspoon lemon zest (from 1-2 lemons)
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1/3 cup hot lemon water (hot water mixed with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice)
4-6 drops yellow food coloring

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting 🍋
2 (8 oz) cream cheese room temperature
8 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons pure lemon extract
1 ½ heaping teaspoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
4-5 cups powdered sugar sifted
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice (if needed)
4-5 drops yellow food coloring

Instructions

🍰Cake
Preheat oven to 325 F. Thoroughly grease and flour 2 (9-inch) dark cake pans. Set aside.
In a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl mix together sugar ,oil and shortening.
Mix in eggs one at a time.
Mix in vanilla extract, lemon extract and lemon zest.
Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk.
Mix together the distilled vinegar and lemon water and mix into the batter.
Mix in the food coloring until your desired shade of yellow is reached.
Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and shake pans to release any trapped air bubbles.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, checking it at the 25 minute mark and adjusting the time if needed. (see note)

When moist crumbs cling to a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake, remove cake from oven. Let cakes rest in the pans until pans are cool enough to touch. The cake will continue to cook as it cools.

Once cooled, carefully remove cakes from pan and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

🍋Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and butter.
Mix in vanilla extract, lemon extract, and lemon zest.
Mix in powder sugar until creamy, adding lemon juice to thin it out if needed.
Stir in food coloring if using.
Place frosting in the fridge to allow it to firm up a bit before frosting.
Stir the frosting until it's creamy and spreadable and frost the cakes.
Garnish with additional lemon zest if desired.
Notes

🛑DON'T OVERBAKE. The key is to take the cake out of the oven a few minutes before it's completely done (when moist crumbs cling to a toothpick inserted into the center) and allow it to finish baking as it cools down in the hot pan. This timing will vary depending on your oven, which is why it's best to check cakes before the listed done time.

EASTER JELLO SHOTS 😍
https://www.simplisticallyliving.com/easter-jello-shots/

“It's amazing how the world begins to change through the eyes of a cup of coffee.”

🌸Don't let these fool you, they look like a bouquet but they are actually CUPCAKES! 🍰 Via ---> Kerry's Bouqcakes

Happy National House Plant Day!

Certain house plants are known to improve your home and health! Here are just a few to look into to add to your home

1) Snake Plants
2) Spider Plants
3) Rubber Plants
4) Ferns
5) English Ivy

There are some of the best indoor plants for boosting oxygen levels and purifying the air.

RECIPE 🥥 via The Novice Chef

Looking for a buttery coconut cookie? Look no further than these Coconut Whipped Shortbread Cookies. Unlike traditional shortbread cookies, these whipped shortbread cookies are lighter, softer, and have a dreamy tropical twist of coconut! https://thenovicechefblog.com/coconut-whipped-shortbread-cookies

NEW RECIPE via The Novice Chef❤️‍🔥

Red Hot Cookies: these Valentine’s Day Cookies start with a soft chewy sugar cookie that is loaded with crushed Red Hot Candies to create a speckled appearance. https://thenovicechefblog.com/red-hot-cookies/

DID YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT COFFEE FILTERS?

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome... Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11.. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.
12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters..
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. It soaks out all the grease.
14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great "razor nick fixers."
15. As a sewing backing. Use a filter as an easy-to-tear backing for embroidering or appliqueing soft fabrics.
16. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors.
17. Use them to strain soup stock and to tie fresh herbs in to put in soups and stews.
18. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car.
19. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills.
20. Can use to hold dry ingredients when baking or when cutting a piece of fruit or veggies.. Saves on having extra bowls to wash.
21. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.
22. Use them to remove fingernail polish when out of cotton balls.

Check out more here --> https://thebrandconnection.com/2012/05/21/24-things-you-can-use-coffee-filters-for/

"The coffee-fueled dip in hip fracture incidence among the 26,000+ women studied was described by the authors as a surprise..."

Coffee May Reduce Hip Fractures in Women, Says New Study Drinking coffee may reduce hip fractures in middle-aged and older women, according to a large new observational study in the UK. The coffee-fueled dip in hip fracture incidence among the 26,000+ wo…