National Wine and Cheese Day has arrived! To get in the spirit, we decided to put our own spin on the classic pairing. Tea and cheese is the wave of the future, and we’re here to expand your palate! We did our own tea and cheese tasting, and not only did it fulfill our afternoon snack craving, but it also proved to be an entertaining way to unwind with friends.

Tea and wine have a lot of similarities, and both pair seamlessly with cheese. Who doesn’t need a little extra cheese in their lives? Teas, like wine, have a personality all their own. While many people compare coffee to tea, the attributes of tea actually correspond much more with wine. Their distinct qualities are largely based on the growing conditions and processing. From earthy and smoky to fruity and tart, the flavor profiles of loose leaf tea (and wine) vary considerably, which makes it fun to experiment with pairings.

If you know anything about wine and cheese pairing, or if you’re a newbie like us, the rules are consistent and relatively simple. Sweeter teas pair well with salty cheeses while milder, lighter teas and cheeses complement each other best. The ideal match lets both the tea and cheese flavors shine independently while revealing a “third flavor” that is unique to the pairing. After some reading and a whole lot of hands on (mouths on?) research, here are favorite matches. We hope this inspires your own tea and cheese tasting! Let us know what you think.

Feeling a little perplexed about what to get Dad this year? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a list we put together of some of our favorite items that we think will make a memorable gift.

June Roaster’s Blend:

Whether seeking a liquid companion for his warm weather adventures or simply something to savor as he relaxes in the sunshine, our June Roaster’s Blend is the perfect summer brew for Dads. The smooth blend of Guatemalan and City Roast Papua New Guinea has delicate notes of caramel and a warm, lingering finish. This sweet, mellow blend is versatile enough to enjoy hot or iced, and far too tasty to miss out on. Help Dad kick start his summer in style.

Chemex Pour-over & Filters:

Coffee purists already know how great the Chemex is, but this easy to use and artistic coffeemaker is perfect for Dad. The Chemex looks both futuristic and old fashioned at the same time. Simple and elegant yet groovy and – dare we say it – funky. Surely, this is a case of form over function, right? Wrong… coffee aficionados have backed the Chemex since 1941 for its pure coffee flavor with no bitterness. It has been called one of the 100 best designed products of modern times. It’s even on display at the MoMA! Check out our helpful guide on how to use a Chemex coffee pour-over here.

Bodum French Press:

If Dad prefers a silkier, heavier cup, this classic French Press brewer is a great Chemex alternative. Enjoy a cup of full-bodied coffee from a classy Bodum 8-cup French Press and taste the difference. Designed in the fifties and still produced with the same meticulous craftsmanship, these little masterworks show how profoundly preparation method can enhance your coffee’s flavor profile and complexity. These presses exhibit the practical, sleek design of the definitive Chambord French Press and come in a 12 cup and 8 cup size. If you’re not familiar with French Press coffee, this is the key to getting the most out of your coffee at home. You can learn how to use a Bodum French Press right here.

Bodum Bistro Burr Coffee Grinder:

Speaking of Dad getting the most out of his coffee, coffee beans must be ground right before coming in contact with hot water in order to develop their full flavor profile. This is where the electric coffee grinder BISTRO becomes part of the coffee making ritual. BISTRO is continuously adjustable – twisting the upper bean container determines how finely ground the beans will be. But there’s more to it than that. Most coffee grinders use plastic containers to receive the ground coffee but plastic and ground coffee don’t go together well – static makes the coffee spill all over the place. As glass is inherently static-free, the new BISTRO comes with a borosilicate glass container to catch the ground coffee. BISTRO makes for an excellent no-spill coffee grinder. Not only is this a timeless method for brewing coffee, but it will give Dad a coffee experience he is sure to love.

Stainless Steel 30oz Tumbler & Coffee Bean Direct Mug:

Keep iced coffee cold and hot coffee steaming with this 30-oz stainless steel travel mug! The double walled stainless steel design affords excellent thermal performance, helping Dad keep his drink icy cold or piping hot for hours. Featuring a slide-lock press on lid to prevent party fouls and the logo of your favorite coffee roaster printed on the side. Our 14-oz mug is just as cool and will certainly help coffee stay hot. Either of these options will make sure Dad is sipping in style!

We hope this guide was helpful, and wish all the Dad’s out there a happy Father’s day! Was this guide helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake. What more could we possibly say? This incredibly tasty recipe was prepared by our resident programmer’s extremely thoughtful mother, Ellen. It’s a simple, low-effort desert featuring a rich chocolate fudge sauce that forms during the baking process. WARNING: do not taste test as you will end up with chocolate sauce all over your face. If you’re like us, you might also end up without any cake left. Serve with some ice cream for a nice balance of cold dessert and warm cake! Now, let’s get down to business.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups of brewed coffee, cold (our Grandfather’s Blend works great, but you can use whatever you prefer.)
• 6 tablespoons of butter, extra for greasing the cake pan
• 1/3 cup of chocolate chips (chopped semi-sweet chocolate also works)
• 2/3 cup of cocoa powder, divided
• 1 cup of white sugar, divided
• ¾ cup of flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk (preferable whole milk)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup of brown sugar

Directions:

• Heat your oven to 325 degrees, and take an 8 inch square or round cake pan that is at least 1 ½ to 2 inches deep and grease it with butter. Combine the 6 tablespoons of butter, chocolate chips, 1/3 cup of cocoa in a double boiler over simmering water. Melt them together. Watch it carefully and stir frequently until combined. Remove from heat (alternatively, this can be done in a microwave on half power. Again, watch carefully and stir frequently.)
• Whisk together 2/3 cup of white sugar, vanilla and milk. Add egg yolk and whisk it to combine. Add this mixture to the melted chocolate and whisk together. Add flour and baking powder. Stir to combine. Pour this mixture into the cake pan and spread evenly. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup of cocoa, remaining 1/3 cup of white sugar, and brown sugar, breaking up any clumps with your fingers. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the cake batter in your pan. Do not stir.
• Pour the coffee over the cocoa/sugar mixture. Do not stir. Bake until the cake is puffed and bubbling and just beginning to pull away from sides the sides of the cake pan, about 35-45 minutes.
• Cool for at least 15 minutes before spooning into bowls to serve.
• Magically, there will be a nice chocolate cake on top of a rich pudding sauce underneath! Make sure to store at room temperature.

This is not an elegant cake, frankly it looks like a mess. But it’s a mess of chocolate that you can eat, and you bet it is delicious. In our opinion it’s one of the easiest most impressive desserts you’ll ever make. Enjoy and let us know in the comments below how it turned out!

It’s almost Cinco de Mayo! If you’re unaware here’s a little background. The holiday itself is an annual celebration held on May 5. The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza. Traditionally, this holiday is not celebrated as widely in Mexico as it is in the United States. The common method of celebration is with Mexican food, chips, and margaritas. Though we do love those, too, we got a little creative and we came up with this awesomely tasty Mexican inspired Tequila Coffee. This is perfect for that 5 o’clock thirst you may have on a Friday afternoon. It also works great as an after dinner treat too.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces of hot brewed coffee
• 1 ounce of coffee liqueur (Kahlua)
• 1 1/2 ounces tequila (tequila- rose cocoa cream)
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 ounce whipped cream
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (garnish)
• 2 chocolate-covered coffee beans (garnish) (optional)

Directions:

• Add the coffee, liqueurs, and sugar to your mug, then top with whipped cream. Finally, sprinkle the cocoa powder on the cream and enjoy!

We hope you love this delicious treat as much as we did making it. How did yours turn out? Let us know in the comments below!

Good old Earth Day is rapidly approaching, and in our opinion, it totally deserves more than just one day of celebration a year. If we had it our way, it’d be Earth Day every day. That aside, there are numerous ways we can change how we live our lives day to day while also minimizing our footprint on the planet. You may be thinking that food has a large impact, but guess what else does? Coffee.

It’s easy to do something small. It may not seem like much, but when you think about it, your coffee routine can have a significant impact on our planet. Where do you buy it? How do you brew it? What are you drinking out of? But okay, enough of that. Let’s get to the good stuff! Here are a few tips on how to green your coffee routine.

• Brew at home in ways that limit waste: Skip the line, and brew at home. Not only will you save money, but you’ll reduce your footprint too. If you want to take it a step further and use a manual brewing method like a French press, pour-over, or Chemex to cut back on electricity. You’ll have a delicious cup you can feel good about!Of course, not everyone has time to use a more traditional coffee brewing method. We get it. If you can’t make traditional methods work for you, you can reduce your impact with an Ekobrew reusable filter for your coffee machine. Instead of piling up landfills with wasteful coffee pods, you can be satisfied knowing you have reduced your impact while you sip!

• Re-use your coffee grounds: Inevitably, you will end up with coffee grounds when you brew at home, and they can most certainly be re-purposed in a variety of ways. They will work great for composting because they are rich in nitrogen. You can use them to exfoliate your skin, clean dishes, deodorize your refrigerator, and even fix furniture in your home. Behold the power of coffee!

• Get a mug: This one goes without saying: get a re-usable mug! Not only will you help reduce the 50 billion discarded cups every year, but you will get cool points. Mugs are super customizable, and the choices are endless.

We hope these tips help you feel a bit better about doing your part to help make our planet a cleaner place. Have any tips of your own to share? Leave us a comment below!