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Hot cup of coffee anyone? Perhaps some yummy food with it? It would be interesting to hear what people can say about this magical beverage. As far as I am concerned it has always been a significant part of my social life and a nice custom at home or at work. I am not that kind of a person who would sip 5-10 cups every day. For me it is all about the quality time when I sit down, relax, have a chat with my husband and my family or friends. But having fun means that ultimately kids enjoy too so it is necessary that I present as many easy recipes for kids as possible.

There is also some mystique in the way we prepare our Turkish coffee, the smell and taste of it but admittedly sophisticated coffee machines are beyond me. I've been brewing it in a traditional way with a small pot called ibrik or dzezve for years. Originally we come from Slovenia where drinking hot coffee is very popular. People go to cafes, but mostly they brew it at home. In addition to ibrik/dzezve only finely powdered roast, sugar, water and a small spoon are needed to brew a perfect cup.

Are you mostly drinking it at work, in an office environment for instance? Not a problem as the method stays the same. In fact, the method has been in use for so many years that people find it really difficult to break it off. Most of our friends in England have never heard about this method. We have taught many of them how to make a hot ibrik brew and they are always astonished at the final result.

But coffee really becomes the queen of beverages when combined with some yummy food. So, when my family or friends gather in our house  I always bake something to make the experience truly magical. I actually enjoy experimenting with new recipes and observing people's reactions. Many of our guests are trying to pair various cakes, muffins, cookies and other delicious bites with different coffee drinks. This has more or less started naturally and is now a regular during every visit - quite remarkable actually. Even basic sugar cookie recipes can be given sufficient twist to make baking fun.

Because the comments are always so interesting and funny I have started compiling a list of best matches between coffee and food, and decided to share this with you. The result is this website which is all about yummy food and coffee combinations. All the recipes and combinations are either my personal choice or choice of my family and friends. Coffee is a matter of personal taste: my favorite may not be your favorite. In effect, each of us have a different taste and favorites.

I am doing this for fun and what I suggest here is only my opinion based on dozens and dozens of experiments with pretty much easy recipes for kids in my kitchen. Perhaps many of you would even agree with my choices! However, the real aim is to show that there is food which may go better with cappuccino or cafe latte than black Turkish coffee or espresso. In my opinion this is pretty much similar to wine and food combinations but coffee is rarely treated this way.

I need to emphasize that so far all combinations have been tested with medium roast Arabica blend. Most of the people that I know (including me and my husband) like Arabica coffee. There are several reasons for that:

- Arabica contains less caffeine than other coffees

- Arabica is mild with divine aroma and smooth, mellow and delightful taste

- Its gentle acidity means that its taste is sharp but neither sour nor sweet

But it all depends on the recipes. My aim is to develop many new recipes whether it is about basic sugar cookie recipes, really easy biscotti recipes, easy rice pudding recipe, Easter cookie recipe, easy christmas cookies or easy recipes for kids, I will try them all and then step by step share the whole process with you. Because of my daughter I am particularly keen on easy recipes for kids. That is why most of my recipes fall within the category of easy recipes for kids.

In terms of hot coffee we are definitely in favor of Barcaffe. There is a long story behind this coffee blend. Barcaffe has been made in Slovenia for decades and has reached a cult status. It is the most popular blend in pretty much all of the former Yugoslavia since 1970. The original recipe remains a big secret, so it is close to impossible to say anything meaningful about it. Well, I can say with confidence that there is rarely any home in Slovenia which wouldn't have at least 2-3 packs of Barcaffe at any given time. It is an absolute MUST HAVE be it at home or at work. So, we have always fresh supplies (our parents do a really great job :))

To wrap up, brewing hot coffee at home or at work and baking is really something that everybody can do. Proof? Well, I accompanied every recipe and brewing method with step-by-step pictures. I hope there is something for everyone on this website. Maybe recipes for yummy muffins, cookies or cakes, or perhaps some might be interested in brewing methods and food-coffee combinations. But I really hope that many will start tasting their own yummy coffee and food combinations. Whatever the case, enjoy this god-given beverage!

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