If you are in Seattle on Monday, May 28th, and like good coffee, then you need to find your way downtown to Seattle Coffee Works (111 Pike Street). This tiny cafe, just on the edge of the Pike Place Market, has actually been open now for quite a while, but is finally getting around to having it’s Grand Opening party. Now, you are probably thinking, just what Seattle needs, another coffee shop. And, sure, there are plenty of places to get good coffee in Seattle. But oddly enough, not many of the really good cafes are right around Pike Place Market. And, Seattle Coffee Works happens to have a little something different that might just pull you away from time to time from your local.
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Yay! It’s Menu for Hope time again! Very likely one of my favorite blogging events from last year. Really. It’s foodie-shopping and doing something great for so many lives. How can you beat it?

In the past two years since Pim (of Chez Pim) created the event, food bloggers have raised funds for the American Red Cross (aid for Tsunami victims) and UNICEF. This year, the money raised will be donated to the United Nations World Food program, to help feel those who are in need. What could be more fitting.

This is the first year that my food blog has been up and running full time for the event, and I’m incredibly pleased to offer up this Coffee Lover’s Package (UW11).
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How does one go about summarizing over a week of pints and bites without writing an entire book and boring ones readers to death? I honestly couldn’t think of how to even begin. So, I just started by listing all the various food and drink related stops I made along the trip. When I found myself quickly getting to 15 establishments, I knew I was in trouble… if not for the length of the blog entry, certainly for the width of my waistline after consuming so much.

To keep things brief, yet helpful, I’m taking the short and sweet route… places that I out and out LOVED I’ve italicized.

If you are curious about more than food, Cam will be detailing all our tales on his blog… starting with our somewhat longer than expected realty-tv inspired trip home.

Hopefully, I’ll be back to some cooking posts later this week!

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Dark Chocolate, meet espresso. Espresso, meet dark chocolate. I knew you two would get along.

Here’s my second truffle for my week-long extension to Sugar High Friday’s Truffle Edition. The key to making great espresso infused truffles is the quality of the espresso you are using. The beans should be impeccably fresh and very finely ground. I’d also recommend staying away from super-dark, such as French or Italian, roasts. These can taste burnt and make the take away from the velvet of the truffle. Instead, go for a medium roast, just dark enough for some complexity without being charred.
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When you think chocolate, the tea isn’t the first thing that will likely pop into your mind. Recent trends in chocolatiering might be changing that with tea-infused chocolate truffles and bars but I’m betting when you think about sitting down for a cup of tea, your mind wanders to floral and fruity rather than bittersweet. But the flavor combination of dark chocolate and a bright, crisp black or green tea is perfect for those times when a cup of cocoa or a mocha just sound too rich or too sweet. In addition, both tea and chocolate are antioxidants and do your body some good.
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