I always dump some....perhaps not as much as a cup...more like 1/2 to 3/4 cup...into my spaghetti sauce and often into veggie soup and stew.
But I always make sure it's fresh coffee....not old bitter stuff that has been sitting in the pot for a few hours.
You come re-do my deck, I'll make you dinner....and serve you wine and make pie and bread etc etc...
Deal?
Linda C

This one has been on my list forever. I'd be the only one to eat it, though. I think bananas and coffee are a natural pair.

Upside-Down Banana-Coffee Tart - Regan Burns

INGREDIENTS
Basic Pie Dough
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
1 4-inch cinnamon stick
3 3-inch strips lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 firm-ripe bananas
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Coffee, cinnamon, or vanilla ice cream for serving

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make dough and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Heat the oven to 425�F and arrange the rack in the center. [There are no instructions as to how to make the dough, LOL!]

2. Melt butter over medium-high heat in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or other large, heavy oven-safe
pan. Add brown sugar, coffee, cinnamon stick, and lemon zest, stirring continuously until mixture
boils. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring frequently, until sugar is completely melted
and mixture is thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and lemon zest and discard.
Stir in vanilla extract and remove the skillet from heat.

3. Peel bananas and cut on the bias into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Add banana slices and lemon
juice to syrup mixture and stir gently to coat thoroughly. If desired, arrange banana slices in a
decorative pattern.

4. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll dough into a round that is just larger than
the skillet. Lay it over the banana filling, tucking overhanging dough around the sides. Prick
dough with a fork in several places.

5. Bake until crust is puffed and golden and filling is bubbling around the edges, about 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let sit on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes. Run a spatula around the
perimeter of the tart and place a rimmed platter that is slightly larger than the cast iron skillet
upside down over the pan. Flip the skillet and plate over to invert the tart. Slice the warm tart
into wedges and serve with ice cream.

SOURCE: http://www.chow.com/recipes/10821-upside-down-banana-coffee-tart

Here is a link that might be useful: Upside down banana coffee tart.

Jessy, that is an interesting recipe. I'll have a bite. I have limited my creative coffee inclinations to adding it to things I make with chocolate. But I can see adding it to a pot of chili or stew. It makes sense. And there is "red eye gravy."

A few years ago an acquaintance wanted me to taste her blended iced coffee drink made with bananas and peanut butter. I couldn't do it. The thought gave me a gag reflex response.

I put coffee in my chili and then there is red eye gravy.

Kona Coffee Glazed Ribs

6 whole racks of baby pork ribs

1/2 cup of minced garlic
1/2 cup of grated fresh ginger

Precook Ribs:
Cut racks in half. Mix garlic & ginger together. Place ribs on rack over baking sheet. Spread garlic mix over ribs evenly. Fill the bottom of the pan with 1/2" of water. Wrap pan tightly in foil.

Preheat oven to 400. Bake ribs 1 hr. Remove from oven, allow to rest 30 minutes covered. Uncover, cool and refrigerate.

For sauce:
6 cups of very strong brewed Kona coffee
Or you can substitute 3 cups of very strong Kona coffee & 3 cups of pineapple juice
(Brew coffee using 4 times the normal amount of coffee)
1 lb. dark brown sugar
1 heaping tbs. minced garlic
1 heaping tbs. grated fresh ginger.
Combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by 1/2.

Glaze Ribs:
Preheat gas grill on low. Place ribs bone side down on grill, baste with sauce. Cook on low, basting constantly (about every 5 minutes) close cover between bastings until a glaze forms on ribs. Be sure underside of ribs does not burn. If grill is too hot on low, move ribs to upper warming rack and follow cooking directions. Turn ribs over and repeat process. Turn ribs meat side up and glaze again with sauce. Remove from heat and serve.

Ribs may be served hot or at room temperature.

I can tell you that this weekend I made a very rich chocolate bundt cake. One of the ingredients was 1 3/4 cups water. I instead used 1 cup cooled coffee and the balance water. I think it added some extra flavor to it and I often sub either a little bit of booze and/or strong coffee or tea in instances like this one.

Hope this helps.

Kate

So if you put fresh coffee in a slow-cooking dish, does it become bitter if the dish is then simmered for hours? Do you have to add it near the end of cooking?

lindac: ''You come re-do my deck, I'll make you dinner....and serve you wine and make pie and bread etc etc...
Deal?''

Err . . . this friend's deck wraps around 3 sides of his house, each side is appx 50 feet x 15 feet, we just tackled one side this time. I think he plans to do one side per year. So I believe I am booked through 2012. At which time I will likely be heartily sick of volunteer carpentry . . .

OK, I'll do my own deck, LOL.

My Maple Oatmeal bread recipe also has coffee as the main liquid ingredient:

MAPLE OATMEAL BREAD

3 to 3 1/2 cups flour
1 pkg dry yeast
3/4 cup prepared coffee
1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 (scant) cup maple syrup
2 tbls butter
1 tsp salt
1 egg

Combine a cup of flour and the yeast. Heat coffee, oats, syrup, butter and salt until just warm and butter is almost melted. Add to flour mixture along with egg. Beat with electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface, knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes kneading). Shape dough into a ball, place in lightly greased bowl, and turn over once to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size, about an hour.

Punch down dough, cover and let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile lightly grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Shape dough into a loaf and place into prepared pan, cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (30 to 45 minutes). Bake at 350 F about 30 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pan immediately and cool on wire rack.

Makes 1 loaf (14 slices)

I've never added it to chili or stew, mostly to baked goods.

Annie

When I was in Costa Rica, where coffee growing is a very serious business, I was served a bean/chicken dish for lunch. It was interesting, not bad, not spectacular. I could taste one of the ingrediant was coffee. The chef couldn't speak English well and I am not fluent in Spanish. I was unable to get ther recipe.

I have tried a few dishes using coffee, or instant coffee, with disappointing results. I might try coffee liqueur sometime. I have a feeling it will work well as part of a BBQ sauce.

I think coffee is very good in desserts.

dcarch

First thing I thought of was red eyed gravy and chocolate recipes too. I know I've seen it used in part of a dry rub for ribs on some show too. I've never though about using it in chili, stew, or bread though. I'll have to give it shot. moosmac, those ribs sound interesting. Just might try that recipe the next time I make ribs.

David

Fresh coffee cooked in a soup or stew doesn't become old nasty bitter coffee. that happens by holding it at drinking temperature in a pot which is impregnated with cooking oils.