Fortunately, as we were searching through old emails, we found one from our friends at the Coffee And Tea Show, suggesting alternative uses for coffee filters.

1. Strain Wine. If an old bottle has sediment or the cork breaks, put a filter inside a funnel and decant the wine into a carafe or decanter. The coffee filter will trap the sediment or cork pieces.

2. Protect Good China. Coffee filters placed between plates and cups that are stacked for storage will protect them from chips and scratches.

3. Make An Ice Pop “Napkin.” Slide the wooden stick of an ice pop through a coffee filter to catch drips and keep kids from getting sticky.

4. Clean Windows & Glass. Use coffee filters as an emergency substitute for paper towels. They leave no lint or residue and can fit on your hand like a mitt.

5. Line Flowerpots. When planting or repotting, first put a coffee filter over the drainage hole in the flowerpot; then, add the soil. The filter will prevent the soil from spilling from the bottom of the pot, yet permits proper water drainage.

The History Of The Coffee Filter
Prior to the invention of the coffee filter, ground coffee was boiled in water, and the brew was strained through linen. Compared to today’s coffee, the brewing technique turned out coffee that was bitter, gritty and murky.

In the summer of 1908, Melitta Bentz, a German housewife, posited that if she could pour boiling water over the grounds, instead of boiling the grounds with the water, the bitterness might be reduced.

She punched holes into the bottom of a brass cup and lined it with blotting paper from her son’s school books—thus inventing the first coffee filter and the drip method. The ground coffee was placed into the paper-lined cup (today it’s a ceramic or plastic cone); water was poured over the coffee and it dripped into a pot below.

The Imperial Patent Office in Berlin issued a patent to Melitta, and in 1912, after some fine-tuning, a company was established to sell the paper filters, and later, filter bags. The company is still in the family: Melitta’s grandchildren market not just filters, but coffee beans and coffee makers.
  

Sauces are just the beginning of the coffee-
accented products from Java-Gourmet. Photo
by River Soma | THE NIBBLE.

A few years later, they released Java Rub, giving zing to pork, poultry, steak, beef and turkey burgers, chili, enchiladas, tacos and other foods. An artisanal, coffee-based specialty food company was born.

Since then, the company has created a large line of products—more than 30 products, a lineup that’s unique in the marketplace—based on coffee (coffee is a favorite ingredient of Bobby Flay and many other chefs). If you haven’t yet cooked with coffee, it both adds a depth of flavor and helps to caramelize the surface of the food.

 
Make Your Own Coffee Rub
If you want to try it with your own ground coffee, we prefer a dark roast (espresso, French or Italian roast) for more flavor and a lighter roast for a more subtle flavor. For a lighter roast rub, add dried basil, kosher salt, lemon zest and/or orange zest, pepper and sea salt or kosher salt. For a darker roast, add chili powder, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper and salt.

There’s a lot of good no-sugar-added ice cream out there, but it’s tough to find a no-sugar-added sorbet.

Even our sugar-free and lactose-free Top Pick Of The Week, Clemmy’s ice cream, offers only an Orange Creme flavor, a combination of vanilla ice cream and orange sorbet.

But if you’re on a sugar-free diet and miss sorbet, you can make it yourself with unsweetened fruit juice or pureed watermelon and other fruits. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make granita, a “crunchy sorbet” (see recipes below).

To make no-sugar-added sorbet or granita:

 
What’s The Difference Between “Sugar-Free” And “No-Sugar-Added?”
No-sugar-added products still contain some sugar that is is naturally contained in the ingredients used. Milk, for example, contains lactose, or milk sugar. Plant and animal tissues contain dextrose; fruit contains sucrose.

A product labeled sugar-free has absolutely no sugar. Whatever sugar occurs naturally in the ingredients has been removed. This is a much more expensive process, which is why most foods are no-sugar-added.
  

Corn fritters are a delicious side or first
course. Photo © Monkey Business | Fotolia.

December 2nd is National Fritters Day: Fry up whatever you’d like.

If you’d like to try pumpkin fritters, here’s a recipe.
 
 
CORN FRITTERS RECIPE

Ingredients For 4 Servings

Preparation

1. BEAT the egg yolk until thick. Add corn kernels, chives and tomato/red pepper.

2. SIFT together and stir into the corn mixture: flour, baking powder, salt and paprika.

3. BEAT the egg white until stiff and fold into corn mixture.

4. DROP the batter from a tablespoon into oil heated to 370°F. Cook until a delicate golden brown, turning once. Drain on a paper towel.

It was a revelation—so creamy and luscious. We kept going back for more. The following year, Mario Battali kindly published The Babbo Cookbook, providing us with the recipe (below).

If you don’t have time to make it, try pouring extra virgin olive oil over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Make sure it’s top quality and fresh (oil begins to oxidize when the bottle is opened, so if you don’t use it often, buy small bottles).

Create a sundae by adding shaved chocolate* (more elegant than chocolate chips) or other garnishes (berries, candied nuts, chopped brittle, toffee pieces or whatever catches your eye). We often add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt.

Why is this recipe called gelato instead of ice cream? How do they differ?

The simple answer is that gelato uses more milk than cream, and is more dense (less overrun, or air, is beaten in than with ice cream—but you can’t control the overrun with a home ice cream maker). Here’s the full scoop on the difference between gelato and ice cream.

Ingredients For 2 Pints

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Use the whip attachment to beat them for 5 minutes on medium speed, or until the mixture is thick and very pale and forms a ribbon when the whip is lifted.

2. CONTINUE beating and drizzle in the olive oil; beat for 2 more minutes.

3. ADD the milk and cream and continue to beat until all ingredients are combined.

4. FREEZE in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

5. PLACE in the freezer in a covered container until frozen, about 4 hours or overnight.

6. SERVE plain, with a garnish (see above), or à la mode with your favorite cake, pie or brownie.
 
 
Here’s an Olive Oil Ice Cream recipe with shaved Parmesan cheese.