Coffee's taste comes up big in the kitchen, and not just by the cup

As a beverage, coffee has long been one of life's subtle pleasures, and that's true in the kitchen as well. Coffee is the prime ingredient in dozens of delectable foods, including cookies, cakes, pastries, candies, ice cream and custards. Coffee also is the secret enhancer in certain savory foods, where its rich, smoky flavor gives life, strength and depth. Although we usually think of coffee as a liquid, in recipes we also can use its other forms. Let's begin with the coffee bean, which is the stone or seed of a cherrylike fruit. After it's been harvested, cleaned and dried, the bean is roasted, and the sugars within it caramelize to create nuggets of robust, earthy flavor. In a savory meat rub or a crunchy dessert topping, when coffee's nutty, rich flavor and texture are desirable, using freshly ground beans is the way to go. Think of it as a spice: the fresher the better. Sure, you can buy it ground in cans, but a lot of the aromatic oils will have been lost. In recipes where water is an ingredient, substituting freshly brewed strong coffee or espresso is an easy way to add a complementary or secondary flavor. After all, it's 98 percent to 99 percent water; the rest is pure coffee. Espresso will deliver a stronger flavor, but regular coffee will do as long as it's brewed double-strength. When liquids other than water -- such as juice or dairy -- come into play, you may throw off a recipe's chemistry if you substitute coffee. One possible alternative is to infuse hot milk or cream with freshly ground coffee beans and then strain them out, as if you were making tea. Have you ever noticed that recipes using coffee as a flavoring, especially baked goods, call for instant coffee or instant espresso? Even coffee connoisseurs who shun the powdered brew because it lacks the subtle aromatic elements use it as a flavoring in their cakes and cookies. That's because the instant granules carry a concentrated punch that is difficult to obtain from a liquid beverage without adversely affecting the recipe. In kitchen cupboard, keep two small jars of instant coffee: decaffeinated instant coffee and instant espresso. Both types have their uses in recipes. When deciding which instant to use, think about the overall flavor and look at the other ingredients you'll be using. For a more prominent, vibrant flavor, go for the instant espresso. That's also true for recipes that have other strong, significant ingredients, such as semisweet or bittersweet chocolate. The instant coffee for when you want to round out a recipe with a mellow hint of coffee. (add a teaspoon or two of instant coffee powder to a vanilla-flavored diet shake when counting calories. It masks the canned flavor and gives a delicious hint of coffee, almost like a latte shake.) The reason for the instant decaf in my cupboard? While the flavor difference between instant regular and instant decaffeinated coffee isn't noticeable, when baking and cooking with coffee, it's a good idea to consider who's going to eat it and when it's going to be served. You may want to use decaffeinated if your recipe is served in the evening or if you're making it for children.