August 1, 2012

We are excited to announce that after 8 years, we are opening our first company store!

The store will feature the JAVA-GOURMET, Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters and Seneca Salt Company product lines.  We will also feature other artisanal specialty foods from many passionate people we have met while attending the Fancy Food Shows in New York City snd Washington, DC over the past five years.

We are also proud to announce that we will feature the work of local artist Nancy Fobert who did the original watercolor for our Seneca Salt Company.

The store will be located south of our roasting and production facility at 2792 Route 54A in Penn Yan, NY.  We anticipated an August 17th opening, but looks as though we will push that date ahead by 1-2 weeks.  There have been a few "bumps in the road", but we will post our Opening Day as soon as we can.  Initially we will be open Friday-Sunday with exact hours to be posted soon. 

If you are visiting Keuka Lake M-TH, we will try and accomodate your schedule.  Please give Susan a call to arrange a time to visit. She can be reached at 315.536.7843

We look forward to welcoming you to our company store.

April 5, 2009

JAVA-GOURMET: The First Coffee-Based Specialty Food Company?

Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters introduced its first JAVA RUB in 2005. After the release of a dozen more products and a growing customer base, JAVA-GOURMET was established in 2007 as the first coffee-based specialty food company. At their first Fancy Food Show in 2008, the JAVA RUB Sicilian Citrus was honored as a sofi Silver Finalist. Since that time, things have been brewing in the culinary world.

There has been a growing visibility for coffee’s role as a natural flavor enhancer. National magazines such as O, The Oprah Magazine and Sunset magazine have done extensive articles on cooking with coffee, and most recently, on the Food Network, Iron Chef America chefs competed in Battle Coffee. These events have creators and partners Susan Atkisson and Brian Friguliette convinced that their vision born five years ago is materializing. The more the two cook and experiment with coffee in the kitchen, the more they believe that coffee will be the next rising star in the culinary world—outside of the cup.

JAVA-GOURMET is the original, award-winning, artisanal, coffee-based specialty food company. With more than 30 products to date, Atkisson and Friguliette see endless possibilities. Their products are based in part on family recipes where coffee was a “special ingredient” in both families. From braising a pot roast to coffee-flavored gelatin, a favorite of Friguliette’s mother, there was definitely a history to build on.

JAVA-GOURMET has taken those ideas and has created a complete line of gourmet quality products including dry rubs, sauces, marinades, brines, confections and more. All are all-natural, MSG, gluten- and trans-fat free; only the finest ingredients are used, there are never any preservatives, emulsifiers or artificial ingredients used. Additionally, Friguliette does all the coffee roasting for the products as well.

Atkisson and Friguliette are always quick to point out to new customers that while coffee is a natural flavor enhancer, a coffee taste is not created when combining coffee with savory ingredients such as herbs, spices and salts, which are the bulk of the product line. Instead, an amazing depth of flavor and nutty and smoky flavors emerge. Coffee also adds a delicious caramelization when grilling or broiling foods. Conversely, when you add a sweet component to coffee, like sugars or chocolate, you pull out the mocha flavor most people associate with coffee. Either way, the use of coffee in the kitchen is simply javalicious!

For more information, visit JAVAGOURMET at booth 5413 here at the Summer Fancy Food Show or online at www.java-gourmet.com. You can also contact Susan Atkisson directly at 315.536.7843

April 4, 2009

A Bean for the Barbecue

I’ve found a fantastic flavor-enhancing ingredient for grilling this summer and it just might replace my old marinades and barbecue sauces for good. The magic ingredient? Coffee. Specifically, the 100 percent Arabica coffee that is in each Java-Gourmet Java Rub made by Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters in Penn Yan. Inspired by a coffee-rubbed steak she once enjoyed, company founder Susan Atkisson started incorporating coffee into more of her own cooking and was impressed with effect. “You don’t taste coffee,” she says, “but it brings out the nutty and smoky characteristics of meats and adds more body into the final product.” Each of their 16 Java Rubs blends finely ground coffee with natural spices and dried herbs formulated for use on beef, fish, chicken, pork or veggies. The international flavors like Mocha Java Mole and Shanghai Six Spice are worth exploring. I had tasty results grilling pork chops with their new Cajun Bayou and French Countryside rubs, the coffee subtly caramelized on the meat and smoothed out the acrid flavors of charcoal smoke. The Greek Isle rub is perfect for mixing in lamb burgers or on grilled vegetables, and the Tuscan Seaside blend mixed into breadcrumbs made a sweetly herbal crust for fish and even cheese. Each $5.99 tin is good for 10-20 servings, depending on use. Look for Java Rubs in gourmet stores throughout the region, or order online at javarubs.com