Guide to pairing your meal with coffee brew
By Lori Corbin
Published: Tuesday, June 08, 2010

KABC’s food coach Lori Corbin spotlights the perfect food-coffee pairings — Watch as Michael Gaviña illustrates how to match your favorite foods with a variety of popular brews using Don Francisco’s Family Reserve Coffees.

Mac n’ cheese, fish and chips, peanut butter and jelly – some foods just seem to go together. Did you know the same is true with coffee? Shot on location at the Den of Hollywood located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, Lori talks with Michael Gaviña and Chef Dan Murray about the importance of pairing your food with the right coffee.

What you eat can actually change how you feel about your coffee. The coffee you enjoy on a daily basis comes in many varieties. Depending on the coffee type or blend, there are unique attributes which make certain coffees better suited for particular types of dishes — “There’s sweet, sour, salt and bitter, and so what we’re looking for a lot of times is identifying how different coffees react to your tongue,” says Michael.

“The 100% Colombia Supremo is the most consistently well-balanced coffee. It provides a balance in flavor that works pretty well across all food categories. Moving into the bold blends like Don Francisco’s House Blend , it pairs well with chocolates and meats whereas the Kona Blend is considered a light, smooth, low-acid coffee, which pairs well with fruits, nuts and egg dishes. If you’re going to do anything cheese based, like a cheese strudel, Don Francisco’s Hazelnut Cream or Vanilla Nut works well with those.”

Want to try your own coffee pairing? Don Francisco’s Coffee suggests tasting coffee black first, even if you take yours with milk or sugar, as all the coffees have unique flavor characteristics. Those new to the coffee scene might also start with a breakfast or lighter blend, and as the day wears on, work up to something bold.

(Click here to see the video)