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This post was authored by Shannon McKinney

One of my first jobs as a young teen was working in a local, family owned deli. We sold all the usual morning items like buttered rolls, bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches, pastries and of course, lots of hot coffee.

One morning I was manning the counter and a lady came in and said “let me have a coffee and.” I paused for a moment and politely responded “a coffee and what?” She looked at me somewhat confused and said “you know…a coffee and.” A little frustrated and still trying to be polite I said, “I’m sorry mam, but a coffee and what?”

One of the owners saw what was going on and took over the sale. He took me on the side after the woman had left and explained that a “coffee and” simply meant a coffee and something to dunk in it. It could be a roll, a cinnamon bun, a biscuit or anything.

This was my first lesson in the history of “Dunking”. It amazed me that the act of dunking itself was more important to some people than the actual item being dunked.

Where did it all start? History shows that ancient Romans dunked unleavened wafers in wine to enhance their flavor and that this was a common practice on British Naval ships where the main diet for sailors was Hard Tack, a rock hard wafer that was dunked in beer or tea just to make it palatable.

Fast forward to modern day when everyone on the planet knows that Oreos in cold milk is the only way to go and Dunkin Donuts? The name says it all.

I met my wife 35 years ago and one morning she made me Spanish coffee; a rich, espresso based coffee with sweet, hot, thickened milk. The drink itself was amazing and I watched her butter a piece of stale, crusty bread and dunk it in hers. She insisted I try the same and, still wanting to score as many points as I could, I did. The crusty bread soaked up some of the strong coffee and some of the butter melted and created this thin layer of salty, melted butter over the sweet coffee. The experience was nothing short of amazing and firmly planted the thought that this was the women I would spend the rest of my life with.

To this day, the cooks and bakers here at M&D always have their coffee with a leftover piece of danish or bread dunked in. They could choose something fresh out of the oven but always seek out something hard and crusty from the day before. If you’re not a dunker, I suggest you give it a try, and for fun, walk in to your favorite coffee shop and ask for a “coffee and”.

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

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