copyright., 2008. Maria Liberati

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm

http://www.marialiberati.com

Editor: Michela Pompeo

Cappuccino at Home

I have to admit that one of my favorite things about waking up in Italy is having cappuccino for breakfast. Oh, they sell it at that great big coffee company in the US-but it is not the same taste or the same experience. Not always having the time to go to the coffee bar in the morning ..we have learned how to  imitate  at home that great taste you get at the coffee bar.  With a little practice ,no matter  where in the world you are ..as long as you have a few things-especially  great coffee and fresh milk. and a moka pot..you should be able to wake up to the same experience I have every morning here. But be forewarned.. a great cappuccino in the morning can be come an addiction. If you read my blog about the explanation of the Italian word ‘voglio’ you will understand why a cappuccino in the morning has become my ‘voglio’  http://www.marialiberati.com/blog2/?p=286    in the morning. And if you really want to be mesmerized..add an Italian ‘cornetto’ (Italian version of a croissant) with that cappuccino..and you will have love at first sight…. now that’s amore..

What’s the difference between ‘white coffee’ and cappuccino (double ‘p’ and double ‘c’ in Italian)?

Well, basically, it is the foam. Cappuccino is widespread in all Western Europe and, I dare say, in America (North and South), too. Some nice variations have been made, (‘frapuccino’ for example…), but essentially it is made of milk and coffee in variable proportions, with FOAM.

If you want to make yourself a nice cappuccino at home, without any big or small electric machine (leave it to professionals..) you’ll have to get a simple ‘foam maker’ and a moka machine (see pictures below).

The latter is not really essential, it is only to make nice Italian coffee, but you can make ‘long/American’ coffee as well. The most important thing, in my opinion, is foam, and good, creamy foam, not a series of empty air bubbles.

Starting from coffee, assuming you’re making Italian coffee, what you need is a good coffee blend such as LAVAZZA (both types: gold and Silver), ILLY, GOPPION, BRISTOT, and the moka machine. This last comes in different sizes: 1cup, 3 cups, 6 cups, 12 cups. You can see in the picture above both the 1cup and the 3 cup machines. Each one of them is composed of 4 main parts: the upper part, where you’ll get the liquid from, the first round flat filter + rubber lining fixed to it, the actual filter and the bottom part. To make the coffee, then, you’ll have to fill the bottom part with water, insert the filter (make sure a little bit of water comes out of it); fill the filter with ground coffee, screw the upper part to the bottom one, put it on the stove. Coffee is ready when you hear a ‘gurgling’ sound.

Now take the ‘foam maker’: It is made of two parts: a pot and a piston, which is also its lid. Pour a little milk into the pot, not too much because there must be enough room for the milk to ‘swell’ (if you need more, for many cups, you’ll have to repeat the procedure). Warm the milk, take it out from the heat, insert the ‘piston-lid’, thus closing the pot. Then, manually, you’ll have to work the piston up and down very quickly for a couple of minutes and it will be ready.

Pour coffee first into the cup and then, very slowly, hot creamy milk. With a teaspoon you can help foam ‘slide’ into the cup. Add sugar to taste and/or a sprinkle of cocoa on top of it and enjoy your home-made cappuccino.

A variation: top your cappuccino with a spoonful of freshly whipped cream!

For more recipes get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at http://www.marialiberati.com

copyright, 2008, Maria Liberati

The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm

Editor: Sara A. Harris

There’s nothing quite comparable to the first sip of a steaming morning cup of willpower. The vitalizing awareness flows richly alongside its heady scent that billows throughout household hallways, bistros, and office corridors worldwide, teasing the senses of coffee aficionados everywhere. With a fluctuating economy, coffee is indeed a commodity to be reckoned, as reportedly, over 500 billions cups are consumed every year.

Once referenced as taking a ‘coffee break’… cappuccino, café au lait, espresso, café noir, lattes, regular, and decaf, has initiated its universal appeal that doesn’t appear to be slowing anytime soon. While most familiar are the caffeinated temptations of Seattle’s Best, Starbucks, and Dean & DeLuca, the essence of Italy is mimicked with every grande, venti, and double-shot known to man. In light of this stimulating replication, on July 6, 1998, the Istituto Nazionale Espresso Italiano (The Italian Espresso National Institute) was founded in the protection of this mini pleasure cup called, Espresso. http://www.espressoitaliano.org And let’s clear the air on the misconception that’s contrary to popular belief, it’s not called, Expresso.

The evolution of coffee has catapulted us from brewing pots of freshly ground beans, sinful 20 ounce concoctions of iced, nonfat, extra whip treats, and all the way back to that stout little shot of espresso. Discovered in the highlands of Ethiopia, the allure of coffee spread like wildfire among various countries and eventually found its place in Italy as well the Americas. Not only used as a pleasing habitual stimulant, societies in Africa and Yemen once utilized coffee as a vital part in religious ceremonies… and in the 17^th century, it was actually banned from Ottoman Turkey as a contributing factor for unfamiliar political reason. Known for its Italian name, Cappuccino– a preparation of hot milk, espresso, and milk foam– was termed from the order of Franciscan Minor friars (Franciscans), called Cappuccini. Some hypothesize the drink’s name is based on the Italian word cappuccio, meaning hood. Nonetheless, we’ve managed (somehow) to take a historically delicious original and Americanize it with chain-inventions better known as, Frappuccinos. The dessert industry smartly capitalized on the notion of coffee and confection lovers, as the bean itself has become largely popularized as a decadent chocolate-covered treat. However, when eaten in great moderation, the antioxidants prove beneficial to healthier lifestyles. True enthusiast of the drink may wish to indulge their bold palates with a taste of Italy while visiting Grand Café & Tre Marie or for those desiring a hint of java flair that’s closer to home, try your local bistro for featured drinks.

In the end, the coffee-crazed, Cup of Joe’s, and java-junkies will inevitably keep these robust textures and rich aromas from ever dissipating. Served with breakfast and dessert or even a mid-afternoon pick-me-up… the craving keeps some marveling the idea of ‘coffee patches’.

Related sources:

http://www.grandcafetremarie.it

http://www.deandeluca.com

http://www.starbucks.com

http://coffeebean.com

Don’t forget to check out Maria Liberati’s favorite coffee recipe (Coffee Frullato) http://marialiberati.com/blog2/?p=189

For more great recipes get your copy of the best selling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati at http://www.marialiberati.com

  copyright 2008, Maria Liberati

To every caffeine junkie who has ever stumbled into their favorite coffee bar at 7A.M. on a desperate quest for a morning fix it may seem improbable that espresso (the beverage that began our collective obsession with designer coffees) emerged from very humble origins.  The seemingly endless variety of espresso based drinks available to us today may make it difficult to believe that espresso itself was created to address a very functional need, one that we can all identify with. That being the need to cram ever more time into our increasingly busy days.

Invented at the turn of the 20^th century by Italian Luigi Bezzera, the first espresso machine was decidedly utilitarian in design.  The owner of a Milanese manufacturing company, Bezzera was eager to increase the productivity of his employees. Believing that the best way to do this was to reduce the length of his workers coffee breaks, he set out to create a machine that would brew a cup of coffee in less time than conventional machines of the day. His final product was the world’s first espresso machine, a crude and gigantic contraption that produced a cup of coffee by forcing a combination of water and steam through coffee grounds at high pressures.

While the new process did produce a much quicker cup of coffee, it also caused the coffee to taste very bitter. It was not until 1905 when Desiderio Pavoni purchased Bezzera’s patent rights to the machine that this problem was solved. Realizing that the bitter taste was a result of the high temperature steam and water passing through the coffee, he set out to find the ideal water temperature and pressure to make the perfect cup. His findings concluded that brewing a cup at 95C and between 8-10 BAR of pressure produced the best espresso. These standards remain today.

Problems still existed however; the primary one being consistency. Because espresso machines were steam operated, it required a considerable amount of skill on the part of the operator or “barista” to ensure correct water temperature by constantly monitoring the open flame heat source. This meant that all but the most skilled baristas had a very difficult time maintaining consistent steam pressure and water temperature.

Also, this system relied on the barista to regulate how long the water valve was open which allowed the heater water to pass through the grinds. This determined the volume, consistency and overall quality of the espresso and was difficult to keep uniform as well. These dilemmas made it a tricky and expensive process to produce high quality espresso consistently and in significant volumes.

These problems too, proved solvable however. In 1948 Achille Gaggia revealed to the world the first modern espresso machine. By replacing the water valve with a spring loaded piston operated by a hand lever, he was able to create a machine that did not rely on steam to drive the water through the grinds. Water was pulled into a chamber which was pushed down slowly past the grinds directly by the operator. This allowed the water to move faster and harder through the grinds, eliminating the finicky and time-consuming business of relying on steam. As a result of the added pressure, this process also produced the now famous crema, a thin layer of reddish-brown foam that floats on top of the coffee and contains the proteins, vegetable oils and sugars from the beans themselves.

Although there have been other developments in espresso production since the Gaggia machine was introduced, the process remains essentially the same and it is Gaggia’s developments which are credited with bringing espresso to the mainstream.  Hence, making a shot of espresso is still referred to as “Pulling a shot”.

Arguably the most important ingredient in the recent designer coffee fad that has taken North America by storm, espresso is the foundation upon which companies such as Starbucks have built their army of non-fat, soy based whipped cream and caramel covered concoctions.  It is ironic that something of such humble and utilitarian origins should have sparked the creation of one of the largest growing luxury industries in the world today. The development of espresso has been a uniquely Italian marriage of form and function. It is no wonder that, from a culture that prides itself on cultivating the beauty and elegance in the function of the everyday, the undisputed king of coffees has emerged. 

For more information on the history of espresso visit:

AABREE Coffee- http://www.aabreecoffee.com/articles.cfm?articleID=10

Coffee Review- http://www.coffeereview.com/reference.cfm?ID=192

For great coffee recipes, get your copy of the bestselling book- The Basic Art of Italian Cooking .Go to http://www.marialiberati.com and receive $5 off retail price.

Next Week: What makes a perfect cup? Reviewing the elements of great espresso.