Coffee Lovers #1: Espresso Edition
- The Artful Giver
- Nov 24, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 29, 2021
There is the sentiment, expressed in the older but excellent cookbook From the Tables of Tuscan Women by Anne Bianchi, that Italians like their coffee the way they like it—and don’t try to serve it to them unless it is the way they like it.
This is true. I know because there are quite a few Italians in my life.
Like, I am one.
But I think the sentiment holds for most of us, Italian or not. We like things the way we like them.
My personal preference for how I take my coffee changes throughout the course of the day.
In the morning, I like a latte—a simple drink: a double shot of expresso with steamed milk. In the middle of the day, a cup or two of dark roast, black, prepared with a French press gets me through the afternoon slump. In the evenings, it is back to expresso, a single shot after dinner, served with one lovely lump of sugar and a twist of lemon.
As the saying goes, “I’m Italian. I drink espresso to stay calm.”
This post is all about espresso—and everything you and all the other espresso lovers in your life need to create this most excellent beverage right at home.
Over the course of my own espresso-loving life, I have tried nearly every espresso-making device known to man or woman—and spent lots and lots of dollars on some darned elaborate coffee setups. What I have found is that, at the end of the day, you cannot do better than a simple Bialetti Stovetop Espresso Maker. It is the most affordable, convenient, and reliable way to make authentically delicious espresso.
You’ll see, in the accompanying photo, that my little 3-cup pot is lovingly well-used, with the patina from every shot I’ve ever poured from its spout to savor—and yours will be too. Just give it a week or so!
Sturdy, easy to use, and available in 1-cup, 3-cup, 9-cup, and 12-cup sizes to fit all your espresso needs, whether you’re enjoying your first cup of the day in blissful morning solitude, or serving after-dinner coffee to a party of a dozen friends—truly, you will be well-served with a Bialetti.
The best coffee to brew in a brand-new Bialetti pot? Ah, well, with the abundance of artisan coffee roasters, you, like us, likely have a brand (or ten) you prefer, or would like to try, or possibly haven’t even yet discovered! But keeping a can or two of Illy Intenso Ground Expresso Coffee in our pantry is our secret to always having great coffee on hand. As its name suggests, this coffee makes a cup of intensely rich brew that you have every reason to feel good about drinking: Illy was named the “World’s Most Ethical Coffee” on Ethisphere’s list for seven consecutive years.
Matching sets of espresso cups are lovely when you’re serving groups of family and friends. As every coffee drinker knows, however, there is almost always that one truly special cup one keeps just for oneself.
For me, my go-to is this charming Italian ceramic espresso cup and saucer hand-painted in Raffaellesco, a classic Italian design, by the artists at Deruta Ceramics in Umbria. It’s the perfect size—the saucer measures 4.7 inches across, and the cup is 2.3 x 2.1 inches—the sturdy ceramic keeps the coffee warm, and its rounded shape allows all that lovely crema to float to the top.
Gift this to an espresso-loving friend and that friend will think of you every time she or he takes a moment to refresh with a cup of Italian elixir.
Now, a confession: I have probably too many demitasse spoons. I have spoons handed down from my grandmother, spoons gifted from friends and family, spoons I have collected in my travels, silver spoons and gold spoons and ceramic spoons and spoons with little gems encrusted in their metalwork—and I love every single one of them!
This set of four stainless steel and enamel spoons is the newest addition to the collection. White with gold edging, they are a small master class in the art of modern, clean, Italian design—and, at a delicate four-inches long, they are the perfect size to snuggle into the saucer of any espresso cup. They come in a lovely gift box for giving—or for spoiling yourself.
Growing up, there was always a bowl of Domino’s sugar cubes in the bowl on the dining room table—and we little kids were allowed to put one on a spoon, dunk it quickly into Nonna’s cup of espresso, and slurp it up for a sweet treat after a meal. We come by our appreciation of sugar cubes quite naturally!
But these La Perruche cubes are a step up from the ordinary!
La Perruche—the Parakeet, in French—has been in the sugar business since 1890, so you know they know a thing or two. They make these rough-cut cubes from 100% pure cane sugar. The amber cubes smell amazing—like vanilla and caramel—and they dissolve into hot drinks (and cocktails!) like a dream. But our favorite thing about these delicious little cubes? The way they look on the saucer of our espresso cups, waiting to sweeten our brew. Include a package of these delightful cubes in an espresso-themed basket for a welcome coffee-lover’s gift, or step up your own espresso game with a stash of these in your pantry.
Oh, we are entering into controversial territory now! Have you ever been served your espresso with a twist of lemon on the side? Do you like your espresso with lemon?
There are many theories concerning the origin of serving espresso with lemon. Some hold that it was an issue of sanitation during WWII. Some say that it was a marketing ploy—another way to highlight the delicious lemons that grow in Italy. Others grumble that it was only begun as a way to make substandard coffee taste better.
We, here, are in no particular camp when it comes to the origin of the custom, but we freely admit we are sympathetic with the pro-lemon contingent. We take that little sliver of lemon rind resting in our saucer, twist it to release its lovely, aromatic oils, and rub it along the rim of our cup so that, with each sip, we taste just a hint of citrus splendor. It is a refreshing and welcome hint no matter the quality of the coffee itself—but, of course, we strive for the best coffee every pour!
Even if, however, you are not a fan of lemon in your espresso, this Citrus Zester is still a valuable, easy-to-use addition to anyone’s stash of kitchen or bar tools. Use it to make an orange twists for Manhattans!
I have had this cookbook for twenty-five years, since shortly after it appeared on the scene in 1995. I’ve made a ton of the recipes contained in its pages—including seven of them all in one day for a true Tuscan feast for my brother, the evening before his wedding day—and I’ve gifted this book to countless friends and family over the many years.
Let me tell you the most wonderful thing about this book, however, by taking you back to the very first day I brought it home from the bookshop. I took the book out of its packaging and sat down at the kitchen counter, eager to have a look through and find a lovely recipe to make for that night’s dinner—but I ended up having wine and a little charcuterie in bed and reading the whole book straight through, as if it were a novel.
Fantastically engrossing as a meditation on the connection between how we cook and how we live, Ms. Bianchi takes us on a tour through the kitchens, the recipe collections, and the culinary philosophies of the native cooks of the small but exquisite region of Lucca in the Northwest. She makes us feel at home from the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea to the region’s olive groves, from its terraced vineyards to its mountains where we too—at least for a few pages—can hunt for mushrooms and turn them into dinner.
This book is among the finest additions you’ll make to your favorite foodie’s cookbook collection—and your own collection as well!
Comentários