Mundane in Italy Part 1

I've now been in Italy for 2 weeks. We've been to Milan, Como, Parma, Siena and Rome so far. Instead of posting boring vacation photos like this:

 
 

I'm going to show you something useful. 

How to Make Espresso and Cafe au Latte with a Moka Pot

We are fortunate to have a full kitchen at our disposal. I'd never used one of these pots, but they are the coffee maker of choice here in Italy. You can buy a full pot or parts pretty much everywhere, from tiny single servings to humongous novelty sizes. It's really something to get used to the 1oz servings of just-made espresso when you are used to ordering Venti Americanos. Making tiny cups at home is actually pretty easy.

This is the Moka Espresso pot. Check the parts to ensure they are clean and present. There's a flat filter on the bottom of the portion with a handle. Don't use soap on your coffee pot. If it needs to be cleaned, try baking soda and vinegar. (Google it.)

Fill the coffee with espresso grind and tamp it down a bit. I used the bottom of a shot glass.

Fill the lower pot with water to just below the nut on the side.

Water and coffee.

Put the coffee holder in the pot.

Screw on the top portion.

Light the stove. Most of the stoves in Italy require some help, so I'm using a lighter.

Heat over a high flame.

This is the tiny cup for the espresso on the left.

I like to add milk, so I use the cup as a measure. Just above the line where the cup flattens out is a shot (close enough, anyway).

Measure out 2-3 shots of milk into a pan per shot of espresso. There are 6-8 shots in this size of Moka pot, depending on how generous your shots. Don't add cold milk to your espresso. It will make the entire cup of coffee cold.

If you look in the espresso pot, it should start oozing concentrated coffee into the top pot within a couple of minutes. Mmmm, gooey.

Keep an eye on it. Once the pot stops filling from the bottom, remove it from the heat. Don't let the espresso burn. It will be horribly bitter. Good espresso is mildly sweet, like dark chocolate.

I'm going to use the larger cup to hold the espresso and milk, and the smaller to measure the shots.

Heat the milk on a low flame while the espresso is boiling. I usually start the coffee and milk at the same time.

Once the espresso is done, measure out a shot. It will look tiny, but it's super-concentrated. This is enough for a tall coffee at Starbucks. If you just want an espresso, stop here.

Milk is done. If you like, let it cool slightly to form a skin and remove it. (You can blow on it.) Otherwise, you'll have a skim of milk fat floating in your coffee.

Here is a cafe au latte. Two shots of espresso with 4 shots of milk.

Double the amount to make a full cup. This is 4 shots of espresso. You will be jittery. 

Now, isn't this useful! Next, I'll show you how to unlock your door, so you can get out of your apartment.  

(Boring vacation photos here.)