Coffee lacks the caffeine content that espresso so easily contains. About a fourth of a cup punches my brain in the face and is able to energize me for the entire day.
So when I recently visited a friend at his father's house in Long Island, I was introduced to an important little guy. Meet the Moka pot:
A beautiful (and for me, important) application of physics. Water is poured into the bottom compartment and ground espresso beans are placed in the center compartment. When placed over heat, the pressure created in the bottom compartment by the steam forces water up a shaft and passes through the grounds to create rich, aromatic espresso. At home. Amazing!
Also, these little guys are cheap! You can dish out a bit more for a more "modern" looking pot, but the simplicity of the traditional pots is beautiful to me. They're used all over the world, but especially in Europe and in the Caribbean (Cuba, DR). I have plans to go to my neighborhood bodega and scoop myself my own pot as well as a can of Bustelo, which is so instrumental to my caffeine intake that it deserves its own post.
Felix's father made us espresso drinks early in the morning before our trek to La Guardia. First he prepared the espresso in the Moka pot and in another pan, combined some condensed milk with regular milk. Bringing the milks up to temperature over low heat, he then added the espresso to the milk mixture. The result: a deliciously sweet, rich and quick date with a Dominican style latte.
Many thanks to the Lopez family and my own little Feeferton for sharing their home with me. Nothing like a cure for homesickness!
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