3/4/08

Born free, free as the wind blows


It just occurred to me this very week (I'm a little slow with the practical issues) that, since I seem to have switched permanently from espresso macchiato to espresso con panna as my favored beverage, I had the potential to free my mornings permanently and forever from the tirrany of the St@rbucks barista.
No, I'm not proud of my slavish devotion to the evil empire...but I swear they put drugs in that coffee. I just can't quit you, St@rbucks!
I can, however, quit driving five blocks every morning, waiting in line, and paying six bucks for three post-consumer-waste-recycled cups of espresso with whipped cream.
I have the technology.
So out I marched yesterday and bought myself an espresso maker - the old-fashioned, Italian-made stovetop variety. I have no use for those big machines that take up counter space we don't have (Mike uses a regular coffeemaker) and to tell you the truth, stoking up those contraptions makes me weary. I've had at least six of them in my lifetime, and every single one of them ended up re-gifted. I don't have the patience. The stovetop kind, however, that's a different story. We already have a smaller one in the Eurovan for camping trips. These I can handle.

Turbinado sugar, a can of whipped cream, my favorite Vienna mug that I found at the thrift store, and of course the inescapable multi-green kombucha, and...presto! Breakfast.

Right here in the comfort of my own home. No, this isn't nearly dark enough for me - but hey, it's my first time. A little less water tomorrow, and I'll be happy as a...as a...
Happy.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

15 comments:

Vivian M said...

That is very dangerous stuff. We make Cuban coffee (expresso) here, and it pretty much is the equivalent of jet fuel.
Enjoy!

Snowflowers Mum said...

I kept thinking about you and you anti-latte deal...I wondered how you whipped your cream...I thought, no, not Maia, she could never use cream out of a can...I imagined you in your kitchen whisking a small bowl of fresh organic cream and spooning a lucious dollop of it into your espresso ...but no

you don't do the 'dollop' you do the 'squirt'

heathen

Maia said...

Hah! You vastly underestimate the extent of my laziness. Whipping cream? WA-A-AY too time-consuming. When it comes to household duties, I have the attention span of a gnat. As long as it's made with real cream, it works in my book. I get the "extra creamy" kind.

Maia said...

My latte issue is that I don't like hot milk, and I don't like diluted coffee. Any dairy product that gets near my espresso has to have enough air in it to sit on top of the coffee, and not interfere with the actual blackness of it. Picky, picky.

4D said...

We love our stovetop espresso maker. Delish and cheaper then Star*bucks.

BTW, what is Kombucha?

Keep smilin!

Brynn said...

We made the switch from counter top coffee to stove top espresso recently--we're Americano fans (I know, totally against your religion). Morning rituals are may favorite part of the day.

Have you tried making your own Komucha? It's delicious and fun!

Mamacita said...

I have one of those. I forget to use it but it makes some delish coffee. They're putting a Starbucks in our local grocery store. I'm scared. For my wallet and my waist.

Anonymous said...

I am so happy for you and envy your new found freedom, yet I want to head over to Starbuck's after your gorgeous post!

Yoli said...

My Cuban coffee maker!!! I can't live without that stuff! It was put into my milk as a child. They can take starbucks but not my expresso==EVER!

Fliss and Mike Adventures said...

Sometimes I wish that I like coffee cause that one looked delicious... no it isn't coffee is it it is one of those espresso, latte, mocha frothy things huh... so, as you can see... I am not a drink of the coffee bean..

Stacie said...

can i come over??? God that looks good.


stacie

polkadot said...

You had me at "Reddi Whip."

kerri said...

Can I just have a cup of whip cream, be over in a bit, LOL. ;)

Stacie said...

ok- i am not stalking you- if you happen to have blog visitor tracker. Just trying to figure out how to do the neocounter thing.. but gave up in the end!

Tamara said...

I do like the stove-top makers better too for home. I cannot stomach dairy fat in my coffee though, so I am your coffee alter ego I think (it is all about the skim milk for me)!