RITUAL

Bialetti Moka Express 

My sister bought me a cinnamon bun yesterday.  I've been saving it until now.  It's in a pink box, and I don't know, somehow pink makes it taste better. 

Rain outside - again...

A latte to wash it down.  So much more than just washing it down, though.  It's ritual.. .

measuring out the beans with a shiny, perfect stainless steel scoop, four rounds in the grinder.  Assembling the silver pot, water, coffee, top screwed on TIGHT.  Gas to exactly '5' on the stove, blue flame, carefully listening for any unwarranted gurgling.  Shaking the carton of soy milk until it comes out bubbly.  Heating, stirring, heating, stirring in the pot with the copper bottom (with that wood thing with the flat edge and the 3 holes)

I remember, a few years ago, in someone else's kitchen, drinking my first ever home made latte.  It was a total revelation to discover that you can make your own latte.  How could I not have known??

Whatever the reason, with that first bitter-sweet sip something inside just settles.

If you don't already have the iconically-fabulous-Italian-espresso-pot, you should get one immediately and experience the thrill of the NOT-$4.83-but-just-as-good-latte.

Soon you won't remember life without Moka Express...

* If you can find it, try Kicking Horse Coffee, based in Invermere, BC, Canada (a beautiful place, incidentally, with a very cool family-owned hot glass studio!)  Organic, fair-trade, shade-grown coffee from a company with nice business practices and nice values.  Nothing tastes better than that...