So I should be in bed, but am trying to catch up on stuff, and am still a little lagged (jet-wise) so I keep having visions of coffee dancing through my head, and was trying to think of most of the variations available here in Italy, as compared to the piccolo-grande-tall of Starbucks fame, which I actually managed to avoid my last trip stateside. So here goes (illustrations may follow, but may not too, it depends if I manage eventually to get to sleep or not):
caffè, also espresso, caffè espresso, caffè liscio ("smooth", with nothing added) - your basic Italian coffee made either in an espresso machine or a moka (a small stove top coffee maker, es. the hexagonal aluminum Bialetti ones). In bars, it is normally served in an espresso cup (tazza di caffè), also known as a demitasse cup, filling it about half-way, ideally with a very thin, slightly creamy coffee froth just about covering the top, with a small spoon on the small saucer and often with a packet of sugar (or sweetener, if the barista knows your preferences since you are a cliente fisso at the bar).
Variations:
caffè ristretto: the first half of a normal coffee, the thickest and strongest tasting coffee, often barely enough for one gulp. Many believe this has the most caffeine of all the coffee drinks, but oddly enough it has the least, just the strongest flavor;
caffè lungo: the coffee machine is allowed to run until the cup is almost filled to the brim. The coffee grinds weaken over time during the shot, and so this becomes the weakest drink (but with the highest total caffeine content);
caffè macchiato, also macchiatto ("stained"): a caffè espresso is topped with a bit of steamed, frothed milk, filling it to the top of the cup. In the case of coffee made with a stovetop moka, it can be heated milk, without the froth;
caffè macchiato freddo: a small amount of cold milk is added, either by the barista, or by the client. In the second case, either a small, personal bricco (mini-carafe) is supplied, or a small carafe or bottle of milk is available on the bar for all the clients to share;
marocchino, also caffè della casa or other names: a caffè macchiato with a little cacao (cocoa powder) sprinkled on top, usually served in a glass espresso cup, making a sort of mini cappuccino. This variation supposedly originated in Northern Italy, and because of possible racial overtones (because of possible reference to not-so-popular Moroccan street vendors) many bars renamed it to something else, though the name spread and has become common throughout Italy;
caffè corretto: a small amount of liquor is added, from one teaspoon, to filling the caffè to the brim, depending on taste. Common additives are grappa (usually an unflavored variety), brandy, sambuca, and whisky. Often after a meal, when asked about caffè, a waiter may add "liscio o corretto?" (with or without anything extra);
caffè doppio: both outputs of a double espresso spicket are poured into one cup, or two single shots of espresso are poured together. Generally served in a normal espresso cup, filling it nearly to the top, but sometimes also in a cappuccino cup. This maintains the strength and density of a normal espresso, providing double caffeine and a more intense flavor than a caffè lungo (which is about the same total volume), and usually costs as much as two caffè;
caffè americano: a single espresso served in a cappuccino cup with hot water added until almost filled. Sometimes a brichetto of hot water, similar to that used to serve tea, will be provided so that the client can dilute the espresso to personal taste;
macchiattone, also macchiatone in tazza grande: the amount of coffee in a normal caffè in a cappuccino cup, which is then filled to roughly half full with hot, steamed, frothed milk, it usually costs slightly more than an espresso and slightly less than a cappuccino;
cappuccino: a normal caffè (or slightly "longer") served in a tazza di cappuccino (about the size of a small traditional American diner coffee cup) into which steamed, frothed milk, is poured, and optionally including a powdering of cacao before pouring. It is served on a larger saucer with a slightly less small spoon and usually two packets of sugar. It is also possible sometimes to add a touch of powdered cinnamon. The cappuccino supposedly represents a friars light-skinned scalp surrounded by the dark ring of his remaining hair, as seen from above, since the coffee and cocoa tend to form a ring around the white milk poured in the center. By creative movement of the milk container during the pour, or using an auxiliary such as a toothpick, a talented barista can create other designs between the white of the milk and the brown of the coffee, ranging from "simple" palm frond shaped leaves to complex letters, if you are a favored client. It is also probably the most personalized, with many people asking for a cappuccino tiepido (lukewarm, either using only slightly heated milk, or by adding additional cold milk to cool it down), or a cappuccino senza schiuma (no frothed milk);
caffelatte: a caffè lungo in a scodella (a large cup at home or in a hotel), or in a tall, relatively thin glass (at a bar), with the addition of a large amount of hot steamed milk, and usually a little bit of milk froth. The glass is usually served on a saucer with a long iced tea style spoon and two packets of sugar;
latte macchiato: a large, tall glass of hot milk, with or without froth, into which a small amount of coffee is added. Similar to, but generally slightly weaker than caffelatte, and usually only at a bar;
latte caldo: maybe this shouldn't even be here, but since they serve it side by side with the others (often to little kids who like feeling big going out with the grown ups), but basically a latte macchiato, without the macchiato part. All milk, no coffee, but still served with sugar;
caffè freddo: generally prepared ahead of time, and stored in the refrigerator. Served in a glass with liquid sugar syrup to sweeten it, since regular sugar doesn't melt enough to sweeten well at cold temperatures;
caffè shakerato: a work of art, if done well. A hot, slightly long espresso, or espresso doppio is poured into a cocktail shaker already prepared with ice, liquid sugar syrup, and sometimes vanilla. Once shaken, it is filtered into a glass, often a martini glass, including a good amount of foamy, bubbly coffee. Sometimes a little ground coffee is sprinkled on top. Normally the barista asks ahead of time how sweet you like it, as once it is poured it is difficult for any sugar to be absorbed;
deca, also caffè deca, caffè Hag (silent "H", pronounced "agg"), decaffeinato, Dek: decaffeinated coffee, used to make any of the preceding variations, such as deca macchiato, cappuccino deca or cappuccino Hag tiepido, there is normally a slight surcharge for any of the variations made with decaffeinated espresso;
caffè d'orzo: a barley malt based coffee substitute, which is also caffeine free (but which I personally think tastes awful), also used to make any of the preceding drinks, such as cappuccino d'orzo, macchiatone d'orzo;
caffè ginseng: a more recent variation, using a blend of coffee that contains ginseng, available in most of the variations;
ice coffee, also eis caffè, ice caffè: technically not "a coffee", but more of an ice cream concoction (well, gelato concoction to be exact), it is a sundae (usually vanilla or coffee flavored) served in a sundae glass or tall skinny glass, with hot coffee poured over it, and often topped with fresh whipped cream;
affogato caffè, also tartuffo affogato caffè: a desert comprised of a semispherical frozen chocolate creamy pastry with fresh hot espresso poured over it, served in a small cup large enough to contain the liquid coffee and melting ice cream;
When ordering "simple" caffè espresso (but no most milk-added variations), you may find it served with a small, slightly larger than shot-glass sized serving of water (particularly further south in Italy), which, depending on who you listen too, is for drinking before (to remove impurities and leave the mouth clean for the full coffee taste experience) or after (to rinse all the coffee out, to enjoy the last drop and avoid that it gets old in your mouth, ruining the experience later with stale aftertaste). Further north, you may find a small piece of chocolate, or chocolate covered coffee bean on the side of the saucer with the sugar.
Sitting down at a table almost always costs more than taking your espresso in piedi (standing up, near the bar).
And at breakfast, if you have a brioche (croissant, also cornetto in Rome) or other pastry, you are allowed to dip it into your cappuccino if you want to feel really, truly Italian.
The ex-ex-ex first lady and current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has once again confirmed a bunch of sexist biased stereotypes...
While the POTUS goes out for hot dogs with his Vice and sets up the Beer Summits to settle racially charged matters, like a Good ol' Boy, his Secretary of State decides she would rather go out for coffee.
Were it Michelle, I am sure it would be tea, as it is so much more elegant.
Just in time for Jim Carrey to make your blood boil, reading about this sort of change in the country's mood. What kind of Scrooge denies a Boy Scout his once in a life time Eagle Service Project, which is volunteer work (sveglia Balzano, that means it isn't costing the city any money...).
No wait, we can't have someone doing for no money what the city could be paying us to do and costing the tax payers more... Nah, just better to do without.
catch the slip around 1:07... he still doesn't realize he's already won!
And now Mirriam-Webster is an enemy of the President? 5:23 "My critics say everything is a tax increase" (? how now brown cow ?) 5:26 "My critics say I'm taking over every sector of the economy" (? not yet, but you seem to be trying pretty hard from the get go - auto, banks, healthcare, publishing - what's next ?) And finally, it seems that if what the Government decides for you is to your benefit, in their opinion, then it cannot be considered a tax that they take your money and use it for something that you will benefit from. And I wonder, if taxes are then, by comparison, the payments going to things that aren't to the benefit of the taxpayer, why does anyone put up with the Government? Isn't that what the colonists protested so strongly against the King? I guess it is just a non-tax levy - medicine for what's aching you...
The saddest thing about all this is that this makes news, and that the reporters have to point out what a positive family role model these folks are...
Here goes a second try as blogdrive ate my first draft (which was turning out Soooo much better than this attempt, of course) and made me so angry I had to put it off a bit before retrying...
Every once in a while the whole family gangs up on me (well, except the MiL, she catagorically refuses to taste almost anything I prepare in the kitchen, except for an occasional sweet, claiming irreconcilable culinary cultural differences) and has me make dinner, which almost always means they want "verdure saltate", a variation on home-fried potatoes that is perhaps (ever so very slightly) healthier. It started out with only potatoes, but over the years came small experimental steps, until I discovered it could be about anything, and still turn out okay... We usually accompany it with meat, or sausage, or eggs, but there are many possible combinations.
After mentioning this dish on one of those twenty-question quizzy thingies recently, I was requested to share the recipe, but, unfortunately, there is nothing really to share, as it is more a process than a set of rules... look to see if you have vegetables (fresh): NO?: go buy some at the fruit and vegetable stand, proceed to YES at this point -> YES?: chop them up all up. COOK: until ready, depending on the mixture used... that's about it...
in a little more detail, here are some suggestions to get the thing off on the right foot: start with some soffritto: finely chopped onions, celery, carrots, and garlic if you want. cut up the vegetables in cubes or slices, depending on their general cooking time and toss them in - vegetables that take longer (es. potatoes) get cut up smaller while others (es. eggplant) get cut bigger and added first, while others (es. zucchini) get added a little later.
I usa a big, heavy bottomed pan. The home fries started out in a cast-iron skillet, which I don't have now. Cast iron requires a little more attention and constant scraping and turning, while most modern non stick ones seem to work well.
The oil can probably be anything, but I use peanut oil sparingly to begin with, and then alternate adding from time to time, just as necessary, a little bit of butter (for flavor) and olive oil (idem) as well as a little water and white wine.
Possible ingredients: potatoes; zucchini; cauliflower; sweet (bell) peppers; artichokes (small fully edible ones, or artichoke hearts, can even be oil preserved/canned/bottled); tomatoes (less oil); broccoli; eggplant (aubergine); shrooms; garlic; onion; leek; brussel sprouts (be very careful to not overcook these); fennel;
other possible additions (cut into small, usually cubed pieces): pancetta; bacon; mortadella (thick slice cut into cubes, also known as bologna); ham; cheese (at the end); pine nuts; walnuts or almonds or pistachios, finely chopped; sun dried tomatoes; raisins;
a couple of cautionary points:
don't use too much oil or butter. Add it as little at a time as you need to keep things from sticking or dry scorching. Sprinkle a little liquid (water or dry white wine) from time to time in place of adding oil. Use a light oil for the most part, and only a bit of butter and a bit of olive oil to add the taste factor and balance you like. Using only olive oil, especially "the good stuff", tends to make it too heavy, believe it or not...
don't overcook the vegetables, burnt spots tend to make most of the vegetables too bitter;
don't undercook the vegetables in this recipe. It is not a stir fry or steamed medley where the broccoli or cauliflower taste good "al dente";
salt gradually (if at all, I suggest at least a little bit), and use less salt if you add any already salted ingredients like bacon or pancetta;
make more than you think. The recipe really cooks down, and can sometimes be started in two large pans to cook down to one, combining them near the end, and still be barely enough for the family (depending on the rest of the meal). The leftover vegetables are great reheated the next day too;
use a cover if they seem to be staying hard, but don't cook them too long covered or they get soggy, almost steamed, and tend to turn out a mess;
enjoy!
p.s. pictures to follow, one of the next times i make something similar...
