CAFÉ CUBANO


  Back in January, one random afternoon, I was watching the sitcom "One Day At a Time." During the episode One Day at a Time, Cuban Morning, the Cuban grandmother, Lydia, had this amazing scene of her dancing to Celia Cruz while simultaneously making this "cafecito" for her family. Now as coffee enthusiast, and in all honesty wanting this experience of getting to dance to Celia Cruz and make a café cubano, sparked this immediate need to purchase a Moka pot and get cracking on the recipe.
    When it comes to coffee, it takes me about 8 trials before the recipe and my tastebuds come into harmony. A key to maintaining the authenticity of a recipe from another culture is making sure one get's the recipe from a person of that specific culture (and preferrably language if possible). For me, that meant scouring every video about "cómo hacer/preparar un buen café cubano." At the end, it felt as if I had watched a million YouTube videos, wanting to get this right.
  The day had come, the Moka pot and the espresso grounds had been purchased and it was game time. Just after one attempt, it has become one of my favorite drinks. There is nothing else like sipping un buen café cubano and reading a book or dancing a little. I greatly urge that if you are looking for an extra reason to smile in the morning, or simply wanting to try something from another culture, you should try this recipe.
    
    For the recipe one needs: espresso grounds (I use Café Bustelo), small cup, spoon, sugar, and a Moka pot.                -> Moka pot anatomy

1) fill the bottom chamber with water up to the water line

2) put espresso in the funnel filter with a spoon. Pat espresso down evenly and firmly. Once finished,

3) Put funnel filter into the bottom chamber, then place the top chamber on top, then tighten it as tightly as you can. Lift up lid and place on the burner on a stove, on high





4) after approxiamately 5 minutes, when the coffee starts brewing, put the lid back down 

5) when you can hear the coffee make a "spitting" sound, like it is spitting out the last of the coffee, take it off the burner. 
    Azuquita, it is a sugar paste that makes a café cubano what it is, and more delicious at that.
6) To make the azuquita you are going to a the small cup, and put as many spoonfuls of sugar that you like into it (I generally put four spoonfuls).

7) Now you are going to put just a little dab of the espresso into the cup of sugar. 

8) here is my favorite part. STIR. Stir like you've never stirred before.

9) It takes approxiamately three minutes or as I like to do, stir and dance to the entirety of the song "Azúcar Negra," by Celia Cruz. 

10) once your azuquita has turned into a creamy texure and into light brown color, you will pour it into the Moka pot 


11) Then take a butter knife and thoroughly stir the azuquita with the espresso. This should create a beautiful crema on top. 


12) Pour into an espresso cup, and make sure you get some crema on top, and enjoy the famous Cuban coffee!!





!BUEN PROVECHO!

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