NOW PLAYING: A Taste o' the Bean 29 September, 2000 If you don't know what a "latté" (or, more properly, a "Caffé Latté") is, it's a drink made with steamed milk and espresso -- usually in a 3:1 ratio -- with just a little bit of frothed milk on the top. The old Braun drip coffee machine has been re-boxed and now resides in the attic. I knew that machine well and had determined the exact ratio of coffee-to-water needed to make a brew that suited me. I am still in the "getting to know you" phase with this new machine. The other day I made a pot of coffee that was just really nasty; I'm still not quite sure what I did wrong, but I hope it doesn't happen again! The lattés that I've made so far taste pretty good to me -- I don't know if a more "experienced" espresso drinker would agree, and as I make more of them I expect to gain more knowledge. I acquired my taste for the bean (and it is an acquired taste, to be sure) when I was a youngster in northern Minnesota. We often went to the Pancake Breakfasts after church, and if I wanted to have anything at all to wash the pancakes down, it was going to be coffee. Yeah, occasionally I could get my hands on some orange-flavored juice-type drink, but those instances were few and far between. In my desperation for some liquid, I filled a styrofoam cup (yes, in those days we were still allowed to use a disposable cup that would not scald your hand when it held a hot beverage) and then piled in the sugar and the non-dairy creamer powder. I knew that I couldn't choke down the plain black stuff. My mom never told me that coffee would "stunt my growth" -- what she did tell me was sage advice indeed: "If you're going to drink coffee, learn to drink it black. You may not always be able to get sugar or cream, but you'll always have black coffee available." So I slowly weaned myself off the additives, and though I'll sometimes still add cream (the real stuff, I won't bother with the powder) I don't add sugar. I usually prefer drinking strong black coffee. My first taste of espresso came in Miami, when my friend's dad stopped at a little Cuban shop and we each got a small Cuban coffee. I swear, I could have stuck the spoon straight up in the cup -- it was the strongest, sweetest java I've ever had, and I loved it. Chris' dad was a true coffee connoseur -- he did a classic Turkish coffee service at his place, too; more really good strong espresso, with the froth poured "just so." It was great. The Wife doesn't care for coffee -- she's a tea drinker -- but likes the aroma. She always thinks it smells really good, but everytime she tries it she gets a "bitter coffee face" and pushes the cup away. I guess that leaves all the more for me. Frequently Asked Questions about Coffee
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