Espresso recipes

It is widely accepted that espresso is the second most popular beverage after water. But, ask some authorities, is it a drink or food? The espresso technique developed so extensively that it was impossible to define the final result. Let us have a look at the most popular espresso recipes.

Espresso coffee was born in Northern Italy at the beginning of the twentieth century. Soon afterwards it traveled to America, where it found fertile ground in Seattle and the surrounding areas. Real espresso cuisine, however, may have been born only 50 years later, because the first espresso machines only boiled and steamed the water. Whatever the truth of the matter, excellent espresso recipes have been developed over the past hundred years.

Born in Italy

  • Espresso Ristretto, a genuine Italian espresso recipe, allows only 0,75 to 1 oz. of water to pass through the coffee bed. 'Ristretto' defines what Italians love most --- minimalist simplicity, a cup that is "restricted to the best flavors and compounds that freshly ground, thoroughly tamped coffee has to offer". Anything else goes into the waste-tray.

    How do you make ristretto? The answer is simple, if you use a super-automatic espresso machine. Things become a little more complicated with a semi-automatic or a piston mchine.

    Espresso has an aftertaste. Flavoured oils contained in the coffee (especially in the cream) continue to be released after you have had your drink, sometimes even half an hour later. Everything in this process makes a huge difference: the freshness of the coffee, the blend, the roast, the grind, the tamp, the espresso machine, the brewing time, the water temperature and the pressure. The best solution is experimentation and learning on the spot.

  • Espresso Machiato is a single-shot espresso added a dash of plain milk or milk-foam. Traditionaly, this cup is served late in the morning. Adding milk to the coffee has both a good and a bad side. Coffee depletes calcium from the body. Calcium is a mineral found in milk. On the other hand, the varietal flavors in the blend and the aftertaste disappear.

    Both ristretto and machiato are served in a small traditional cup called tazzina.

  • Cappuccino is one single serve of espresso coffee enriched with a generous portion of steamed milk. The largest serving of cappuccino, which is served in large porcelain cups, would weigh seven ounces.

  • Espresso Correto is a single-shot espresso "corrected" by several drops of grappa, a strong alcoholic grape-based drink.

Apart from these classic recipes for espresso, there are many other variations. Examples include espresso romano (single espresso twisted with lemon), espresso lungo (single espresso extracted with 2 oz. of water), espresso con panna (an espresso decorated with whipped cream), espresso doppio (two espresso doses --- that is 14 grams of coffee --- extracted in one shot).

Raised in the USA

  • Seattle Style Caffè Latte. While Italians go for small-sized cups, Americans like to have their drinks on the large side. Thus, their caffè latte is a double-shot espresso with plenty of steamed milk on top. There are some derivative recipes such as Caffè Mocha and Caramel Latte . The endless list contains various types and ratios of milk. Caffè involves an interesting art, latte decorations, called rosettas. Rosettas may enclose flowery and leafy shapes or anything else the barista can dream up. (see attachments)
  • Caffè Americano is a single or double shot of espresso poured over six ounces of water.
  • Hammerhead is a regular shot of espresso in a cup, which is then filled with drip coffee. This enhances the caffeine content of the cup while simultaneously returning the body and acidy of the espresso. This beverage has been called many names, the most famous of which is a shot in the dark.