Now, I know that I’m treading on hallowed ground for some, discussing how to make espresso.

Like beer and good wine, espresso is one of those things that folks are very particular about. (Espresso afficionados out there, please be kind!)

I’m not an expert barista—or a super fussy coffee person—by a long shot. I’m just a girl who likes a strong cup of coffee. I drink my coffee and espresso black. And as long as I start with a quality ground espresso, I’m generally very happy.

This how I make espresso at home. (In fact, it’s how I made the espresso that went into my Gentlemen’s Brownies.)

It doesn’t yield quite the same brew that you get from a professional machine or coffeeshop, but this is the way that a lot of us know espresso: Made at home, by an aunt or a grandmother, on the stove, using what’s traditionally known as a moka pot.

I love my trusty stovetop espresso maker. I’ve had it for years and it never fails to make delicious espresso. Mine is made by Bialetti and looks like this:

The Moka Pot: What does it do and how do you use it?

This little guy is basically a stovetop percolator designed especially for espresso.

Simply fill the bottom with cold water, fill the filter with ground espresso, and set it on the stove to boil and bubble away. As the water heats, it’s forced up through the ground espresso in the filter, and into the empty pot above.

Stovetop espresso makers generally don’t make enough pressure to produce a thick, top layer of crema—that mocha-colored, foamy emulsion that you see at cafes. For homemade, that’s just fine with me. It’s still a mighty fine, strong cup of coffee.

One thing to note about this kind of pot. Depending on how hard your water is, this type of pot can develop a mineral buildup on the inside. Italian specialty stores sell little tablets meant specifically for getting that deposit off.

If you make your espresso differently, I’d love to what you do. (Do you only use spring water? What’s your favorite brand of espresso?)

Here’s my method.

A step-by-step guide to making espresso on the stove

Disassemble your pot. It’ll come in 3 pieces: the bottom chamber that holds the water (left), the filter basket that holds the ground espresso (center) and the top part which holds the brewed espresso (right).

Fill the bottom part with cold water.

Don’t fill it past the steam valve (that little round brass thingie):

Next, nestle the filter basket into its place on the bottom of the pot.

Fill the filter basket with ground espresso.

Fill it right to the top, then smooth the espresso down so it’s fairly level.

Set the top of the espresso pot on the body and screw it tightly into place.

Set the pot on the stove over high-ish heat. Because it’s a smaller pot, I turn the heat up high enough so that the gas flames cover the bottom of the pot, but don’t lick up the sides.

Keep the lid closed. (I opened mine a few times to snap these pics.) It will take a few minutes for your water to get hot enough to start brewing the espresso.

After a few minutes, the espresso will start to pour out of the center of the pot.

It will trickle out at first.

And then pick up in speed and volume.

When your pot is a little less than halfway brewed, it should be pretty much gushing.

Peek a little if you like, but do keep the lid closed as it brews. Once it gets going, the pot fills up very quickly and can spit, sputter and let off a fair amount of steam.

How to Make Espresso on the Stove: How do you know when the espresso is done?

Good question. Use your ears—then your eyes.

When the espresso is brewing, you’ll hear it bubbling and splashing about in the top of the pot. When those happy sounds taper off, lift the lid and take a peek. If the espresso has stopped pouring out of the center, your pot is done. It’s really that simple. Remove the pot from the heat immediately.

How to Make Espresso on the Stove: Serve and enjoy!

Now, what you do next depends entirely on how you want to serve your espresso. You can pour steamed milk into it for a cappuccino. You could add hot water to it for a cafe americano (one of my favorite things to do).

Or, you can serve it straight in demitasse cups.

Enjoy!

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OK, I have no excuses for this one. It’s evil—and oh-so-delicious.

It’s rich. It’s creamy. It’s packed with crushed Oreo cookies and laced with booze. It’s one part dessert and one part cocktail. (And kind of ridiculous. I can admit that.) It’s also one of my favorite treats.

One drink. Two straws.

Make one and share it with someone you really like. (Hey, Valentine’s Day is coming…)

After my Black & White Chocolate Chip Cookies—with crushed Oreos mixed into chocolate chip cookie dough—this is my next favorite thing to do with Oreos.

Milkshake or frappe?

Here in Boston, we call this kind of drink a frappe. Closer to New York, where I grew up, they’re milkshakes.

A note on serving size

Now, you can make this in any size glass you like. If you use a substantially smaller glass, cut out one of the cookies.

If you follow the recipe as I’ve outlined it below, you’ll get a drink that’s still, well, drinkable. For a thicker milkshake that’s more like soft-serve, use more ice cream and less milk.

How to make a non-alcoholic Oreo Milkshake

I tend to like this as more of a cocktail-y type treat. That said, a non-alcoholic Oreo Cookie Milkshake is certainly yummy, too.

For a virgin version, omit both liqueurs and add a teaspoon or so of chocolate sauce.

Oreo & Irish-Cream Milkshake

Vanilla ice cream
Milk
1 shot of Irish cream liqueur
1 shot chocolate liqueur
3 Oreo cookies + 1 more for garnish

Makes a milkshake that fills a pint glass

Start with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Pack a pint glass loosely with ice cream. (I mentioned that this isn’t diet food, right?)

Fill the glass almost to the top with milk.

Pour the contents of your glass (ice cream + milk) into your blender. Toss in the Irish cream liqueur, chocolate liqueur, and Oreo cookies.

Cap your blender and turn it on. Blend until the cookies are smashed to bits and the milkshake is smooth.

Pour back into your pint glass.

Make the Oreo cookie garnish

Take one of your Oreos and unscrew it.

With the back of a spoon or a knife, scrape the creme over to one side, like this:

Stick the cookie back together on the rim of the glass, with the blob of creme holding the two cookie halves together at the top.

I only had regular Oreos in the house, but I’d imagine this bit here with the cookie garnish would work even better with a Double Stuf Oreo.

Serve and enjoy! (Then go take a nap!)

Here are some of the best discounts and sales I’ve found this week.

***
Copyright 2008-2009 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.

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We’re kicking off our Basic Cooking series with a toast! (The makings of a toast, to be more precise.)

Simple syrup is gloriously useful stuff. It’s one of the building blocks of many cocktails—from classic to contemporary—and, really, it couldn’t get any simpler to make.

Also known as “sugar syrup,” “simple sugar syrup,” and “bar syrup,” it’s quite literally sugar water. It can also be used as the basis for flavored syrups.

Why bother making simple syrup?

Keeping a bottle of simple syrup on hand allows you to make sweetened drinks on the fly—without worrying about whether your sugar has dissolved completely.

What can I do with simple syrup?

Great question. Use it to make dozens of classic libations, or:

+Sweeten freshly brewed iced tea, coffee, lemonade, or limeade
+Stir into hot oatmeal
+Drizzle a little over freshly cut fruit
+Mix with seltzer and crushed berries for a refreshing and non-alcoholic spritzer

Making simple syrup is about as basic as it gets

Most traditional recipes for simple syrup combine one part sugar and one part water. (Some recipes call for two parts sugar to one part water.) Just bring the mixture to a boil, then cool it and use at your leisure.

Almost all bars have a bottle or two of this on hand. I make a batch and stash it on the door of the fridge. It keeps for a long time, and is great to have on hand for spur-of-the-moment cocktail inspiration.

What kind of equipment do I need to make simple syrup?

You’ll need a medium-sized saucepan, a whisk, and a funnel. You’ll also need an empty bottle with a tight-fitting cap or cork to store your syrup once it’s cooled.

I use an old Johnnie Walker Black bottle that I washed out with a little soap and rinsed thoroughly. I like it because the rectangular shape is fairly space efficient in our fridge.

An empty wine bottle—or even a large canning jar—would work well, too. Just make sure it’s clean, and pick a size and shape that won’t get in the way.

Simple Syrup

2 cups granulated white sugar
2 cups water

Put the sugar in a medium-sized saucepan.

Stir the sugar around with a whisk and break up any lumps.

Add the water.

Whisk well to combine.

Set the pot on the stove over high heat. Bring the mixture up to a boil, whisking frequently to dissolve the sugar as the water heats up.

As the water heats up, the sugar will almost completely dissolve.

Before it comes to a boil, you should notice that there are still a few, stray sugar crystals on the bottom of the pot.

Bring the mixture up to a full, rolling boil.

Let the mixture boil, uncovered, for 1 minute.

After a minute, turn the heat off and remove the pan from the heat.

At this point, you can toss in some fresh ginger, orange/lemon peel, cloves, peppercorns, etc. for a flavored syrup, if you like.

Let the syrup cool in the pot, uncovered, until it’s at room temperature.

When the syrup has cooled, you’re ready to bottle it.

If you’ve added any flavorings, fish them out now with a slotted spoon.

Set a funnel in the mouth of a clean bottle.

Carefully pour the syrup through the funnel and into the bottle.

Cap your bottle and pop it into the fridge.

What’s your favorite cocktail?

And how about you? What would you use this stuff for?

Me, I’m partial to an old-fashioned or a gin and tonic (or any kind of jammy red wine). The Angry Chef loves a good kamikaze (equal parts fresh lime juice, triple sec, and vodka).

Now it’s up to you to see what kind of concoction you can whip up. Enjoy! (And cheers!)

Here are some of the best discounts and sales I’ve come across this week.

***
Copyright 2008-2009 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.

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The Tea Drinker’s Handbook

By François-Xavier Delmas, Mathias Minet, and Christine Barbaste
Published by Abbeville Press

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook: Think reading about tea sounds kind of, well, bland?

Think again.

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook is an insightful, educational, and thoroughly delightful read.

I liked it so much, in fact, that it’s earned a place of honor in my library. I keep it on the same shelf as my grandmother’s original Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook from 1950 and the few other books that I refer to most often.

Granted, I’m an avid tea drinker—and have an admitted soft spot for books about food that take a deep dive into a single subject.

This book is one part history lesson, one part art book, and one part practical reference guide. It’s the kind of thing you’ll read for enjoyment, then flip through for inspiration or clarification before you hit the market to pick up some tea.

Maybe it’s the gorgeous photography. (With pictures on every page, this book is ridiculously easy on the eyes.)

Tea plantation in Sri Lanka, from The Tea Drinker’s Handbook, by François-Xavier Delmas, Mathias Minet, and Christine Barbaste, and published by Abbeville Press

Maybe it’s all the tasty bits of information sprinkled through the pages.

There’s a definite art to writing nonfiction in a way that’s compelling and genuine. Authors François-Xavier Delmas, Mathias Minet, and Christine Barbaste have clearly mastered it.

And there’s no doubt that these folks know their tea. They founded Le Palais des Thes, a chain of international tea shops, and have travelled the world for more than 20 years seeking out rare teas.

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook: So what’s inside?

The book takes a really deliberate and methodical route through the winding history, ecology, and mythology of tea.

That said, it’s really easy to read—a surprising and huge plus for a book as packed with facts as this one. The pages are broken up with pictures and call-outs with tips, instructions, and other interesting tidbits.

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook: The front of the book

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook opens with a discussion of tea as a plant. The authors explain where it came from, and how it’s cultivated and harvested, down to the different colors of tea.

(If you’re ever offered a cup of yellow tea, take it as a compliment. Yellow tea is really green or white tea that’s of such exceptional quality that it’s fit to grace an emperor’s teacup.)

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook: The middle of the book

The center section is thick and devoted to how to properly brew tea. Most importantly, it gets into how tea tastes—and why (physiologically) it tastes the way it does.

The authors start with a brief—but very understandable—chemical description of just what happens when tea meets water. They get into brewing time, water quality and temperature, and how to conduct a proper tea tasting.

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook: The back of the book

Now, the authors may have had me at the beginning (roundabout their description of wild and ancient tea trees), but this last section is the reason I’ll keep reaching for this book.

Entitled “The world’s 50 best teas,” the back of the book is a very user friendly reference guide to tea.

It runs through a little bit about tea’s history in China, Taiwan, Japan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka—and then provides in-depth information on 50 different kinds of teas. Each tea gets a page.

All the info I can imagine I’ll ever want on a single type of tea is right here—from alternate names and spellings, to the type of tea and when it’s harvested, to what it tastes like and how to prepare it.

The last few pages include a Tasting Table, which is a chart of brewing times and methods for each tea, for when you just want to look something up quickly.

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook: The Hungry Mouse’s verdict

Honestly, this is an all-around fabulous book. If you’re interested in tea, definitely go have a nibble on this one. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook: Where to get a copy

Order your copy straight from the good folks at Abbeville Press.

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook
By François-Xavier Delmas, Mathias Minet, and Christine Barbaste
ISBN: 978-0-7892-0988-7
240 pages, 200 full color illustrations
cloth binding
$29.95

***
Copyright 2008-2009 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.

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Did you know you can make your own hot chocolate mix?

As in, grind cacao nibs to a fine powder, then mix them with milk and sugar for an out-of-this-world hot chocolate-y experience?

You can. And surprisingly, it’s not that hard. I’m going to show you how. All you need is a bag of cacao nibs, a food processor, and coffee grinder.

How to Make Your Own Hot Chocolate Mix: This article has 3 parts

Part 1: Explains a little about cacao beans and how chocolate is made
Part 2: Shows you how to grind your own hot chocolate powder from cacao nibs
Part 3: Gives you a recipe for turning that hot chocolate powder into a luxurious hot drink

Homemade hot chocolate mix makes a fabulously thoughtful and unique holiday gift for folks you really, really like. Pack some up with a bag of gourmet marshmallows and a pair of nice mugs for a tidy little gift basket.

The final hot chocolate is fragrant with fresh, rich chocolate and flecked with small specks of ground cacao nib.

Here’s my homemade cocoa powder:

How to Make Your Own Hot Chocolate Mix, Part 1: All about the cacao nib

Alright, back up, Mouse. Just what is a cacao nib, anyway?

Cacao nibs are what chocolate is made of. They’re literally little pieces of cacao bean.

For scale, here’s a cacao nib on my fingertip:

Whole cacao beans grow inside cacao pods, like these:

Here’s the inside of the cacao pod. The cacao seeds are encased in white. (Kind of gross looking, I know.)

This video gives a good, if very basic overview, of the whole chocolate-making process—from tree to market.

In recent years, cacao nibs are easier to find in stores, as foodie folks seek them out for cooking and snacking. They’re rich in antioxidents and are a really good dietary source of magnesium.

Hey word nerd, what’s the difference between “cacao” and “cocoa”?

According to Allchocolate.com, the words are kind of used interchangeably at this point.

However, “cacao” generally refers to the bean and plant, while “cocoa” refers to the powder processed from the beans. A quick check on Merriam-Webster seems to bear that out.

OK, moving on.

Part 2: How to grind your own hot cocoa

How to Make Your Own Hot Chocolate Mix: Get to the hot chocolate already

Yep, yep. Here you go. You’ll need to start with a bag of cacao nibs.

I found my 4 oz. bag of Navitas Naturals Organic Raw Cacao Nibs at Whole Foods for $5.45. If you can’t find them in person, Navitas also sells them online.

How to Make Your Own Hot Chocolate Mix: The basic ratio for my hot chocolate mix

My 4 oz. bag of cacao nibs yielded 1 cup of ground cocoa powder.

I use a ratio of 1 part cocoa powder to 2 parts sugar to make my hot chocolate mix. That means that this bag will give me 3 cups of hot chocolate mix.

How to Make Your Own Hot Chocolate Mix: Important tips for grinding

1. In order to reduce the cacao nibs to a powder, you have to grind them a few times—first in a food processor, then in a coffee grinder.
2. Don’t try to grind them to a powder using only a food processor. Trust me. I learned from experience that that’s a great way to burn out the motor in your Cuisinart.
3. When you’re grinding cacao nibs, heat is your enemy. That means that you need to process them fast, before the heat from the motor of your food processor liquifies the fat in the nibs and gums up your blade. If you see this start to happen, stop and wait til your machine cools.

How to Make Your Own Hot Chocolate Mix: Grind your cacao nibs in a food processor

Grab your cacao nibs and put them in the bowl of your food processor.

Pulse the blade for a minute or two to break them up. Your goal is to cut them into much smaller pieces.

Stop when they look about like this:

How to Make Your Own Hot Chocolate Mix: Next, grind your cacao nibs in a coffee grinder

Transfer a few spoons of these smaller cacao nibs to your coffee grinder.

Grind them in the coffee grinder for maybe 15-20 seconds, then take a peek. Keep grinding them in small bursts until they’ve broken down into a powder, like this:

You’ll notice that, while it’s a powder, the pieces are still kind of coarse. That’s just fine. That’s why you’re going to grind them again (and even a third time, if you like) in a few minutes.

Transfer the powder to a bowl.

If there’s any powder stuck in the bottom of your grinder, just knock it loose with a spoon. Repeat this process until you’ve ground all the nibs to a powder.

How to Make Your Own Hot Chocolate Mix: Grind the coarse powder again

When you’re done with this first batch, grind the coarse powder again in the coffee grinder.

You need to do this in stages like this, to keep the cocoa powder from getting too hot, liquifying, then solidifying.

As it is, you should notice that there’s a little bit of solid cocoa powder inside your grinder. Just knock it off with a spoon and grind it back to a powder.

Keep grinding the powder like this until it’s very fine.

When you’re done, you should have about a cup of cocoa powder.

Keep the cocoa powder in an airtight container.

How to Make Your Own Hot Chocolate Mix, Part 3: Homemade hot chocolate recipe

This is my basic hot chocolate recipe. Here are some ideas for embellishing it:

+Add a pinch of ground cinnamon
+Garnish with a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream and top with chocolate shavings
+Add a shot or two of bourbon, Kahlua, or chocolate liquor

Rich and Creamy Homemade Hot Chocolate

3/4 cup whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbls. homemade cocoa powder
2 Tbls. sugar
whipped cream or homemade creme chantilly

Set a medium sized saucepot on the stove over medium heat. Add the milk, cream, and vanilla extract to the pot.

Toss in the cocoa powder and whisk to combine.

Add the sugar.

Whisk to combine. Raise the heat to medium-high to bring to mixture up to a simmer.

Whisk constantly as it cooks. This will keep your milk from scorching and will also incorporate lots of air into your hot chocolate.

Once it starts to bubble, simmer it for a minute or two, whisking all the time. Your finished hot chocolate will most likely have little flecks of cocoa powder floating in it, like this:

These little bits of cocoa powder aren’t hard at all and actually add an extra nice chocolate-y flavor and texture to the hot chocolate. That said, if you aren’t keen on drinking them, you can certainly pour your hot chocolate through a strainer into a mug.

Don’t be fooled by the lighter brown color. This hot chocolate is packed with insanely intense chocolate flavor.

After a minute or two, turn the heat off and take your pot off the burner. You’re ready to serve!

Pour your hot chocolate into a mug.

Top with whipped cream. Serve and enjoy!

***
Copyright 2008-2009 The Hungry Mouse™/Jessica B. Konopa. All rights reserved.

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