Moka no Mocha

September 28, 2011 • Product • by
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Consider this a summer course on ideal coffee making – quick, requires minimal brain power, but fulfills an important purpose. As any globe-trotters will know, the device shown above and below is responsible for a majority of Europe’s coffee drinking, not to mention a staple in any Italian household.

The Moka, a stove-top espresso maker, is a noteworthy piece of hardware due to it’s simplicity and sheer endurance. I have a love affair with all of my moke, each holding a dear place in my heart after years of tireless brewing. For all readers who quell in light of thunder-strong espresso, fear not! A moka can produce the richest of syrupy espresso, but can also produce a light -albeit strong – coffee depending on grind size and roast. Let’s get to brass tacks:

A Moka has 3 parts and 3 basic steps: 1. Water Basin  2. Grind Portafilter 3. Coffee Chamber

1. Fill the water basin with enough filtered water to reach the steam valve on the side. Do not fill over this level as you risk overheating and improper brewing.

2. Drop the portafilter into place in the water basin and fill to the brim with your finest-ground espresso. Lightly level off but do not tamp down, just clean the edges so the top can safely screw on. Using a coarser grind or lighter roast will brew a much lighter coffee if you’re into that sorta thing.

3. Screw the top portion of the Moka on firmly and put over a burner on high. NOTE: Most Moke have plastic handles. They stay cold so you can handle the coffee, but DO NOT put the handle over your burner unless you want a pool of molten plastic all over your stove.

4. Your Moka is finished brewing when you can hear a light gurgling sound. If you open the lid to see what’s happening be careful, the funnel top likes to spit out steam when it’s finished brewing.

What’s happening inside this marvel of stovetop engineering is basically: Water being heated into steam > Steam traveling thru the grounds > Steam condensing thru funnel into espresso. Or magic.

Once complete, simply pull of the heat and pour into your favorite demitasse or mug. To clean your moka just rinse thoroughly with water and wipe clean with your hands – NO SOAP, NO DISHWASHER. Dry with a paper towel or rag and assemble until next use.

As much as I love a perfectly pulled doppio espresso from a qualified barista, I don’t think anything is as comforting or delicious as a piping-hot mini-mug of caffe’ from my moka. It’s velvety, almost oily in the best possible way, with a clean finish and a slower buzz. I hope this inspires any coffee drinkers out there to jump on ebay, invest $30, and join the club of forever satisfied moka fanatics.

Grapes & Dough

September 26, 2011 • Recipes • by
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Quick recipe for you this Monday morning, Schiacciata Con L’Uva. I fell in love with this Tuscan specialty during harvest time in Firenze, the neighborhood bakeries transforming ripe Chianti grapes into oven-fired baked goods. The following recipe is a variation on my paesano David Rocco‘s, a Fiorentino thru and thru:

Schiacciata Con L’Uva

1 Large Pizza Dough

2 Bunches Black Grapes (darker the better, sans seeds please)

1 Small Handful Sugar

2 Large Sprigs Rosemary

Olive Oil, Salt

Set the oven to 450-475.

Start by rolling your pizza dough out to roughly 1/4″ thick, large enough to cover double the length of your baking tray (a 100+ year old mattarello is ideal, but I guess you could use a regular rolling pin). Oil your baking sheet and lay one half of the dough across the tray, allowing the other half to rest off the tray to later fold on top.

Rinse your grapes and pat dry. Spread 1 bunch of grapes all over the first half of the pizza dough, squeezing and crushing as you smash them into the dough like a UFC fighter. Once they’re evenly spread around, sprinkle on 1 sprig of rosemary, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Fold over the remaining half of the dough and close off the dough at the edges using your preferred technique, I go for the fold and twist but go nuts. Add the remaining grapes and rosemary just like before and top with a generous drizzle of great olive oil and small sprinkle of salt. Finally, top with a small handful of sugar to help brown the top layer and add a touch of sweetness.

Pop in the oven for anywhere from 10-15 minutes, checking once or twice to keep it from bubbling up. If large air bubbles start to form, just score the dough with a knife to release some of the steam.

It lands somewhere between sweet and savory, reminiscent of the best grape jelly and toast ever but with a touch of Italian charm only olive oil and crusty dough could add. We enjoyed this Schiacciata with a tour of wines during a warm and fuzzy wine tasting, but it’s great for anything from antipasto to dessert to breakfast the next morning with a cozy cappuccino schuro. Cheap, fast, and tasty as all get out – my kind of baking.

Paulie’s Spark Notes: 1. Buy Pizza Dough 2. Smash Stuff into Pizza Dough 3. Bake & Devour Pizza Dough 4. Drink Lots of Wine

 

Booze of the Month! – September

September 21, 2011 • Booze of the Month, Recipes • by
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I could use about a dozen of this month’s bevy after spending an hour arguing with my current hosting company about what server will serve me best…guess that’s what you get with a name like NameCheap.com…

It’s been a busy few weeks, as you can tell by my pathetic lack of posts. Hawaii, weddings, selling our house to move downtown, back to back episodes of Dinosaur Revolution. Burning the candle from both ends over here. What I could really use is a stiff drink, and the matrimony of two close friends called for a toast:

The Arnold Palmer. Technically it’s a John Daly the moment you toss in some hooch, but Palmer is the real celebrity. He’s still swinging the club like a champ and I bet it’s because he downs a bakers dozen of these before every 18. Speaking of golfers, my pro-golfer amigo Nemanja wed the beautiful Adrian this past weekend in a misty haze of pure love, umbrellas and smiles everywhere. We retreated to a potter-esque tent to kick start the dance party when a small lady with a giant metal tray handed me today’s drink of choice. A few trays later and we were scream-singing “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” like an afro’d temptation. Hit it:

The Arnold Palmer (or John Daly)

2 Shots Sweet Tea Vodka (or two shots vodka and some iced tea)

Fill the rest of the glass with Fresh Lemonade

As you can see it’s not terribly complicated. Get yourself a mason jar, fill it with ice, add the vodka and top off with fresh lemonade. A squeeze of fresh lemon or some torn mint leaves wouldn’t hurt, but this is one I like to keep really OG, just like Palmer.

A HUGE CONGRATS to the best looking couple I know in real life, Adrian & Nemanja, on an unforgettable wedding and epic honeymoon. Order a round of Palmers for us at the swim up bar and then a few more for good measure.

Ke’e to Hanapepe

September 13, 2011 • Locations • by
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Welcome back to the program everyone! It may have taken me 10 days to break thru this glass cage of emotion I’ve felt since leaving Kaua’i, but at least there are some most righteous stories and photos to share. This 2011 voyage back across the pacific was shorter than any of our previous adventures, a mere 9 days, but we made the most of it and ate our way across a garden island full of unforgettable flavors.

Eating in Hawaii for us means a few things: Having a kitchen, going to the farmers market, shopping at the nearest foodland grocery store, seeking out speciality seafood establishments, and eating mostly on the beach. Really, just try to eat as tho you live on the island and were not visiting from thousands of miles away. It’s cheaper, more convenient, and obviously more memorable. Heed my delicious warning and your trip’s dakine gridz might look something like this:

A first-morning stop to the Hanalei Farmers Market for some fruity essentials like Apple Bananas, Hawaiian Papaya, and Sugarloaf Pineapples along with surprises like Wild Greens, Dragon Fruit and fresh herbs.

The local breakfast of champions: Musubi (spam hand roll) and POG (passion, orange, and guava juice).

Traversing thru the jungle to find ripe Lilikoi Guavas, Grapefruits, Limes, and Mangos.

Ending a morning surf session with Apple Banana Peanut Butter sammys washed down with a washed-up coconut fresh off the beach.

Poke’, raw marinated tuna, for lunch as much as humanly possible.

Adding Vesta to everything, along with some local chiles of volcanic magnitude.

Trying to cool off with ice-cold dragon fruit, subtle but dank.

Grilling up fresh-caught Marlin and Opah (google for a wild picture).

Polishing off case after case of Primo and Hinano, my top 2 beers of all time
(hot chick not included).

Tossing in some hometown favorites like sunset Antipasto followed by Ma’s Anchovy Pasta with leftover Marlin, don’t knock it till you try it.

Venturing out for only the classics: Fish Tacos on Hanalei and Brazilian Stews at Neide’s.

Bringing the Luau to us with Kona-Coffee rubbed slow-roasted pork.

More poke’ of the spicy tuna and mussel variety.

And even more poke’, stopping by the infamous Pono Market of Kapa’a before heading to the airport. Tip, ask for an extra sippy-cup sized POG on the Hawaiian Airlines flight over to Honolulu for a last sip of the tropics. I don’t know why, you just can’t get the stuff back on the mainland…

This is, of course, only a sampling of the gluttonous sampling we devoured on our trip, but hopefully you’ll start to understand how fresh, bright, and island-grown the food of Hawaii is. Why this heaven on earth is so far from Raleigh, I don’t know, but I blame plate tectonics…shifty bastards. Until next time Kaua’i – aloha oe.

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