Italy in 30 Seconds
 

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Italy in 30 seconds is a  written shot of espresso to jump start your day the Italian way.

 

With typical Italian sprezzatura, we'll pull a shot of insight and information on Italian culture and living with short 30 second segments (trust me I've timed them).

 

And if you've got some extra time to linger, check out the FROTH section where we'll pour out a little extra.

Brew Time: used as one of the indicators of a good espresso shot;calculated from the time the pump switch is turned on until the moment the pump switch is turned off. The guideline for a proper brewed espresso is between 25 and 30 seconds.

Literary Baristas at Italy in 30 Seconds.com


Editor: Pamela Marasco

pam@cositutti.com

 

Contributors:

Eric Marasco

eric.marasco@proforma.com


What to be a literary or video pod barista? and Express your taste for Italy in 30 sec. contact our editor by e-mail or call 219-629-4496.
A written shot of espresso to inform, excite and encourage you to experience Italy

Today's Brew 

 

Think outside the cup and raise the bar* by using espresso in new and different ways.  Italian chefs like Michael White and Pino Luongo use Italian ingredients in innovative ways to free associate and create dishes that are both traditional and crosscurrent like Luongo's Eggplant Chocolate Mousse or White's slow roasted pork shoulder that pairs traditional Italian ingredients like aceto balsamico, garlic, rosemary and olive oil with Kentucky Bourbon as an overnight food storage bag marinade. 

 

*an espresso machine uses 9 to 10 bars of pressure to force hot water through finely ground coffee when making espresso. A bar is equal to 14.5 PSI, or roughly the pressure of 1 atmosphere.  


Froth  . . . take extra time to linger


Rosiel, a new Italy in 30 Seconds contributor, frothed the following recipe from Giada De Laurentis for Espresso Panna Cotta, usually made plain or topped with a fruit sauce. This one uses instant espresso powder as an ingredient. Rosiel found it to be the perfect way to end an Italian pasta meal on a hot summer day. She served it at a recent dinner party for 4 and still had enough for a Nigella style late night snack. Also if time is short, it was noted that "after 2 and a half hours the panna cotta had chilled just fine". 

 

Espresso Panna Cotta (Giada De Laurentis)

Prep Time: 10 min Inactive Prep Time: 7 hr 0 min. Cook Time: 5 min Level: Easy Serves: 2
 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 3 heaping teaspoons instant espresso powder
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 small white and 1 small dark chocolate bar for garnishing (our  contributor dusted  cacao (cocoa) powder lightly over the top)

Directions

Place the milk in a heavy, small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over and let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Stir over medium heat just until the gelatin dissolves, but the milk does not boil, about 2 minutes. Add the cream, espresso powder, sugar, and salt. Stir over low heat, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Pour the cream mixture into 2 martini glasses, dividing equally. Cover and refrigerate, stirring every 20 minutes during the first hour. Chill until set, at least 6 hours and up to 2 days. When ready to serve, use a vegetable peeler on the chocolate blocks to create about 1 tablespoon each of the white and dark chocolate shavings. Sprinkle the shavings over each panna cotta and serve.

 


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