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| A cafecito (with a Hemingway Special chaser). Photo: Erin Meister |
Doesn't the heat make you daydream about being someplace else?
Someplace tropical and friendly, where the heat is part of the romance -- bellying up to a Havana lunch counter, enjoying the languid spinning of a lazy ceiling fan, the cool droplets crawling down the side of a sweating glass, the tinny tenor of cantador Beny Moré. And, naturally, a coffee.
You're thinking, "Coffee?! Who daydreams about coffee while sweat is making tracks down your spine?"
Me, that's who.
Brutal summer days are made for cafecito -- the thick, strong Cuban-style espresso brewed with sugar that's best when belted first thing in the morning. It may look like a regular ol' espresso, but the extra sweet kick might just jump-start your day a little quicker.
A muy tropical cafecito video, after the jump.
While there are different schools of thought about how a true cafecito (or café Cubano) is made, it's unanimous that the recipe calls for plenty of azúcar. But does the sugar go in with the coffee grounds or is it blended postbrew? Is Café Bustelo a requisite ingredient? To con leche or not to con leche? And how much, if any, of that leche should be condensed milk?
I usually like my café straight, no moo-juice chaser -- the sticky sugar and creamy coffee do the trick just fine on their own -- but you also can't go wrong with a sweet, velvety cap of steamed milk, honestly.
Here's a short n' snappy video of how to enjoy this caffeinated Cuban treat without violating any travel restrictions. (Try using fairly dark-roasted coffee to be auténtico):
The logical next step? Perfecting your churros, of course.
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