La Nueva Tradicion Americana [The New American Tradition]

Here is how to make the perfect ‘Café Cubano’

All you need is ‘Café Cubano’ [cuban coffee], ‘azucar’ [sugar], and an espresso maker. Hispanics traditionally use a stove top espresso brewer and a metal cup, however an electric espresso machine works fine.

• 1. Pour ice cold filtered ‘agua’ [water] into the espresso maker.
• 2. Fill the espresso maker with coffee grounds, screw the espresso maker together and place on a hot burner.
• 3. In a cup, add about two teaspoons of ‘azucar’ [sugar] for each serving.
• 4. As the coffee begins to percolate, pour a small amount into the cup with the sugar to moisten the sugar. Rapidly mix the moistened sugar and coffee together until it becomes like a paste.
• 5. Once the coffee is done, pour it slowly into the metal cup while gently mixing it with the crushed sugar paste. If done properly, the sugar paste will create a froth or foam. Mix in the rest of the coffee, and there you go, the perfect cafecito.

Here is how to make the perfect ‘café con leche’ [coffee with milk]:

• 6. Take the coffee you made above and put it in a full cup of hot milk.

Here is how to make the perfect cortadito:

• 7. Take the coffee you made above and put in 2 ounces of hot milk.

It all begins and ends with the ‘café’ [coffee]. If you use Kaña Cuban Coffee you cannot go wrong. ‘Disfruta’ [Enjoy]!