COFFEE - Cafe Cubano by Maggie

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If memory serves me right, it was August of 1992 when I first encountered Cafe Cubano. It was directly after Hurricane Andrew had savaged south Florida. I couldn't comprehend at the time why all these frazzled Floridians were crouching on their front lawns, teetering over tiny coffeepots. My Pop explained they were making Cuban Coffee, and although that meant nothing to me, it was clearly providing them solace in a time of great distress.

While watching my sister's gymnastics practice last Tuesday, a saintly woman named Maggie dropped by and whipped up a batch of Cafe Cubano for the waiting parents and for the coaches. I leapt at the opportunity to try it, having become a saddo caffeine dependent thanks to the workerbee pace at WorMar.

It was heavenly! Essentially a shot of Cuban espresso mixed with sugar, it was flavorful, mildly sweet and not as punishing as knocking back a shot of the black stuff. I immediately began a serious fiend for my next shot.

Miami is not a dense city, and South Dade in particular seems to be an endless stretch of poorly maintained streets and kids wearing "Arabs" (those dresslike extra-long t-shirts the youth are wearing these days). As we drove around to various air-conditioned destinations in our air-conditioned supatruck, I scanned for any place that might sell Cafe Cubano. Taco stands? Supermarkets? Reptile shop? I struck out more often than I did in college.

I knew that today was Alexandra's last practice of the week and I sacreligiously prayed for another shot at a shot. Maggie somehow entered the building without setting off my trip alarm, but when I saw her stationed at the coffeemaker, I moved in for the kill. Not only did I want a shot (PLEASE), I was wondering if she'd show me how to make it. I slugged back a thimbleful of sweet Cuban nectar and then tried my jittery hand at brewing a pot myself. I emerged victorious. I hastily transcribed the instructions and then stuttered and jabbered at my family in a excited, semi-lobotomized manner for the next hour. My gift to you:

CAFE CUBANO ALA MAGGIE

1. Take TWO heaping tablespoons of Cuban Coffee (ie Cafe Bustelo). Tamp them down into the espresso machine ice-cream scoop thing.
2. Fill the pot up to the line for 4 cups. I can't concieve of a need to only make one or two demitasse cups of this spellbinding dreamdrink. Pour it into the machine.
3. Lock in the scoop and get it brewing.
4. Meanwhile, dump TWO AND A HALF normal tablespoons of sugar (or organic evaporated cane juice for my Berkeley homies) into the sexy little pitcher.
5. As the first drips come through, catch them in the sugar filled pitcher. Catch just enough to allow you to stir the sugar into a fine tan paste.
6. Swing the pot back under the coffeemaker and stir the sugar-espresso mix VIGOROUSLY until it is totally mixed and chunk-free (but not Crunk-free).
7. After the espresso's brewed and dripped and stuff, pour about a half of it into the pitcher and stir until the sugar is totally dissolved.
8. Pour the rest of the espresso into the the pitcher and start doling out the shots until everyone's gone commie.

YES!

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Comments

[anonymous]

One for the Bear, one for me.
I immediatly went and tried to make this and it was delicious. The bear looks a little smug me thinks. Perhaps it hasn't tried the Cubano yet? - Mr. NA Marchi

[NinjaWadzi]

Damn
I want some. I just got an espresso machine for my apartment. It has to happen.

[claudia]

cafe cubano
Welcome to my world. Once I tried I was addicted to even the smell of cuban cafe.