Archive for the ‘holidays’ Category
Seasons Greetings at the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C.
When my mom and I went to Washington, D.C. last year at this time, we went on a bus tour through a local company; part of the scheduled day was to be spent at the United States Botanic Garden.
US Botanic Garden
To be honest, I wasn’t too thrilled about it — how interesting could that possibly be when there was so much else in D.C. that I wanted to see? But it was a rainy, cold, gloomy day, so a little inside time was rather welcome.
Rainy day at Botanic Garden
As it turned out, this was one of the most impressive, awe-inspiring, festive, gorgeous parts of our day. The annual Seasons Greetings exhibit features “Washington landmark buildings all created with plant materials set amidst pathways and pools of blooming poinsettias and other holiday plants (emphasis added).” ALL of what you are about to see was created with plant materials. Simply amazing.
The White House
Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool, & Washington Monument
US Supreme Court; check out detail on this photo on my Flickr set
US Capitol
There was also a special section for children and the young at heart; the exhibit had a decidedly different feel, but again, everything was made with plant materials.
Castle and hot air balloon
One…unique ornament
See lots more photos of the Botanical Garden on my Washington, D.C. Flickr set.
This year’s exhibit will be up until January 2,
so there’s something else you can do in D.C. besides just visiting Union Station.
A Norwegian Christmas at Washington, D.C.’s Union Station
For 14 years counting, the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the people of Norway have given Washington, D.C. officials a 30-foot tree that holds some 8,000 lights and added a decidedly Scandinavian flair to an already gorgeous train station.
Read on...What to Do in New York City for Christmas
If I could do it every year, I would. There’s nothing quite like walking around New York City at Christmastime and just soaking everything in.
Read on...Fall in Philadelphia: Happy Thanksgiving!
Last year at this time, I was in Pennsylvania having Thanksgiving with my family. This year, I’m going to be spending the long weekend in northern Italy with Sara (Ms Adventures in Italy), Diana (A Certain Simplicity and Piemontescapes), and hopefully others I’ve only known virtually until now, but today with last year on my mind, I’d like to share some fall in Philadelphia shots from last November.
These are all taken in the Art Museum/Ben Franklin Parkway area — the area I lived in for five years:
22nd Street fall porch, Philadelphia
Fall display next to Jack's Firehouse on Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia
Wallace Street, Philadelphia -- my old street!
Spring Garden/Fairmount/Art Museum area, Philadelphia
Ben Franklin Parkway and City Hall from steps of Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Free Library, Philadelphia
Logan Circle, Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, and the Sheraton, Philadelphia
Italy's flag on the Ben Franklin Parkway; the rest are in alphabetical order, but Italy's is placed specially so it's adjacent to the Cathedral.
Happy Thanksgiving!
How are you celebrating Thanksgiving this year?
How to Brew Coffee in a Stovetop Moka Pot
Coffee brewing in a stovetop moka pot
Happy National Espresso Day! While the “National” refers to the US (apparently Italy celebrates espresso in April), I say we make it International Espresso Day — and I’m going to help you celebrate by finally doing the post I know some of you have been waiting to see at Bleeding Espresso:
How to Brew Coffee in a Stovetop Moka Pot
First things first. The word “espresso” refers to the way coffee is brewed not to the coffee itself. Espresso is brewed by water that is forced up threw finely ground coffee because of steam pressure; in America especially, “coffee” is generally made in a percolator or via the drip method. The latter actually ends up having a higher concentration of caffeine, while the former tends to be thicker and richer in flavor.
Put another way, espresso is always coffee, but coffee is not always espresso. That said, it is important that if you want to make espresso in a moka pot, you get finely ground (often called “espresso grind”) coffee as other types are too coarse.
Some people might argue that coffee made in a stovetop moka isn’t *really* espresso since it doesn’t tend to create the gorgeous layer of golden brown “crema” on top, but really since it is indeed brewed via pressure coming up from the bottom, it is.
- Parts of a stovetop moka pot
It’s not going to taste exactly like what you get in a bar (remember in Italy, the place where you get coffee is called the “bar”), but quite simply, for many of us in Italy and elsewhere, making this type of coffee at home is just the most cost effective choice — we also find it quite delicious as well.
Where did the moka pot come from?
The moka pot was created by Bialetti and rose to popularity in Italy in the 1930s; the basic design has been copied ever since, and there are also different moka pot looks, so feel free to experiment. Moka pots also come in different cup sizes (ahem), so it’s not uncommon to see several different sizes of moka pots in an Italian house for use with different numbers of guests.
Now, finally, the easy peasy directions for how to brew coffee in a stovetop moka pot:
1. Fill the bottom with fresh, cold water up to the middle of the safety valve; as you can see in this photo, my moka has a line that marks that level in various places around the bottom, which makes it even easier to tell where to fill to.
Bottom of moka pot filled with water.
2. Put the basket in the bottom, and spoon in the coffee. This part you can experiment with, depending on how strong you like your coffee. As you can see, we like ours pretty strong, but you can fill yours considerably less — the most important thing to remember is not to pack it down.
Basket really full of coffee.
3. Screw the top onto the bottom creating a super-tight seal. I use a towel for extra traction to really get that last turn tight. Then put the pot on the stove on low heat.
Moka pot on low heat.
4. The top part of the moka will begin to fill with coffee. When you start to hear the sputter and gurgle of the coffee, remove it from the heat. P.S. Don’t lift the lid as I did for the sake of photos. There is very hot coffee spurting out of there, and it doesn’t care what’s in its way.
Coffee just about ready.
5. Serve hot, with or without sugar, with or without steamed milk, just however you like it.
Steaming cup of espresso made in a stovetop moka pot.
When cleaning the moka, I have been told to never use any kind of detergent on it at all, so I don’t (just hot water and my hands). I have seen recommendations online to use a mild detergent, but I’m going to stick with what the locals here tell me. I do, however, take a scouring pad to my moka pot now and again to keep it looking mildly shiny, but as you can see from the photos, mine isn’t exactly new.
Ah, and that’s another thing about using a moka pot — throw out at least the first batch of coffee made by it, possibly even two or three batches. The flavor is just going to keep getting better the more you use it, so if your pot starts experiencing problems (the coffee is leaking out the sides at the seal or the top part isn’t filling up with coffee), I’d say to change the rubber ring that creates the seal. The replacement ring costs 15 cents (here at least), and it’s well worth a try before you start over with a new moka pot IMHO.
How do you drink your espresso?
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
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