Coffee options

One of the highlights of our post-vaxx, pre-Delta trip to Seattle was getting to enjoy two meals at Moriah's house in the company of her roommates and other assorted guests, including Mom, Brad, and me. The first was a make-your-own pizza night using an Ooni pizza oven, which churns out 12-inch pizzas in about a minute just like at the pizzeria. The second was a brunch, which featured lots of tasty food and our introduction to Vietnamese yogurt coffee (Sua Chua Cafe).

About six weeks after the Seattle trip, Aunt Kelly dipped into her prized stash and sent me a bag of Quarta Caffè for my birthday. Quarta is the brand Grandma Pina favored and stocked up on every summer. It's only made in Lecce and not exported anywhere, as far as I know. In fact, Uncle Bob confirmed in a funny note accompanying the gift that Aunt Kelly is the "sole U.S. importer" of Quarta Caffè, through some mysterious channels only she knows about.

I'm not a big coffee drinker, but it's nice to now have two options to go to when I'm feeling a hankering. The beauty of both Sua Chua Cafe and an espresso made with Quarta is that there's just a little bit of coffee, so I get all the flavor and aroma but not enough of the acid to upset my stomach. Perfect.

 

 

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Vietnamese Yogurt Coffee
(Sua Chua Cafe)

Adapted from Sophie Pham via Delightful Plate (Jan. 3, 2019)

Time: <10 minutes
 

2 tablespoons (~10 grams) Vietnamese ground coffee (such as Trung Nguyen or Café Du Monde)
¼ cup (59 grams/ml) near boiling water (200 degrees), plus 2 tablespoons (30 grams/ml)
8 ounces/227 grams (1 cup) plain yogurt, preferably Greek
2 ounces/57 grams (~3 tablespoons) sweetened condensed milk
crushed ice

    1. Heat up some water in a tea kettle. If you have an electric kettle, set it to 200 degrees.

    2. Place the ground coffee into the brew chamber of a Vietnamese phin filter. Insert the filter press, give it a half turn to even out the coffee, then press down gently.
    3. Place the spreader on top of a tall clear glass. Place the brew chamber (with the filter press still in place) on top of the spreader. Pour 2 tablespoons of hot water into the brew chamber, then wait about 20 seconds for the coffee to expand. Add the remaining ¼ cup of water. Cover the brew chamber with the lid, and let the coffee drip into the glass. If you compacted the grounds with the right amount of pressure, it should take a few minutes—too little pressure and the coffee will drip very quickly into the glass and be under-extracted and sour; too much pressure and the coffee may not drip out of the phin.
    4. Meanwhile, mix the yogurt and sweetened condensed milk in a bowl. Divide between 2 serving glasses.
    5. When the coffee is done brewing, divide between the serving glasses. Add plenty of crushed ice, and serve promptly. Serves 2.

 

 

Moka Pot Coffee

 

Time: <7 minutes

 
    1. Heat up some water in a tea kettle. If you have an electric kettle, set it to 200 degrees. Fill the bottom chamber of the Moka pot with hot water up to the bottom of the release valve; don't cover the valve with water or it won't work in case of a pressure emergency.

    2. Insert the funnel-shaped filter into the bottom chamber. Fill the filter with fine to medium-fine (not super-fine) ground coffee. Level off but don't tamp down.

    3. Carefully screw the top of the pot onto the bottom chamber (which is hot). Set over medium heat, with the handle facing away from the heat so it doesn't get too hot.

    4. When the coffee starts sputtering out with bubbles instead of in a steady stream (it will go about 80% of the way up to the spout), remove from the heat. Pour and serve immediately.