Caffeine California Style

While in California I ordered a Decaf Ultimate Vanilla Ice Blended Coffee with chocolate covered espresso beans and no sugar added. When did coffee get so complicated? Sometimes I just have to laugh at people's orders. Can't anyone just order a coffee anymore? The price of these complicated drinks is no laughing matter, though. This baby set me back about $4.50 and that was for the small. But I was on vacation and threw caution to the wind. I don't think that all these coffee house drinks would sell quite so well if they called them what the really are which is milkshakes with caffeine. Coffee sounds like something you can consume everyday without guilt. But it doesn't seem right to order a milkshake on the way to work everyday, even if it is non-fat, decaf, no sugar added.

Tiramisu Part 2 - My Little Mocha

My friend Vyd has lived abroad several times including a stint in Italy. She is always great about sending little gifts from the places she visits. The Mocha(or Moka) was one of these gifts(although not the Mocha pictured - this is one I got at IKEA - I let someone borrow the original). The Mocha is a small personal espresso maker with 3 sections. The bottom section is filled with water. The middle section is packed with finely ground espresso and then you screw on the top and put it on the burner on Medium-Low. As the water heats up it passes through the espresso and into the top section. It is essentially a tiny percolator. You know it is done when it stops making noise. It makes about enough for one large espresso or Latte. You have to be a little careful not to put the heat too high or let it go too long or the espresso gets a burnt taste.

I used the Mocha to make espresso for my Tiramisu. And I have to be honest here. I just use finely ground regular coffee in my Mocha. It seems to work just fine. I used about 3 Mochas worth of espresso for this recipe.