Competition time means cappuccino time – steam wands at the ready, homogenization checks in place,ย rosetta wrists steadied, all to add the right dollop of froth to the macch or capp that just might get you on a “Got Milk” ad.
With this in mind, here are two fascinating links on the divine marriage of Mr. Coffee and Madame Milk. From our pal Jim Seven, “Cappuccino and Conflict”, in which Jim explores the curious union of the modern caffe lattรฉ, denouncing anti-milk snobbery and concluding that the latte could be a useful vehicle for coffee culture indoctrination:
Adding milk to coffee is a good thing. ย As much as I am pro-purity in coffee, I am more pro-enjoyment. ย Most people like adding coffee to milk, it adds sweetness and reduces bitterness and intensity.
I canโt help but feel that milk could also be a great vehicle for getting people to explore coffee further.
From Jim’s blog: “Cappuccino In Conflict”
Meanwhile, across the pond at the NYT, Oliver Strand gives us frothy in-depth coverage on the Cortado:
A cortado is a coffee drink that sits at the midway point between a macchiato and a cappuccino. Itโs about four ounces total โ a little less than two ounces of espresso topped with a little more than two ounces of steamed milk โ which makes it strong but small, easy to drink quickly and milky enough to seem indulgent.
Most of all, itโs balanced. You taste the coffee. You taste the milk. And if itโs well crafted โ the milk stretched (steamed for volume) and spun (steamed for temperature and texture) so that it has the tight bubbles of a latte โ itโs deeply satisfying.
Learn more about the Cortado – including where you can find it, and why you may have to order it using a Cracker Jack decoder ring- over at Oliver’s NYT blog.
