While back home in Miami this past summer, I had one of the most exciting opportunities that I FINALLY get to share with you all! Thanks to my awesome friends who did a solid job at hyping up my little blog (lookin' at you Talia and Jake,) I met Jackie -- the powerhouse behind the Little Havana Visitors Center in (you guessed it) Little Havana. Together, we dreamed up the video above to play in Jackie's store and show tourists how to properly prepare a Cuban Espresso and a Cortadito from home! SO FUN!!!
I had such a blast shooting this video in the heart of Little Havana - and that's all thanks to the stellar gals I got to shoot it with! Firstly, the incredible stylist Mileidy, who has such a skilled eye for style and owns every vintage prop your heart could desire. She lent us her home, her time, and her expertise which I still cannot thank her enough for!! And of course, my BFF Talia (the video's coffee making extraordinaire,) who patiently helped every step of the way (and lent us her pretty face, too!)
Find the two recipes featured in this video below - and be sure to stop by the Little Havana Visitors Center next time you're in MIA!!!
I had such a blast shooting this video in the heart of Little Havana - and that's all thanks to the stellar gals I got to shoot it with! Firstly, the incredible stylist Mileidy, who has such a skilled eye for style and owns every vintage prop your heart could desire. She lent us her home, her time, and her expertise which I still cannot thank her enough for!! And of course, my BFF Talia (the video's coffee making extraordinaire,) who patiently helped every step of the way (and lent us her pretty face, too!)
Find the two recipes featured in this video below - and be sure to stop by the Little Havana Visitors Center next time you're in MIA!!!
Cuban Espresso // Cortadito
INGREDIENTS
For the Cuban Espresso...
Water
Ground espresso
2 - 4 tablespoons sugar
For the Cortadito...
Cuban Espresso
Evaporated milk, frothed
DIRECTIONS
1. To begin, fill the bottom half of a traditional Cuban coffee maker with water. Do not fill past the valve! Top with the coffee filter and fill it with ground espresso. (During this step you can pack the grounds tightly if you'd like a stronger brew.) Level off the grounds with the back of a spoon and tightly twist on the top half of the coffee maker.
2. Over medium heat, begin to brew the espresso with the lid of the coffee maker lifted UP. Once the first first few drops are released, take a bit of the espresso and pour it into a bowl with a few tablespoons of sugar. (Use more or less sugar depending on your personal taste!) Quickly close up the lid of the coffee maker and continue to brew the espresso until it's done, (about 3 minutes.)
3. As the espresso finishes brewing, take the sugar and espresso mixture into your hands and whip it together vigorously. After a couple minutes, it will become a thick, pale brown paste that should flow slowly off your spoon, like lava.
4. When the espresso is brewed, carefully pour it over this thick sugar paste and stir until a sweet foam, known as "espumita," rises up to the top. You can serve the Cuban Espresso in small cups, or use it to make a Cortadito!
5. To make a Cortadito, simply mix equal parts Cuban Espresso and canned evaporated milk. Warm and froth the evaporated milk, pour it into the espresso, top with foam, and drink up!
enjoy!