Make coffee in a caffettiera

11. Perfect making coffee in our caffettiera (stove top coffee maker). I love the idea - very 

continental, but I am a little afraid of it in practice.

As I mentioned, I watched Woody Allen's latest movie To Rome with Love on Saturday night. Despite my love for both Woody and Ellen Page, the movie was pretty bad. The writing was bad, the plot was kind of lame and the acting was only okay. I actually watched Annie Hall yesterday to remind myself why I love Woody Allen. It worked.

During the movie one of the characters makes espresso in a caffettiera, which reminded me about my to do list, and its looming deadline. So on Sunday morning while Jeff slept and Violet watched cartoons, I dug out our stove top coffee maker (thank you Sangster family) and gave it a whirl.

After having made coffee in our caffettiera I feel a little sheepish for having it on my list. It is ridiculously easy. You fill up the bottom with water, fill up the filter with coffee (being careful not to pack it tightly), and then pop it on the stove. The coffee was strong, but good. I used regular coffee, but I think you are supposed to use espresso.

The reason I had this item on my list is because I had a little run in with a caffettiera about five years ago. I don't know if I didn't screw it together tightly enough, or if I filled the water up past the steam valve or if I packed the coffee too tightly, but the whole thing exploded in my kitchen. Thankfully I wasn't close to it, but there were literally espresso grounds on the ceiling. It was kind of scary; that is a lot of hot coffee to be spraying around a bachelor apartment!

I also decided to make a baked pancake for Jeff and Vi. It was so easy and a nice break from standing at the stove flipping pancakes for half an hour. (Just preheat oven to 425.  1/2 C milk, 1/2 C flour, 2 eggs beaten, dash salt, dash cinnamon. Beat. Melt 1 TBSP butter in a pie plate, add batter to hot butter bake for 10-12 minutes.) The pancake was a little heavier than I thought it would be. I think maybe a TBSP of butter is too much? It tasted quite like French toast.

Have you ever made a baked pancake? Do you know a fluffier recipe?

Violet was very disappointed when she saw what I had done. There were tears. Once she smothered her breakfast in both syrup and "unhealthy" peanut butter (a rare treat) she found it palatable, but asked me never to make it again. Jeff either liked it more, or is wiser than an almost four year old ;)

I honestly liked it!

So, one more thing off my list, the remaining items (e.g., read Dickens) are a unfortunately a little more involved!

Happy Monday!

xo

Em

{baked pancakes -- quick french toast?}

{someone really wanted "regular" pancakes!}