How to make a Cappuccino in just five steps.

These days, making your favourite espresso, cappuccino or favorite latte does not mean you have to spend too much money going out or investing too much money buying an expensive machine. There are some affordable options available. I want to show you one of those; The 4 cup Imusa Cappuccino/Espresso maker.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sJ-p7LeDiw

About Cafe Espresso

The term espresso refers not to a different variety of coffee bean or a specific roasting style, but to a method of preparation. In Italian, espresso means just what it sounds like, “express”. The name reflects the intentions of the Italian creators, which was actually save time. But they soon discovered that this invented machine in 1901 that brewed single, super concentrated servings of the beverage as quickly as possible using steam pressure, was more than a time saver; it was a potent one-ounce distillate of the best the bean had to offer. At the end of the day what we are looking for is to make coffee taste as good as fresh roasted and ground coffee smells. And espresso is certainly the best method for doing so, because the short brewing time pulls the best flavours out and leave the negatives behind. Done well, the process yields a syrupy, naturally sweet elixir, with flavours so intense that they linger in the mouth for as long as 20 minutes after drinking. Done poorly, it produces an astringent, off-tasting fluid that has to be buried under heaps of sugar and a cupful of milk.

How coffee improves your life

What Coffee Can Do:
1. Improves mental performance.
2. Boosts physical energy.
3. Elevates and improves mood.

How it works

Researchers at MIT found that "caffeine is a mind-accelerating mood booster". It increases mental performance, stimulates reaction time, attention spam, concentration and acuity with numbers.
Caffeine moves to your brain fast,with 20 to 30 minutes and lasts up to 6 hours;Studies show that cyclists pedaled 7% harder and lasted in competition 20% longer after taking caffeine.
One tip; if you want to beat fatigue and boost your energy, drink your coffee before your meal.
Enjoy!

Coffee, my every morning partner.

Next to military arms and oil, coffee is the largest commodity based industry in the world, it is consumed by 81% of Canadians and is the 2nd most popular drink in the world next to tap water.

There are two primary species of coffee beans produced around the world.
Arabica beans which represents 70% of the world's coffee products and are grown at altitudes over 2,000 feet above sea level. Arabica beans produce a higher quality more flavorful and aromatic coffee with approximately half the caffeine content of the Robusta bean.
Robusta beans are grown at altitudes under 2,000 feet above sea level and are easier to grow. The coffee bushes produce higher crop yields and are more disease resistant

Now, from the average coffee consumer's view point, I have seen a very good evolution of the coffee market in terms of the available quality. Not long ago we were basically drinking stale coffee, not to mention that most of that surely was Robusta. Nowadays, we can get at almost any local store premium Arabica coffees recently roasted, which means freshness and taste. On the other hand, there are many good Coffee Shops where to go to enjoy a real specialty coffee (lattes, Cappuccinos, Espressos, etc). Now, the coffee drinkers are going one step further in order to guarantee a superior quality; We are roasting our own coffee at home. Yes, we know that coffee tastes sweet and smooth when consumed soon after roasting. The taste becomes harsh and bitter as it stales because the oils in the roasted coffee go rancid. Since more than 50% of the coffee sold at supermarkets is stale coffee, we could say that most people have never tasted truly fresh coffee.

Can we roast coffee at home? Yes!
Home roasting is the process of roasting green coffee beans on a small scale for personal consumption. Personal roasting of coffee has been practiced for centuries, and has utilized numerous methods of roasting the beans such as heating over fire coals, roasting in cast iron pans, and rotating iron drums over a fire or coal bed. Until World War I it was more common to roast coffee at home than to buy pre-roasted coffee. During the 20th century, commercial coffee roasting companies became common, and with the creation of instant coffee in 1901, home-roasting decreased.
In recent years, an increasing number of people have returned to home-roasting of coffee to get the freshest possible coffee with flavor and aroma undiminished by storage.

Empanadas

The name comes from the spanish verb "empanar", meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Usually the Empanada is made by folding a thin circular-shaped dough patty over the stuffing, creating its typical semicircular shape. It can be fried or baked and the filling can be almost everything you want like beef, pork, chicken, potato, rice, cheese, spinach, etc.

There are many different types of empanadas, almost every region has its own version and taste.

I love the versatility of this type of ready-to-go-meal, you may keep some in your freezer that would be very useful when you are in a rush or you have unexpected guests or simply there is no time to cook.

This food is as healthy as you want, I mean, depends on the ingredients you use and the type of preparation. My favorite is the vegetarian type of baked feta and spinach.

If you want to enjoy this delicious typical Latin American food, you may do it by yourself, just ask me for the recipe and I will send it to you, or simply go to the nearest supermarket and get some.

Enjoy!