Mitigated Triumph, that is

Ah, the espresso battles are not yet over. Some sort of hidden variable was at play, and I cannot yet with consistency make myself an espresso of which I can be proud.

*sigh*

That said, I think I'm on to something. Our tap water is very cold, and I think that may be influencing the time that it takes for the water to come up to the right temperature for the espresso ooze to do its magic, Bialetti-style. Yesterday afternoon met with more success, as I pre-warmed the water chamber a bit before adding the water. Well, actually, I filled it with near boiling water and then nearly burnt my hand. Yes...aluminum definitely conducts heat very well. I then decided merely "warming" and not raising the pot to scalding temperatures, was sufficient.

Anyways here are the results. I was feeling very continental yesterday, and so added the rolled chocolate wafer and book to my espresso experience. This, my friends, is an espresso macchiato, an espresso "stained" or "marked" with foamed milk. Unlike the latte macchiato, there is little hot milk, so the charm of the drink lies in the concentrated blast of rich, dark espresso. And in the cute white and blue tablecloth...