Alongside and connected to the rise of Italian fascism came a revolution in the drinking habits of the Italian public. It might sound peculiar, but what has become known as THE Italian way to brew coffee in the home, Moka Pot (or Stovetop Espresso) Brewing is linked to the social, technological, and economic changes that […]
Yellow Coat: Two Coffee Paintings Tell a Short Story
The tattered yellow coat still keeps me warm in the winter. Maybe it’s not the coat…but the freshly brewed coffee that provides the warmth. Or perhaps the memories. For a half-century, this coat, now draped heavily on my shoulders, has embraced me. The poster Victoria Arduino by Leonetto Cappiello (1922) In the early days, after […]
Coffee In Israel
In a recent article in the Jerusalem Post, the Israeli English Language daily, Herb Keinon writes about “Culture in a Cup”, the growth of coffee shop culture in Israel during the past five years. During the 1940s and ’50s, Israel (a young country now only 52 years old) used to have coffee shops that had […]
Ceramics and Coffee: The Italian Way!
Only after an Italian puts their hands on a craft could it gain worldwide fame and be considered an art. We coffee lovers might connect this statement to the art of coffee roasting and making espresso, but, quoted from virtualitalia.com (site down – MAY 2011), it refers to the ceramic style Majolica (maiolica) that flourished […]
Saul Bellow: Coffee Achiever
Elitism and Democracy: Coffee in the Life and Literature of Saul Bellow The fine line between coffee aficionado and coffee snob is finer than that which divides a perfect espresso from one over-extracted. Coffee lovers may be a truck driver on the highway in need of an invigorating drink or someone with a love for […]
The Zassenhaus Manual Coffee Grinder
Would You Drink A Beer that Was Opened a Week Ago? Imagine walking into a supermarket on a hot summer day and picking up two six-packs of beer (or cola for you caffeine addicts) to last you the next week (or so). Now, when you get to the checkout counter you have a great idea. […]