Really more of a Cafe au Lait, but feel free to pull a shot or two rather than use brewed coffee. I am a minimalist as far as possessions go, so I don't care to own an espresso machine.
.5 cup unsweetened soy milk (or dairy milk of choice)
.5 or 1 serving protein powder of choice (I am a Genisoy fan, use what you like)
2 T canned pumpkin
Pumpkin pie spice
.25 t Vanilla (can skip if you used a vanilla protein powder)
strong coffee
Your sweetener of choice (half a banana works well if the carbs are okay for you at this point in time)
Blend it up.
If I want this hot, I heat the soy milk & use hot coffee. If I want it cold, I use frozen pumpkin rather than add ice cubes because my (minimalist) blender is a piece of crap & does not blend ice well.
In my opinion, way tastier than the *$ version (although I love my *$), and made with real food instead of pumpkin flavored syrup.
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This is my first post. Briefly: I am a big soy fan. I eat fish but no meat. I do this for ethical reasons and I am very unlikely ever to change that opinion. I am not here to vegify everyone, okay? Feel free to use whey, egg, rice, or beetle protein.
You could get a Moka pot. They are small and allow you to make espresso. Like french press sized.
How do you use the banana for a sweetner in the coffee?
__________________ 2009: No races, No times. Slow year. So, now you're 96 cals short. You're now in starvation mode. Doomed. - LostDog
Blog entry: November 1, 2009, Pancakes LiveSTRONG daily plate log
You could get a Moka pot. They are small and allow you to make espresso. Like french press sized.
How do you use the banana for a sweetner in the coffee?
I use a Moka pot. Just did not feel like getting into the technicalities of coffee. I'm actually SUPER snobby about it and it has to be roasted within the past week. I use the Moka pot because it is so forgiving as far as the grind goes and I have yet to buy the $400 grinder that is really a necessity if you want decent espresso. I probably never will, because I like the freedom of not owning many things.
The Moka pot is not real espresso, it is it's own brewing method, and a personal favorite of mine. Second only to real espresso in my book.
You wish you had not gotten me started, don't you?
To use the banana as sweetener, blend it with the milk before heating, with the whole concoction if you have a blender that does not explode with hot stuff in it (mine does), or if you are trying this cold, use a frozen banana half & frozen pumpkin.
__________________ 2009: No races, No times. Slow year. So, now you're 96 cals short. You're now in starvation mode. Doomed. - LostDog
Blog entry: November 1, 2009, Pancakes LiveSTRONG daily plate log
Be prepared for some serious nerds. Most people will look at the discussion there any say "those people are crazy, the *tamp* can't be that important." Please try to keep an open mind and remember that many people believe that women will get too bulky if they lift weights. Also feel free to find that much coffee discussion way too tedious to waste much of your life on.
A lot of people call Moka pots "stovetop espresso" pots. I have a Brikka, which comes pretty close to espresso. The "Confessions of a Brikka Lover" thread on coffeegeek is 91 pages long.
The short answer is: I consider real espresso to be "real espresso." Moka pot coffee is Moka pot coffee. I personally like it and brew it every day. But it's not espresso. Espresso has a thick layer of crema and is almost sweet.
I guess I consider it essentially a very fine grind, hot water and high pressure. I am aware of the existence of crema, but doubt of the ease of it's production or that it not forming means we have not created espresso. I guess I am not as much of a snob.
Perhaps the moka does not apply enough pressure for some people's liking, I have never used one in all honesty. I do feel however that they would be absolutely fine for most people wanting to make espresso, or something similar in your books.
I'll stick with my french press and only be half a coffee snob
__________________ 2009: No races, No times. Slow year. So, now you're 96 cals short. You're now in starvation mode. Doomed. - LostDog
Blog entry: November 1, 2009, Pancakes LiveSTRONG daily plate log
My point is that there is a technical definition of espresso, and Moka pot coffee does not fit the definition. But I personally love Moka pot coffee and drink it almost every day.
I was mostly covering my ass in case a real coffee snob came along and nailed me for calling this concoction a latte.
Maybe there are not too many coffee snobs here. They tend to get really upset if you make anything but straight espresso after 10:00 am and with anything but whole milk, too.
My point is that there is a technical definition of espresso, and Moka pot coffee does not fit the definition. But I personally love Moka pot coffee and drink it almost every day.
And my point was that I consider the technical definition for espresso to be a very fine grind coffee brewed by passing hot water through it under high pressure. Which a Moka pot does do, unless I totally do not understand how moka pots work.
__________________ 2009: No races, No times. Slow year. So, now you're 96 cals short. You're now in starvation mode. Doomed. - LostDog
Blog entry: November 1, 2009, Pancakes LiveSTRONG daily plate log
You can come up with your own definition of espresso if you want to. I'm not the coffee police.
I didn't "come up" with it though. It's pretty much how it is defined numerous places. Since you have a different definition, I was simply curious as to what it was without having to go to another forum.
If I am coming across as trying to get in the last word, that is not my intention, I have a genuine interest in the stuff, maybe not enough to be on a coffee forum, but I am still interested.
__________________ 2009: No races, No times. Slow year. So, now you're 96 cals short. You're now in starvation mode. Doomed. - LostDog
Blog entry: November 1, 2009, Pancakes LiveSTRONG daily plate log
Coffee Geek is a lot of fun. Here is what I learned there. American style brewed coffee should be brewed at 200 degrees, this will give you a pot of coffe at about 180. It is still too hot to drink, your mouth really does not get good flavors until its down to at least 160. An intereresting experiment is to note the flavor changes as your coffee cools down. I no longer order my coffee extra hot when I go to Starbucks. Not often.
ps - lynety - as a real minimalist you might be able to leave out the 2 Ts of pumpkin
My point is that there is a technical definition of espresso, and Moka pot coffee does not fit the definition. But I personally love Moka pot coffee and drink it almost every day.
I was mostly covering my ass in case a real coffee snob came along and nailed me for calling this concoction a latte.
Maybe there are not too many coffee snobs here. They tend to get really upset if you make anything but straight espresso after 10:00 am and with anything but whole milk, too.
Espresso is a very fine grind of coffee. Find it in the coffee aisle in any grocery store. I do not know if a specific bean is used, but I would think so. Espresso is used to make many coffee drinks because it is a very strong, rich coffee and can tolerate added ingredients without tasting diluted.
I didn't "come up" with it though. It's pretty much how it is defined numerous places. Since you have a different definition, I was simply curious as to what it was without having to go to another forum.
If I am coming across as trying to get in the last word, that is not my intention, I have a genuine interest in the stuff, maybe not enough to be on a coffee forum, but I am still interested.
I wrote this above but thought I'd copy here:
Espresso is a very fine grind of coffee. Find it in the coffee aisle in any grocery store. I do not know if a specific bean is used, but I would think so. Espresso is used to make many coffee drinks because it is a very strong, rich coffee and can tolerate added ingredients without tasting diluted.
(I used half of a medium banana, 56g, and it was too much.. was more like a shake than a latte).
Blend everything really good, and pass it through a fine sieve, if you don't like little tiny bits of banana in your latte..
Microwave it before drinking, then top with foam (if you have an espresso maker.. I used it to make the coffee.. double shot), and some more pumpkin spice..
Pumpkin Spice Latte
It probably tastes so yummy with real pumpkin too...
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