Make a cappuccino, ghetto style

So, I recently got a copy of Harold McGee’s “On Food and Cooking”. Reading the chapter on milk foams inspired me to make this cappuccino recipe. It wouldn’t fool a Barista, but it looks and tastes better than what you get from a domestic espresso machine with its pathetic steam nozzle.

You will need: A way of making good, strong black coffee, such as a stovetop moka pot, and some ground espresso beans.

Some full fat milk, a jam jar with lid, a microwave oven.

Put the coffee on to brew. When it’s nearly ready, pour about 1 inch of milk into the jar, put the lid on and shake it as hard as you can for about 1 minute. This makes it frothy. Now remove the lid and cook it in the microwave for about 40 seconds on full power, or until it starts to foam up more. This cooks the foam and stabillises it, while making the milk nice and hot, as the steam from an espresso machine would do.

Finally combine the coffee and foamed milk in your favourite mug. You can put the milk in first and pour most of the coffee down the side, and use the last little bit to make a pattern on the foam.