Keeping the Faith - A Giveaway

There have been a lot of twists and turns in my personal life (and in the country at large) this past week. It's times like these that send me looking (running!) for comfort.

Because I'm Cuban, I can usually find my comfort in the kitchen. (Don't judge me.) A fabulous sofrito, a perfect arroz con pollo a la chorrera, or a sweet flan all speak to me of goodness and abundance and home and give me an all-is-right-with-the-world feeling.

However, none of these can compete with the aroma of freshly brewed espresso. It is, to me, the quintessentially Cuban comfort. It speaks of my culture, reminds me of my Papi, and has been the constant in my entire existence on this planet. Too dramatic? Please. I'm having a moment here.

I was delighted that my friends at IMUSA USA have offered to sponsor this week's giveaway. “A buen hora.” (Loose translation: “Perfect timing.”)

An IMUSA Bistro 4 Cup Espresso and Cappuccino Machine and an 4 Cup Espresso Set with Chrome Rack.

UPDATE 11/10/12: The very generous folks at Gaviña Gourmet Coffees are adding a pound of their deliciously Cuban La Llave Espresso to this giveaway package. Gracias, my friends!

Honestly, I've always been partial to the old-school stove-top espresso maker. But this baby now takes pride of place in my kitchen and I'm pleased to report that it's simple enough to operate that I can practically do it in my sleep. (And believe me, most of the time, I'm sleepwalking when I'm making my first cup.)

Eric is in love with the cappuccino feature. He insists that the 3 o'clock hour is mandatory for his afternoon cappuccino. But, then again, he's fully awake and functioning at that hour, but that's not important right now.

For a chance to win BOTH the IMUSA Bistro Espresso Machine and the Espresso Set, please leave a comment on this post. Please answer one or all of the following questions:

• Coffee, tea, espresso, cappuccino?
  
• Do you have a particular hour for your afternoon caffeine pick-me-up?
• Does the aroma of freshly brewing coffee remind you of someone or something special?

For an extra entry, please go "like" IMUSA USA on Facebook and come back and tell me:

• I like IMUSA USA!

I'll choose the winner on Tuesday, November 13th, 2012 at 11 am PST.

“Coffee and love are best when they are hot.”-German proverb

Espresso time! And the winner is...

I was quite pleased as I read the comments on the How to Make Cuban Coffee With Killer Espuma post.

Most of you are of the Old Stovetop School of Cuban Coffee Making Goodness. (Yay!)

And can I just tell you right now how much I love when you tell me about even the minutia of your life? I feel like we're sharing a cafecito at my kitchen table. So thank you all.

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The winner of the Red IMUSA^® Coffee Maker and Red Espresso Cups is:

Aida Nava said...

i'm not ashamed to say this, we fail at making any kind of espuma.. we have a stovetop maker but haven't mastered making anything delicous from it! but if i could get my hands on turkish coffee i'd be happy!

and...

The winner of the IMUSA^® Nine Piece Stainless Steel Espresso Set is

Suzy said...

It's all about being old school. I first learned how to make espumita with my Tia Olimpia. She use to blend her coffee and sugar in one of those weird bottle/glasses that already made shrimp cocktail came in. (Not sure if they had those in Cali, but my guess is probably). Anyway I was always fasinated by the foam that was created in that weird little glass.

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Congratulations to you both! Please shoot me an email with HEY MARTA! I WON STUFF ON YOUR BLOG! in the subject line (so I don't accidentally delete you). Please include your snail mail address so that I can forward to IMUSA^® and they can get your goodies out to you.

I'd like to thank the very generous folks at IMUSA^® for sponsoring this giveaway. And if you thought this one was cool (and it totally was)....they have very generously offered to partner with MBFCF and do some more fabulous giveaways in the next few months, so stay tuned for that.

Check out their fabulous products and visit them online at www.imusausa.com. Or go "like" them on Facebook - they have the best cooking tips every day. Thanks again, IMUSA!

I have lots of giveaways coming up this summer, so please keep checking back in. Seriously, I'm a little overwhelmed with all the coolness I get to share, but that's not important right now.

In the meantime, I hope you're all practicing your Killer Espuma^®.

How to make Cuban coffee with KILLER espuma. You're welcome.

Making Cuban coffee is more art than science.

I think I learned how to make Cuban coffee when I was about 8 years old and able to maneuver in the kitchen without hurting anything. It wasn't just a matter of making the coffee itself, there had to be a frothy topping to that café and just the right amount of sweetness. Of course, like anything else, some people can make it happen with apparently less effort than others. Hence the artistry.

My dad always smelled of a pleasant mix of Vitalis, puros, and Bustelo. If Cuban music is the soundtrack of my life, the aroma of freshly brewed espresso is the fragrance.

Obviously, you can use a fancy espresso machine to get your café made for you at the press of a button. But I'm from the old espresso-maker-on-the-stovetop school of Cuban coffee making.

Why?

Because of the ESPUMA. That's what we call the frothy stuff on top. (I would say "espumita," but the stuff I'm talking about is much more powerful than the diminutive suggests.) Killer Espuma - I should trademark that! - is a matter of personal pride in our family. Today, my daughter, Amy Kikita, who is The Official Family Killer Espuma^® Maker will share her secret for the Perfect Cuban Espresso with Killer Espuma^®.  ;-)

(By the way, she doesn't really talk like that, but that's not important right now.)

In keeping with today's theme of All Things Coffee, I am grateful for the generous folks at IMUSA^® for providing today's fabulous giveaway gifts.

Thing 1) An old-school (of course!) Aluminum Espresso CoffeeMaker in RED. (It's the same as the beautiful red one in the video.) Along with a set of four RED espresso cups & saucers.

Thing 2) A nine piece Stainless Steel Espresso Set. Beautiful, no?

They also have a wonderful and varied line of espresso related items. Check that out right here.

So, for a chance to win one of the two featured prizes above, please leave a comment on this post and answer one or both of the following questions:

• Do you use a new-fangled espresso machine to make your café, or are you an old-school stovetopper, like me?
• Do you like your espresso with Killer Espuma^®?  ;-)

I'll choose 2 winners on Thursday, June 16th at 6 pm Pacific Time.

Thank you, IMUSA^®!

(cross-posted at Babalú blog)