Snow White - Northern Lights

Iceland seems like one of those far flung places that seems so inaccessible but has been on my list for the natural beauty that is unique to the country. Glaciers, Geysers, Lagoons, it sounds so enchanting and ohh the millions of stars that you see under it's skies at night and of course the amazing northern lights. 

Here is my creation - Icelandic White with Stars. 

Il Caffe

I never used to be a fan of coffee.  Coffee always reminded me of the Jacques Prévert's poem; Déjeuner du matin. Coffee and cigarettes and some tears = not a very happy drink. 

I never felt the urge to drink coffee but everytime I went into a Starbucks with a friend from work and their orders of a skinny, wet, cap, venti - made drinking coffee seem like an announcement that you were a part of some capitalist cult, because face it, how good is a coffee from one of these chains? Not very tempting is it?

No, coffee was not for me. 

Then, I went to Alghero where my friend Roberto took me out for a coffee. I told him about my dislike to coffee and he laughed, showing his perfectly white teeth - which was surprising considering the amount of coffee he drank and cigarettes he smoked. 

Roberto wanted to steer me off my path of coffee hating and explained that in Italy like most things, drinking coffee was an everyday art. You only have cappucino's for breakfast and you won't find skimmed milk that detracts from the flavours of coffee in this country! None of that frappuccino rubbish either!

errr ok signore!

Roberto took me to a cafe and whilst we stood standing at the bar and he simply said "un caffè", (in Italy nobody ever says please/per favore, unless they are asking for a big favour.) there is no need to specify “espresso” when ordering. 

E per la bella Roberto ordered "un Marocchino!!" a “little Moroccan”?? I thought.

Roberto explained some story of this coffee being named because of the colours of the people who brought coffee into Italy, the Moroccans. In some areas of Italy this drink was called an Espressino or Mocacchino, but I was far too busy looking at the creation of this wonderment  to listen to him.



My first ever Marocchino - IT'S AN ADDICTION



Upon drinking this I realised that Coffee and I had begun our love affair and it was going to be lined with floating soft foamy milky clouds, sweet chocolate and an expresso shot. Ohh heaven!