Wanting to jazz up my espresso tonight but not necessarily wanting to steam milk, I shaved two almonds using a cheese grater. After I made the espresso in my aesthetically pleasing but inefficient espresso cup, I spooned the shavings onto the crema. I hoped they would remain on top, and some did, but many of the shavings sank. Nevertheless, it produced a neat little effect and plated the two shaved almonds on the bottom.
While it added some taste to the espresso, it wasn't as big as I thought it would. I am not quite sure if baristas have a name for this, but I thought it was novel.
Have you ever tried to spice up your espresso with something? My next idea is to put a slice of habanero at the bottom to see if the chili heat compliments the espresso. Hmmm?
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