How to make the real Italian coffee with a moka pot

I've fallen in love with Italy ages ago and have been there ages ago as well as already previously explored how Italians drink coffee and why there's not Starbucks in Italy. However, this time I wanted to explore more about moka express pots.

When it comes to coffee, there are hundreds of different machines and ways to brew at home, yet I still use a machine first introduced 80 years ago. I've seen this pot in real Italian houses, hence, I've purchased this myself as well as bought it as a gift to my coffee lovers friends.

It’s estimated that 9/10 of Italian households own this device and it’s also very popular throughout the rest of Europe and Latin America. The craftsmanship and design is simple, efficient and affordable. I’m talking about the Bialetti Moka Express.

Coca-Cola Happiness Table

This time they move to Italy, Naples to be precise, where an ordinary delivery truck transforms into a happiness table in a small square. This happiness table is run by famous chef Simone Rugiati who is asking people to eat together more often, as families are doing it less and less due to the fast tempo the modern world has.

I just hope that this time this 'happines' table is not fake as well and all these people were not just hired for an awesome video. I hope they really did it. But after London fake machines I imagine that this is fake as well. But the video and the concept are awesome :) Enjoy!

Coca-Cola launched a new app on Facebook for this occasion where you can invite your friends to come over for a meal with three different foodie ambassadors to choose from to deliver your invitation. Moreover, you can find great recipes, and read amazing facts on the benefits of sharing mealtimes.

Cannes Film Lions 2012

Grand Prix

Back to the Start

Back to the Start depicts the life of a farmer as he slowly turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future. The soundtrack of the short film is Coldplay's haunting classic 'The Scientist' as performed by country music legend Willie Nelson. Both the film and the soundtrack were commissioned by Chipotle to emphasize the importance of developing a sustainable food system.

Golden Lions

 DIPS DESPERADO 

Cannes Promo and Activation Lions 2012

Some may already have noticed, that I try to post here creative ideas from different countries. So far I have covered Argentina, Australia, Belgium,  Brazil, China, France, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Netherlands, Sweden.

Cannes Lions is always interesting to follow. Let's take an example of promo and activation Lions winners.

The Gran Prix got USA - American Express - Small business gets an official day (lets have a look at it first)

But the attention I would like to focus on is on the Gold winners, because among them u can see Brazil, Belgium, Italy, Australia, Netherlands (where the focus of this post will be) as well as Tunisia, South Korea, Germany and New Zealand. If you want to see the last 4 countries - go to the Cannes official website to see the examples.



So. Brazil.
Among the gold winners - Sprite Shower and Recipe Receipt campaigns. So interesting that I posted in this blog about the both campaigns :) But in this post I will remind you about them.

Sprite Shower

IKEA toilet during Milan Design Fair

IKEA has this very nice tradition of creatively using space in order to promote their brand and products, and they didn’t do differently this time: at the Milan Design Fair they brilliantly used a place that they knew every human being at the expo will reluctantly come to sooner or later (a chemical toilet) as a doorway to a much bigger, better and more comfortable 20 square meter bathroom, all furnished in IKEA, yet again showing how expanding space is almost always possible with them.

Not only is this a very creative idea, it also scores extra points with the customers, as this little promotion surely won’t be forgotten by the people that reconciled with the fact that they are about to use one of the most awful objects you could use, and instead stepped in to this spa like heaven (compared to the portable toilet). As the video says, It was a real (s)hit.

Why Starbucks is not present in Italy?

When Starbucks was asked why they didn't have stores in Italy the answer was, "Italians aren't used to waiting more than 30 seconds for a cappuccino." This is true, but the better answer is more complicated than that. In Starbucks' nations an Italian coffee bar is a novelty. It's not truly part of American, or British or Swiss culture. It's a foreign concept, like a Thai restaurant. In Italy the coffee bar is daily life and always has been. The coffee bar is for everybody.

But it's true, Starbucks is not an Italian bar. The departure point was Italian but the end result is purely American. Even though they use Italian words to describe their coffees what is served is unmistakably American, from the taste of the coffee itself to the consistency of the foam of steamed milk. And the size is important. It must be small. When it's small you taste the coffee. It must be of a temperature that's ready to drink—Italians won't stand there and stir their cup cool with a narrow plastic stick for ten minutes. Even a caffe latte is small—little more than twice the amount of milk of a cappuccino. The Starbucks item called a "venti" does not exist and Italians can't help but chuckle when they see it.