I grew up in the slums of Hialeah and Sweetwater, located in Miami, Florida. Spanish was my first language, and I was surrounded by both Nicaraguan and Cuban culture. Miami is huge melting pot of different Latino cultures, but the Nicaraguan and Cuban cultures are the two most dominant in the city.
In particular, I remember going to the small Cuban cafes growing up. No matter which one you went to, you would hear the same thing. A bunch of loud-mouthed Latino people complaining about their kids, marriages and jobs, and most of the time you would see a bunch old guys from Cuba in the back dressed in their cheap second-hand suits speaking ill of Castro and exchanging war stories.
Don't get me wrong, I am not speaking ill of my people. This is the heartbeat of Miami. Without the Latino culture in Miami, Miami would not be Miami.
What I loved most about these places is the espresso, so I taught myself how to make espresso when I moved to Southwest Florida.
Before we move on, I want to let you know that my Moka pot is small and it only makes one cup. Trust me one small cup is enough.
Before you attempt this, get a Moka Pot. Amazon has great options (AND CHEAP!).
Step one: Unscrew the Moka Pot, and fill its heating vessel with water. DO NOT FILL PAST THE HEATING VALVE!
Step two: Place the funnel in the heating vessel and fill the funnel with the desired amount of fine ground coffee. I usually put one and a half tablespoons in mine. I found that to be more than enough for one person.
Step three: Screw on the coffee collector, and place the Moka Pot on the stove. Heat the stove up to medium heat. Then have its lid open (it is okay to do this). Keep an eye on the percolating coffee,
Step four: When the coffee collector fills halfway, move the Moka pot to a cool section of the stove. This prevents the coffee from coming out too bitter.
Step five: Close the lid, pour and enjoy that sweet cup of espresso.