Cuban coffee keeps photographer Vanessa Granda energized when she’s back in Miami.

In Miami, coffee reigns supreme. Whenever she is visiting the city where she grew up, Vanessa Granda always makes sure to order a cup, or two. The New York-based photographer, known for her thoughtful fashion editorials and imaginative still-lifes, finds beauty in the everyday, and Cuban coffee is no exception. After all, she learned how to prepare it from her mother—her espresso of choice, Café Bustelo of course. “One thing is certain: you will be offered cafecito anywhere you go,” Granda tells Family Style. ”It is usually served in a humble espresso cup but fills you with a bolt of energy.”
Ingredients
- Ground dark-roast espresso (I like to use the Cuban brand Café Bustelo)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Filtered water
Instructions
- Brew the dark-roast espresso in a moka pot using filtered water.
- Pour the sugar in a dry creamer cup.
- When the first drops of coffee come up from the moka pot, pour those (about 3) along with the sugar in the creamer cup and then let the coffee finish brewing in the moka pot.
- While the coffee is brewing, mix the sugar and the few drops of coffee with a fork rapidly (this keeps the mixture airy) until it is a thick light brown paste.
- Once the coffee is brewed completely, pour the rest in the creamer cup with the sugary paste slowly and stir slowly as well. You want the sugar to become foam and rise to the top.
- Serve in a cute cup, it won't taste the same unless it's cute.