Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Nespresso Latissima- an evening of dining with Ted Allen, and a look into Espresso

Last week I had the, beyond extreme, pleasure of attending a dinner with Food Network host, and general food guru, Ted Allen hosted by Nespresso US.  I was thrilled to attend, mainly because Ted Allen has been one of my favorite food personalities since Queer Eye For The Straight Guy aired, and I find myself so often agreeing with his opinions.  I was also thrilled to find out more about Nespresso, the company who made it convenient and easy for consumers to make a perfect espresso, or latte or cappuccino at home.  

I was first introduced to Nespresso a few years ago when a chef friend of mine excitedly purchased one.  He raved about how great the espresso was, how easy it was to assemble, clean, and use.  I tried a cup once when visiting and shared his excitement.  I loved the deep rich flavor of the coffee, and was shocked at how good the espresso was, complete with crema, from a simple machine.  I was thrilled to have a chance to revisit Nespresso, learn their secrets and try their coffee again.

Our dinner that evening was paired with several different espressos- a dream come true to a coffee freak like me.  The first course concentrated on naturally sweeter components- a sweet potato cup filled with a parsnip puree and then decorated with a coffee "caviar".  This was paired with the Livanto Grand which was deep and smokey.  The flavors were balanced, creating harmony, and the coffee itself had very little aftertaste.  It was clean and delicious, and when drunk after a bite of the sweet potato - it accentuated the sweetness of the vegetable.  

Our second course, steak with a veal demi ketchup and a cab cake, was accentuated with the currently featured limited edition- Dhjana.  The Dhjana is a blend of beans from a variety of locals including Costa Rica, Brazil, and India- this blend resulted in an extremely bold, full flavor coffee that was perfect to stand up to the big flavors of the steak.  

Finally, we were served a trio of mini desserts, and complimented it with a Decaffeinated espresso- known as Intenso.  I am not a decaf fan.  Normally I find that the flavor that I'm searching for in coffee, that big, bold, wonderfully bitter flavor is missing, or it falls flat.  The Intenso had incredible flavor.  Strong, rich and perfect to pair with sweet desserts such as Vanilla Affagato, a mocha frappe or a pot du creme.  

After dinner was complete, and we were buzzing (literally) on the fantastic coffees, we were given our own Nespresso Latissima machines to bring home with us.  The Latissima is the newest model to join the Nespresso family, offering an easy solution to make espressos, lattes and cappuccinos.  Their unique milk carafe perfectly steams milk and then facilitates the addition of coffee.  The result are creamy, well foamed drinks that pack a punch of flavor.  I have been loving my machine since bringing it home.  I have dipped into my supplies of Nespresso cups and indulged in several espressos and lattes since breaking open the box.  I have been astounded the variations of flavors from the coffees.  Each one has had different notes throughout from smoke to floral, chocolate to spices.  

Everything about the Nespresso Latissima has brought me joy over the past couple of days.  From the ease of setting up, to the excitement of my first cup of espresso, to the relaxation of enjoying a latte at home- it has been a fantastic addition to my kitchen. 

Special THANK YOU to Nespresso for their generous gift- I am so excited to continue to try out all of the coffee capsules!  

6 comments:

Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic said...

What a fun event! I wish I could've met Ted Allen too!

Kristen said...

this dinner looks like so much fun! i wish I could have attended, I love espresso!!

Delicious Dishings said...

Lovely dining with you! I made myself a perfect decaf soy latte tonight. Love my new Nespresso machine!

Michelle Collins said...

I would love to have met Ted Allen - what a great opportunity!

Elizabeth said...

So bummed I didn't make it to this. Cool you got the machine too!

Jen said...

I am not even a fan of coffee, but this event looks like it was so much fun. And how cool is that machine!

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