Clocks, table setting and traditional Italian coffee

Clocks
Have I mentioned that all the Italian clocks are 24 hr. military style? Takes a bit of getting used to.

Table setting
Here are the utensils we have in the apartment, 8 place settings. The tiny spoons are used for the little Italian coffee, and also for yogurt or custard desserts. The long handled spoons are similar to an iced tea spoon, and the large spoons I guess are soup spoons, although I don't see much soup on the menus here. Nothing that is the equivalent of our typical teaspoon in the US.

Traditional Italian Coffee

Now we will make traditional Italian coffee. I have two pots in the apartment, a stove top version you will see here, and an electric version I haven't tried yet.

First you place water in the bottom of the pot up to just below the rim. Do not over fill or you will have "explosive coffee" which is the joke with me and my friend because the first time she was teaching me to make this coffee, she over filled it and it spewed everywhere. We had a good laugh and decided she was teaching me what NOT to do.

Then you will place the basket in the bottom and fill with coffee, loosely, do not pack but mound it up like Vesuvius.

Many types of Kimbo are available

Kimbo is the best coffee here (kind of like Tully's in Seattle) with Illy running a close second.

Ready for the stove

Place the coffee on the stove top and put on gentle heat. When it starts to boil (steam comes out the spout), it is done. Pour some into a little cup, add either a little sugar or a little milk, or both, and now you have traditional coffee.