I was in Ft. Lauderdale for a job interview last year and during one of the dinners, I happened on a Cuban-style coffee called, Cafe con Leche or something like that.

Does anyone know how it is made? It tastes sooo much better than regular coffee, milk & sugar.

um... I might be a little ignorant, but cafe con leche literally means "coffee with milk." You probably already knew that, but now I'm interested on what they do differently!

I believe it's espresso with cream which makes it taste really rich and yummy...

But not just any espresso. You must use either Bustello or Pilon brands of coffee (can be found in ethnic/spanish section of your local grocery store). Pour in 1-2 shots of "spanish" espresso in 6 oz warmed evaporated milk, add a little sugar, if ya like it real sweet and voila, cafe con leche!

rrr

Evaporated milk! Ahhhhhh!

I knew what I tasted wasn't "milk" milk. It tasted richer and fuller, even better than half&half.

Thanks rrr!

sounds tasty!

How is that different - or not - from cafe au lait?

Sure thing Ming LOVE my cafe con leche.

Dreamer2~~I'm thinking it's the brand of espresso they use and they prob. don't use evaporated milk for the "au lait" part. Not sure though, but it is different. Totally different taste.....

Cafe au lait is just warmed milk. For Cuban, it is evaporated milk or condensed milk?

It helps to drink this on a beach with a palm tree in sight
I have been longing for some good Cuban food but Jacksonville Fl is too far away from Miami or Tampa.
mingtsainy, did you get the job?
Good luck!

Is it called a cortado or a cortadito? Espresso "cut" with heated half and half and served in a shot glass or little cup. I think it's also called a garroto in Portuguese. Anyway, it's a great way to fuel up on caffeine.

In Tampa, cuban cafe con leche is steamed milk with espresso. My friend's mom, who was of Spanish descent but born in West Tampa, a latin community, makes it the way her spanish mother did (and the way most Tampa cubans make it). You put non-fat milk in a metal saucepan, turn the burner low and let it simmer without boiling. It will get a skin on the top. Pour the milk into a cup then add espresso and sugar. Voila -- cafe con leche.

I´m from Brazil and cafe con leche (here is cafe com leite) is coffee and milk and it´s what we have for breakfast. The coffee here is different from american or expresso. Maybe is the proportion between coffee and water. In some coffee shops when you ask for cafe com leite it´s coffee with milk that comes from a machine that blows the milk forming some bubbles and it´s quite good.
So, basically, cafe con leche is coffee and milk. The way of serving it can vary a lot.

Re: Scarlett -- No, I didn't get the job in Ft. L. Am still in NYC and looking for a job. My current job did not renew my contract and it expires in Aug 2005. I have 4 months to find a new job.

I love the version we used to get at the Coffee Bean cafe on Sanibel. Strong coffee lightly sweetened, hot steamed milk with a smidge of froth. MMmmm...

Tha cafe is a great family place for breakfast or lunch: hope they survived the hurricanes okay. We missed our annual February visit to the island because the post-hurricane damage is still being repaired. I'm still feeling withdrawal symptoms (or maybe it's just that I need a vacation!)

Cafe con leche is made in the same manner as a cafe latte. Make one shot of espresso using Bustelo, Cafe la Llave, or Pilon, then warm milk or evaporated milk (it is usually made with regular milk though). You put the same amount of both and then an extra shot of milk. There you have cafe con leche recipe by a Cuban American. Be sure to put a lot of sugar. Enjoy it!