If you want to know how to make divine espresso, click the link below. Via boingboing (excerpt):
Boing Boing: Espresso crema shots
Crema is the wonderful tan colored foam that appears on the top of a well-shot espresso. High quality espresso joints have a saying: “No crema, no serva.”
I recently got a Rancilio Silvia espresso maker, generally considered the best consumer espresso model available. Trouble is, I can’t seem to get it to make a shot with crema. It’s shooting blanks, so to speak. The next issue of Make magazine is going to feature a couple of coffee hacks that should help espresso fanatics produce precious crema. I’m going to give them a try.
In the meantime, I’ll just drool over these photos over at espressoporn.com…. The photo here shows a machine using a “crotchless” portafilter. Some people might consider that a cheater’s way to get creama, but I’ll take it any way I can get it.
Link (thanks, Kate!)