Cappuccino on the Horizon
My partner, Billy Knight, and I owned a small luxury hotel on the island of Vieques off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico from 1994 until 2005.
Our elegant hotel, Inn on the Blue Horizon (google it), appeared in more magazine articles than we could count. Conde Nast Traveler celebrated us many times, Travel & Leisure many times, American Vogue, In Style, Bazaar, all the foreign Vogues, and many newspaper Arts & Travels sections.
The most delightful memories of three Puerto Rican housekeepers come to mind every morning when I make my Cappuccino. Let's call the ladies Luz, Carmen, and Clarita, not to embarrass them, my lovely housekeepers.
Our restaurant, Café Blu, offered a gorgeous breakfast to our guests each morning, and my three extraordinary ladies began the day by making breakfast, clearing tables, washing dishes before changing rooms, doing the laundry, and folding towels.
I am a stickler for style. The Wedgewood Strawberry pattern dishes had to be perfectly placed, much like the footmen at Buckingham Palace, who use measuring sticks for perfect balance. Napkins had to be folded like origami, and Waterford crystal stemware filled with water.
I purchased a restaurant espresso machine with line-in water and a robust steam mechanism. I had to instruct the ladies to steam the milk perfectly. I waited for a day when the rooms were not full or when everyone spent the day at one of the spectacular beaches on Vieques.
I brought out a gallon of milk, a few towels to clean any spillage, and aprons for us all. I thought this event would take about a half hour! I heated the red espresso machine on the counter in the Blu Bar, poured milk into a steel carafe, and made a perfect foamy froth.
I instructed the ladies to hold the steam wand precisely on the top of the milk to allow the maximum of thick, creamy foam. Luz tried first. Milk spewed everywhere: on us, our hair and faces, and the terra cotta floors. I have never heard such laughter!
Next, Carmen gave it a try, even more disastrous! She was drenched but giggling like a small child.
When Clarita took the carafe, I thought the entire bar would need a cleaning! We took turns for four hours and emptied five gallons of milk before they each got the hang of it. We had so much fun!
Now, in my home in Kentucky, when I make my morning Cappuccino, I smile, remembering our funny day covered in milk. I will always have this fine memory of steaming the milk with my favorite employees.
By the way, they became proficient, and almost every breakfast guest relished those girls' cappuccinos, which were delivered to the tables with enormous smiles each morning.
Happy frothing everyone! And stay tuned for more Blue Horizon tales. There were some doozies!
