Coffee secrets with Chef Fabio Viviani

Espresso is an all-day remedy — that’s what Italian Chef Fabio Viviani would say to dissenters who’d have you believe that coffee isn’t the greatest drink discovered. After all, coffee is so much a part of Italian culture that the idea of not drinking it is as foreign as the idea of having to explain its rituals and etiquettes. That brings us to the first coffee commandment as put down by the former Top Chef contestant. “Thou shalt  not, under any circumstance, drink a cappuccino after 10 am.” Speaking to us following partnering up with the Italian brand Lavazza and looking to promote the coffee label in India, the 39-year-old tells us that there is so much more that one could create outside the coffee in the cup. “Coffee is a food collagen. Because of its aroma, strength and subtle notes of caramel or chocolate, depending on the roast, it pairs very well with different flavours. It can be made into a dessert, into a drink... the possibilities are endless.” Offering the easiest use of coffee when cooking at home — infusion, the chef shares a popular recipe from his Chicago-based restaurant Siena Tavern.

Old-Fashioned Italian

Ingredients
Double shot Lavazza espresso at room temperature (1) | Bourbon or rye whiskey (1 oz) optional | Simple syrup (¼ oz) | Dash of bitters | 1-inch piece lemon peel (1)

Method

• Combine espresso, bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. 
• Stir until outside of shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds.
• Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. 
• Twist lemon peel over cocktail to release oils. 
• Rub over the rim of the glass and discard peel.