It is no secret I am a fan of Nespresso… and how could I not be? Not only they host fantastic events, but their passion for coffee and their knowledge is infectious. And of course, I  really like the coffee too, and have been even introducing it to my very Neapolitan family.

Their latest Limited Edition coffees are inspired by the Italian coffee culture indeed, and even if not my home town (covered years ago just before I became familiar with their products!), they are dedicated to two iconic and very different cities: Milano and Palermo.

Even before trying them, I knew which one I was going to like more.. but let’s start from the beginning! The launch event was held in an interesting venue (Tardis) about 5 minutes walk from my house, incredibly convenient particularly on a miserable and rainy mid September evening. The venue is a private home now used for events and it featured in Grand Designs a couple of years ago. We were welcomed by cocktails inspired by the two regions, I opted for a Milanese spritz instead of a Sicilian mojito. Canapes where served, and I skipped the burrata bruschetta (I know, silly) and tried the bresaola which I am partial to.

Inspired by a sensory exploration of the cities

Celebrity blogger Fashion Foie Gras introduced the coffees talking about her recent traveling experiences in the two cities while a chef from Theo Randall restaurant introduced the dishes we were going to taste and how they were typical of each of the two towns in question. I admit, I did not really pay a huge amount of attention to these talks, assuming or rather, presuming, to know absolutely everything there is to know on Milano and Palermo. Instead, I listened with more interest to Jonathon Sims’ intro. He is Coffee Expertise Manager for Nespresso UK and his knowledge on coffee, any coffee, is amazing; every time I listen to his talks I learn something new. He explained the reasoning behind these two blends, their intensity and aroma and how Nespresso got to the final result.

The food we tasted was of exceptional quality. The Sicilian inspired Pasta alla Norma very light with a sweet tomato sauce and ricotta salata to contrast; the Milanese Risotto allo Zafferano one of the best I have ever had, cooked to perfection as they say (but it’s risotto so not a given) and creamy and deliciously rich. The cannolo was filled in front of us and was very good, but the Zabaione was so divine, small, smooth, not overly sweet and it brought me back to my childhood when we were given fresh egg yolk zabaione with milk or coffee to give us a protein boost. The good old times. We were provided with the recipes so I might as well attempt to recreate it!

And the Nespresso coffees? Well of course, I like the Palermo more. Smoother, more rounded and sweeter, while the Milano was slighlty too bitter for my liking, less mellow.

This powerful, bitter blend of African Arabicas and Robustas is intensely roasted to bring out aromas of cacao and spicy peppery notes. Full-bodied, this ristretto is enhanced by a silky texture for mouth-filling pleasure. (Palermo, Intensity 11)

Available now at £3.80 for 10 capsules in pretty graphics’ sleeves from Nespresso boutiques and online for a limited time.

^{I was a guest of Nespresso on this occasion; I was not required to write this post, opinions are my own.}