Making coffee is even different here. First you make the ‘decoction’ in something like a French press (left), it takes at least half an hour to drip down for a concentrated brew like espresso. This can be used and saved for the next day, unlike brewed coffee at home which turns bitter. Then you boil the milk that comes in soft packets. The milk is very fresh and is usually used up in a day, although I keep mine for about two days. It has a cream on top that looks like small droplets of butter when warmed. Next you pour a small amount of decoction into a bowl and add hot milk – blowing on the surface to keep the skin from pouring into your coffee mixture. Pour into a cup with the desired amount of sugar, then back and forth between pan and cup to create a froth. Pure bliss! I could get a coffee maker here, but it means buying a coffee maker that no one will use when we leave. When in Rome……..

We just started keeping water in a clay pot. We have water for washing, but we don’t have a water filter in the Cloud House, so we carry water up from the floors below. Clay also absorbs impurities and the evaporation process keeps the liquid cool. It’s a beautiful way to keep water. The ants on the other hand are not beautiful. We have to wash everything immediately or we get big red ants in the evening. That’s it for the kitchen blog, I must go pick Ashwin up from school!