It began when I ran out of ramekins on baked potato night.

And it has become a bit of an obsession.

I confess to serving up my sour cream and shredded cheddar not in the proper serveware, but in the only (clean) containers of the proper size that I had on hand that night – espresso cups.

And, rebel that I am, I’ve never looked back.

Beyond the Bean

As much as I love espresso, I can only drink so much. But the dainty delicacy of espresso cups, I can’t get enough of. So, I asked myself, why not get creative and figure out ways to use them all the time?

As “Close Enough” Measuring Cups

The average demitasse espresso cup holds two and a half to three ounces of liquid. So if you’re like me and like the idea of eyeballing the amounts of the ingredients that you use when you cook but you have the unfortunate lack of ability to estimate accurately, using espresso cups for measuring might be a happy medium for you. Also an excuse to show off what a cool, devil-may-care chef you are to anybody who might be watching.

“Leave Them Wanting More” Soup Cups

The problem I run into when I serve soup as an appetizer is that a big bowl seems to stunt my enthusiasm for the rest of the meal. And if it’s something like a creamy potato soup, forget it. A bowl of that and you can now keep your grilled salmon and salad. So if you’re serving rich fare (I’m looking at you, cheddar beer soup) but still want to be able to chow down on the rest of your dinner, consider dishing it out in espresso cups.

Whip Out Some “Dinner Party Dazzle” with an Amuse-Bouche

Deconstruct your espresso cup set and you find yourself with a perfect opportunity to show off just how creative you can be the next time you have friends that you’re looking to impress. You could, for example, fill the espresso cup with a goat cheese mousse and then line the saucer with sliced fruit and crackers. Then prepare to be bombarded by compliments.

Embrace the Unexpected

My espresso cup revelation sparked a minor revolution in the way I saw the world. When you’re able to look at things from a different perspective, you open yourself up to experiencing more love, more laughter and more fun. But shifting out of your ordinary mindset can be tough when you’ve been doing things the same way for so long. That’s why it pays to be very deliberately unconventional sometimes, even if you are like me and you have to learn to embrace change in baby steps.

Like serving baked potato toppings in espresso cups.

Hey, it’s a start.

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