Lemon-Poppy Seed Biscotti

I like rituals. They give me a peace of mind. They settle me into a permanence that I can take comfort in. It's not that I don't like change; instead, it is because rituals excite change that I like them. I love the ritual of coffee, the familiarity of its taste. I used to have a working espresso machine, and I must say, it was one of the best purchases I made. I used to enjoy grinding the coffee beans, packing my espresso, and watching it extract to form a crema. I enjoyed how hands-on the process was, how involved I had to be to get my morning cup. With it broken (R.I.P), I now must resort to buying espresso, and while it is no great inconvenience, it is expensive.