Tiramisu

Tiramisu - translated it means 'pick me up'. Just one look at it, and it will beckon you to sink your teeth into it! It is one of those very simple - no bake desserts and all you need to prepare it is assemble a few ingredients. And then wait. Wait patiently until it is ready to be 'picked up'. This is an Italian dessert and found in trattorias all over Italy, and of course much loved the world over. Here is how you make it. Of course there is no one way to make it, it is so versatile that you can alter it any way you like it. Here is how I make it, and it is quite close to the traditional way to prepare it. You need

250 gm Mascarpone cheese
3 eggs - seperated
5 tablespoons of sugar
1 and 1/2 cup coffee - freshly brewed, and cooled to room temperature
ladyfingers - 1 package containing 24 pieces
grated dark chocolate and/or unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons rum. Dark rum is usually used, but since I had run out of it, I used white rum.



Alcohol is optional, and also the amount added varies from person to person ;)
For variation, you could try Kahlua (coffee liqueur)or good quality marsala wine. For a slighltly fruit-flavoured tiramisu, you could use orange liqueur, cherry liqueur..the options are really all upto you I'd say.
Here is how to assemble it all together. Put some coffee to brew - make it a strong brew. Leave it to cool. Now beat the egg yolks and sugar. Slowly add the mascarpone and continue beating. Add 1 tablespoon of the espresso, and mix it as well.
In a seperate bowl, whip the egg whites until it forms stiff peaks. Now fold the egg whites into the yolk-cheese mixture.
Pour the coffee in a dish big enough so you can dip the lady fingers in them. Add the rum in the cooled coffee. Dip the ladyfingers in the coffee-rum mix and layer them in a 9x12 dish. Do not be tempted to dip the ladyfingers for too long. Just place it for no more than 3 seconds else it will break apart. After the first layer is done, spread the mascarpone, egg mixture evenly. Layer more coffee dipped ladyfingers, and then another layer of the mascarpone.
Cover it and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving. Sprinkle generously with cocoa powder and grated chocolate. Bon appetit! Share

Baileys, Mars and a banana

Bailey's Irish Cream, Mars chocolate bar, a ripe banana, butter. Now you can't possibly go wrong with that.

So this morning I woke up earlier than my usual weekend time - I was wide awake at 7 am! It's just a weekend thing - you can't sleep on Friday night, 'coz its Friday night. And since weekends are always sooooo small, I try (trust me I do try) to wake up early on weekends - just so the day seems bigger :)
So hubby and I went to the farmers market in the morning - ate some rustic looking butter bread with cranberries from one of the stalls for breakfast, came home and wanted to try something new, different and decadent. This one is mentioned in the Baileys website, and herez how it's made.




Heat up a tablespoon of butter (the more, the better, you could add 2), slice a banana lengthwise. Toss the banana in the butter, and let it cook until you just start getting a nicely golden brown colour on it. While thats browning, start melting a bar of Mars in a heavy bottomed pan on low heat. Once its gooey, remove from heat, let it cool a bit, and then add in 1 and half tablespoons of Baileys Irish Cream. Mix it so you have a sauce like consistency. Drizzle it over the cooked banana, and dig in! As you can probably tell, this combination is heavenly! Share

A perfect Mojito for a perfect summer day!

What a bright and sunny summer day it is! It is on days like these you feel like celebrating summer! Peeping out of my kitchen window was a pot of mint. Bingo! What do I need? A Mojito of course!
You know how smells remind you of something or someone(I mean the pleasant kind please!), a certain song would remind you of your days gone by, for me sometimes a cocktail does the trick. Last year when we were in Frankfurt on the 1st of September, there was this 3 day SeptemberFest that was just what we needed. Frankfurt isn't really a touristy place, so we ran out of things to do on the first day itself. It was this fest that made our weekend. A typical summer celebration, with different bands playing their own kind of music, stalls selling souvenirs, flowers, hats and of course there was food from all corners of the globe( does the globe have corners?)
Anyways, so here we were sitting one evening, soaking up the sun, listening to Summer of '69, sipping on a Mojito. Hmm..good times.
Almost 1 year later, I think of Mojito, and thats what I remember. Herez how to make it. You need
Few mint leaves (3 to 4 per glass)
1 lime
2 teaspoon powdered sugar
2 ounces white rum
2 ounces club soda
ice

Put mint leaves in a glass, squeeze the lime, add powdered sugar, and muddle it together. Don't be too aggressive, just muddle it to release the flavours. Add in the rum, ice and stir. Finish it with the club soda. And a mojito wouldn't be a mojito without a sprig of mint for garnish. Go wear your sunscreen, grab your sunshades, make a mojito and get the party started!
This post goes to the Summer Holidays With Vacation Food event. Share