Tiramisu

Tiramisu varies hugely. Sometimes I wonder if it’s like chow mein, a recipe made for foreigners. I can’t find trace of it in my Italian cookbooks. It is a rich indulgence, and I prefer to eat it at the end of a light meal, with a demi-tasse of good coffee. I am toying with the idea of making it into an ice cream.

This mixture is meant to be enough for 4 servings – I find it’s enough for 8, using quite large glasses. If you must, eat it at once, but it is better prepared at least a day before, and will keep for at least three days, providing you hide it from the greedy and exercise restraint. The flavour and consistency are better.

INGREDIENTS

150ml very strong hot espresso coffee, or double strength instant coffee

80g caster sugar

2 tbsp sweet spirit, like amaretto

4 eggs, separated

100ml double cream

250g mascarpone cheese (or skip the cream and use 450g mascarpone

300g sponge fingers

2–3 tbsp finely grated plain chocolate or sifted cocoa powder

You’ll need an electric whisk, three large bowls, a shallow bowl for the coffee and something to cut the coffee soaked the sponge fingers on.

Method

• Pour the hot coffee into a shallow dish and stir in half the sugar (40g).
• Add the alcohol and stir – set aside to cool.
• Separate  the egg yolks from the egg whites into two large bowls.
• Whisk the egg whites with an electric beater in a large bowl until soft peaks form, then set aside.
• Whisk the egg yolks and the other 40g of sugar together, until the mixture becomes pale.
• In a separate bowl, whip the double cream into soft peaks – better soft than dry, so don’t overdo it. Stir in the mascarpone, whip for a moment to get rid of any lumps.
• Fold the mascarpone mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the whisked egg whites, about a third at a time. Use a cutting motion to try and keep some airy volume, until everything is mixed well together.
• The coffee mixture should have cooled by now – dip the sponge fingers one at a time in the liquid. They need to be soaked but not soggy. Cut to fit the glass you’re using.
• Spoon the cream mixture to make another layer, then add more soaked sponge fingers and another layer
• To serve, dust the chocolate/coa powder on top of the final layer of cream mixture.

Chill for 24 hours before serving.

I like to add a sprinkle of the chocolate before each layer of soaked sponge…

Steve's birthday meal

Steve is 50 mumble today. Inconsiderate spouse that I am I didn't get him a card (eek), and my offer of breakfast in bed was rejected as he was up and at the table almost before me. Work beckoned. I also found out that he thinks coffee tastes funny when consumed in bed.

I have booked theatre tickets for later this week.

We went to the fishmonger on Golborne Road and bought mussels, to eat a la mariniere. The fishmonger proposed a sackful but we kept to the approximate 1 pint (570ml) per person, even though it was a main course, as we intended to eat a loaf of bread, mopping up the juices. That is still a small saucepanful each.

Also pudding was tiramisu - the success of this is subject to debate. It tasted good, but I think it needed to sit longer. Also, I used some sponge cake I'd dried off, and it didn't want to absorb the coffee, it was coffee resistant. The quantities were too generous as well, making 8 glasses (individual portions). So I will have another shot at it before I post the recipe.

Moules mariniere for two enthusiastic eaters

2 pints moules
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 large wineglass of dry white wine
generous pepper
good blob butter
two tablespoonfuls of chopped parsly
1 french stick

put the mussels in a large bowl of fresh water.
Peel the onion and garlic. Slice both to taste.
fry gently in casserole large enough to house the mussels, until the onion is transparent.
while onion and garlic is frying
Clean the mussels, pulling off beards and anything loose on the shell. Discard any cracked or open mussels.
Drain the mussels, shaking off excess water, and add to the pot with the onion and garlic, with lots of pepper and one tablespoonful of chopped parsly.
Turn up the heat, shake the lot around and throw in the glass of wine.
cover the pot and cook for maximum five minutes

Shake the pot around - if you fancy it, throw in some cream - decant the mussels into a large bowl, sprinkle over the second spoonful of parsley and tuck in.

You'll need a bowl for discarded shells, napkins for your chins, and bread for soaking in the jus.

We eat them in bowls.

Burns night supper

We had a lovely Burns Night yesterday. The menu was

Orkney salmon and cream cheese blinis
Haggis cottage pie (here's the recipe) with spring cabbage
Whisky sour sorbet - based on lemon sherbert
Treacle tart and Mackies ice cream

Washed down with whisky

We all ate our fill, tartan was worn and the poem (part of it) was read. A good night.