Tiramisù Rustico del Cioccolato

On my first trip to Rome, I broke my tiramisù virginity at Pompi, a local bakery on the outskirts of the city. It was the best-est tiramisù I've had, and since then, I have been chasing after that perfect addiction. And just like many things in life, it's hard to forget the first time, especially when it's this good!

So, get your spatulas and electric beaters ready! This is one easy tiramisù recipe that you'll want to keep for your files. It is fast, fun, indulgent, but easy-to-make. And you don't have to worry about presenting it perfectly because we can get away by calling it "rustic". Now, I don't claim this recipe to even come close to Pompi's, but once in a while, I feel like emulating my travels through food as I have written here. I like to use quality Italian ingredients in the hopes of whipping up a semi-decent version of this pick-me-upper dessert.

Tiramisù Rustico del Cioccolato (Rustic Chocolate Tiramisù)

1 8-ounce (225 g) Savoiardi or lady fingers (*I used Roland from Italy)
1/2 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee
1 8-ounce mascarpone cheese (*I recommend Galbani Mascarpone from Italy)
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
2 tablespoons chocolate liqueur
1 ounce white chocolate baking square, grated
1 ounce semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, grated (*I used 62% cacao, somewhere in between semi- and bittersweet)
unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting (*I like Cacao di Pernigotti)

Line the bottom of an 8x8x2 baking pan with lady fingers; cut to fit. Drizzle half the espresso or coffee over ladyfingers.

In a bowl, beat mascarpone cheese, whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer, until soft peaks form. Beat in the coffee and chocolate liqueurs just until combined.

Evenly spread half the mascarpone mixture over bottom layer of lady fingers. Sprinkle grated white chocolate and dark chocolate on the mascarpone mixture. Top with another layer of lady fingers, drizzle biscuits with coffee once again, and spread the remaining mascarpone mixture.

Cover and chill for 6 to 24 hours. Sift unsweetened cocoa powder on top when ready to serve.

This is a half portion of the 8x8x2 in the recipe.

Rustic and delicious!

Ok. So, for the grated chocolate that's sprinkled in between layers of lady fingers, I used Scharffen Berger chocolate. It's not Italian, but it's still damn good artisan chocolate from America! And since I don't have a Bialetti Espresso Maker, I used an instant espresso powder from Italy to make my cup of coffee for drizzling over lady fingers.

This heavenly can of Cacao di Pernigotti can be purchased through Williams-Sonoma. Rich and decadent, ideal for brownie recipes or a piping hot cup of cocoa.

And my favourite vanillas, liqueurs, and eau-de-vies are from Neilsen-Massey, also available through Williams-Sonoma. For my tiramisù, I used Neilsen-Massey Tahitian vanilla extract (blue label), coffee essence, and chocolate liqueur, as pictured below.

A taste of this dessert will definitely take you on a trip down la dolce vita. I bid you arrivederci! for now. Have a great modo Italiano weekend!

Le Petit Déjeuner Journal

It is unfortunate that most of us aren't able to sit down for a proper breakfast, except on vacation or during the weekends. But then again, this relative inaccessibility makes it much more of a special occasion. To me, le petit déjeuner is meant to be a lazy affair; something that encourages you to lean back and enjoy, with minimal time constraints.

Perhaps, that is why the brunch concept here in North America has reached atomic heights! Move over, elaborate dinners with family and friends! The new wave is the brunch get-together! Nothing stirs the day alive like waking up ravenous, then assembling for a lingering tête-à-tête at home or at your favourite neighbourhood joint.

Sometimes, a quick jaunt to the local farmer's market can produce a sweet, hassle-free start to the day.

Whether it is a decadent savoury sandwich, stuffed omelet, fresh baked goods, crepes and waffles, or fruits and yoghurt, the first meal of the day is often accompanied by fresh fruit juice, chocolat chaud, coffee, tea, or even a morning mimosa. This is how we like breaking the fast, and we have been fortunate to enjoy such liberties at home and in our travels.

Breakfast Bird's Nest - frazzled egg on a nest of bacon and potato rosti with arugula salad

Croissanwich - Canadian bacon, herbed scrambled egg, tomatoes, and aged Cheddar. Served with orange-mango sparkling water and caramel fleur de sel macarons.

A Moroccan repast of traditional harcha (pan-fried semolina cakes), beghrir (honeycomb pancakes), and local pastries served with butter, jam, and honey.

Rooftop morning meal in Essaouira - honey-lemon loaf, croissant, rghaif (traditional Moroccan fried pancakes), served with the usual sides of butter, jam, and honey. Also with fruits, yoghurt, freshly squeezed OJ and mint tea.

A typical Filipino breakfast - boneless bangus (milkfish) with sinangag (garlic rice), fried egg, with a side of calamansi (a local lemon-lime) and onion - can also be doused with a bit of soy sauce or spicy vinegar.

It's never too early for sausages in Germany or elsewhere - curry wurst, bratwurst, Baden Baden wurst, Oktoberfest franks with tangy sauerkraut. It may be too early for a beer, though.

Santorini sunrise - fresh baked vanilla-coffee cake, breakfast rolls, a couple of sweet nectarines along with fresh juice and coffee.

Virginia ham and Cheddar cheese omelet with fried potatoes and oil-and-vinegar mixed greens salad.

Plain yoghurt sweetened by raspberries and crunchy granola with petit viennoisserie in the background.

Eggs Benedict with Berkshire ham and Gruyere cheese topped with Hollandaise sauce.

Huevos Rancheros - fried egg with deconstructed avocado, tomato, black bean salsa with tortilla triangles. In the background, Belgian waffles with whipped cream, syrup, and fresh blueberries.

Raw ingredients for my unconventional Croque Monsieur - Italian pancetta and French Comté cheese.

My version of Croque Monsieur - grilled Challa bread (or egg brioche) with tomatoes, oven-baked Italian pancetta, and melted French Comté cheese on a bed of baby arugula.

A sweet life - chocolate pear croissant, raisin bun, and fig crumble square.

It's Literally in Reel Life!

Once in a while, I like to write about stuff that inspires me to travel. This post is about fictional literary and cinematic characters that made me pay attention to the actual or imagined locale in which the protagonists' story unfold. Here are just some from my numerous favourites (I anticipate a part 2 or 3 coming).

1) Character: Tony Montana
Movie: Scarface
Location Inspiration: Miami

Watch Scarface movie trailer here Warning: contains scenes of mature subjects.

When Tony Montana and right-hand man Manny Ribera begin their rise up the thug ranks, they chill out by the pools of The Fontainbleau Hotel in Miami Beach (actual location). Although the hotel has long been renovated, it maintains its louche and decadent vibe. There are 8 restaurants on site, including: James Beard-awarded chef, Alfred Portale's Gotham, as well as the revolutionary Chinese restaurant from UK, Hakkasan. But to experience the legacy of Cuba's Mariel Boatlift, visit Miami's Little Havana district, the hub of Cuban exile community.

2) Characters: Francis, Peter, and Jack
Movie: The Darjeeling Limited
Location Inspiration: The State of Rajasthan, India

Although The Darjeeling Limited Train in the movie is a fictitious creation, it evokes romantic reveries of the slow road through India. The movie was shot mainly in the northern state of Rajasthan, India, specifically in Jodhpur and Udaipur. Popular attractions in Rajasthan are the palaces of Jaipur, the grand monuments of Jodhpur, the lakes of Udaipur, the desert forts of Jaisalmer, the temples of Bikaner, and the Thar Desert near the Pakistani border. The quirky stylings of The Darjeeling Limited movie, with its Louis Vuitton-designed travel luggage, spurred me to include this part of India into my most-wanted destination list!

In the capital of Jaipur, the raw grandeur of Samode Palace Hotel is enough to hold anyone a willing hostage for a few days.

The natural beauty of Udaipur, with its lakes and beechen woods, is among the top attractions in the country. Taj Lake Palace on the banks of Lake Pichola offers a respite from the sun's heat.

3) Characters: Hercule Poirot
Movie: Death on the Nile (based on Agatha Christie's novel)
Location Inspiration: Cruising the Nile River, Egypt

Plying Africa's longest river is Egypt's Belle Epoque steam ship, The Sudan. It is also the setting for Agatha Christie's murder-mystery novel (subsequently made into a movie of the same name in 1978). Sleuth on deck with a classic cocktail or channel your inner writer in the panoramic Agatha Christie suite.

Or stay at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan, where the author penned the above novel, as well as where some scenes of the movie were filmed. *As of press time, the hotel is closed for renovations for 2 years.

by goldtoblue from Flickr

4) Characters: Julia, Lucy, and Bea
Movie: Hideous Kinky (based on Esther Freud's memoirs)
Location Inspiration: Marrakech, Morocco

Although we stayed in two lovely riads in Marrakech - here and here - last year, there are many other guesthouses worth exploring. Like the Italianate-Orientalist Dar Darma in the heart of the Marrakech medina. Tip: opt to stay inside the medina, where all the action is!

5) Characters: Port and Kit Moresby
Movie: The Sheltering Sky (based on the book by Paul Bowles)
Location Inspiration: The Sahara Desert

Warning: may contain scenes with mature subjects.

Journey in style with El Khiam Ahlam's desert caravan and sleep under the starry Sahara skies in luxury canvas tents.

Do you have your own literary or cinematic inspirations?