Tiramisu, the Italian Fast Food Pick-Me-Up

Guest Blogger: Lisa Zatulovsky
copyright 2011 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc

Fast food joints are at practically every intersection splattered across America, satisfying those unbelievable cravings within minutes. Sometimes it’s too difficult to resist a cheeseburger, fries and milk shake and all of their addicting greasiness. After a long stressful day’s work, occasional pick-me-ups can be the perfect cure to get through the day. Americans aren’t the only ones with their go-to indulgences or love of fast food. Italians have pick-me-ups of their own, an addicting delight loaded with caffeine and : Tiramisu, a dessert staple for Italian cuisine, which is literally translated into “pick me up” in English.
Traditionally Tiramisu is a chilled dessert with alternate layers of cake, and cream. Basic Tiramisu consists of ladyfingers soaked in rum and/or espresso, ultra creamy mascarpone cheese and shavings of dark chocolate sprinkled with cocoa. The moistness of the coffee-soaked cake along with the richness of the whipped custard makes for a rich yet light treat. All ingredients, delicious on their own, create a mouth-watering dessert when paired together. Tiramisu has found its way into many homes and bakeries with countless variations. Some may choose to add raspberries, almonds or hazelnut cream while others cut the sugar by replacing the ladyfingers with fruit, or by substituting the mascarpone for low-fat cream cheese. Whether in its original form or not, Tiramisu can morph into a tailor-made treat that satisfies a sweet tooth, or a friendlier waist-watching version, which may be why it has become such a widely embraced dessert.
The history of Tiramisu is somewhat of a mystery. Some argue that the dessert is actually of Greek origin, and it is served in many Greek restaurants as well as Italian. Others believe that a similar custard creation, which may have inspired the modern-day dessert, was created in the 17th century in Siena, Italy. Others suggest that Tiramisu is a fairly young dessert, which was recorded in cookbooks in the 1980s. However, one of the most common beliefs is affirmed by food critic and author Giuseppe Maffioli, who reviewed the restaurant Le Beccherie, in Treviso, Italy. In 1981 Maffioli wrote an article saying:

“Tiramisu’ was born recently, just 10 years ago in the town of Treviso. It was proposed for the first time in the restaurant Le Beccherie. The dessert and its name became immediately extremely popular, and this cake and the name were copied by many restaurants first in Treviso then all around Italy.”

It wasn’t long before the dessert found its way to America. Tiramisu became popular in the San Francisco area. Places like “Café Tiramisu” create authentic Italian cuisine much like “Le Beccherie.” Now over the course of a debatable 40 years, according to Maffioli, the dessert can be found in just about any cookbook, or Italian or Greek restaurant, and the irresistible flavors have breathed new life into traditional pastries or other sweets like cupcakes, ice cream or even Tiramisu- flavored popsicles.
Maybe the next time you find yourself needing a well-deserved pick-me-up, instead of ordering from your favorite fast food restaurant, go to your local café, order a steaming hot cappuccino and a generous piece of Tiramisu, and take time out of your day to enjoy a little pick-me-up, the Italian way.

Find recipes for Tiramisu and other Italian delights at The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati tm

Get your copy of the GOuramnd World Cookbook Award Winning book: The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

The Original Black Swan:Marie Taglioni

copyright 2011 art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc

Guest Blogger: Lisa Zatulovsky

She never danced in Swan Lake and all but for that, she could be considered the Original Black Swan for her magnificent technique...On March 12, 1832 at the Paris Opera, ballerina, Marie Taglioni captivated audiences with her portrayal of the delicate yet flirtatious spirit known as La Sylphide. Taglioni danced the role of a Sylph- a fairy-spirit who distracts a Scottish man, James from marrying his fiancée. Chasing the elusive Sylph, James unintentionally destroys her when he tries to capture her with poisonous scarf. Dressed in a white corset, long tulle tutu and sheer wings covered in peacock feathers, Taglioni looked as though she had no flesh or bones, practically floating across the stage. The pearls that adorned her neck and wrists looked heavier than she.
Taglioni was born in Stockholm, Sweden to Italian choreographer Filippo Taglioni and Swedish dancer Sophie Karsten. Marie moved to Vienna at a young age with her family. Taglioni rigorously studied ballet in Vienna with her father Filippo, a dancer and ballet choreographer. Filippo created La Sylphide, specifically for her to showcase her ethereal dancing and strong technique, which allowed her to dance on her toes. By putting cardboard and glue in her satin ballet shoes, Taglioni transformed herself into an otherworldly being. Although the minimal amount of support is far different than modern day pointe shoes, Taglioni helped to renovate ballet to a serious work of art that elevated dancers to another dimension.
The creation of Filippo’s ballet and his daughter’s gifts set the groundwork for a new genre of ballet romanticism. Famous romantic ballets such as La Sylphide, Giselle, and Pas de Quatre are very recognizable by their movements and costumes. Characterized by exaggerated forward tilts of the torso, and soft rounded arm movements, the dancing is understated and elegant. Like Taglioni’s costume, most dancers in romantic ballets wear long tulle skirts that stop below the middle of the calf. This gives the illusion of transparency and showcases the dancers’ feet and fluid arms. Filippo unknowingly epitomized the famous arm movements to cover up what he though was one of his daughters unattractive qualities, her long thin arms. In order to hide this apparent unsightliness, (which was not considered desirable at the time) Filippo had his daughter continually round her arms and cross them in front of her body displaying her delicate wrists in order to give the appearance of shorter arms. This famous position is now quintessentially used in all romantic ballets.
After the premiere of La Sylphide, the ballet was widely received as an instant success. Ballet was still primarily used to showcase men’s talents and female dancers were not the main attraction. Taglioni’s 26-year career gave ballerinas widely deserved recognition with their spellbinding dancing and femininity. Her performance made art lovers realize that ballet was a legitimate art and not just entertainment. Taglioni excited audiences with her dancing and performed extensively throughout Europe. As one of the first documented ballerinas to dance on pointe in a full-length ballet, Taglioni influenced dancers for generations to come through her use of pointe shoes, romanticism and artistry.
She retired and spent some of her retirement years living on the Grand Canal in Venice. However when she performed her last ballet in Russia in 1842, she had somewhat of a cult following with the 'ballet maniacs' of that time. Her pointe shoes were auctioned off for 200 rubles and legend has it that they were cooked, served with a sauce and eaten by 'ballet maniacs”.

For more info on Italian culture, culinary events go to http://www.marialiberati.com
Upcoming appearances of Award Winning Author Maria Liberati
May 14th-Fante's Kitchenware store on 9th street in the Italian Market-1-3 PM Maria will be doing a book signing of her latest award wining book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions- winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award

Cantucci ..Signal the End of a Tuscan Dinner

Here they are ,so many have been emailing about these little gems, they are typical of Tuscany..whenevr you are having dinenr in Tuscany and someone brings out the cantucci and Vin Santo (a sweet wine)..that is the signal that dinner is over..enjoy...

Cantucci Biscotti
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup whole almonds
4 whole eggs beaten
1 tsp of grated orange peel
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place whole, unpeeled almonds on cookie sheet, place in oven and toast for 3 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and chop in large pieces.
Sift flour into a bowl. Place inside sugar, eggs, baking powder, orange peel, pinch of salt. Blend well till dough is smooth, but not too soft., then add in  almonds and blend in.
Cover cookie sheet with baking paper. Form dough into a long roll, the form of a long finger. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and cut diagonally to form biscotti. Cover cookie sheet with baking paper, place single biscotti on baking paper and bake for approx 25 minutes or until crispy and golden. Remove.

100 Dogs

This is an actual news story that broke in Canada regarding an outdoor aventures company that offers dog sled rides being accused of having up to 100 of their sled dogs killed to cut costs following a downturn in business.The owner of the Whistler company that allegedly had 100 sled dogs slaughtered to cut costs after the Olympics will speak for the first time following reports of the tragedy. Outdoor Adventures Joey Houssian has scheduled a number of media meetings Monday along with his lawyers, and had a “letter to the editor” published in this morning’s Vancouver Sun. Joey Houssian, in his first sit-down interview since news of the killings sparked headlines and outrage around the world, told The Globe and Mail that his company knew nothing about the scale of the slaughter, when the dogs were killed, or the manner in which they were killed until late last month.Houssian points to “discrepancies” in the WorkSafeBC reports filed by the employee who allegedly completed the “execution” of the dogs.Houssian adds he can’t say much about what happened as investigations into the case move forward.“While the facts and legal responsibility for them is being investigated, I take moral responsibility for everything that happens within my company,” Houssian wrote.

The Steam Team

You know by now one of my favorite hobbies is restoring old houses.
Power washing houses austin is one of the first steps in doing outside renovations of a building. It cleans away so much grime that has built up over the years. Get it done first before painting or redoing the surface of any building.

A home carpet cleaning service austin comes in handy if you want to salvage your carpeting and sometimes it can be salvaged so you don't have to replace and use that extra money for something else.

be sure to do your carpet cleaner comparisons austin before you decide who will clean your carpeting. You'll be surprised how much services differ in price and price shouldnlt be the only deciding factor. Reerences, and quality of work shoudl also be used to decide.

Rug cleaning tips come in handy when cleaning up minor spills and for regular maintenance

Scrubs Go From Work to Leisure

Nursing Scrubs allow the hard working nurse to go from work day to night out with practically no hassle. So fashionable now that you can take your day wear into night wear. You can also have fun choosing colors and styles to fit you.

Today's uniform, like many of us are multi taskers. Doubling as day wear and wear for a night out,or form work to leisure. Not only is style important but comfort is important and both of those important factors are emphasized inthe 'double duty' uniform of today's modern woman.

Who knew that your choice of scrub tops can make your day by choosing bright vivacious colors? No more only the dark sullenn green of dreary hospital wear. Today'a scrub tops brighten up your day with their wide range of colors. No need to dread going to work these colors and styles are sure to put a smile on your morning face.

Making Mayonnaise & Limoncini with Creamy Tuna

copyright 2011 art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

Quote of the Day:

“We all spend our lives living under the same sun, no matter where we are”

Did you know that...

When you make your own mayonnaise at
home, the lemon and oil do not mix or blend in together, but when you
add in egg yolks, because of their lecithin content they act as a
natural emulsifier..no chemicals needed. If you have ever made
mayonnaise at home, share your tips and recipes here for home made
mayonnaise..

Lemons pair so well  with seafood and
this recipe combines both.. I use this dish as an appetizer or
sometimes as a main course for a light dinner meal. Either way, it is
easy and quick to make and will impress your guests. Serve with a
glass of chilled white wine.

Limoncini with Creamy Tuna

4 lemons

12 ounces of tuna packed in olive
oil

2 hard boiled eggs

4 ounces of green olives

1 tsp capers

3 tablespoons olive oil

Cut lemons lengthwise and 'clean out'
the pulp inside. In the food processor, place drained tuna, pitted
green olives, hard boiled eggs, capers. Blend until creamy
consistency. Placei n bowl and dilute with olive oil and juice of one
lemon. Fill 8 lemon halves with this mixture. Place a bed of salad
greens on a plate and place 2 lemon halves on top of greens on each
plate, serve.

For more great recipes get your copy of the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking : Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

http://www.marialiberati.com/products-page/bookstore/the-basic-art-of-italian-cooking-holidays-special-occasions-second-edition/

Cocktail Meatballs with Saffron Sauce for a Spring Soiree

Cocktail meatballs are such a staple for cocktail parties and happy hour events. They pair so well  with those dry martinis, dry white  wine, or Champagne or Prosecco.  Try this Italian version of these little gems made wtih a saffron sauce.
Cocktail Mini Meatballs with Saffron Sauce (Polpettine allo Salso di Zafferano)
from the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition, copyright  2011 art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati
Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 slice bread without crust
• 1 thinly sliced garlic clove
• ½ cup peeled, chopped, and shelled almonds
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 envelope saffron
• Serves 6.
• 1 pound ground beef or soy substitute
• ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1 chopped garlic clove
• 1 chopped scallion
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
• 1 large egg
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup flour
• Juice from 1 lemon
In a bowl, mix ground meat or substitute with breadcrumbs. Add in garlic, scallion, pars ley, beaten egg, pinch of salt, and pinch of nutmeg. Mix with hands until ingredients are well-blended. If mixture is not firm enough, add in extra breadcrumbs until firm. Form mix into small meatballs. Each ball should be the size of a walnut. Place meatballs on large dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. For the sauce, place extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan and heat. Add in slice of bread, garlic, and almonds. Heat until bread is brown and garlic is golden, then remove. Place in food processor with parsley, pinch of cloves, wine, vegetable broth, and saffron. Pu ree. Place in sauté pan and heat for five minutes, stirring with wooden spoon. Remove meatballs from refrigerator. Heat olive oil in separate sauté pan. Roll meatballs in flour, then fry in heated olive oil until golden. Place on plate coated with a paper towel. Place meatballs in sauté pan with sauce and cook 15-20 minutes. Add in lemon juice and serve.

Rachel Ray Inspires Me To Bake

Guest post by Gerard Mcdaniel


I use my DVR to record the Rachel Ray 30 minute meals show. I love this show it helps me cook healthy meals for my family very quickly. I don't love to cook, but I love watching cooking shows they inspire me to get into the kitchen and make meals from scratch for my family.

Rachel showed me how to make a chorizo macaroni and cheese meal that my kids were crazy about. It definitely added a twist to a mainstay meal in my household, and now we have the option of regular mac and cheese or the stepped up Rachel Ray version.

She showed me how to bake an apple pie for dessert and I found it to be simpler than I had expected. My husband is happy that I started watching her show because I tend to cook at home more often instead of our family eating out at restaurants all the time. It has saved my family budget and we are able to go to the movies more often and entertain the kids easily during the weekends.


Rachel's recipes are easy to follow and don't require a lot of ingredients. She cooks a variety of foods and this encourages me to try different dishes. I always watch her show on my BESTCHOICETV My new HDTV gives me amazing crystal clear programming.

Stay Warm with a Hot Bowl of Porcini Mushroom Soup

While there is a chill still in the air, don't miss out on a scrumptious, yet healthy, bowl of hot soup! Porcini mushrooms, not always easy to find fresh, make a flavorful broth. You can make this one using dried Porcini and still get their aromatic flavor. This soup can be served as a first course dish, or you may want to make a meal of it.



Rustic Porcini Mushroom Soup

(copyright 2011 art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati from The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition


4 ounces dried porcini mushrooms


1 cup dried chick peas (that have been soaked overnight and cooked in boiling water till tender) or use 32 ounces of canned chick peas that have been rinsed)

2 1/2 cups vegetable broth


1 scallion


1 tsp thyme


1 tablespoon flour


4 tablespoons + 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil


pinch of salt and pepper to taste


4 slices crusty thick, day old Italian bread


Place dried mushrooms in 1 cup warm water and let sit for 20 minutes. Drain chick peas. Puree 1 ½ cans in food processor. Place in a pan with vegetable broth. Stir with wooden spoon.



Puree remaining chick peas, finely chopped scallion, thyme, and drained mushrooms, then add to pan. Place on low to medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir with wooden spoon every so often. When boiling, lower heat and continue cooking for 30 minutes.


Add in flour and 4 tablespoons olive oil and stir with wooden spoon. Add in pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.


Preheat oven to broil. Place bread on cookie sheet and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. When golden, turn over and repeat.

Remove slices and cut each into 4 squares. Place 4 squares on bottom of each soup bowl and ladle soup on top.


Serve hot.

For more great recipes get your copy of the award winning book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards