Home | Directory | Contact | FAQ | Recipes | Restaurants | Vietnamese Recipes | 100 Vietnamese Foods | Subscribe

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

A Tiramisu and a Thank You Dinner

Back in August 2008, my friend DP insisted on making a "proper" tiramisu and that I had to photograph it because my cheater's version of tiramisu with Sara Lee poundcake just didn't cut it. :P

A Tiramisu and a Thank You Dinner 1

Hey, she might not like it, but plenty of other people like my recipe just fine. But, my friend does make the best tiramisu so if she wants to make one for me, far be it for me to quibble.

While she normally does it the authentic way by whipping egg whites instead of whipping cream, she said she'd substitute like I did, but do everything else the proper way.

Look! Ladyfingers.

A Tiramisu and a Thank You Dinner 2

Add the mascarpone cheese into the whipping cream and some sugar.

A Tiramisu and a Thank You Dinner 3

Until the mixture becomes thick and stiff, but not hard.

A Tiramisu and a Thank You Dinner 4

Add a bit of vanilla extract.

A Tiramisu and a Thank You Dinner 5

Have your coffee ready too, of course.

A Tiramisu and a Thank You Dinner 6

And cocoa too.

A Tiramisu and a Thank You Dinner 7

Dip the ladyfingers into the coffee.

A Tiramisu and a Thank You Dinner 8

Line a pan with a layer of the soaked ladyfingers.

A Tiramisu and a Thank You Dinner 9

Sprinkle on the cocoa.

A Tiramisu and a Thank You Dinner 10

Then add the mascarpone cheese and whipped cream mixture.

A Tiramisu and a Thank You Dinner 11

Sprinkle some more cocoa on top.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 12

Then another layer of soaked ladyfingers.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 13

Another layer of whipped cream and cocoa topping and you're done.

The side view of the layers.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 14

Oooh. But wait, that's not pretty enough. My friend's pride was at stake.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 15

Much better.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 16

I tried to tell her that that was pretty much the same as my recipe, but she wouldn't believe me. She also said she bought the pan for cheap from IKEA so she didn't have to worry about guests returning her dishes. I would have! I always return things I borrow. I hate when people don't return things they borrow from me. But she said it was a gift, so I got to keep it. :)

The following January, to thank me for doing a favor (well, not really for her, but on her behalf for someone else's behalf), she made me dinner. She only cooks for me about once every five years you see, so I gotta take advantage of it when I can. Ha!

Way fancier than my table settings.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 17

Mixed greens salad with prosciutto.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 18

Mussels with red curry cream sauce.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 19

Yum! The mussels were sooo fresh. I wanted to drink the bowl clean. I settled for mopping up all the sauce with a baguette.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 20

Braised short ribs in red wine sauce with pasta.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 21

Mmm. Actually, I was probably thinking about this dinner when I made my Vietnamese-French Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine and Mushrooms.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 22

Crepes Suzette for dessert.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 23

While hanging around her kitchen afterward, I spied this teeny tiny bottle of Maggi Seasoning Sauce.

A Tiramisu and A Thank You Dinner 24

So cute!

I love when people cook for me. :)

*****
1 year ago today, Part 12 of my "How to Start a Food Blog" series: Measuring Success - Cheerleader or Nerd?
2 years ago today, Uzbekistan - Los Angeles (Closed).

3 comments:

  1. What an awesome friend you have! It also helps that she's a great cook! Very nice!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love love love it when mussels are fresh. Everything looks lovely -- so glad you got to enjoy this treat.

    ReplyDelete
  3. CC,
    We've been friends for a long time, but she's only cooked for me a few times!

    Nikki,
    I do too! I especially love mussels with red curry broth.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by. I try to respond in a timely manner, but am not always able to do so. If you're awaiting a response, check the post in which the comment is made or click the "Notify me" option.

If you're not a blogger and you'd like to leave a comment, you can do so using your Google/Gmail account.

I welcome questions, discussions, and feedback, but please be mindful that this is my home online. I reserve the right to delete any comment that is anonymous or unknown, rude, promotional, or has a link.

Thank you for reading!