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


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.


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


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


Add a bit of vanilla extract.


Have your coffee ready too, of course.


And cocoa too.


Dip the ladyfingers into the coffee.


Line a pan with a layer of the soaked ladyfingers.


Sprinkle on the cocoa.


Then add the mascarpone cheese and whipped cream mixture.


Sprinkle some more cocoa on top.


Then another layer of soaked ladyfingers.


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

The side view of the layers.


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


Much better.


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.


Mixed greens salad with prosciutto.


Mussels with red curry cream sauce.


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


Braised short ribs in red wine sauce with pasta.


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


Crepes Suzette for dessert.


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


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).