Tiramisu

Let’s have a summer reminder, shall we?
Italy . . .mmmm . . .sun, wine, cup of coffee . . . .
Ferrari, traffic jam in Rome . . .tiramisu, oh yea, here we are!
Again, easy recipe, almost foolproof.

 Today “twist” – individual plates, rather than a big shallow dish.
It really looks better when plated individually, judge for yourself!

Your shopping list:

6 servings

for filling/creme:

5 eggs
3/4 cup (150g) fine sugar
1  1/2 cup (250g) mascarpone cheese

another:

ladyfingers (6 per serving, total of 36)
coffee (strong, cold, about a cup)
cocoa powder, eventually finely grated chocolate for top
shot of your favorite liquor (optional) – Kahlua, Grand Marnier . .

how to: 

Beat egg yolks and sugar into fluffy mixture, and slowly whisk in
mascarpone.
Whisk egg whites until firm and fold them into mascarpone mix.

Set three ladyfingers on a small plate, and moist them with coffee
(eventually coffee with liquor), just use spoon and pour it lightly
over them. Any spills get immediately soaked, so no worries.
We want them to be moist, but not “slurry”.

Spoon and spread mascarpone mixture over them,
in about 1/2 cm (1/4 inch) thick layer.

Repeat, setting ladyfingers cross to bottom layer. Now you
know the drill – moist, not to much, spread mascarpone, done.

Dust with cocoa powder on the top and refrigerate . . .
that is actually hardest part – just try to put them in the fridge
and  

w  a   i  t

for few hours

  - impossible.

Overnight? Crazy!

Tomas

Wild Salmon “blue style”

This “blue” version of fish preparation goes far back couple centuries,
and comes from middle Europe. Originally made with carp or pike,
as at the finish of process, when poached fish is poured over with
heated vinegar, their skin turns into blue color, hence the name.

Let’s take it into modern kitchen, and use salmon for this recipe,
ideal candidate in my eyes. Original recipe calls for cooking
(poaching) the fish in small amount of slightly acidic water
(with vinegar) with carrots, parsley root and celery, various spices.

I’ll list ingredients below, let’s go over process. It’s quite simple.

First, peel carrots and parsley roots, and with kitchen peeler,
make thin, wide strips out of it.
Then cut about 1 inch (2.5cm) wide strips from salmon, in direction
like you’d cut fillets of it.
Flip it on side, add vegetable strips alongside and roll,
as shown in picture above.
Secure with toothpick on the end, sprinkle with salt.

Put finished fish rolls into a baking dish, and pour in white wine,
but only about 1/2 inch – 1 cm, halfway the height of fish.
No seasoning, please, we’ll use aromatic side dishes plus the way
salmon with wine tastes is best like this.

15 – 20 minutes in the oven, uncovered . . . .done
Take out of the oven, and drizzle with heated up vinegar
- careful, not to much, just a light drizzle is fine.
Cover it and let sit for 5 minutes, while you arrange peas and
potatoes on a plate. Now it’s ready to eat.

Couple ideas – remaining vegetables and liquid left after cooking fish
can be used as great base for fish soup.
All alcohol is already evaporated from the wine, but taste remains.

What you’ll need:

• salmon, fresh, enough to make 1inch/2.5 cm wide cuts, one per
person, or if it’s main dish of the event, two per person
• carrots and parsley roots (you can make about 6 to 10 strips from piece)
• white wine for cooking . . . no boxed wine, please
you get to finish the bottle anyway, so pick your favorite
• vinegar, white, 4 or 5 % acidity or dilute strong one with water
• salt

For rosemary butter peas -
melt piece of butter in heavy pan, add roughly cut rosemary leaves and
peas.  
Yep, just go ahead and use frozen from the bag, just don’t let it
sit longer than 20 minutes when finished. Ideal time is to prepare
this while the fish is in the oven.  Let it heat up nicely, stir occasionaly.
Done.

For stuffed baked potato -
(my version)
boil baking potato, cool down, cut in half.
Remove inner mass, leaving about 0.5 cm (1/4 inch) on sides and bottom.
Roughly cut and mix removed potato mass with finely chopped leeks,
one whole egg, season with salt and pepper.
Return into potatoes, bake for 15 minutes
(you can put it into oven with salmon).
Finish just before serving with spoon of sour cream,
mixed with chopped herbs of your choice and salt.
Done.

Nice, effective, very easy,
bon apetite!

Tomas