How to Build a Tiramisu

A story behind the cake:

Girl and Mother are talking.
Mother makes a rude comment about Girl’s friends.
Girl becomes very upset and exchanges rude words with Mother.
Mother is mad and storms off to her room crying.
Girl feels like an idiot.
Girl wants to apologize but Mother wont let her in room.
Girl decides to make something for Mother to share some love’n.
Girl builds a tiramisu.

Note: Making a tiramisu is the perfect way to apologize to someone or say, “I love you.” Even more so, making tiramisu for a girl beats a box of chocolates or a teddy bear. So knowing how to make this kind of magical cake (I did not intend for that to rhyme) is like having a doctorate in loveology. Which will make you #1 on your special someone’s favorite people list.

All you need is…

Ingredients:

3 eggs (split whites & yolk)
Pinch of salt
2 – 3 cups of brown sugar (or how much you taste buds like)
3 tablespoons of mascarpone cheese
2 cups of whipping cream
Ladyfingers (As many your pan can take)
Espresso or strong coffee (As much as you need)
Cocoa powder

Recommended Accessory Ingredients:

Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Icing sugar
Vanilla powder/extract
Honey toasted pecan nuts
Oranges

Tools:

Electric Mixer
Bowl for egg whites
Bowl for yolk
Bowl for whipping cream
As many trays as yon need for cake
Plate for coffee to dip ladyfingers
Coffee maker
Spoon
Fridge

Usually I just eyeball the whole thing and taste as I go (which is the best way to bake.) So you can personalize your Tiramisu as much as you’d like. Click the picture below for a Step-by-step How to Build a Tiramisu picture manual.

How to Build a Tiramisu


- up for some eating

Add comment March 25, 2008

Easter 2008 Part One: The Drive

Holiday gatherings are more atypical when it comes to my family. Once I heard the word “Easter,” my immediate reaction was nothing more than a heavy sigh. The countless hours of wining and dining, loud gossiping Italians getting together for an even bigger feast of seasonal celebrations is not a pretty picture to see. Nevertheless, once a European always a European, meaning I’ve been well trained to put up with Europeaness. This year the family decided to break tradition and have Easter at my Aunt’s house in Vancouver, meaning me sitting in a rented Dodge Durango for four hours with five more than excited adults and a yappy shih tzu. Goody. So there I was sitting, knees to my chin in a tin can waiting for old fogies to get their wrinkly behinds in the car. If I tried to tell them to hurry up, they’d just reply “Eh! Whatz matta for you?” My hurry was to get this done and over with. Perhaps next time I’ll pack a time capsule or clone myself. I do have to give credit to the similar few like myself. Like my grandma; she knows when to make me feel better.

Grandma. “You loza weight?”

Grandpa. “You bline Bella!? Youz clean your glassez.”

Hmmh. No comment. I’m going to call this a little snap shot of my life. Humorous yet painful. So finally we were on the road. Everyone was tried and the pillows looked inviting. All was running quite smoothly until my bottle-glassed Uncle (and may I add an over zealous driver) decided to play a CD of his selection. Now usually I don’t mind Oldies playbacks but I wasn’t quite ready for Bobby Winters and Rob Orbison that yearly in the morning. And of course when one is familiar with a classic tune, one sings along. So everyone sang along.

“Bum, wah, wah, wah, wahhh, ahhh…Shoop, shoop, wee, oooooooo”

My head was pounding in sync with the c sharp bum wahs and shoop wees. Oh dear, I envisioned the Five O’clock News

“Breaking News: A family road trip gone horribly wrong. Accident or murder? Next: Interview with Mr. Easter Bunny and his family secret to laying a tasty chocolate egg. Find out after the commercial break.”

It was tempting but I held back. Instead I dug out my mp3 player that I luckily remembered to pack. Low battery. Hmmh. To be or not to be that is the question? I decided to hold off from the music until I was clawing for desperation. In the meant time my grandparents started a conversation regarding weather to call “Italy” or not.

Grandma. “Bello, Yous call Sardinia?”

Grandpa. “Noa.”

Grandma. “What’s a matter for you! They’s going to tell peoples we rude!”

* This argument was followed by a course line of “Love Hurts” and nauseating jerks my Uncle was produced from speeding and breaking around corners. *

Grandpa. “Nobody call me. I no call deems!”

Grandma. “So!”

Grandpa. “SO. So I havea no times for peoples who no love is me! Remember, when we went back anda they never came to see you. NO! NO CALLIN’!”

Grandma. “Dat was twent-ees ago Demi!
Grandpa. “NO CALLIN’!”

It’s hard not to laugh at arguing Italians because they never argue for any valid reason because to them life is a soap-op and everything is blown way out of proportion.

So as the outstretch drive continued everyone began to fall asleep. My Uncle put in a Coldplay CD which was accompanied by heavy snoring. While everyone was sleeping I was observing the passing waterfalls made buy melted snow and trying to keep my stare on one tree at a time, which began to make me feel motion sickness. So, I decided to check if everyone was actually asleep when I noticed my Uncles eyes where a bit red. He was crying! I think it was because of the Coldplay. Which brings me to my next tip on Italians: while being down to earth cooking and eating machines Italians are overly sensitive and tend to make sob fest speeches at their big feast celebrations. Also Italians never break tradition (unless they feel it’s necessary.) So, when Easter dinner comes I’ll be fully ready to hold back any laughs.

Stay tune for Easter 2008 Part Two: The Dinner

- feeling stuck

Add comment March 22, 2008

Dear Local Bands

Here is a little salutation to my dear local bands:

Shane Koyczan

Kyle Tubbs

Steve Buzinski

The Defending Buckets

The City

AlphaBaby

They’re really great, even better live at gigs (even though I tend to break a tooth or get a black eye every time!) If only someone would play with me, I’d be rocking my heart out :(  More bands for your entertainment, come soon! I’d be glad to past on feed back.

- peace out

Add comment March 16, 2008

Oh Spring Break my Spring Break

It’s spring break where I’m from.
School is out. Girls go wild. Others go season shopping. Families go on vacations.
But I am stuck at home.

It seems to be the same picture every year. My mother and I attempted to plan to see the musical “Spring Awakening”  in Toronto, but things just didn’t pull through because I’m me and that’s my luck. So once again I’ll be warming my computer chair, taking my dog for walks, and attending important meetings with my few remaining friends and a Nintendo Wii.

So please, if you are singing the same sad song join me. I’d like to hear your story.

- suffering from boredom

Add comment March 16, 2008

Pressing the Words

To whom this may be of interest or disinterest, I have absolutely no idea what to write.If you haven’t already noticed my nonchalant novice blogging skills, this concept is completely over my head. The reality is I may be writing to a seldom audience of the internet café readers or I may be just writing to myself (so I’m nuts.) But I guess the beauty of it is that I get to spend some quality time with my imagination and myself (but I’ll try to cut back from cheesy lines like those.) Either or, I guess I better start with story (well, I mean if this was a prologue.)

A girl is graduating from high school.
Girl is not scared but is anxious to live.
Girl is ready to achieve her goals, start a life, and move.
Reality hits her in the face and says “YOU MUST GO-TH TO POST-SECONDARY SCHOOL AND WORK!”
Girl says ouch.
Girl says she needs a collateral to keep her from insanity.
Girl decides to blog.

So I have decided to create an anonymous life in between the cables and wires.
The internet. What a mystical abyss of possibilities.
Why anonymous? Well there is nothing more like the thrill of a clean slate and hidden identity (but don’t mistake me for the neighborhood creep.) So I guess by this moment I call myself Ann (for anonymous) Bird (for girl.)

Hi,
call me Ann.

- Ann Bird

Add comment March 15, 2008


Ann Jay Bird

...is unable to attend her blog due to a batch-crazy schedual :(

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