12/29 - Try Sushi. I was home over break and had lunch with a Dear Friend. He was in the mood for sushi so away we went... I actually enjoyed it. I even managed to get my mind over the matter of raw fish, and enjoyed some of the locally named rolls. (It was Salmon, Cucumber and Avocado). I'd definitely be willing to have it again, and can see why it's addictive.
1/08 - Finish Watching Lois and Clark. I've had all four seasons of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman for several years now. I watched the first two seasons as soon as I got them, but for some reason never got around to the later seasons. (Or rather, I'd go through phases and watch an episode or two here and there). Well finally, before I started back to school this semester I had the time to watch the last portion of Season Four. I watched probably 12 episodes in two days... and now I'm done.
1/22 - Learn To Make A Cosmo. Cosmos have been my favorite cocktail for years. I don't drink them very often anymore because frankly, they're expensive. (I tend to stick to the cheaper, less sweet, Vodka Tonic). But I've always wanted to learn to make one. I knew it was vodka and cranberry juice, and a wedge of lime, but I had no clue what else. So I finally looked up a recipe, made a list and made a trip to the liquor store. (In addition to the above mentioned ingredients you also need lime juice and triple sec). Made them, made a mess (some how I managed to get all the way to... well an aged state, and never obtained a cocktail shaker). They turned out delicious, and one of my friends bought me a cocktail shaker so I can make them easier next time.
Recipe:
1 ounce Vodka
1/2 ounce Triple Sec
1/2 ounce Lime Juice (Rose's(R) is the recommended brand, but I think any variety will do)
1/2 ounce Cranberry Juice
Wedge of Lime (for garnish)
(Here's where I found the recipe: http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink234.html)
Shake over ice and strain into happy glass.
NOW - here's what I did, finding it a little too strong - I doubled the cranberry juice - tasted much better then... but for purists (and plagiarism purposes) I'll leave the original recipe in tact.
1/22 - Make Tiramisu. I love tiramisu, it's probably my favorite Italian dessert (next gelato of course), I'm not sure how it ended up on my list of things to do... but it did. So I had people over for dinner last Saturday, and I decided to make lasagna. (Lasagna is my fail-safe dinner entree - I've made it a billion times, and I get lots of compliments on it.) What goes better with an Italian entree than an Italian dessert? (If your answer to this question is Nothing goes better! then we're on the same page.) So I began my hunt for the perfect Tiramisu recipe. Watch out if you go in search of your own, there are a lot of them out there.
One of my friends recommended this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tiramisu-II/Detail.aspx
I used it for a few reasons. First, it was recommended by someone that had made it and liked it. Second, there aren't that many ingredients. And third, the eggs in the recipe are cooked. [I don't have a problem with raw eggs, I could live off cookie dough if given the chance, but one of my friends that was coming to dinner has an aversion to them.]
So I looked at the recipe and made my shopping list. The instructions from the recommender were to double the coffee and the rum... so I kept that in mind. I found everything I needed (except the booze of course) at my local Safeway. So here are my tips if you decide to make this recipe for yourselves.
1 - You need two packages of lady fingers (I bought them in the Safeway bakery).
2 - I used Bel Gioioso's Tiramisu Mascarpone (It's got a slight coffee flavor to it already). You might want to leave it out on the counter to soften before you try to incorporate it with the cooled egg custard.
3 - The egg thing seems a little scary at first, but as long as you keep them moving it's really no problem. But put them in a bigger bowl that you would think to cool, it makes it easier to add the mascarpone later.
4 - I used Disarrono (an Amaretto liquor) instead of rum... because frankly I don't really like rum, and I thought the Disaronno might give a better flavor. (If you don't want to buy a whole bottle - I sure didn't - I just used one of the little 'nips' from the liquor store - it's a little more than a quarter cup)
5 - Definitely double the coffee and booze that gets poured over the lady fingers - I would suggest dividing it in half before starting to pour though. I didn't use enough on the bottom layer, wanting to make sure I had enough for the top layer, then couldn't use it all on the top. There is no way to get back to that first layer of lady fingers once the layers of custard and whipped cream are in place.
6 - Let it sit overnight before serving. The recommender told me this, and I adhered. I made the dessert Friday afternoon and served it Saturday night. The wait really gives the ladyfingers time to absorb the flavors.
7 - I was also told that shaved chocolate worked just as well as cocoa powder - I didn't try that because well, I don't want to deal with the rest of the chocolate bar - but I would start with less powder than the recipe calls for, and add more if needed to cover. I had the top heavily dusted with cocoa powder - couldn't even see any whipped cream - and still had a bunch left in my sifter.
All in all it was a success - everyone enjoyed it. Even one of my friends who was annoyed that I made it, because he didn't like it. [Yes I am very accommodating and would normally take that into consideration - but this time the other guest's love for tiramisu won out] Apparently he likes it now.
I will probably make this again.
So here we are - January 2010 - Four months til graduation, and I've gotten another four things off my list! Go me!
No comments:
Post a Comment