Gourmet Italian

Tiramisu has become an Italian dessert that is enormously popular everywhere. Tokyo’s elite considered serving this to be a status symbol. It first was introduced to the United States via Maimi and San Francisco.

photo credit: haldean When I ran across a recipe for Chocolate Italian Honey Cheesecake years ago, I knew that I had to try this one!  After all, it has one of those marvelous Toblerone chocolate bars in the recipe.  You know the ones – they come in triangular wrapping and the packaging has a picture [...]

photo credit: Barbara L. Hanson A traditional Italian celebration occurs every March 19th and it is called St. Joseph’s Day.  It is customary to eat Sfingi – also known as zeppole – on this day. There are many types of sfingi.  One type is much like fried bits of sweetened bread dough dusted with sugar.  [...]

photo credit: cursedthing If you are looking to add some Italian cookies to your lineup this Christmas, why not try these heavenly Rocotta cheese cookies.  Did you know that ricotta is not really a true cheese?  It is actually  a by-product of the cheese making process.  The watery leftover liquid from the making of another [...]

photo credit: stu_spivack Zabaglione is a wonderful Italian dessert that is rich and custardy and has a taste of “spirits”.  There does not seem to be a consensus of opinion about the origin of this dish.  Some say Florence, some say Venice, but most agree it came about some time in the 1500′s.  The original [...]

photo credit: Ash-rly Italian desserts are ALL wonderful, but the cool, silky, melt-in-your-mouth Gelato is in a class by itself.  Gelato actually IS an art form!  The technique was actually perfected by a Sicilian in Paris back in the 1600′s. So what is the difference between ice cream and gelato?  One difference is that gelati [...]