Desserts

Growing up in the province of Milan, the presence of various panettoni in the house was reliably the earliest indicator that the Christmas season had returned. My father would receive a couple of panettoni as a gift from his workplace, my mother would bring one or two home she received from some the people she … Continue reading “Mascarpone Cream – How to Make Panettone Divine”

Tiramisu (or Tiramisù, as written in Italian) is arguably the world’s most popular Italian dessert after gelato. Featured by many Italian restaurants in North America, Tiramisu is for the Italians more of a homemade party cake and an unpretentious dessert found in pizzerie and trattorie. Even though Tiramisu is a modern creation and many claim … Continue reading “Tiramisu, the Uplifting Dessert”

Nicknamed ‘caldarroste’ in Italian, roasted chestnuts are a great segue in the series of seasonal classics. Traditionally, caldarroste are fire-roasted in a holed pan, but they can also be made at home – in the oven or, as described in this recipe, on the stove. Cooked chestnuts have a unique mealy texture thanks to their … Continue reading “Caldarroste (Roasted Chestnuts)”

If you’ve only tasted grappa a few times and you found it a bit too dry, you will enjoy this spectacular after-dinner treat of pomegranate seeds soaked in pure grappa. The sweetness and the tartness of the pomegranate perfectly balance the harshness of the grappa, which becomes sweeter and more palatable. In return, the grappa … Continue reading “Pomegranate with Grappa”