European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 6, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Bar chatted with the Multi Lingual staff then left with a plastic Container full of Tram us to go. One Man apparently noticed my interest in All this take out Tiramisu and made a Point of stopping by my table to say that the restaurant s Tiramisu was the Best in Munich. The next time i lunched at the Piccola Osteria the couple sitting at an adjacent table had Tiramisu for dessert and Felt compelled to let me know that it was the Best in  my defences thus weakened i gave in and ordered a portion. It was indeed excellent Tiramisu at least As Good As the Best i had eaten in either Italy or Germany. On the other hand i be Seldom met a Tiramisu i did t like. You la find this wonderfully creamy dessert on a growing number of menus throughout Germany not to mention the fact that it s Standard fare at a great Many restaurants in Northern Italy the Region in which it originated. Priced at approximately $3 per serving in new York 6 Marks for a serving in Germany and 3,000 lire per portion in Northern Italy Tiramisu in t cheap. But restaurant Servings tend to be Large enough to split with your table companion i be never eaten a whole serving by myself. At certain pastry shops in Italy you can also buy family size portions of take out Tiramisu sometimes Francily decorated with whipped Cream rosettes and with Tiramisu written in Cream across the top. A simpler version but equally delicious can be bought ready made at italian supermarkets bargain priced at about 1,500 lire per kilogram. And Tiramisu is so popular in Italy that you can even find Tiramisu ice Cream and Mascar Pone ice Cream at Many Gela Terie ice Cream shops. Tiramisu and Mascar Pone inseparable companions Given the fad value of Tiramisu i predict that in the near future any new italian Cookbook Worth its weight in pasta will feel obligated to include a recipe for this trendy dessert. But Don t expect to find a single classic recipe anywhere. Marian Burros Points out that there Are at least 200 variations according to one authoritative  that makes for a lot of infighting especially when food writers and Cooks Start claiming that theirs is the Only authentic recipe for Tiramisu. Put All these people together in the same room and you re Likely to have an italian custard cake fight More vicious than any in Mack Sennett s wildest dreams. Tiramisu is translated from the italian As lift me up or pick me up which will be increasingly hard for anyone to do if you make a habit of eating this dessert. But people can t even seem to to free on whether the term should be two words it ram Sone word Tiramisu or the same single word with a grave accent Over the last letter. I refuse to join this Petty squabble leaving the Resolution of it for articles yet to be published in erudite Gastro linguistic tracts. There is one thing however that everyone agrees on authentic Tiramisu must be made with Mascar Pone cheese. One italian restaurant in new York reportedly serves a Tiramisu made with Zagaglione a Frothy mixture of eggs sugar and Marsala wine but that contains no Mascar Pone. I am not alone in contending that this dessert in t really Tiramisu at All. Anyone who has eaten Tiramisu on its Home turf in Northern Italy knows that Mascar Pone cheese is an essential ingredient. But it in t Only new yorkers who Are guilty of marketing a different product under the name of  at a Well known German restaurant in Garmisch i ordered Nus pudding Zirami so Mit Cognac Soss und Mandel Geb a cd which turned out to be an individually folded hazelnut pudding with a roasted Walnut half on top garnished with Cognac Cream sauce and with an Almond cookie on the Side. Tasty but it did t have anything to do with authentic Tiramisu. Tiramisu s distinguishing ingredient Mascar Pone also spelled Mas Capone or Mascher Pone f is a fresh very soft double Cream cheese originally produced in the Lombardy Region of Italy. Similar to Devonshire clotted Cream but a bit thicker and with a slightly nutty taste Mascar Pone was traditionally sold wrapped in Little Muslin bags. Today at almost any cheese counter in Northern Italy you la find a big bowl of Cream coloured Mascar Pone from which you can Purchase any amount you want. It s also marketed in both Italy and North of the Alps in plastic containers that hold 500 Grams of the cheese. Mascar Pone is usually eaten As a dessert cheese on its own layered with go gonzo a italian Blue cheese As an accompaniment to berries or fruits Flavoured with sugar raisins chocolate bits cinnamon Coffee dipped cookies and or liqueurs and As an ingredient in Many kinds of chilled desserts. Elizabeth David tells How to use Mascar Pone for making a Cream cheese and Walnut sauce for pasta. The cheese is also mixed with go gonzo a anchovies Caraway seeds Leeks and Mustard to produce a pungent spread similar to the Austro hungarian Littauer cheese spread. You la even find smoked Mascar Pone in some parts of Northern Italy. The amount of Mascar Pone used in Tiramisu varies from Cook to Cook As does the technique for using it in each recipe. Interestingly most recipes published in american newspapers and food Magazine lighten or extend the Mascar Pone by folding into it beaten egg Whites whipped Cream or Zabaga one. I even have one italian recipe that Lightens the consistency of the Mascar Pone by incorporating beaten egg Whites. I must report however that i be devoured numerous Servings of Tiramisu both in Italy and in italian restaurants in Northern Europe in the interest of food research of course and Only once have i encountered a Tiramisu whose Cream cheese had been lightened by the use of beaten egg Whites. The Tiramisu i know and love Are All heavy creamy Rich concoctions that sit in your stomach like a Large Lump of satisfaction. Perhaps it s the Cost of Mascar Pone cheese outside of Italy that tempts Cooks to extend it with More voluminous ingredients. A Friend reports that imported Mascar Pone Sells for almost $20 per Pound in Minneapolis. In Italy you can buy 500 Grams a Little More than one Pound of Mascar Pone for about 4,500 lire $2.85, at today s conversion rate. Specially stores in downtown Munich charge Between 10 and 12 Marks $4.35 to $5.20 per 500 Grams but the same Quantity of very Good Mascar Pone can be purchased at discount grocery stores in Munich for As Little As 6.75 Marks $2.95. Tiramisu is such a fad in Germany that savvy stores now display Mascar Pone cheese and ladyfingers Side by Side and give away copies of recipes for this dessert. If Mascar Pone in t available at All where you live a  substitute can be made by beating together two parts whole milk Ricotta cheese with one part Cream cheese. This suggestion will probably cause apoplexy among Tiramisu purists but i can vouch for the acceptability of this Mascar Pone substitute. In the interest of Brevity however i won t go into All the other arguments about which kinds of ladyfingers should be used or whether the Tiramisu should be tarted up with such ingredients As chocolate bits almonds liqueur soaked raisins or Zabaga one. The following recipe is for the kind of simple but Rich soul satisfying Tiramisu that i be often eaten in Italy and that s enough authenticity for me. Tiramisu 750 Grams about Iva pounds or 3 cups Mascar Pone cheese 3 whole eggs 7 egg Yolks 2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons sugar 2/3 cup Almond liqueur 3 cups Strong Coffee cold 450 Grams 1 Pound ladyfingers 3 Tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa powder see notes at end of recipe let the Mascar Pone cheese and the eggs come to room temperature. In a Large bowl beat the whole eggs egg Yolks and 2 cups of sugar with an electric mixer Ohlow Speed for 2 minutes. Increase mixer Speed to High and beat for an additional 5 minutes until the mixture is Pale and Fluffy. Reduce mixer Speed to Low and add i cup of Almond liqueur. With mixer still on Low Speed add the Mascar Pone 2 heaping Tablespoons at a time beating Well after each addition. When All the Mascar Pone has been added increase mixer Speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes longer. In a separate bowl Combine the cold Coffee with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar and Vij cup of Almond liqueur. Have ready a 10x14x2-Inch baking pan it is important to use the Correct size of pan for this recipe one at a time dip each ladyfingers briefly in the Flavoured Coffee not letting the ladyfingers become soggy and arrange the ladyfingers in a single layer in the Bottom of the pan. Use half the total number of ladyfingers. Pour half the Mascar Pone mixture Over the ladyfingers and spread the mixture into an even layer. Repeat the process placing another layer of Coffee dipped ladyfingers on top of the Mascar Pone layer in the pan then covering the ladyfingers with the remaining half of the Mascar Pone mixture. Smooth the top of this last layer then sift 3 Tablespoons of unsweetened Cocoa powder evenly Over the Mascar Pone. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or aluminium foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. To serve Cut the Tiramisu into squares and sift a Little additional powdered Cocoa Over the top if desired. Leftover Tiramisu can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 3 Days. Makes 16 Servings. To make a smaller portion of Tiramisu see note #5, following notes 1 Mascar Pone italian double Cream cheese is an essential ingredient of authentic Tiramisu but if Mascar Pone in t available you can substitute 1 Pound 2 cups whole milk Ricotta cheese mixed with 1/2 Pound 1 cup Cream cheese. Blend the two cheeses at room temperature in a food processor or in Small batches in a blender until very smooth then proceed with the Tiramisu recipe. 2 this recipe makes a rather Sweet version of Tiramisu. Some recipes use less sugar so that the nutty flavor of the Mascar Pone is not overpowered. You can reduce the sugar in this recipe to 1 or 11/2 cups if desired. 3 you can substitute Brandy rum Coffee liqueur Orange liqueur or Marsala wine for the Almond liqueur. A non alcoholic version of Tiramisu can be made by omitting the liquor and beating 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla extract into the Mascar Pone mixture. 4 the italians traditionally make Tiramisu with Savoiardo their equivalent of ladyfingers which Are drier than american ladyfingers. They sometimes also use dry Pound cake Lange de Chat cat s Tongue cookies or Biscotti cookies. Northern europeans generally use a Type of ladyfingers that is smaller and crisper than the american version. These Crisp dry ladyfingers Are marketed under such names As ladyfingers cookies englis Loffel biscuits or Eier biscuits German and boudoir French. My recipe uses 450 Grams 1 Pound of these ladyfingers cookies but since ladyfingers vary in size from country to country the exact number of ladyfingers needed for this recipe will depend on the Type you have available. Just be certain that you have enough ladyfingers to make two layers in the pan. If using american ladyfingers which tend to be softer than european ones you must Toast them in a pre heated 375-degree f. Oven for 15 minutes to dry them out. Let the ladyfingers Cool before dipping them in a Coffee mixture. You can also make your own ladyfingers by baking the Type of cake known As a Geno be using 6 eggs then cutting the cake into strips the size of ladyfingers. 5 this recipe makes 16 Servings of very Rich Tiramisu but if you prefer to make a smaller amount it is easy to reduce the recipe approximately by one half. Use 2 whole eggs and 3 egg Yolks Divide All the other ingredients by half and use an 11x7x2 Inch pan. Makes 8 Servings. Original recipe Courtesy of Piccola Osteria amalie Strasse 39, 8000 Munchen 90. Recipe has been adapted for american measures c 1986, Sharon Hudgins March 6,1986 stripes Magazine 5