“Tiramisù,” a coffee-flavored dessert whose name means “pick me up” in Italian, is said to have derived from the Treviso dialect, “Tireme su,” and is believed have originated in that area around 1800.
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Now please don’t kill the messenger, but some claim this concoction was invented by a “madame,” or “maitresse,” of a “house of pleasure” who offered her customers this “aphrodisiac dessert” at the end of their visits to “reinvigorate them.”
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Let’s just say we were in dire need of “reinvigoration” after dining at FILOMENA RISTORANTE — 1063 Wisconsin Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. As you saw from our prior posts, the dishes were quite disappointing, overall. So, when a guest spotted the “Tira Mi Su,” $14 (pre-tax/tip) on the menu, she insisted that we try it. Interestingly, the menu described this item as a “rich, velvety cream flavored in the Italian tradition with mascarpone and espresso. This heavenly cream is generously spread between layers of espresso soaked lady fingers … (with a touch of liquor).”
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Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey makes his version using mascarpone cheese, confectioners’ sugar, strong brewed coffee (chilled), double/heavy cream, coffee liqueur, Savoiardi or sponge fingers/ladyfingers, dark/bittersweet dark chocolate, unsweetened cocoa powder, and assorted summer berries. And, when done right, there should be a discernible contrast between the sweetness/bitterness; with the former coming from the mascarpone and the latter from the coffee-soaked lady fingers.
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In addition to the sweetness being overwhelming, we found the ladyfingers too “dry,” and lacking a coffee kick, and rated this $17 dessert (approx; post-tax/tip) a lowly “C-.”
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Ironically, this dessert could have used a major pick me up.
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