Favorite Dessert in Italy?
May 6th, 2006, 09:48 PM
#3
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Tiramisu! Some are better than others. A really good tiramisu is just something words can't describe, IMHO.
(For anyone who lives in South Florida, I just had an amazing tiramisu in Hollywood, at Mama Mia Ristorante.)
(For anyone who lives in South Florida, I just had an amazing tiramisu in Hollywood, at Mama Mia Ristorante.)
May 6th, 2006, 11:32 PM
#4
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Hi
Tiramisu is a classical Italian dessert and it can be excellent. But it is hard to beat the gelato...at least when you have places like Gelateria della Palma in Rome which can offer like 100 different flavours
Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures
Tiramisu is a classical Italian dessert and it can be excellent. But it is hard to beat the gelato...at least when you have places like Gelateria della Palma in Rome which can offer like 100 different flavours
Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures
May 7th, 2006, 04:06 AM
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Hi M,
Tiramisu and chocolate gelato.
Italians are not big on desserts.
A small biscotto and a glass of vin santo is quite good.
A cannolo
A zabaglione custard
A few frittelle (fried sweet dough)
A panna cotta (cold custard)
Spumoni ice cream
Tiramisu and chocolate gelato.
Italians are not big on desserts.
A small biscotto and a glass of vin santo is quite good.
A cannolo
A zabaglione custard
A few frittelle (fried sweet dough)
A panna cotta (cold custard)
Spumoni ice cream
May 7th, 2006, 04:29 AM
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Maire,
You won't find the "works of art" pastries in Italy that you see in France...at least we haven't...Tiramisu is on most menus, and I have made it my life's work to try them all ( just for comparison's sake of course)...
May 7th, 2006, 08:16 AM
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Thanks, everyone; I'll try your suggestions. Hmmm, I wish I could make a side trip to France for the breads, pastries, and profiteroles (and the castles). But, I can buy a lot of chocolate in Perugia to give me my chocolate fix.
May 7th, 2006, 04:14 PM
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Guess that is the end of the thread -- just as I was gettng ready to post. I'll post anyway:
Italy is not a dessert country.
Think of the (relative) lack of key ingredients: butter, cream....
And Italy never really had an empire, hence the lack of exotic ingredients that other European cooking takes for granted: vanilla, cocoa, cane sugar, rum/molasses...
I'd take a typical English dessert (summer pudding, treacle tart) anyday over those sawdust Italian meringues and pallid cakes.
Italy is not a dessert country.
Think of the (relative) lack of key ingredients: butter, cream....
And Italy never really had an empire, hence the lack of exotic ingredients that other European cooking takes for granted: vanilla, cocoa, cane sugar, rum/molasses...
I'd take a typical English dessert (summer pudding, treacle tart) anyday over those sawdust Italian meringues and pallid cakes.
May 7th, 2006, 04:29 PM
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I agree that Italy is not the country to expect the most fantastic desserts.
Usually after a meal I enjoy the fresh fruit..which works for me as due to food allergies I can't really eat most desserts anyway. Maire, whether in their homes or at a restaurang none of my friends in Italy eat rich desserts after meals. Gelato seems to be the favorite dessert, but again, most of them enjoy fresh fruit or a fresh fruit that has been marinated with some kind of wine or liquore.
Usually after a meal I enjoy the fresh fruit..which works for me as due to food allergies I can't really eat most desserts anyway. Maire, whether in their homes or at a restaurang none of my friends in Italy eat rich desserts after meals. Gelato seems to be the favorite dessert, but again, most of them enjoy fresh fruit or a fresh fruit that has been marinated with some kind of wine or liquore.
May 7th, 2006, 04:55 PM
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Traviata, I can tell from your post that you have never been to Sicily, home of the "works of art pastries," as you pit it.
On the one hand, I agree with Ira and Tedgale that "desserts" aren't a big part of an Italian meal. However, Italy produces some of the best dessert-like things, but they're just not necessarily eaten right after a meal, when fresh fruit is likely to be the dessert if any. But a few hours after a meal, or after a very special meal, or with a mid-day coffee, are the times people might have some of the wonderful pastries. As AP said, the most notable ones are the ones made in Sicily.
I like a good cannolo (with ricotta-based filling, not with an egg-based custard) or a sfogliatella. One of my favorite things is a granita (a simple water ice). It's more refreshing than gelato (which I also like). But it has to be a very simple fresh granita, not the commercial kind.
On the one hand, I agree with Ira and Tedgale that "desserts" aren't a big part of an Italian meal. However, Italy produces some of the best dessert-like things, but they're just not necessarily eaten right after a meal, when fresh fruit is likely to be the dessert if any. But a few hours after a meal, or after a very special meal, or with a mid-day coffee, are the times people might have some of the wonderful pastries. As AP said, the most notable ones are the ones made in Sicily.
I like a good cannolo (with ricotta-based filling, not with an egg-based custard) or a sfogliatella. One of my favorite things is a granita (a simple water ice). It's more refreshing than gelato (which I also like). But it has to be a very simple fresh granita, not the commercial kind.
