Biba's Northern Italian Cooking Part 23

In a large bowl or the top part of a double boiler, beat egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick. Set bowl or top part of double boiler over simmering water; do not let water boil. Add Marsala, sherry or port slowly, beating constantly. Zabaglione is ready when mixture has tripled in volume and it is soft and fluffy, 4 to 6 minutes. Spoon into individual gla.s.ses. Serve immediately.

Variation Cold Zabaglione (Zabaglione Freddo): As soon as Zabaglione swells up into a soft ma.s.s, set bowl or top part of a double boiler over a bowl of ice water. Continue stirring until cool. Spoon into gla.s.ses and refrigerate until ready to serve.

SWEET FRIED CREAM.

Crema Fritta Transform staple ingredients into this delicate and delicious dessert.

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS 2 cups milk 2 cups milk 6 egg yolks 6 egg yolks 6 tablespoons granulated sugar 6 tablespoons granulated sugar Grated zest of 1 lemon Grated zest of 1 lemon cup all-purpose flour cup all-purpose flour 1 cups very fine, dry unflavored bread crumbs 1 cups very fine, dry unflavored bread crumbs 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 eggs, lightly beaten Oil for frying Oil for frying cup powdered sugar cup powdered sugar

Bring milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. In a large heavy saucepan off the heat, beat egg yolks, granulated sugar and lemon zest until pale and thick. Beat in flour until well blended.Very slowly pour in hot milk, beating constantly. Cook custard cream over medium heat 5 to 8 minutes, beating constantly. Do not let boil. Custard cream is done when it coats the back of a spoon.

Moisten a large plate or cookie sheet with water. Spread cooked cream to a thickness of to 1 inch. Cream can be prepared to this point a day or two ahead and refrigerated.When cream is completely cooled, cut into squares or diamonds.

Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Coat cream shapes with bread crumbs. Dip coated cream shapes into beaten eggs, and coat again with bread crumbs.

Pour oil 2 inches deep in a large saucepan or deep-fryer. Heat oil to 375F (190C) or until a 1-inch cube of bread turns golden brown almost immediately. Using a slotted spoon, lower cream pieces a few at a time into hot oil.Turn cream pieces.When golden on both sides, remove from oil with slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.

Arrange drained fried cream on a platter and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve hot.

MOCHA GELATO.

Gelato di Caffe The coffee enhances the chocolate flavor of this luscious treat.

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS 3 cups milk 3 cups milk 1 vanilla bean 1 vanilla bean 6 egg yolks 6 egg yolks cup sugar cup sugar 1 cup whipping cream 1 cup whipping cream 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or regular instant coffee 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder or regular instant coffee 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

Prepare a custard: Heat milk with vanilla bean in a medium saucepan over medium heat. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow and soft ribbons are formed. Add the hot milk to the eggs, very slowly, beating after each addition.Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Beat constantly without letting the milk boil, cooking the custard 2 to 3 minutes. (The custard is done when it evenly coats the back of a spoon.) Discard the vanilla bean, strain the custard into a clean bowl and cool to room temperature. (The custard can be prepared up to this point and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator up to 2 days.)

Combine the cream with the coffee in a small saucepan. Heat the cream to a simmer over medium heat, mixing with a wire whisk. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and mix until it is melted. Cool, then add to custard. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

EGG CUSTARD AND CHOCOLATE SWIRL GELATO.

Stracciatella Italian gelato is lighter than American ice cream. It has a denser, softer texture and a fresh, not-too-sweet taste. Gelato is also considerably lower in b.u.t.terfat because more milk is used than cream. Ideally gelato should be served immediately or within a few hours after it is made. Freezing changes the texture of gelato.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART 1 recipe Egg Custard Gelato, page 235 1 recipe Egg Custard Gelato, page 235 4 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, coa.r.s.ely chopped 4 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate, coa.r.s.ely chopped 1 tablespoon creme de cacao, or other liqueur of your choice 1 tablespoon creme de cacao, or other liqueur of your choice cup heavy cream cup heavy cream

Prepare egg custard and chill in refrigerator about 1 hour. Place in bowl of ice-cream machine and freeze it according to manufacturer's instructions.

Meanwhile, put 1 or 2 inches of water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Put chocolate, creme de cacao and cream in a medium metal bowl and set it over pan. Turn heat off. Stir occasionally until chocolate is completely melted. Cool chocolate to room temperature.

When gelato is completely frozen, scoop it up and place into a large chilled bowl. Slowly, dribble in some of cooled chocolate and, with the sharp edge of a spatula, using a crisscross motion, roughly mix it with gelato to create swirls.

Serve gelato immediately, or transfer it to an airtight container and freeze it 1 or 2 days.

WARM BERRIES IN VODKA SAUCE WITH CUSTARD GELATO.

Frutti di Bosco alla Vodka e Gelato di Crema At the end of a multi-course meal at Franco Rossi in Bologna, Franco, the owner of the restaurant, brought to table a large coppa coppa of egg custard gelato topped by vividly bright mixed berries that had been tossed in caramelized sugar and vodka. It was a simple, yet magnificent end to a very good summer meal. of egg custard gelato topped by vividly bright mixed berries that had been tossed in caramelized sugar and vodka. It was a simple, yet magnificent end to a very good summer meal.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS MAKES 4 SERVINGS 1 recipe Egg Custard Gelato, page 235 1 recipe Egg Custard Gelato, page 235 2 cups mixed berries of your choice, washed and patted dry with paper towels 2 cups mixed berries of your choice, washed and patted dry with paper towels cup water cup water cup sugar cup sugar cup vodka cup vodka

Prepare egg custard and chill in refrigerator about 1 hour. Place in bowl of ice-cream machine and freeze it according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a freezer for a few hours. About 15 minutes before you plan to serve it, transfer gelato to refrigerator.

If using strawberries, hull them and cut into quarters. Put the water and sugar in a large skillet over medium heat, and stir until sugar is completely dissolved and has a nice glossy, thick, brown color. Remove skillet from heat and add vodka. Place skillet back on medium heat and stir until sauce has a thick caramel texture. Add berries and stir just long enough to heat berries through and to coat them with caramelized sauce, 1 to 2 minutes.

Spoon gelato into chilled serving gla.s.ses, top with some of mixed berries and their juices, and serve at once.

Tip Cooking with alcohol:When cooking with wine or liquor, make sure that the pan is away from any flames and off the burner before adding alcohol. Otherwise, the flame may ignite the alcohol in the bottle and cause it to explode while you are pouring it. Always be cautious when cooking with alcohol.

ESPRESSO-CARAMEL CUSTARD.

Fior di Latte al Caffe When properly prepared, fior di latte fior di latte, one of the most popular desserts served in the trattorie of Italy, is absolutely outstanding. A good fior di latte fior di latte should have a creamy consistency and a firm texture. It should be free of unappealing bubbles, and it should ooze and shine with the coating of caramel syrup. should have a creamy consistency and a firm texture. It should be free of unappealing bubbles, and it should ooze and shine with the coating of caramel syrup.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS MAKES 6 SERVINGS Caramel Syrup Caramel Syrup cup sugar cup sugar cup water cup water Espresso-Caramel Custard 2 cups milk 2 cups milk 1 cup brewed Italian espresso or strong American coffee 1 cup brewed Italian espresso or strong American coffee 6 large eggs 6 large eggs cup sugar cup sugar

Prepare syrup: Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over high heat until mixture is thick and bubbling and has a rich golden brown color, 5 to 6 minutes.

Pour caramel quickly into 6 small custard molds, tilting and rotating molds to coat bottom evenly. Set aside until sugar has hardened completely, 8 to 10 minutes. (To clean hard syrup from pan, fill it with water, bring it to a boil and sc.r.a.pe sugar off.)

Preheat oven to 350F (175C).

Prepare custard: In a medium saucepan, bring milk and espresso to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered making sure that milk does not cook over, until mixture is reduced to about three-quarters of its original amount, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs and sugar until well combined.Very slowly add eggs to milk mixture, mixing constantly with a wire whisk. Strain mixture into a clean bowl and pour into prepared molds. Place molds in a large baking pan and add enough water in pan to come halfway up sides of molds. Cover with aluminum foil and place pan on middle rack of oven.

Bake 20 minutes, then turn pan around and bake 15 minutes more. Turn pan around one more time and bake 5 to 10 minutes more. Test doneness of custard by tapping side of mold. If custard wiggles, cook 5 minutes longer. Cool custard. (Custard can be prepared several hours or a day ahead. Refrigerate tightly covered.) To serve, run a thin knife around rim of bowl, detaching custard from bowl. Place a round dessert plate over mold and invert to unmold. Pat gently and lift up mold.The custard will have a glaze of caramel over top and sides. Serve at once.

EGG CUSTARD GELATO.

Gelato di Crema The Italian egg custard gelato is soft and voluptuous. Serve it alone or topped with some hot melted chocolate.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART

3 cups milk 8 large egg yolks 8 large egg yolks cup sugar cup sugar

Put milk in a medium saucepan and bring to just below a boil over medium heat; do not let it boil.Turn off heat.

Meanwhile put egg yolks and sugar in top part of a double boiler or heatproof bowl, and beat with a wire whisk or electric hand beater until pale yellow and thick. Gradually pour hot milk into beaten eggs in a thin stream, stirring constantly with whisk.

Place over a few inches of slowly simmering water (do not let water boil) and cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, until custard thickens and thickly coats back of a spoon, about 15 minutes.

Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Set bowl over a larger bowl of iced water and cool completely. Cover bowl and refrigerate until cold.

Freeze mixture in an ice-cream freezer according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately or freeze until needed.

ALMOND COOKIES.

Amaretti Many of the trattorie in the Emilia farmland serve, at the end of a meal, fragrant, addictive homemade amaretti cookies. And many are the homes that keep these small cookies in their cupboard and serve them when an impromptu visitor shows up. When my husband and I spent a few days at Villa Gaidello, a lovely guest farm in the countryside of Castelfranco Emilia, a little plate of amaretti would materialize immediately each time we would sit down for a cappuccino or an espresso. This recipe comes from Villa Gaidello.

MAKES 25 TO 30

pound blanched almonds (about 2 cups) 2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons plus cup sugar cup sugar 2 egg whites at room temperature 2 egg whites at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Spread almonds on a baking sheet and bake until they are lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Cool almonds and place in bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and pulse machine on and off until almonds are very finely chopped but not pulverized. Set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 325F (165C). b.u.t.ter a large baking sheet and line it with parchment paper (the paper will be held in place by b.u.t.ter).

In a large bowl, mix chopped almonds and cup of the sugar. Beat egg whites with remaining sugar until stiff peaks form, and fold them a little at a time into almonds.

Spoon up mixture with a tablespoon, filling it only halfway, and make small mounds on prepared baking sheet, leaving s.p.a.ce between each mound. Place baking sheet on middle rack of oven and bake until amaretti are thoroughly dry, and they just begin to color, about 20 minutes. Cool completely before serving.They can be kept in a cookie jar for several days before serving.

ITALIAN RUM CAKE.

Zuppa Inglese This is one of Italy's most popular desserts.

MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS MAKES 10 TO 12 SERVINGS Fruit Salad Fruit Salad 5 cups any prepared fruit in season 5 cups any prepared fruit in season cup chopped candied fruit cup chopped candied fruit 2 tablespoons rum 2 tablespoons rum 3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons sugar Hot Zabaglione, page 229, subst.i.tuting cup rum for wine cup rum for wine 1 cup whipping cream 1 cup whipping cream 12 ounces pound cake, cut into medium-thin slices 12 ounces pound cake, cut into medium-thin slices cup rum cup rum Fresh strawberries and/or grated chocolate Fresh strawberries and/or grated chocolate