In Italy, but not only Italy, January 17th is a special day for chefs. As a matter of fact, they have been celebrating for 6 years IDIC, the International Day of Italian Cuisines, plural because there's more than one Italian cuisines.
Why exactly January 17th? Because it is a date of great symbolic importance. It’s the day of the catholic feast of Sant’Antonio Abate, one of the most popular Italian saints, the patron saint of domestic animals, but also of butchers and salami makers. On this day, according to tradition, the Italian Carnival begins, a period of the year when, since unmemorable time, it’s “licet insanire” and transgressions are tolerated and good, rich food is celebrated and, along with this, cooking.
As we can read on the promoters' website “The
International Day of Italian Cuisines,
IDIC, was born as a reaction against the systematic forgery of Italian cuisine and products. It aims at protecting the right of worldwide consumers to get authentic and quality Italian cuisine when they go to eateries labeled as “Italian”. Thousands of chefs, restaurateurs and lovers of Italian Food all over the world join the annual
IDIC appeal, a tradition by now, launched by
itchefs-GVCI (Virtual Group of Italian Chefs), a network of over 1900 culinary professionals working in 70 countries.
“True Italian cuisine is part of the world’s cultural heritage; its celebration is not against creativity in the kitchen or innovation. It’s only about establishing some basic principles: when the name of a traditional Italian dish is used, that dish should be prepared in the traditional manner”.
For the past six years, GVCI has been choosing a dish and, on January 17th, everybody - members and friends - cooks and serves it at their restaurants or home. In 2008, the year of the first edition, it was the time for Spaghetti alla Carbonara, probably the least Italian recipe of our tradition because the Americans involuntarily added something after liberating the country on World War II.
In 2009 it was Risotto alla Milanese, in 2010 Tagliatelle al ragù bolognese and 2011 Pesto Genovese, four very well-known primi. Last year it was a main meat course, Ossobuco in gremolata alla milanese, and this year it's time for a dolce, dessert, the most eaten in the world: Tiramisù, sensual and creamy.
The first version of Tiramisù at Baccherie in Treviso
This masterpiece tells different roots but the most believable hypothesis takes us to Treviso, in the North-East near Venice. Legend has it they used to prepare it for brothel's hot-blooded customers after their "rendez-vous" so that tiramisu could "cheered them up”. That sort of coffee zabaglione, born as a poor dish, was then elevated to a higher rank in the kitchen of restaurant
Le Beccherie. And we are already talking about the Seventies. Quite a young dessert, then.
Who was convinced that Tiramisù was born in Treviso was Giuseppe Maffioli (1925-1985), an actor, a writer and the founding editor of Vin Veneto, wrote in an article on coffee-based desserts published in 1981 that “Recently, just a little more than a decade ago, in the city of Treviso emerged a new dessert, the Tiramesù. It was proposed for the first time at the restaurant Le Beccherie by a pastry chef named Loly Linguanotto. The dessert and its name, Tiramesù, meant to describe an extraordinarily nutritious and invigorating food, immediately gained popularity. The Tiramesù is, after all, a coffee-flavoured “zuppa inglese” like the one made in my own house on the day of St. Joseph for my grandfather’s birthday”.
Today we notice thousand versions of Tiramisù: unstructured, classic, liquid, with beer... GVCI is fighting so that on next Thursday, everybody can enjoy it through its most typical version. This is their official recipe: Ingredients (10 to 12 serves) 220gr Egg, 100gr Sugar, 500gr Mascarpone, 80gr Marsala wine, 50gr Coffee, Salt and Cocoa, Savoiardi (similar to but larger 15/16 than Ladyfingers).
Procedure: 1. Separate the yolks from the egg whites. 2. Beat the yolks and the sugar. 3. Whip the whites and the salt. 4. Add the mascarpone to the yolks and sugar. 5. Lighten the mixture by adding the whipped egg whites. 6. Add the marsala to the coffee. 7. Soak the savoiardi in the mixture of coffee and marsala and lay them out in the desired mould. 8. Alternate layers of mascarpone with layers of savoiardi; top off with the mascarpone cream. 9. Refrigerate and sprinkle with cocoa. 10. Serve at 6 to 8 °C
Note: it’s recommended, due to food safety reasons, to use pasteurized eggs or to cook the preparations with the eggs at 71 ºC (160 ºF). And now… enjoy.
