Tiramisu Anacapri

We ate Tiramisu in every city we visited in Italy. There were no survivors.

Luckily, I have a great recipe which I make at home that's even lower in fat and calories and can also send me back to those wonderful meals in every piazza!

Tiramisu Anacapri
Must make ahead. A trifle bowl is the best presentation.

1 cup cold water
1 (14-oz) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 (3.4-oz) package vanilla instant pudding mix
1 (8-oz) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-oz) tub Reduced-fat Cool Whip
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup Kahlua
2 tbsp. instant coffee
24 ladyfingers (2, 3-oz. packages) - I have substituted angel food cake in a pinch
3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa, divided

1. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl, stir well with a whisk. Cover surface with plastic wrap, chill 30 minutes or until firm.
2. Remove plastic wrap and add cream cheese. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Gently fold in Cool Whip.
3. Combine hot water, Kahlua, and coffee. Split ladyfingers in half lengthwise.
4. Arrange 16 ladyfinger halves, flat side down in a trifle bowl or large glass bowl. Drizzle with 1/2 cup Kahlua mixture. Spread one-third of pudding mixture evenly over ladyfingers, sprinkle with 1 tbsp. cocoa.
5. Repeat layers, ending with cocoa. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Yield: 12 servings. 310 calories, 9.1g fat.

My Go-To Wines

There are a few wines we keep in our house at all-times which can please almost any palette...ok, and because I just really like them a lot.

Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay is a buttery, Chardonnay that you can find in about any store for about $12-14. We buy it by the case since it tastes so great in the summertime and seems to please about any crowd (even those Sauvignon Blanc lovers who think they hate Chardonnay.) Everyone who has this at our house has to write down the name so they don't forget!

The Miner Family Vineyards Merlot is one of my absolute favorite reds. This one is a bit harder to find in stores, but easily ships right from the winery in Napa (where we first found it in their tasting room.) It's smooth, "jammy", and good with just about anything. Just because Miles in the movie "Sideways" hated Merlot, doesn't mean you have to!

Pride Mountain Vineyard's Cab Franc is another great wine. Californians love their Cabernet (as do we), but when I see a Cab Franc on the menu, I definitely get it! It just seems a little more approachable than some of the big Cabs and a good item to keep in the wine refrigerator for special evenings. Delicious!

Sauternes

Sauternes [pronounced "saw-turn"] is a French dessert wine from the Bordeaux region that I call "Liquid Gold". This stuff is just heaven to drink. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend getting a glass if you ever see it on the dessert menu in a restaurant. We always keep a small stock in our house for entertaining friends - it's a great way to end a wonderful meal.

I first had Sauternes with some sauteed Foie Gras - a classic match (this was the first time I had foie gras as well) at a restaurant called Chapeau in San Francisco many years ago. It has a smooth honey flavor with some peach and apricot notes. I think it's also great with some intense cheeses (like blue or roquefort) as well for dessert.

It can be pretty pricy, but since you serve just small portions of this, a half-bottle is enough for a table of 4-6. But, don't cheap-out. Good Sauternes is totally worth the investment (I don't recommend buying the half-bottles under $48-50, and look for ones that have a nice deep golden color). Be sure to serve it chilled. Cheers!