Some of the research we have done seems to indicate that it was the Venetian courtesans, not the lace makers, that ate the tiramisu as a "pick me up."
Can you shed any light on this matter, or tell us where we could go to find the information on the origin of tiramisu?"
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- For the pasta:
- 1 pound (400 g) bigoli
- A large sliced onion
- 4 ounces (100 g) canned tuna
- A small bunch parsley
- 2 anchovies
Preparation:
I've seen the Venetian courtesans story on several pages on the net, all of which are in English. To be frank, the dish strikes me as too recent to have been made when the courtesans were plying their trade -- it has a distinctly 20th century feel to it.Antonio Piccinardi also says it's recent in his Dizionario di Gastronomia (BUR Dizionari Rizzoli), adding that it originated in either Venice or Treviso. Indirect confirmation of the recentness of Tiramisu comes from Dino Coltro's La Cucina Tradizionale Veneta (Newton Compton Editori): Though he discusses all sorts of traditional Venetian specialties, he doesn't mention anything that even resembles tiramisu.
One thing he does mention, which is fitting given the season, is Bigoli in Salsa. Bigoli are thick-stranded pasta that are quite similar to spaghettoni
"Sauce for spaghetti," he writes, "can be made in many ways. Spaghetti can even be cooked in duck broth and seasoned with a sauce obtained by sautéing the duck's giblets in butter with sage and minced onion.
"In any case, the recipe proposed here is a classic for Good Friday. In a skillet, sauté a large sliced onion, two anchovies (rinsed, boned and minced), 4 ounces (100 g) crumbled tuna, and 2 tablespoons of water. Finish with a minced bunch of parsley. Sauté until done over a low flame, and use the sauce to season a pound (400 g) of spaghetti, drained when they're al dente."
There's no need to wait until Good Friday to enjoy this.
