Daring Bakers: Tiramisu

This was lovely. Not only was the finished product delicious but I got to learn how to make savoiardi biscuits (ladyfingers) and mascarpone cheese. Those two elements, along with the zabaglione and whipped cream, made for a luscious treat.

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

I wanted to make a molded tiramisu but, alas, my freezer is the size of, well, two ice-cube trays and a bag of frozen peas. So, instead, we ate goblets of the heavenly stuff instead.

Marmalade & Hyacinths

Marmalade in German means "jam," but I still get so confused because I just think "marmalade." We recently ate at a lovely restaurant that was so cozy it was like eating in a farmwife's kitchen - wood burning furnace, dark wood beams, lots of nooks and crannies.

After dinner we purchased some homemade marmalade that was for sale on a counter. All proceeds went to the children's hospital. And the jars were so cheery and cute. The one above is a quince jelly.

These are my Valentine's day flowers. They've been perfuming the entire place for the last week! Just another sign that Spring is coming - today it was a balmy 50°F. Warm enough for me and my two apartment-mates to walk around with ice-cream cones after dinner. Life is good.

新年快樂! Happy Valentine's!

I wish I could celebrate the new year with my family, but I'll have to make do with eating at a Chinese restaurant here in Heidelberg!

It's the year of the tiger, my sister's zodiac animal.
This is from a frieze at Long Shan Temple in Taipei. He looks crafty, eh?

And here's some crafty lovin'. Crocheted hearts, tutorial to be found here.

A Rooftop through the Seasons

From the living room window in Heidelberg:

Summer storms.

Autumn leaves.

Winter snows.

When spring comes, I'll post that too. It seems a long way off, but it's nice to be cozy inside, too.

February

It's snowing almost everyday here in Heidelberg. Shouldn't the month that contains Valentine's Day be full of sunshine and happiness?? Well, here are a few photos from our trip to Versailles to conjure up those warm feelings. These are of Le Hameau, Marie Antoinette's make-believe farming village.

An idyllic little farmhouse in the afternoon sun.

Cheery gardens of vegetables and flowers.

Chard and salad greens!

Bright geraniums line the steps up to a side door.

Spring is coming, right?