Alexander Meddings
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5(849)
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3.5 hrs
Flexible TravelAsk anyone to name an Italian dessert, and they'll probably say tiramisù. For decades, this creamy, dreamy delight has captured the stomachs and minds of Italians. In fact, such is its prestige that several regions in Italy claim to have invented it — a common occurrence in Italy, where arguing over the origins of food is as much a natural pastime as football, opera, and wearing sunglasses even after dark.
You'd be forgiven for thinking tiramisù has been around for ages, but it's actually a rather modern recipe, first appearing in 1981. So what is tiramisù? What does it mean? And where in Italy can you find the culinary Holy Grail of true tiramisù?
Tiramisù translates as the Italian for pick me up. It's a compound of three words: tira (pick or pull) mi (me) su (up). Think of granny feeding you something tasty to pick your spirits up after a long hard day. So, the name comes from its energetic properties, or perhaps it refers as some believe to its aphrodisiac properties!
There are many legends surrounding most Italian favourites, the oldest for tiramisu is that it was invented in Florence, Tuscany for the Medici family in the 1700s; yet no reference to the recipe for a dessert of this type was written before the 1970s. Besides, it would be an expensive dessert for a mostly peasant population who could scarcely afford to waste eggs.
This luscious dessert was invented in Treviso, a city and province north of Venice. The man commonly credited with Tiramisu is pastry chef Roberto "Loly" Linguanotto, who had recently returned from working in Germany. He created a dessert reminiscent of a fancy Hapsburg-style spoon dessert which is similar to English Custard.
Linguanotto said his recipe was inspired by ‘sbatudin’, a mixture of egg yolk beaten with sugar commonly used by peasant families as a "tonic" for children and the aged; he simply added mascarpone to the mix.
A modest serving of creamy tiramisù
Cutting into a dish of homemade tiramisù
The ingredients for the original recipe are mascarpone, eggs, sugar, savoiardi biscuits (ladyfingers), coffee and cocoa powder. There are many variants of the tiramisu recipe; but as always, we are giving you the authentic recipe made in Italian homes (with ingredients you can find near yours).
We know it may be hard to find some of the ingredients and not everyone eats raw eggs so we will give you alternatives. Forget about your diet for this one, you can make lower-fat versions.
But honestly, the calorie content in the mascarpone cheese is what gives that lovely creamy taste and so using a lower-fat substitute will not achieve the same pick-me-up.
Ready to make tiramisù? Here's our tried & tested traditional recipe!
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about making traditional tiramisu.
Pronounce all four consonants phonetically: tee·ra·mee·soo. The emphasis goes on the final u (hence the accent in the Italian spelling: tiramisù). If you can, extravagantly roll your R to sound extra Italian 🤌
Italians traditionally make tiramisu with Marsala wine, but you can use any dessert wine or sherry. There are two ways to add the liqueur: you can either add it directly to the coffee or whip it into the mascarpone cheese cream. We have always preferred the boozy version and assumed that was why it's called a pick me up!
An abomination. It's an abomination. Nah, jokes aside it's a delicious soft-sponge version of the classic Italian dish.
Do you want to master the art of making tiramisù in Rome? Then join us for our pasta and tiramisù class! Your expert chef will guide you through perfecting your pasta and crafting the creamiest dessert with a little bit of a caffeine boost (and if you fancy a little boozy kick too!)
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Learn to cook like an Italian in this small group pasta & tiramisù cooking class that gives you mastery over the country’s best-loved classics. Over the course of three-and-a-half-hour fun-filled hours, you’ll enjoy the expert guidance of our fluent professional chef and get hands on recreating real Roman recipes, culminating in a well-deserved dinner in which you feast on what you’ve made.
Situated in our centrally situated air-conditioned cooking school, your interactive class will give you the true sense of an Italian nonna’s loving kitchen. Led by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable English-speaking chef, our cooking masterclass is perfect for kids and adults, beginners and experts.
Savoiardi (ladyfingers) are gently dipped in rich coffee before being layered with dollops of delicately mixed eggs and panna (cream). Finished off with a sprinkle of cocoa, these delicious desserts are set aside to rest in time for an after-dinner energy boost. In fact, the espresso within a tiramisù is what gives it a name that translates literally as “pick me up”!
Rolling up our sleeves, here is where we channel our inner nonna. Mixing, kneading, rolling, and shaping our fresh pasta from scratch will work up a sweat but result in elegant end products. We will then combine these carefully crafted creations with the flavors of the season and locality; be it twangy cacio e pepe or creamy carbonara.
How else to conclude your cooking class than by fully indulging in your culinary creations! Celebrate your accomplishment with family-friendly company, a gorgeous setting, and a selection of red or white wines and soft drinks.
Whether returning a culinary maestro or a self-proclaimed novice, you’ll be sure to take the memories home with you and ruling your dinner parties back home!
5(1852)
Most of history’s great artists enjoyed a drink or two; just look at Van Gogh’s Starry Night and tell us that’s how the sky looks. Now you can unleash your inner Leonardo with unlimited wine in our Tipsy Art Class. Join a small group of fellow budding artists to recreate iconic Roman monuments and landscapes that will rival the works of Michelangelo. If he was blind drunk, and not even trying.
Our local arts instructor will guide you through the techniques that made the Great Masters great while you fill yourself with the spirit that inspired them. During the course of 3 fun-filled hours, you and your fellow artists will indulge in unlimited wine and savour platters of snacks while making your masterpiece. The best part? You get to take your canvas home with you–unless you overdo it on the vino, in which case we have plenty of space in the bins)!
Ready to get merry with Michelangelo? Create a one-of-a-kind souvenir and bring a piece of Rome back home.
4.94(1345)
Did someone say Spritz? Discover the flavours of Rome on our Spritz and Spaghetti Class. Our centrally located kitchen is where you’ll learn everything you need to mix traditional Italian cocktails, and perfect the art of making fresh pasta. This is the only cooking class of its kind in Rome – a perfect blend of food, friends, and tipsy fun. So come join us and see what all the fuss is about!
Our team will welcome you and your small, intimate group with a mixology demo making Italy’s best-loved drink: Aperol Spritz. You’ll then get started on your hands-on pasta-making lesson led by a fun-loving, fluent professional chef, during which we’ll also be making two other drink.
Your professional chef will guide you every step of the way – from kneading the dough to cutting the pasta. You’ll also be making a creamy carbonara sauce to coat your fresh pasta (vegetarians can try out another Roman classic of cacio e pepe). Travelling is all about meeting new people. At the end of this cooking class, you’ll dine on what you’ve made in the fun, tipsy company of your new foodie friends.
Book now and start making memories.
5(3841)
One of the best ways to meet people in a new city is to grab a drink together, and few city serve up more iconic drinks than Rome. Whether you’re travelling solo or with a group, for a long vacation or a short city break – our Rome Tipsy Tour is for you!
This unique nightlife experience combines all our favourite elements of travel: discovering new places, being immersed in different cultures, meeting fun people, and trying out a range of delicious drinks! It’s not a run-of-the-mill bar crawl. It’s a sociable tour that gives you a real taste of with Rome’s sights, stories, and signature drinks in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere with fun, local hosts. We also welcome sober travellers who want to join for a social experience but who want to forgo a hangover, so we’ll have non-alcoholic options available as well!
You’ll meet your guide and group at Piazza Madonna dei Monti, where we’ll break the ice with a warm Italian welcome – aka, a refreshing glass of local wine. After saying cheers—salute—we’ll head into Monti, an uber-trendy district filled with quirky bars and cobblestoned streets, and plenty to unpack. In ancient Rome, Monti was known as a suburra – the red-light district of Rome where prostitutes plied their trade and gangsters once roamed. As we wander through the cobblestone streets your guide will tell you scandalous stories of sex and bloodshed that you won’t hear on your typical walking tour.
After so much scandal, you’ll surely need a drink. So at our first stop on the Rome Tipsy Tour you’ll get an extra stiff one. The spotlight will be on Carpano Classico a venerable vermouth with a curious story! Unravel the history of the man who made it – Antonio Benedetto Carpano – back in 1786 whilst sharing some sips with your newfound friends.
We’ll keep the night going with some more saucy stories before trying a classic Italian Spritz. Indulge in the bitter flavours of Aperol or Campari Spritz while enjoying dolce far niente, the sweetness of doing nothing—apart from getting tipsy of course!
Our final stop is Rome’s most iconic road, the Via dei Fori Imperiali, leading down to the Colosseum. The views of the ancient city are best enjoyed after dark with an ice-cold Limoncello – trust us. Sip away as your guide tells shocking stories of the power-hungry Roman emperors who once ruled the known world.
At 11 p.m., the Tipsy Tour officially ends, but the night out begins! We will continue drinking with our new friends at some of Rome’s most popular bars!
Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. We promise to make your night in Rome one you’ll never forget! Skip a boring walking tour, and come get tipsy with us.
Book your spot now!
4.94(2344)
Relax the right way after a long day of sightseeing with our Spritz and Spaghetti Class. This fun-filled class teaches you all the know-how you need to mix traditional Italian cocktails and perfect the art of making fresh pasta. It’s the only experience of its kind in Rome – a perfect blend of food, friends, and tipsy fun.
So come join us and see what all the fuss is about!
We’ll welcome your private party with a mixology demo of how to make Italy’s best-loved drink: Aperol Spritz. You’ll then get started on your hands-on pasta-making lesson led by a fun-loving, fluent professional chef. But that’s not all! We’ll also be making Hugo Spritz and satisfying your sweet tooth with a glass of Limoncello.
Your professional chef will guide you every step of the way – from kneading the dough to running it through a traditional pasta machine. You’ll also be making a creamy carbonara sauce to coat your fresh pasta (vegetarians can try out another Roman classic of cacio e pepe). At the end of the class, you’ll dine on what you’ve made with a selection of wine or soft drinks!
5(347)
Feed your curiosity while pleasing your palate on this indulgent Rome Food Tour! This fun (and filling) food tour gives you and a small group of others insider access to Rome’s best delicatessens, pizzerias and restaurants as well as Rome’s tastiest traditional food the locals keep to themselves.
Our Rome food tour takes place in Trastevere, Rome’s most traditional medieval neighbourhood. The area is renowned for its buzzing nightlife and fantastic eateries with delightful aromas spilling out of them. However, it’s also known to have its fair share of tourists traps! Our team of expert foodies invite you, and your tastebuds, to try some of the finest flavours in the city! Vacations are too short to eat bad food, right?
During the experience, we will try at least 10 different tastings together with a selection of local wines. However, this experience is more than just simply trying different local foods while sipping on red wine. This is a journey inside the Roman kitchen—discovering the delicacies, the diet and the cultural dos and don’ts.
Not only will you experience the mouthwatering flavours of Rome, but you’ll also discover the process, meet the makers, and truly understand why Italian cuisine is considered the best in the world. So book your spot on our Rome Food Tour today and get ready for a true taste of the capital!
Please note: the places that we visit and the food that we try depends on the season.
This is a sustainable tour, meaning part of its profits goes towards reforestation and other sustainable projects. We also ask all of our guests to bring a reusable water bottle to refill at one of the water fountains along our route to stay hydrated and help us reduce waste.
**Unfortunately, we can’t accommodate a gluten-free or vegan diet but we hope to be able to in the future. While we can cater to vegetarians, we ask that you let us know about dietary requirements in advance so we can best suit your needs.**
4.96(3203)