So Easy to Love

Monday night my husband and I sat on the couch wondering what to do. It was officially and actually his birthday, but somehow after the 10-course dinner that weekend, three gifts from me, and piles of well-wishing from friends, he still wasn't done being feted. (I attribute this to a childhood short on juicy presents and envelopes stuffed with cash on birthdays, but then that's just my spoiled Italian butt talking.) Then he lit up and shouted, "The port!"

Upstairs to the wine fridge. Downstairs to the glassware. Some rummaging through a gift bag... and out came a 40-year Taylor's Fladgate Port, two glasses, and a tub of Trader Joe's almond chocolate clusters.

I chose my spouse well, no?

We are not what you would call novice port drinkers. Our good friend Mr. Just Grapes gave us the bottle on my husband's 40th last year because it's one of the adult beverages we're known for loving. Rubies and tawnies are like dear, beloved friends we invite over year-around. The highlights: We served the 2003 Fonseca Vintage Port as one of the dessert wines at our wedding a couple of years ago... and it sort of took over the party after a certain point, in the best way possible. I still snicker at the tiny dots that stain my silk wedding dress. This fall we enjoyed a gorgeous 1986 tawny the night before Thanksgiving dinner, and then...this, the Full Monty of ports. It was incredibly rich, with loads of buttersotch, caramel, and hazelnut, with a silky smooth finish that lingered and lingered like only port can. Adding the chocolate with the almonds actually made me swoon. Since then we've also tried it chilled before dinner, and found it to be absolutely delish.

Excellent idea for a birthday, or really, any night you decide to take Alpana's advice and open something lovely...now-ish.

My Birthday Tiramisu Trifle

My handsome, wizened husband celebrated his 40th birthday last spring, which we marked with a lavish private dinner with friends and family at the exceptional NoMi. It was a big, glittering, memorable night... And so was the check. So when my birthday rolled around a few weeks later, I decided to invite our peeps over for a mellow tapas take-out party at home. It wouldn't break the bank and I still wouldn't have to lift a finger. Except for one critical element: the cake. This, I figured, was the perfect chance to make the birthday confection of my dreams.

Funny thing. When I thought about my ultimate mid-thirties birthday cake fantasy, just one word kept calling: TIRAMISU. Trifle style. Flavored with orange. Ok, that's seven words, and it isn't even a cake. But inspiration takes artistic license sometimes. You don't argue with the food gods.

So here it is. My multi-layered birthday opus that requires no actual baking, and you make it a day ahead. It drew a few gasps on the first bite. And not all of them were even from me.


Tiramisu Trifle with Orange

1 1/2 cups coffee - divided
6 egg yolks at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Cointreau (you can use brandy or another liqueur) - divided
17 oz. mascarpone cheese
30 ladyfingers
semisweet chocolate square or chocolate leaves
confectioner's sugar

Whisk the yolks and sugar with an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, on high for five minutes until they get thick and yellow. Lower to medium speed, and add a 1/4 cup of the Cointreau, 1/4 cup of coffee, and all the mascarpone. Mix until the texture is smooth and heavenly.

Combine the rest of the Cointreau and the 1 1/4 cup coffee in a shallow bowl. Dip 1 side of each ladyfinger in the liquid and line the bottom of a tall glass bowl with them. Pour a layer of the cream mix on top and spread evenly. Repeat, alternating cookies with the cream mixture until you have 4-6 layers, depending on the diameter of your bowl.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 8 hours. Before serving, decorate with chocolate leaves or sprinkle with shaved chocolate (heavily) and confectioner's sugar (lightly) on top.

Birthday candles optional. Champagne or sparkling Moscato is pretty much mandatory though.

Gettin' Fizzy with It

Eisenhower said that, "Some people want Champagne and caviar when they should have beer and hot dogs." Point taken, especially in light of recent subprime events. The problem is, I won't go anywhere near beer and hot dogs. Maybe a Chimay on the rare occasion, but a hot dog? Not with my last buck-fifty.

Among the whole globe of varietals to discover, there are plenty of alternatives to Champagne that can delight for much, much less. In Chicago, you do all you can to get through the snowbound doldrums of a long winter, making a stash of affordable sparkling wine justifiable at least from Thanksgiving through Valentine's Day. Here's what we stock in our wine 'fridge:

Cava - Spain's answer to Champagne seems to have fully hit the mainstream. I took a few bottles to a holiday office party last month and it was inhaled without pause. It's the closest in flavor profile to the big "C," with doughy, yeasty notes accompanied by lots of peach and melon.

Prosecco - Italy's lesser-known sparkler in the US is definitely catching on. Most upper end restaurants I've been to are offering one or two on their sparkling wine-by-the-glass menus, especially in the summer when its dry, minerality, balanced with great fruit, is so refreshing.

Sparkling Rose - it's pink, it's bubbly...what's not to love? I've had great sparkling rose blends from several places, most notably Australia and Spain. In most cases, they've been surprisingly dry and just as versatile as Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco.

Sparkling Moscato - aka Asti Moscato...A fruity, floral dessert wine that's the equivalent of a Dior party dress. Light, frothy, totally delicious. We served one at our wedding three years ago and people still ask about it. I brought a few bottles to the same office party, and the label was thoroughly investigated by many both before and after it was drained to the last drop.

Sparkling Shiraz - Those Aussies. You can always count on them for two things: 1) "Pants-off fun," as they call it, and 2) a serious commitment to delivering the perfect fruit bomb. Is it weird to drink dark, fizzy wine? Yes. I was entirely skeptical...until someone said the magic words: "It's designed for chocolate." Then I tried and loved its weighty, smooth richness, capped with froth. Grab some truffles and party down.

Unspeakable Acts Inspired by the Portuguese

Unsure about dessert wine, and definitely put off by the scary dark stuff in the Port aisle? Rosenblum's Desiree is to Port what oral sex is to an affectionate gesture. (If you flunked analogies on the SAT, just suffice it to say you want some. Real. Bad.) This decadent little bombshell isn't for shy types. It's pretty much dessert unto itself, with a heady zinfandel that's been blended with two Portuguese varietals and then, um, infused with chocolate essence. That's right Virginia, actual chocolate. In the bottle. With the wine. And don't worry. What sounds like a potentially tacky idea is executed to elegant, lovely, gorgeously balanced perfection. I don't know who's idea this was, but I kind of want to make out with them every time I have it.

You can find it at Just Grapes on Washington St.