Tiramisu?

We finally did our taxes. OK, Dr. B did. (The last time I did them, we owed a lot, so I have chosen to never, ever do them again.) Since we are in France, we have 2 months extra to get them done, which means? Yep. We procrastinated. But the good news is, for the first time since George Bush went into office, we are going to get a return. Of course, it's not from the Feds, but the lovely state of Wisconsin (Woo! We love you, Wisconsin!)

Since we spent the four-day-weekend holed up in our house and I had to cook the whole time and I am kind of sick of my own cooking, In celebration, we decided to go out for pizza. Rather than walking to our usual place, we decided to try something new, around the corner from our apartment, on Avenue des Gobelins. Pizza César was chosen, and we ducked in (trying to escape the bizarre Parisian weather of late) to a smiling server, who showed us to a tiny table, inches from our nearest neighbor. We selected our pizzas, and a demi-bouteille of Valpolicella.

Our pizzas arrived, and being Parisian pizzas, they were good, but nothing special. The pizzas were "individual size", which in Paris means that they are about 16 inches in diameter, topped with mild sauce, cheese and a few toppings (one of which is usually ham) and eaten with a knife and fork.

When we were finished, our waiter came by, asking if we'd like some dessert. Since we were celebrating, we decided to go for it. Dr. B made his choice quickly (promising to take some Lactaid as soon as we got home), but I hemmed and hawed over the ice cream selection. He ordered first, while I quickly tried to make a decision.

"Um, I'll have the, uh, Coupe..."

"Tiramisu?" our waiter interupted, an expectant look on his smiling face.

"Yes, of course. Tiramisu!"

The desserts arrived, and I could immediately see why he had suggested the Italian delicacy. My tiramisu was cut in a perfect circle, towered at nearly two inches high, and was dusted ever-so-carefully with cocoa powder. The plate was decorated with quartered macerated strawberries, an orange wedge, paper-thin slices of melon artfully arranged, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, a mint leaf and a delicate cage of crisp and delicate amber sugar, balanced against the side of the luscious dessert.

Just to look at it was pleasurable enough, but the first bite told a whole different story. The ladyfingers were soaked in coffee liqueur and literally melted in my mouth, and were topped with creamy, delicately flavored (but surprisingly not too sweet) ricotta. The finishing bite of the cocoa powder brought a whole new dimension to the flavor.

As he came to gather the plates before bringing our tiny cups of espresso, the waiter smiled at me, and asked, "Another?"

There will be another. Not tonight, but I know we will return. Tax refund or no tax refund.

Pizza César
50 av Gobelins
75013 Paris
(phone) 01 43 31 62 32