Raspberry Shortcake

Serendipity --

Sunday I ended my soup marathon by making Cioppino for my mother's birthday. It turns out "cioppino" is a Genoese term for "fish stew" and the dish, no doubt, originated with Italian fishermen. The Italians loved California and we have them to thank not only for cioppino, but for the olive oil and wine that are such key ingredients in the soup.

Along with the soup I served a pear and beet salad that my friend Stephen had posted on his blog and a loaf of fresh sourdough bread -- which for some reason was the best loaf I've yet made. We finished the meal off with a sort of raspberry shortcake.

I wanted something slightly sweet, with raspberries and mascarpone. This little number worked out beautifully. I began by warming the mascarpone up to room temperature and then whipping it with, perhaps, a teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice, and a pinch of lime zest. I mashed most of the raspberries (which were quite tart) with a fork and added a dollop of Ameretto; some ground, roasted almonds; and just a little bit of sugar -- preserving the essential tartness. Then I layered the mascarpone and raspberries on a piece of pound cake that provided most of the sweetness. A few strips of lime peel for garnish, and voila!

It was absolutely delicious and only 10 minutes work. But there was something about its appearance that was tickling my mind. I didn't figure it out until that evening when I flipped on the TV and saw the Italian flag flying at the Olympics -- red, green, and white.

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