“Trionfo di Fragole” Strawberry and Cream Cake

  

         The local strawberries on Long Island could not be more beautiful this year—even if they’ve arrived earlier than usual due to our incredibly mild winter.  There has to be some upside to Global Warming for more than just the population of Canada!  These berries were an inspiration to Andrew who latched onto a recipe from that favorite of ours, “La Cucina Italiana”, in their latest issue.  The literal translation of Trionfo di Fragole is “A Triumph of Strawberries” and quite honestly that really hits the nail on the head. This delicate sponge cake is light as air and lemon-y thanks to a liberal dousing with Lemoncello, the Italian liqueur.  The tart strawberries are mounted atop two layers of whipped cream.  Then, just for decoration, mint leaves adorn the center of the mass of strawberries atop the cake.  So the minute you can, do not walk, run to make this incredibly wonderful cake.  It is so delicious, I wondered how it got its name.

Fresh Tortellini with Asparagus, Peas and Mint

         Alright, I am aware that many readers have come to believe we simply do not eat any meal that does not feature asparagus.  And to look at our most recent posts, you wouldn’t be that far off.  We just love the vegetable at this time of the year.  And we do live in a place where some of the country’s best asparagus grows.  So we take advantage of our geography and eat a lot of the stuff this time of year.

        But we can hardly keep up with the 10 recipes in the current issue of Fine Cooking magazine.  And to make that challenge even harder, the magazine says they all come to the table in 10 minutes.  The recipe for Fresh Tortellini came at a particularly good time since we were entertaining our friend Stephen on a weeknight and Stephen is a strict vegetarian.