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Italian food is a favorite around the globe, but especially, it seems, here in America. My own family is not excluded and we have Italian inspired favorites fairly often, and I don't mean pizza.

When I was in culinary school I learned to make some fabulous Italian dishes like Veal Marsala, Osso Bucco Milanese, Tiramisu and the like. Traditional Italian food is not all tomatoes, garlic and olive oil, but rather is based on fresh ingredients indigenous to specific regions of the country. 

The typical Italian menu has several courses, each with a specific name given to it.

• l'antipasto - which means "before the meal". Our usual is a bowl of assorted olives and my famous Cheese Bread, with a center of thick and garlicky cheese-almost a meal in itself. We also like fried ravioli with marinara sauce.
• Il primo - "first course," can be pasta or soup. If I'm not serving angel hair with marinara, my choice here is Italian Wedding Soup.
• Il secondo - "second course," is game, fish, meat or poultry. Veal is expensive and not something we really like, so Chicken Marsala is the perfect option for us.
• Il contorno, - "side dish," is usually vegetable or salad of some sort. Italian Seasoned Green Beans are really yummy, or a large mixed green salad works well, too.
• Il dolce, or "dessert," like tiramisu, zabaglione or a torta. Easy Tiramisu (recipe to follow) is a perfectly simple ending to a terrific meal.

As much as I adore Italian food, having a large family means that I have certain time constraints in food preparation. Chicken Marsala may be our favorite, but a simple pasta and a favorite sauce goes over just as well and is extra special when paired with my cheese bread and that bowl of olives I mentioned.

Easy Tiramisu

While this traditional dessert is usually made with mascarpone cheese, cream cheese will do fine and is cheaper and easier to find.

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate--chopped fine
4 egg yolks or equal amount of pasteurized egg product
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, cut up
2 c. cold whipping cream
1 c. freshly brewed espresso, or other strong coffee, cooled
1/4 c. brandy
1 (12 oz.) frozen pound cake, thawed and cut into  cut into "fingers" about 1" thick.

Mix sugar, egg yolks or substitute and vanilla until pale yellow and thick. Add in cheese a little at a time, blending until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks hold. Fold into cream cheese mixture, re-cover and chill for another hour.
Dip cake fingers in espresso mixed with brandy-just briefly-they should be soaked but not falling apart. Arrange fingers on the bottom of a cake pan-9x9 works well. Sprinkle half of the chocolate over the fingers and spread with the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate over the cheese and chill for several hours before serving.