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Hello, foodies...

How you feel about Italian food? And French? And how about German? If you're wondering why I'm asking, it's because this Wednesday marks the first day of August and the first day of our Global Cuisine month on In the Kitchen with David! We're celebrating delicious foods from some amazing countries all across the globe including Italy, France, Germany, and more.

So where are we starting first? With Italy! And here's Program Host Lidia Longobardi from QVC Italy to demostrate an Italian favorite...Spaghetti alla Carbonara.

And this Wednesday night, we'll be whipping up a decadent dessert to pair along with your spaghetti. Can you guess what it is?

David's Tiramisu

This recipe is prepared with the Rachel Ray Bubble & Brown 9” x 13” Baker (K26519).

Go to David's Recipe Item Page for the full list of items that David has used in his recipes.

Ingredients:

Coffee Syrup:

1 cup strong coffee, brewed
1/3 cup sugar
2 oz coffee-flavored liqueur

Mascarpone Filling:

6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb mascarpone cheese
2-1/2 oz Marsala or Brandy
3 cups heavy cream

Other:

4 (3-oz) packages ladyfinger cookies
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

To prepare the syrup, combine the coffee, sugar, and coffee liqueur in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Refrigerate the mixture and let it cool completely.

To prepare the filling, fit a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until thick and pale, about 6 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, mascarpone cheese, and Marsala; mix until smooth.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the heavy cream until peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the Mascarpone egg mixture until fully incorporated. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Pour the cool coffee syrup in a small shallow dish. Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the espresso. (Don't allow the cookies to be immersed for longer than a few seconds.)

To assemble the tiramisu, spread a third of the mascarpone mixture on the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish and arrange half of the soaked ladyfingers on top. Spread another third of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers and mascarpone. Dust the top with cocoa powder. Cover and refrigerate for 4–6 hours, or until set.

Now for your blog question...what's your all-time favorite Italian dish? Do you love spaghetti & meatballs, lasagna, or stuffed shells? Or, do you prefer something sweet like cannoli or tiramisu? Make me hungry, foodies! I'll see you Wednesday at 9pm ET.

Keep it flavorful!
—David

P.S. Because we can't just leave you with one pasta recipe, here's Fabio Viviani--my friend and talented celebrity chef with his recipe for an Italian-American Summer Pasta Salad! We caught up with Fabio at the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen. You can find the recipe below. Enjoy!

Italian-American Summer Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

12-oz uncooked pasta (orecchiette or penne), cooked to al dente
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 lb hard salami, sliced
15-20 basil leaves
1-1/2 cups mozzerella, shredded
2 cups Parmesean, grated

Herbed Mayonnaise:

Light olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 lemon
2 eggs
5 basil leaves

Directions:

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Then, using a food processor, process the eggs. Slowly add the olive oil followed by the lemon, basil, and salt and pepper. Add the mayonnaise to the salad; mix well. Serve chilled.