Most recipes are the same, the only decisions you need to really make are:

1. Do you want to use alcohol (Marsala wine which is more traditional, or Rum which is less, or no alcohol which is how I make mine).
2. Do you want to use raw egg (only yolks, or raw egg white, or pasteurized eggs). Raw egg is the traditional way, but most people don't like eating raw eggs, so they'll use no egg, or pasteurized egg. Raw egg can cause salmonella, so if you use it, don't blame me if you get a foodborne illness, but raw egg is the traditional way to make tiramisu.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 Tub of mascarpone
  • If no egg:
    • 2 tubs mascarpone, or
    • 1 tub mascarpone + 1/2 the amount of ricotta, by weight, or
    • 1 tub mascarpone + 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream + 1 tsp vanilla extract.
• 1/2 packet of Savoiardi biscuits (Around 20-30 biscuits).
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 1.5 cups cold italian espresso, brewed in advance (let cool naturally, don't dilute with ice), in a bowl.
  • If adding rum or marsala, add a couple tablespoons of it to the cold espresso.
• Coca powder for dusting.

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For the creams:

• Add egg white + 1 Tbsp sugar to a mixing bowl, whisk until foamy. (Electric hand-blender recommended).
• Add egg yolk + 1 Tbsp sugar to a separate mixing bowl, whisk until foamy.
• Add 1/2 of the mascarpone to each bowl, fold mascarpone into the egg.

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For eggless cream (remember to add your 2 Tbsp sugar if you do one of these):

• If you are omitting egg totally, replace the egg with heavy whipping cream + vanilla extract and make homemade whipped cream instead, by whisking with your electric mixer, then fold in mascarpone.
• Alternatively, you could whisk mascarpone + ricotta cheeses together to make your cream, this is normally what I do if I'm making mine eggless.
• You could also do 1/2 and 1/2 (1/2 mascarpone + ricotta for bottom layer, 1/2 mascarpone + whipped cream for top layer).
• Lastly, you could just whisk mascarpone and only use that for your cream (I don't recommend this way, but it's an option).

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I use an 8x8 inch dish, but you can use whatever size you want depending on how many layers you want and how much mixture you have.

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Tiramisu:

• Dip your Savoyardi biscuits in espresso (with optional added alcohol) 2-3 seconds, and layer sugared side down in your dish. Press biscuits together lightly so there isn't a gap between them, but don't squish the biscuits.
• Once you finish one layer of biscuits, layer your egg yolk mixture on top, smooth.
  • If using an alternate cream, add half of your cream instead.
• Add another layer of biscuits, same as before, dipping them in the espresso, then placing the sugar side against the cream.
• Layer the egg-white cream (or remaining half of cream) on top of the biscuits, and smooth.
• Dust with cocoa powder (I use a mini hand strainer for this) until you can't see any white on top.
• Cover with plastic wrap, place in fridge overnight.

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After 24 hours, you can remove from the fridge, slice, and eat. It lasts in the fridge for 2-3 days.

I normally make mine at home. If you want the best, you need Italian espresso beans and Savoiardi biscuits (from Italy). You can get both of these from shops in the strip district (I get mine from pennmac). You can also make your own mascarpone cheese for the recipe at home if you want. You can make a big tray for ~$12-15, compared to ~8-9 for one slice.

I don't have a car and I get around fine for the most part.

I recommend you live within the peninsula of Pittsburgh (downtown - strip - oakland - squirrel hill - bloomfield - shadyside), as that's where most busses run.

There is a major bus line from Downtown, through Bluff, then into Okaland, then Squirrel Hill / Shadyside. There's another smaller bus line going north of Downtown through the Strip into Bloomfield and Shadyside.

Oakland / Strip / Downtown are probably the best places to live if you don't want to rely on a car. Out of those three, you'll have the most grocery options in the Strip. There aren't as many grocery stores here as you'd get in a larger city (for example, Lower + Central Lawrenceville don't have any major grocery stores within walking distance).

A lot of people love Shadyside but it doesn't have as much mixed development that other neighborhoods have (like bloomfield, southside, the strip, etc). If you don't drive, mixed neighborhoods are much better as it's easier to navigate and you have more stores within walking distance. I would consider Shadyside more bikeable than walkable as stores are more spread out there. Compare Forbes Ave. and Murray Ave. intersection area (Squirrel hill - more walkable) to Center Ave. and Penn Ave. intersection area which is a more bikeable feel (big box stores like target aren't great for walkable neighborhoods due to their large parking lots, among other reasons).

I would just get an uber if my first bus doesn't show up. 11 minute drive should be like $15-20 uber which is probably worth more than being late to work depending on how much you make.

You can also use an app called "Transit" which I use whenever I take the bus. It shows you when a bus is going to come as other riders on the bus track it in real time (that are also using the app). If you were using the app you would know that the bus wasn't going to arrive (there wouldn't be a live timer for the bus).

Maybe explains the helicopters flying around last week.