Leaving behind a sweet legacy: Tributes to restaurateur Ado Campeol dubbed 'the father of Tiramisu' as he dies aged 93

Ado Campeol owned Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso in northeastern Italy
Mr Campeol and his wife, Alba, are considered the inventors of 'Tiramisù'
The Italian staple was created by accident and translates to 'pick me up'

Published: 18:57 GMT, 31 October 2021 | Updated: 20:00 GMT, 31 October 2021

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An Italian restaurateur, dubbed the 'father of tiramisu', has died aged 93.

Ado Campeol, the original owner of Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso in northeastern Italy, died at his home on Saturday.

Although disputed, Mr Campeol and his wife, Alba, are considered to be the inventors of the famous dessert.

Ado Campeol (right), the original owner of Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso in northeastern Italy, died at his home on Saturday. Pictured with his wife Alba (left)

Although disputed, Mr Campeol and his wife, Alba, are considered to be the inventors of the famous dessert (stock image)

The dish, now a staple of Italian cuisine, was never patented by the family, but appeared on the restaurant menu in 1972.

Le Beccherie, one of the oldest restaurants in Treviso, was opened by the Campeol family in 1939.

But it wasn't until Mrs Campeol was pregnant in 1955 that tiramisu was invented.

Campeol’s son Carlo, who now runs the restaurant, said: 'When Alba was breastfeeding me a few years earlier, she had turned to mascarpone mixed with sugar and biscuits soaked in coffee to keep her energy up, which is traditional in Treviso.'

The dish, now a staple of Italian cuisine, was never patented by the family, but appeared on the restaurant menu in 1972 (stock image)

'Then, with her chef, she turned those elements into a pudding,' it was reported in the Guardian.

Chef Roberto Linguanotto, the dessert's co-inventor, perfected the dish with Mrs Campeol and called it 'Tiramisù' which translates to 'pick me up' in English.

The recipe appeared in print in a 1981 issue of Veneto, a local publication dedicated to food and wine, and was certified by the Italian Academy of Cuisine in October 2010.

Luca Zaia, governor of the Veneto region, wrote on Twitter: 'The city lost another star in its food and wine history'.

How can I make authentic Italian tiramisu?

Ingredients

6 egg yolk

280 gr sugar

80 gr water

500 gr mascarpone

1 litre cream

500 ml of coffee (brewed)

4 packets of savoiardi biscuits

1 shot of Disaronno liqueur (drop it into the coffee)

METHOD

1 - Start whisking the eggs until it becomes thick and almost double the size.

At the same time, put on the hot water and sugar together; if you have a thermometer, make sure the water/sugar syrup reaches 120 degrees to pasteurize the eggs and kill any possible germs.

2 - When the syrup reaches 120 degrees, start dropping it very slowly into the eggs while you continue whisking. When all the syrup has been added to the eggs keep whisking until it cools down.

3 - Leave the mix in the fridge and start whisking 1 litre of cream. Make it as firm as possible.

4 - Once the eggs and sugar mix has cooled down add 500 grams of mascarpone and whisk it until it becomes consistent.

5 - Now mix the cream into the sugar mix do this very slowly otherwise you risk splitting the mixture.

6 - Start building up the tiramisu. All you need to do is start with 1/3 of the cream at the bottom, dip the Savoiardi biscuits into the coffee quickly .

7 - Start putting the first layer of biscuits making sure to cover all the cream. Repeat the same thing twice, then just finish it at the top with one last layer of tiramisu cream and some cocoa powder on top.

8 - Leave in the fridge for at least 3 hours to get a better result.

Source: Secolo restaurant