Connie Buccino creates authentic Italian tiramisu

Picture this: a thick, mixture of Italian, percolated coffee, with the occasional whiff of sherry or bourbon consuming your nostrils.

Imagine the lashings of homemade mascarpone cheese seeping slowly between layers of spongey, lady fingers.

Observe thick cream that's dotted with powdered chocolate, and a fresh sprig of mint protruding from the side.

Bare witness to the creation that is Connie Buccino's, authentic Italian tiramisu.

For this week's In My Kitchen, the Mail was invited to Ms Buccino's East Bunbury home to taste tiramisu, a coffee flavoured dessert originating from Italy.

Italian born Ms Buccino first came to Australia when she was just six-years-old.

"I'm from Delianuova in the south of Italy originally. I came to Western Australia with my mother and five brothers after my dad first lived here for five years," Ms Buccino said.

Ms Buccino's father, Giuseppe Nicola Cosenza, first moved to Australia in search of employment opportunities.

A chef in the Italian army, the late Mr Cosenza purchased a dairy farm in Dardanup where he grew a variety of fresh produce including tomatoes, watermelons and potatoes.

Ms Buccino remembers both her mother and father being avid cooks in the kitchen.

"We always had people over and the whole household, including my dad, was always cooking."

Ms Buccino said it was her father who taught her how to cook and that tripe was his favourite dish to make for the family.

"I hated tripe but I still ate it. There were no recipes, it was always just a bit of this and a bit of that," Ms Buccino said.

During her time in Bunbury, Ms Buccino and her husband Albert had two children, Nick Buccino and Tina Whitham.

Whilst Ms Whitham owns City Barbers on Victoria Street, Mr Buccino is a chef and the original owner of Nicolas Ristorante which he purchased in 1997.

"Nicolas' was family. We would all make traditional, Italian food and the customers would love it," Ms Buccino said.

She remembers making tray upon tray of tiramisu when her son Nick would cater for weddings.

"We used to get a bit tipsy from the sherry that went into the tiramisu because it would be one for me, one for the tiramisu," Ms Buccino laughed.

The Buccino family sold Nicolas Ristorante in 2003 due to growing family commitments.

Ms Buccino said tiramisu was a popular dessert that differed in ingredients depending on the region it was made in Italy.

For her homemade tiramisu, Ms Buccino said it was her father's original recipe with a secret twist she couldn't divulge.

She also confessed she never ordered tiramisu when going out for for a meal because she could tell if it was authentic or not.

Ms Buccino said both Nick and Tina occasionally cook traditional, Italian dishes and therefore pass the traditions down to their children.

Despite being born in Bunbury, she said her grandchildren love the smell of Italian cooking and talk often about gelato and pizza.

Her grandchildren's real fix of Italian cuisine comes during Ms Buccino's weekly Italian pasta nights she holds every Thursday for her family and neighbours.

"I like cooking and the pasta nights are a great way of cooking for other people. My grandchildren bring their friends and partners. It's so important because we all get too busy to see each other otherwise."

For the pasta nights, Ms Buccino makes lasagna, cannelloni, raviolis and many more pasta dishes.

She said her grandchildren always take home the leftovers and aren't embarrassed about re heating them at school.

"No one makes the pasta sauce like nonna makes the pasta sauce," Ms Buccino laughed.

"I cook it all day until it bubbles and goes blurp blurp on the stove."

Ms Buccino said it was tradition for her late husband Albert to sit at the head of the table and decide what type of pasta they would cook with.

"Italians are all about family and our food symbolises a good time to have a chat and a glass of wine."

"All the family help out, but sometimes there are too many cooks or chiefs in the kitchen. Everyone wants to do everything their way," Ms Buccino laughs.

Ms Buccino was married to Albert for 46 years before he passed away seven years ago from cancer.

She said their joint love of cooking is what enabled them to pass on Italian traditions of food to their children and five grandchildren.

"Albert really enjoyed cooking and loved making risotto in particular. I still have limoncello in the freezer that we made together seven years ago."

Ms Buccino said the Italian community in Bunbury was always continuously growing.

"My father was a founding member and my late brother was the club president. We all used to play cards there in the afternoons."

Ms Buccino said when her father died tiramisu was not a popular dish, but that she made it in his memory.

Thank you to Ms Buccino's neighbour Lisa who recommended Connie's Tiramisu for In My Kitchen.

If you know a local who loves to cook, let us know!

Send an email to pip.waller@bunburymail.com.au.