Tim Merkel, executive chef for Giovanni's Restaurant in Munster, prepares owner Nancy LoDuca's super-secret family recipe for tiramisu to a T.

There are no shortcuts in this version. It's a mile-high affair that incorporates zabaglione (Italian custard) into the mascarpone cheese creating a decadent, authentic-tasting version.

Some people call mascarpone "the poor man's cream cheese," but there simply is no comparison.

This fresh cheese is closer to butter because it lacks a starter and rennet, common to cheesemaking.

Mascarpone is smooth, soft and pale blond in color, and made from 70 percent butterfat cow's cream, rendering it a triple cream similar in taste and texture to England's beloved clotted cream.

Originating in Italy's Lombardy region, it was made only during fall and winter, and used primarily for desserts.

Today, mascarpone is available year-round and is incorporated into everything from mashed potatoes to puréed soups and pasta sauces.

Region chefs have kept pace with the trend. Merkel uses mascarpone in a sauce for his butternut squash ravioli (see recipe) and as a topping for pizza.

Chef Tommy Forbes, of The Circle Restaurant and Sports Bar in Crown Point, also offers mascarpone in a cream sauce for butternut squash ravioli garnished with toasted hazelnuts.

At Gamba Ristorante in Merrillville, chef Bill Potts uses mascarpone inside his ravioli on the lunch menu.

Anthony Fenvyes, chef-owner of Anthony's Cafe in Highland, loves mascarpone's adaptability.

"It's a very creamy cheese that blends well with pasta sauces and provides a velvety mouth feel," Fenyves says.

He uses it in his Quattro Formaggio pasta sauce, a blend of Gorgonzola, fontinella, Parmigiano and mascarpone cheeses, and in a hot crab-and-artichoke appetizer.

Is your mouth watering yet? There's more.

Mike Jesso, owner of Cafe Borgia in Lansing, says mascarpone features prominently in the restaurant's four-cheese pizza and cheese tarts. And who knows what else it will show up in when the restaurant moves to its new Munster location in July?

Nada and Mike Karas feature mascarpone in Rigatoni Norcina, a rustic pasta dish made with Italian sausage and heavy cream at their Lucrezia restaurants in Crown Point and Chesterton.

In Crete, Victor Perdue, chef-owner of Vic's on Main, uses mascarpone in his vodka sauce napped over rigatoni or cavatelli pasta.

In Michigan City, Patricia Kelly Molden, owner of Kelly's Table, highlights the cheese in a broiled fig-and-mascarpone bruschetta appetizer.

Meanwhile, JoAnn Swigon, owner of Pesto's in Valparaiso, employs it to good effect in roasted butternut squash soup and a stuffed zucchini blossoms appetizer.

Mascarpone is a versatile cheese that adds creaminess and can take on the flavors of surrounding ingredients but Merkel says working with it requires a delicate hand.

"You can definitely overmix mascarpone, causing it to ‘break,' or become curdled-looking, or turn to butter and be lumpy. Luckily, in either case, the taste won't be affected, just the appearance," Merkel says.

At the restaurant, he favors the BelGioioso brand, which is also available in most supermarkets for the home cook.

Mascarpone tips

* Store refrigerated, covered tightly, so mascarpone does not absorb off flavors.

* Use three to four months from date of purchase. Once opened, use within three to seven days.

* Do not freeze mascarpone.

* Keep refrigerated until ready to use. If too warm, mascarpone will become thick and grainy, making it difficult to combine with other ingredients.

* Don't overwhip mascarpone, it will "break" or become a lump of "butter."

SOURCE: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board Inc., www.WisDairy.com

Easy ways to enjoy mascarpone

* Top pancakes, waffles or French toast with plain or flavored mascarpone

* Layer trifle or pound cake with mascarpone, fresh fruits and jams

* Stir mascarpone into mashed potatoes and pureed soups

* Stir minced fresh herbs and dash fresh lemon juice into mascarpone and serve with grilled fish or chicken

* Mix mascarpone with confectioners' sugar, vanilla and/or your favorite liqueur and serve with berries or over cake

* Finish a pork stew or goulash with mascarpone

* Use mascarpone instead of mayonnaise in chicken, tuna or ham salad

* Blend mascarpone with purchased pesto and toss with rigatoni or penne pasta

* Spread mascarpone over pizza dough before baking for crisp crust

* Add honey or maple syrup to mascarpone for a fruit dip

* Dollop mascarpone on roasted tomatoes, asparagus or squash

* Make your favorite vinaigrette mellow and creamy with a spoonful of mascarpone

* Cut a baguette in half lengthwise; rub with garlic halves and spread with herbed mascarpone; bake until bubbly

Tim Merkel's Butternut Squash Ravioli with Mascarpone and Marsala Wine Cream Sauce

Enough egg pasta to make ravioli for four servings

Filling:

2 cups diced butternut squash (reserve 1/2 cup for sauce)

1 cup vegetable stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon butter

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste

* Boil 1-1/2 cups squash and vegetable stock in covered medium sauce pan until tender. Transfer to food processor and purée until smooth.

* Add cream, butter and cheese. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

* Place filling in prepared pasta sheets and cut into ravioli. Boil for 4 minutes, drain and keep warm. While ravioli are boiling, make sauce.

Mascarpone and Marsala Wine Sauce

1/2 cup reserved diced squash

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup Marsala wine

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup frozen baby peas

1/4 cup diced plum tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

* In medium pan, sauté squash in butter. Add Marsala and reduce to half.

* Add heavy cream and mascarpone, and simmer 2 minutes.

* Add peas, tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Add cooked ravioli to sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

SOURCE: Executive chef Tim Merkel, Giovanni's Restaurant

Twice-baked Potatoes with Spinach and Mascarpone

4 (12-ounce) baking potatoes

1 (6-ounce) package baby spinach

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper, optional

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

4 heaping teaspoons Parmesan cheese

* Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prick potatoes and bake 1 hour or until tender. Cool slightly.

* Meanwhile, wilt greens by placing 2-1/2 cups water in deep sauce pan. Bring to boil and add pinch salt. Add spinach and boil until wilted, about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out excess water. Snip spinach with scissors and resqueeze to remove excess water. Set on paper towel and reserve.

* Cut off shallow slice from top of each potato. Scoop out pulp into mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper and mascarpone. Whip with electric mixer until smooth. You may have to add more mascarpone depending on dryness of potatoes. Fold in reserved spinach.

* Place potatoes on baking sheet. Sprinkle each with heaping teaspoon Parmesan. Bake 10 to 20 minutes.

Note: Potatoes can be stuffed in advance and refrigerated until baking time.

Makes 4 servings.

SOURCE: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, www.WisDairy.com

Gorgonzola and Mascarpone Torte

Small springform pan coated with cooking spray

1 pound creamy Gorgonzola

1/2 cup honey plus extra for drizzling

1 pound mascarpone

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup walnuts

* Spread 1/2-inch-thick even layer creamy Gorgonzola on bottom of springform pan.

* Combine 1/4 cup honey with 8 ounces mascarpone and spread over Gorgonzola. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with half the dried cranberries and walnuts. Continue with another layer of Gorgonzola.

* Cover and chill torte for 20 to 30 minutes. To finish, remove rim of pan and place torte on serving dish. Combine remaining honey with remaining mascarpone and spread around outside of torte, like frosting a cake. Sprinkle with remaining cranberries and walnuts and serve with crusty bread as an appetizer or dessert.

Makes 1 (6-inch) torte.

SOURCE: Sara Martynuska-Knapp, Bouchee Catering, DePere, Wis., for BelGioioso Cheese Inc., www.belgioioso.com

Mascarpone and Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni

4 quarts salted boiling water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature

8 ounces sharp Cheddar or Asiago cheese, grated fine

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

* Boil pasta in salted water until desired doneness, about 10 minutes, drain in colander.

* Meanwhile, place butter and cream in small sauce pan over medium heat until butter is melted. Pour into large bowl and add mascarpone and Cheddar or Asiago cheeses, combining with a spatula.

* Add cooked pasta to cheese mixture and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 servings.

SOURCE: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board Inc., www.WisDairy.com