HEy Mang, I figured I would share my Cordon Bleu Culinary training and culinary skills and knowledge.....
just keep in mind that I am " The Fried Gourmet " I'll put stuff up when I remember to

so I'll start with a dessert item , watch an learn.......



TIRAMISU (Giada De Laurentiis)

This recipe makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
EGG YOLKS, 6
SUGAR, 3 tbs
MASCARPONE CHEESE, 1 lb.
STRONG ESPRESSO, 1-1/2 cups cooled
DARK RUM, 2 tsp
LADYFINGERS, 24 (packaged)
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS, 1/2 cup for garnish
Directions
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth.
Add 1 tablespoon of espresso and mix until thoroughly combined.
In a small shallow dish, add remaining espresso and rum.
Dip each ladyfinger into espresso for only 5 seconds. Letting the ladyfingers soak too long will cause them to fall apart.
Place the soaked ladyfinger on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch baking dish, breaking them in half if necessary in order to fit the bottom.
Spread 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture evenly over the ladyfingers.
Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with remaining mascarpone mixture.
Cover Tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.
Before serving, sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

YOU can make me this when you come over!!!

I'm going to copy your recipe and hope that I can find some mascarpone cheese somewhere.

Yummy!!!

thank you so much for recipe, my favorite dessert. A lady who used to make dessert for our restaurant added baileys to her's and that simply delish!

Baked Alaska ....mang.....




INGREDIENTS
2 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
8 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar


DIRECTIONS
Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round mixing bowl or deep 8-inch square container with foil. Spread ice cream in container, packing firmly. Cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch pan.
Prepare cake mix with egg and almond extract. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven according to package instructions, until center of cake springs back when lightly touched.
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and sugar until stiff peaks form.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or heavy brown paper. Place cake in center. Turn molded ice cream out onto cake. Quickly and prettily spread meringue over cake and ice cream, all the way to paper to seal. Return to freezer 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Bake the Alaska on the lowest shelf, 8 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve at once.

AND
every body should know how to make

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE !!!!!!!!!!!!!



Many of the fine-quality bittersweet chocolates sold at supermarkets typically contain 50 to 60 percent cocoa solids. If you choose chocolate with a higher percentage, your mousse may be slightly denser.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 7 hr (includes chilling)

Servings: Makes 8 servings.

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Ingredients2 cups chilled heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
Garnish: lightly sweetened whipped cream
Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

PreparationHeat 3/4 cup cream in a 1-quart heavy saucepan until hot. Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a metal bowl until combined well, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until it registers 160°F on thermometer. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in vanilla.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a glass bowl in a microwave at 50 percent power 3 to 5 minutes), stirring frequently. Whisk custard into chocolate until smooth, then cool.

Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk one fourth of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.

Spoon mousse into 8 (6-ounce) stemmed glasses or ramekins and chill, covered, at least 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.

Cooks' notes:
• Mousse can be chilled up to 1 day.
• To vary the flavor, you can replace the 1 teaspoon vanilla with 2 teaspoons instant-espresso powder (dissolve it in the hot cream) or 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or 2 tablespoons Cognac (either one whisked into strained custard).

Chocolate Mousse....Yummmy!!!!

The fried gourmet..OMG!! too friggen funny!!..love it!!

Nanaimo Bars Recipe

Nanaimo Bars (or N.B.s for short) are one of Canada's favorite confections. The beautiful City of Nanaimo, British Columbia lays claim to these squares, telling us on their website that it all began when a Nanaimo housewife entered a recipe for chocolate squares in a magazine contest some 35 years ago. She called her recipe 'Nanaimo Bars' and when she won the contest, not only did her dessert become popular throughout Canada, so did the town they were named after. Whether this story is true or not, we will never know, but what we do know is that these bars are delicious; a three layered square with a crumb base, followed by a layer of light custard buttercream, that is topped with a smooth layer of chocolate.
There are many different recipes for these squares. In fact, when the City of Nanaimo ran a contest back in 1986 to find the 'ultimate' Nanaimo Bar, there were about 100 recipes submitted. All Nanaimo Bars begin with a base layer, a combination of cocoa powder, chopped nuts, coconut and graham cracker crumbs held together with melted butter. Once this mixture is pressed into a square pan and chilled it is then covered with a rich layer of buttercream made of butter, powdered sugar, custard powder, and a little milk. An important part of this buttercream is the dried custard powder, which was the invention of an Englishman, named Alfred Bird. He invented this powder because his wife loved homemade custard but was allergic to eggs. Alan Davidson in his "The Oxford Companion to Food" tells us that this powder is not, in fact, a dried form of real custard but is just cornflour (cornstarch) and sugar that has been colored and flavored. When the dried custard powder is used in this buttercream it adds a lovely flavor and it also turns the cream a soft peach color. Now, if you live in the States, custard powder is not readily available. I have found it in specialty food stores (Bird's Custard Powder is the most popular brand) or online, but if you are unable to find it, just substitute it with an equal amount of instant vanilla pudding. .
The finishing touch to these squares is a coating of shiny semisweet chocolate that provides a slight crunch as you bite into them. For this recipe, because chocolate is one of the more dominant flavors, make sure to use a good quality chocolate that you enjoy eating out-of-hand. When choosing a chocolate, always look for one that has a lovely shiny finish (a sign that the chocolate was cooked at the right temperature for the right amount of time) and one that has that wonderful 'snap' when you break it into pieces. Once the melted chocolate is poured over the buttercream layer and has been left to set, cut the squares with a sharp knife that has been dipped in hot water and then wiped off.

Butter (or use a cooking spray) a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) pan.
BOTTOM LAYER: In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder and then gradually whisk in the beaten egg. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens (1 - 2 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and chopped nuts. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate until firm (about an hour).
FILLING: In your electric mixer cream the butter. Beat in the remaining ingredients. If the mixture is too thick to spread, add a little more milk. Spread the filling over the bottom layer, cover, and refrigerate until firm (about 30 minutes).
TOP LAYER: In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Spread over the filling and refrigerate.
TO SERVE: To prevent the chocolate from cracking, using a sharp knife, bring the squares to room temperature before cutting.
Yield: Makes about 25 squares

Bottom Layer:
1/2 cup (1 stick) (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa (I use Dutch-processed)
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (200 grams) graham cracker crumbs
1 cup (65 grams) coconut (either sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 cup (50 grams) walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
FILLING:
1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 - 3 tablespoons milk or cream
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder (Bird's) or vanilla pudding powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (230 grams) powdered sugar (confectioners or icing) sugar
TOPPING:
4 ounces (115 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter