Special: Cooking Tips: How to use chopsticks

Place the first chopstick so that thicker part rests at the
base of your thumb and the thinner part rests on the lower side
of your middle fingertip. Bring your thumb forward so that it
traps the stick firmly in place. At least two or three inches
of chopstick should extend beyond your fingertip. Relax.
Now position the other chopstick so that it is held against
the side of your index finger by the end of your thumb.
Tap the ends of both sticks on the plate, while holding them
at a slight angle to the table. Allow them to slide just a
little so that the ends line up. Place a little pressure on
the top chopstick. It will pivot on your index finger just
above the second knuckle.

Remember: the bottom chopstick is
stationary. The tip of the top chopstick will move towards
the tip of the bottom chopstick.Encourage this. Hold those
tips together firmly enough to grasp a piece of food and
lift it off the plate. Place delicately into your waiting
mouth. Although there's no need to stoop, you may wish to
lean over your plate a bit during your first attempts.
It might save you a clean-up!

2. Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of the most popular Italian cakes. It is made of savoiardi (otherwise known as lady finger biscuits) dipped in espresso or strong coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of egg yolks, mascarpone, and sugar, and topped with cocoa.

Tiramisu has become a very popular dessert. The recipe has been adapted into cakes, puddings, and other varieties of dessert.

INGREDIENTS

8 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup cold water
splash of Amaretto
2 1/2 lbs. mascarpone
36 ladyfingers
2 cups coffee reduction or espresso
splash Kahlua
chocolate shavings (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk egg yokes, rum, Amaretto, sugar, and water over a hot water bath (use a double boiler if you have one) until thick and ribbony. This mixture when finished is called zabaglione.

2. Cool the zabaglione mixture over ice bath.

3. Whisk cooled zabaglione and mascarpone cheese together until well incorporated and smooth. DO NOT overmix or the mascarpone will break and become granular.

4. To prepare coffee reduction, simmer 4 cups of coffee until reduced by half. Cool and add Kahlua.

5. Prepare a 10 inch springform pan by lining the bottom and sides with parchment paper. If you don't have a springform like me, you might try a 10 inch casserole dish. Sometimes we have to be creative.

6. Place a layer of ladyfingers, flat side down, on the bottom of the pan, leaving a 1 inch gap between the sides and the ladyfingers. The 1 inch gap is so you can add more ladyfingers in an upright position in step 9.s

7. Using a pastry brush, soak the ladyfingers with the cooled coffee reduction.

8. Fill a pastry bag (you can buy disposable bags at most housewares shops) with the mascarpone mixture and pipe a rope of cream to fill the gap around the ladyfingers. Also pipe cream across ladyfingers.

9. Place ladyfingers, in upright position, sugar side out, against the pan. Be sure to push them into the cream and fit them tightly against on another.

10. Begin the next layer by placing ladyfingers on the cream layer. You may cut them to create a perfect fit. Brush them with the coffee reduction.

11. Pipe a layer of cream on top of ladyfingers and smooth with a spatula.

12. Allow to chill overnight.

13. To unmold, simply undo springform and remove pager collar. Top with chocolate shavings and serve. If you didn't use a springboard, you can spoon serve from your pan. Not as pretty, but just as tasty.

PHOTOS

1. Brigadeiro

Brigadeiro is a great Brazilian sweet that is like a bonbon and extremely scrumptious and delicious! This is a great type of sweet that is loved in Brazil!
You can make it in the microwave too, just remember to stir every minute.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon butter
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
Chocolate sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cocoa, butter and condensed milk. Cook, stirring, until thickened. You will know it's ready when the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pan when you tilt the pan.

2. Remove from heat and let rest for at least 30 minutes. It is recommended to transfer the mixture from the pan onto a slightly greased plate.

3. Grease your hands with butter and roll the mixture into teaspon-sized balls, then coat them with chocolate sprinkles.

TIPS

- You can use other ingredients to coat the brigadeiro with, such as coconut flakes, unsweetened cocoa, crushed nuts... etc.

- You can also add some dark rum to the mixture as well.

- A creative way to display the little sweets is in mini cupcakes holders.

- You can add or subtract how much cocoa you want to add to the mixture according to your taste.

- Do NOT let the mixture burn, or the pan will be terrible to wash.

- If you add sweetened cocoa, it will come out too sweet.

- You can also make it with fruit filling. Just be careful not to leave strawberry, grape, or apple filled brigadeiros in the refrigerator for too long unless you want the juice to mix with the chocolate.

- Another option, for who wants to simply eat a sweet or does not have patience/time to roll the mixture into small balls, you can simply eat it off a plate with a spoon, or serve it in small dishes.

PHOTOS

Hello~

Hello~
I'm Hana, and here I'll post recipes of all kinds of foods... sweets included. Also, I'll try writing recipes from lots of different countries. And if you have any recipe you want to publish or suggest, e-mail it to kim_krm@yahoo.com.br and I'll post it here.

Thank you for reading, I hope you like the recipes~