The word Tiramisu is Italian for “Pick Me Up.”  This probably comes from the coffee you’ll find in the recipe.  A nice blend of strong Italian coffee along with a bit of brandy can make for a nice dessert.

I’m not a Tiramisu expert, but I’ve heard many people say that the Olive Garden™ recipe is one of the better ones you’ll find.  I had some Tiramisu at a little Italian bakery in the Little Italy part of San Franscisco.  It was amazing, but i think the atmosphere had a lot to do with it.

When you make this recipe, make sure you add plenty of sugar to keep it from that “cheese taste”.  This is a dessert, not an appetizer, so don’t be afraid to sweeten it up.

One of the restaurant recipes floating around uses sponge cake.  One trip to The Olive Garden and you’ll know it’s made with lady fingers, not sponge cake.  The following is the real deal.
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Olive Garden™ Tiramisu Recipe

This is what started it all for Ralph Rubio in San Diego, CA.  This is also what started my quest for restaurant recipes for me.

When you say the words “fish taco” to anyone who’s never had a real Rubio’s™ Fish Taco, you’ll usually get a grimaced look on their face and a very loud “Ewwwww”.  Honestly this was my first reaction to the thought in the late 80’s when Rubio’s opened in Mission Beach.

For some reason the combination of a warm corn tortilla, a crunchy hot piece of mild fish and the crisp freshness of shredded cabbage is a mouth tantalizing sensation.  Add to this the mild zing of Rubio’s™ white sauce and some smokey flavored hot sauce and you’ll be craving these yourself.

Before you get to the recipe, let me make a couple of notes for you.  The tortilla is critical to the taste.  Most tortillas you buy in a grocery store are thin, dry and tasteless.  If you want the authentic taste of a real tortilla, I HIGHYLY recommend Porkyland brand tortillas. Last I knew, this is the same company Rubio’s™ uses to make their tortillas.  They have a special recipe but, you can still get your hands on these amazing tortillas through MexGrocer.com.
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Rubio’s™ Fish Tacos Recipe

I’m almost embarrassed to call this one of the “top secret” restaurant recipes because it’s SO simple, but it’s such an important part of the Rubio’s™ fish taco experience. When my wife and I tried making fish taco’s without it (didn’t have all the ingredients and we were too lazy to drive to the store), we were amazed at how much the tacos lacked.

Whether you’re making grilled of fried fish tacos, this is an ingredient friends will rave about. It your choice whether you tell them how it’s made or not. Oh and please don’t let anyone convince you there are capers in this sauce… they’re not.

Ok, I warned you, this is VERY simple.
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Rubio’s™ White Sauce