…from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour Bar How you doin’? I first learned how to fly when I was 16 years old and soloed a year later. I met a guy at Santa Monica Airport who saw me one afternoon dreaming at the planes. He asked if I wanted to go for a test flight. He took me and I fell in love. If my mother ever found out about it, she would have killed both of us. Flying a plane can be something special—hours and hours of tedious boredom, punctuated by moments of sheer terror. Chuck, my father-in-law and I bought an old World War I Jenny—a P-47D Thunderbolt made by Aircorps Aviation for $565. It was in pretty bad condition, and we lovingly built it back to flight condition. By today standards it was pretty crazy being made out of just balsa wood and dopped duck cloth. I had an altimeter, a compass and a gas gauge bubble. Wearing our leather coats and hats, we loved pulling signs and flying over the Queen Mary dropping water balloons on the ship below—just like the Red Barron. Chuck was a hero! He flew over 30 combat missions over Germany in a Consolidated B-24 Liberator during the big one—WWII. At that time, you only had to fly 23 missions before being sent back to the US to train new pilots. He never lost a member of his brave, well-decorated crew. What a plane! What a great guy! When we got back to mother earth we celebrated with my retro party drink, pretty-in-pink Aviator Cocktail—just for fun. This easy gin-based drink is one to get the party started, celebrating our successful bombing runs. My easy Aviator Cocktail is ready in just 5 minutes. Prep time: 5 minutes Yield: 2 cocktails Ingredients 3-1/2 ounces gin 1-1/2 ounces lemon juice 1-1/2 ounces maraschino liqueur 3/4 ounces crème de violette Blueberries and lemon zest, to garnish Directions
ChefSecret: Crème de Violette is a floral liqueur first created in the 19th century by steeping violet petals in brandy and adding sugar. The coloring and flavoring are often natural but also can be artificial. That depends on the brand, as there is no legal requirement. Quip of the Day: Q. Why did the pilot go to the psychologist? A. He needed help dealing with his emotional baggage. ------------------------------------------ Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. #Cocktail #HappyHour #AviatorsCocktail #Gin #LemonJuice #MaraschinoLiqueur #CremeDeViolette #Cheers #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024
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… from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? Potatoes are one of the most versatile and inexpensive vegetables. They can be baked, boiled, oven roasted or made au gratin or scalloped style. At Fanny’s Fish Market (one of my own restaurants) I was partial to Scalloped Potatoes. In traditional recipes, scalloped potatoes are made with Cheddar cheese, milk and a sprinkle of flour. They bake up super cheesy and comforting and I love them, but spring calls for something lighter. So here I’ve layered thin slices of potato with nutty-sweet Gruyère cheese (which is lighter than Cheddar), warm cream and mild springtime leeks that have been sautéed and softened in butter. The potatoes bake up golden brown, and they have a wonderful texture—crispy and creamy at the same time, with a perfectly al dente bite—not the least bit soggy or pasty.) The leeks are so unbelievably tender, they seem to melt into the potato. I like to scatter some bright green chives over the top of the casserole as it comes out of the oven, and I love how their delicate onion flavor balances the dish—it’s rich, savory, cheesy, and light in all the right proportions. In short, it tastes just like early spring. I used this as a great side for grilled or baked fish; the fresh cream and mild onions are the ideal foil for a piece of mild, grilled white fish. It is also great with a grilled steak of any cut and can easily be used as a side dish at brunch. Prep time: 20 minutes Bake time: 90 minutes Yield: 8 servings Ingredients 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for prepping the pan 3 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only), soaked, rinsed and drained well 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (I prefer Russets) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish 2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese 3 cups heavy whipping cream 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg Directions
ChefSecrets: You can change this recipe up a bit by substituting cauliflower florets for potatoes—Gruyère Scalloped Cauliflower with Spring Leeks. Yum! Quip of the Day: Q. What do you call a cauliflower growing at the edge of a garden? A. A border cauli! ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. #SideDish #ScallopedPotatoes #GruyereCheese #SpringLeeks #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024 …from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour BarHow you doin’? I’m not doing all that well today. I need a drink! I hate April 15th—Income Tax Day—when all becomes due. At least I don’t need to pay California Income taxes anymore. Sometimes, in order to create a new cocktail, all you need to do is to add bitters to an old cocktail. Seems like that’s in order today… and April 15th is the bitterest day of the year. The Income Tax Cocktail is a Bronx with bitters. But that's okay… the bitters add such depth of flavor with the Hendricks that the cocktail earns a new moniker. The origins of this drink are obscure; it dates to no later than the 1920s, but otherwise, no one seems to know where or when it came from, or how it was invented or named. Nevertheless, it's a tasty drink for a “bitter” day. It's worth it for this drink to buy and squeeze an actual fresh orange. The flavor's so much better than the stuff from a carton or jug. Prep time: 5 minutes Yield: 1 cocktail Ingredients 1-1/2 ounces gin (I prefer Hendricks gin) 3/4 ounce dry vermouth 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice from 1 orange 3 dashes Angostura bitters Thin orange wheel for garnish Directions
ChefSecret: Hendricks is my favorite gin. I love it’s unique and distinctive flavor. Hendrick's Gin is produced by William Grant & Sons at the Girvan distillery, Scotland and launched in 1999—a fairly new product. The brand was created by spirits marketer Steven Grasse, while the gin itself was conceived by Lesley Gracie, a Yorkshire native, who was hired by William Grant & Sons to work in new liquid development for some of their products. A decade later she was tasked with creating a new super-premium gin. Quip of the Day: I tried to pay my taxes to the IRS with a smile. Turns out those greedy bastards prefer cash. Do you have a question or comment? Send your favorite recipes, pictures or thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. Recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. #Cocktail #HappyHour #IncomeTaxCocktail #Gin #Vermouth #Hendrics #Cheers #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024 …from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour Bar How you doin’? Located about two hours north of Los Angeles, Ojai is one of the most beautiful parts of California. My cousin, Monroe, was the mayor of Ojai. My brother and I used to take the Greyhound to the beautiful Ojai Valley to visit. We loved going to some of the small family farms that grew corn, tomatoes and Cutie tangerines. The trees were nestled into the hills and their branches were heavy with tiny tangerines—all ripe, all ready to be harvested. What a pleasure it is to pick a Cutie—okay, six or seven—right off the tree and devour them standing in the warmth of springtime sunshine. They’re easy to peel, sweet as can be, not even a hint of pucker, but they’ve still got a wonderful, citrus-y depth. They’re also terrifically juicy. Even at that young age as we stood in the fields, we thought, “Well, this will make a hell of cocktail when I get older” (what can I say?... we were ahead of our time). So, as an adult I went into the test kitchen and started with an earthy thyme simple syrup—it helps balance out the Pixie’s bold, fruity sweetness. I also added a very wee bit of the pucker back in with a half-shot of lemon juice… we like how it brings out the tangerine’s tangy depth. Once the juices and syrup are shaken up with the egg white and a generous pour of good old American bourbon, the cocktail has all the light, fluffy body of a classic whiskey sour, but none of the bite. It’s soft and floral and full of Ojai sunshine. Good any time… with its lovely peachy color, this cocktail has an elegance well-suited to any grand occasion. Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Cool time: 15 minutes Yield: 1 serving Ingredients For the thyme simple syrup 1 cup water 1 cup granulated sugar 12 fresh thyme sprigs For the cocktail 2 ounces bourbon 1 ounce Cutie tangerine juice 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 ounce thyme simple syrup 1 egg white Ice Pixie peel and thyme sprig, for garnish Directions To make the simple syrup
Note: The simple syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. To make the cocktail:
Quip of the Day: Q. Why did the tangerine stop in the middle of the road? A. Because it ran out of juice. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your favorite recipes, pictures or thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. Recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. #Cocktail #HappyHour #BourbonSour #ThymeSyrup #Cuties #Tangerines #Cheers #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup © Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024 …from the Perspectives’ Ovenow you doin’? I am constantly asked, do you put coffee in a coffee cake recipe? The answer is not necessarily. While some early versions of coffee cake did contain coffee, this snack cake is meant to be an accompaniment, not a cake full of caffeine. Most have simple sugar and cinnamon fillings, with variations using chocolate, nuts, fruit and cream cheese to complement the delicate flavor of the cake. Nothing goes better with a steaming cup of “joe” than a perfectly spiced slice of coffee cake. The enticing aroma, ribbons of sugar and cinnamon filling, and traditional crumb topping make it a treat at breakfast, a midday indulgence or a midnight snack. Coffee cakes are synonymous with casual dining and, best of all, they don't require any of the fuss of frosted, labor-intensive cakes. Coffee cakes can be baked with just a few pantry staples. What a great way to start the day! Coffee cake, or Kaffekuchen, is a single layer cake with a sweet, sugar-cinnamon-layer of--and topped with--a streusel made from flour, butter and sugar. Both yeast and baking powder can be used to give lift to coffee cakes, with some versions presented as a braided ring or lattice-style like a babka. Coffee cakes became popular soon after coffee was introduced to Europe in the 17th century. German, Dutch, and Scandinavian communities began to pair spiced sweet breads with the new world beverage. A ritual called kaffeeklatsch emerged, where people would gather for caffeine, sugar and neighborhood gossip. These groups continued their coffeehouse traditions when they came to America. As coffee became more prevalent in the U.S. and more affordable to all, coffee cakes became a treat for Americans both wealthy and working-class. By the late 1800's, several coffee cake recipes made their way into American cookbooks, boosting the popularity of the humble dessert even higher. Coffee cakes use basic pantry ingredients like flour, brown and granulated sugar, and baking powder to create a basic recipe. Many recipes call for milk or sour cream to maximize moisture and to create a perfect texture. No need to frost or glaze (but you can sugar glaze, if desired). The thick buttery streusel topping acts as delicious baked-on finish. Simply combine cake ingredients, then top with the streusel crumbs for a delightfully crisp layer. Coffee cakes are budget-friendly, totally customizable, and great for making ahead. Make your own luscious, shareable cake with this tasty recipe. Prep time: 25 minutes Bake time: 35 minutes Yield: 10 to 12 servings Ingredients For the streusel topping 1 cup brown sugar 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract 5 tablespoons butter, melted For the coffee cake batter 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup butter 2 large eggs 1/2 cup half-and-half 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Directions To make the streusel topping
To make the coffee cake batter
ChefSecret: I prefer a nice thick, crisp streusel topping. If you prefer more cake with a lighter topping, cut the streusel recipe in half. Quip of the Day: The best way to teach your kids about taxes is to reward them with a slice of warm coffee cake after finishing a chore, then taking 30% of their cake and eating it yourself. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross. #Baking #CoffeeCake #Coffee #Treat #Dessert #Brunch #Breakfast #BrunchCake #MidnightSnack #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024 |
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