How you doin’? I’m always doing great when I can infuse different flavors into a variety of alcohols. In Cooking Lesson #78—Fresh Strawberry Collins, we described the steps for infusing vodka with fresh strawberries. If you’ve already mastered that recipe this will be a cinch—tea infused gin.
 
We started infusing neutral spirits in the craft bars in our own restaurants. We first took the heavy-handed approach with chili infused spicy spirits. Then we moved on to other spices and fruits, even some vegetables (cucumbers work well). We have since moved on to different teas and fresh herbs (fresh basil). It’s amazing how good a cocktail can taste when you doctor up store-bought booze with fresh enhancers.
 
A Gin Sour has been around for years. But here’s a different twist on the Gin Sour—the Mar-TEA-ni Gin Sour evolved from the current contemporary craft bar movement in California. It’s a Gin Sour infused with Earl Grey tea.
 
Ingredients
1-1/2 ounces Earl Grey tea-infused Tanqueray gin (Check out the ChefSecret)
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup
1 egg white
Garnish: granulated sugar rim on the glass
Garnish: lemon twist on the side
 
Directions

1. Use the lemon juice and granulated sugar to half-rim a coupe glass; set aside.
2. Add all ingredients into a shaker without ice and shake vigorously (at least 15 seconds). You should get a little foam from the egg white.
3. Add ice and shake again until well-chilled.
4. Strain into the prepared coupe glass.
5. Garnish with a lemon twist.

ChefSecret:  To make Earl Grey tea-infused gin:  Add 5 tablespoons of Earl Grey tea leaves to a 750 mL bottle of Tanqueray gin (or other high-proof neutral dry gin), cap and shake. Let sit at room temperature for at least 5 hours. Strain the infused gin through a coffee filter into a separate container. Rinse out the original bottle to remove loose tea leaves and pour the gin back into the clean bottle. The gin can be stored indefinitely, refrigerated.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Tweet others as you would like to be tweeted.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #GinSour #EarlGrey #Martini #Gin #Tanqueray #InfusedGin #Cheers #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                             ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? A great winter comfort food, barley soup could easily take more than 3-hours to cook. That’s okay, I guess, if you have the time—I usually don’t. Using an Instant Pot to make this recipe is so simple and easy and only takes about a third of the time. If you like mushroom barley soup and beef stew, I’m sure you’ll really like this soup to take the chill out of those cold winter days and nights. This soup is even better on day-two.
 
Contemporary history tells us that soups like these originated in Scotland where it was called Scotch Broth. The main ingredients then, as today, are typically barley, stewing or braising cuts of beef or lamb, root vegetables (such as carrots, rutabaga or sometimes turnips) and dried split peas or red lentils.
 
Barley is a versatile ancient grain enjoyed in Early America by presidents and countrymen alike. Dried, it lasts for months. Ground, it makes an interesting cake-like bread (see recipe below). Cooked, it triples in size and provides an ample amount of fiber. Barley is also a great source of protein, iron, Vitamin B6 and magnesium needed for a healthy diet. It has a nutty flavor that blends well with winter vegetables like carrots and celery.
 
Try my Instant Pot recipe for the ages. At the same time, make it an all-barley meal with my Quick Rustic Barley Bread (recipe below). These recipes are not gluten-free. Barley does have some gluten in it.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  50 minutes
Yield:  6 servings
 
Ingredients
1 pound beef stew meat, 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup diced carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 cup barley
1 tablespoon tomato paste (I prefer to use the tomato paste that comes in a tube)
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons thyme
2 tablespoons beef base (I prefer Better-than Bouillon)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 cups beef broth or stock
kosher salt and pepper to taste (to adjust the seasoning)
 
Directions

1. Generously season beef with salt and pepper.
2. Turn on the Instant Pot and select SAUTE function.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and tilt the pot to distribute the oil evenly. Once the oil shimmers, add 1/2 the beef and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer browned beef to a bowl and repeat with remaining chunks of beef.
5. Heat another tablespoon of the olive oil in the Instant Pot; when oil shimmers, add mushrooms. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until slightly brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Add mushrooms to the bowl with the beef.
7. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot and cook carrots, onions, and celery until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
8. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute.
9. Pour in the wine to de-glaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until wine has almost evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.
10. Return browned beef and mushrooms to the pot.
11. Stir in barley, tomato paste, bay leaves, thyme, beef base, red pepper flakes, and beef broth. Stir until well combined.
12. Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot.
13. Set pressure to HIGH; set timer for 30 MINUTES. It will take about 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
14. NATURALLY RELEASE for 15 MINUTES.
15. Release remaining pressure carefully using the quick-release method.
16. Unlock and remove the lid.
17. Remove and discard bay leaves.
18. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper before serving.

ChefSecret:  If you order prime rib or steak the next time you’re at a restaurant, get the largest portion available. Eat your fill and then ask for a doggie bag. When you’re ready to make the soup—cube up the meat to get started. You can also cube up the meat and freeze it to use later for chili. When you’re ready for a good bowl of beef barley soup or chili, you’ll already have one of the main ingredients ready for the pot.
 
                                            Quick Rustic Barley Bread
                                                                                 (No Yeast)
 
This rustic barley bread is perfect to go with my Beef-Mushroom-Barley Soup. It’s made with 100% barley flour that gives it a complex, nutty and delicious flavor. The texture is like cornbread. It slices easily and makes fabulous next day toast. Get this quick bread in the oven early enough so it can be served with the soup.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Bake time:  40 minutes
Yield: 12 to 14 slices
 
Ingredients
3 cups barley flour
1-1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 large eggs
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons honey
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350°F.
2. Spray an 8-1/2 X 4-1/2-inch bread loaf pan with food release spray.
3. Whisk the barley flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil and honey.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and stir gently until just combined. Do not over mix.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared bread loaf pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. The bread and soup should be ready together.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Did you know that Adam and Eve were the first two people to not read the Apple Terms and Conditions?”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to [email protected].  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. We added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. 
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Entrees #InstantPot #BeefMushroomBarleySoup #MushroomBarley #RusticBarleyBread #Baking #QuickBread #Barley #Mushrooms  #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica  #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                        ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? Do you have a sweet tooth? If you’re craving something sweet, look no further than my pound cake recipe. It’s light, delicious and a welcome treat any time of year. And if you’re not a fan of almond there are other delicious flavors to choose from like Butter, Vanilla, Strawberry, Lemon Yogurt and Key Lime pound cake—let your imagine run wild.
 
Pound cakes used to be heavy. During the covered wagon years, you didn’t need a written recipe. It was quite simple… 1 pound of flour, 1 pound of sugar, 1 pound of butter and 1 pound of eggs. Hence the name, pound cake. With no leaveners or flavors, they needed to be accompanied by sauce or fresh fruit.
 
Pound cakes aren’t all that fancy, but you can dress them up a little. Try using simple fruit syrups. When the cake comes out of the oven drizzle it with a with a warm simple syrup. It will keep the cake moist and flavorful. You can never go wrong with a side of fresh fruit or mixed berries. You can also add some dessert sauces like caramel, dulce de leche, hot fudge sauce or pecan praline… all good choices. You can keep it very simple with a light dusting of powdered sugar, and of course a dollop of homemade whipped cream or a dollop of sweetened sour cream schlag.
 
Ingredients:
Food spray
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup Greek yogurt
Powdered sugar, for topping
 
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325⁰F. Spray a 10-inch fluted Bundt pan with cooking spray and dust with 1 tablespoon of flour. Shake out any excess.
2. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Place in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter for 3-4 minutes or until it pales and is light and fluffy.
4. Add the sugar and continue to beat for 1 minute longer.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, until yolk just disappears.
6. Add Greek yogurt and extracts, mixing until just combined.
7. In small increments, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just mixed. Do not over mix.
8. Pour into prepared Bundt pan.
9. Tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
10. Place in the center of your oven and bake for 60-70 minutes. Insert a cake tester or a toothpick at 60 minutes; the cake is done when the tester comes out clean.
11. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire cooling rack for 10-15 minutes.
12. Invert the cake on a plate, tap the outside a few times with a wooden spoon, to release and then flip it over.
13. Allow cake to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.

ChefSecret: Now that you have the basics down, you can experiment with these other flavors. You can also substitute the Greek yogurt with sour cream.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “At the grocery store last weekend there was this big “X” by the register for me stand on… I’ve seen too many Road Runner cartoons to fall for that one.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to [email protected].  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Baking #Dessert #PoundCake #LemonPoundCake #GreekYogurt #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? This is one of my favorite composed salads. What’s a composed salad, you ask? A composed salad is simply a salad arranged on a plate rather than tossed in a bowl. The name is derived from the French “salade composée.” A composed salad can be a simple as a scoop of tuna salad on a bed of greens with a few olives arranged around it or can be more complex like my Barcelona Barbacoa Salad with lots of ingredients—both hot and cold.
 
When planning to make a composed salad you must pay attention to complementary flavors and colors. Mixed greens may be part of such a salad, but they can be made with most any ingredients if they are harmonious. The Salad Niçoise, made with potatoes, tuna, green beans, anchovies, hard-boiled eggs and Niçoise olives is an example of a composed salad. Cobb Salad, although sometimes tossed together, is often served as a composed salad like the original from the Brown Derby Cobb (see Recipe #16). These salads can be a meal in themselves, or served as a salad course, a lunch, etc.  Although a composed salad might be comprised of many different ingredients this does not mean that your salad is elevated because you claim to have “composed” it, as many chefs seem to think. Flavor comes before presentation.
 
Many plate presentations—salads or not—are arranged or composed. There are a few types of compositions… bedded is the most common. A bedded salad starts with a “bed” of salad greens used in so many restaurants for so many things, including egg, chicken or tuna salad, or almost anything else, on a big lettuce leaf. Often the salad greens at the base of such a salad are a simple salad in themselves, with their own dressing, and the other ingredients arranged on top.
 
In restaurant kitchens is a lot easier to compose a salad because you have so many ingredients to choose from at hand. We try to make use of as many of them as possible. Our rule of thumb is, if a single ingredient does not account for at least 5% of sales or isn’t used in at least 5 menu items, there’s probably no good reason to have that ingredient in the inventory.
 
The Barcelona Barbacoa Salad has a lot of ingredients—both hot and cold. It is challenging, not because it is so difficult to make, but because of the number of separate ingredients. That is considered a lot of work by many, but that doesn’t detract from the absolute perfection in taste, texture and temperature that is experienced when you eat this salad. I have called out several store-bought ingredients to make it easier to “compose” without detracting from the overall eating experience.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Yield:  1 serving
 
Ingredients
2 cups mixed lettuce blend (I use a bagged Mediterranean lettuce mix)
2 tablespoons 1/4-inch diced avocado
2 tablespoons 1/4-inch sliced cucumber rounds
2 tablespoons chopped jicama
1/2 cup warm beef chili (good quality store-bought canned chili)
3 quarter-cut tomato wedges
2 tablespoons grilled corn-off-the-cob niblets
1 tablespoon shredded cotija cheese
2 tablespoons pico de gallo (store-bought)
1/2 teaspoon green onion circles
1 sprig cilantro leaves
1/2 cup fried corn tortilla chips (store-bought)
2 quarters fresh lime wedges
1/4 cup south-of-the-border ranch dressing (3 tablespoons ranch dressing + 1 tablespoon pico de gallo mixed well)
 
Directions

1. Put the lettuce mix into a serving bowl.
2. Layer the following items in a circle over the greens; avocado, cucumber and jicama. Keep the center clear.
3. Place a tomato wedge at 12 o’clock, 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock.
4. Sprinkle the corn niblets over the avocado, cucumber and jicama and tomatoes.
5. Place the chili in the center of bowl.
6. Top the chili with pico de gallo and sprinkle the cheese over top of chili.
7. Sprinkle green onion over salad.
8. Garnish with cilantro sprig.
9. Place dressing in a separate ramekin at the 6 o’clock position in the bowl.
10. Place corn tortilla inside compartment or in a separate bowl.
11. Squeeze the lime over salad and chips.
12. Serve immediately.

ChefSecret:  It’s not cheating to use store-bought ingredients—a can of chili, a pre-made pico de gallo and prewashed, cut and bagged lettuce blends make meal preparation so much easier.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Chocolate is vital for our survival. Dinosaurs didn’t have any chocolate and look what happened to them.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to [email protected].  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Salad #Barbacoa #Barcelona #BeefChili #Jicama #Corn #ComposedSalad #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                          ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? There is this middle generation in the United States that never learned to cook by being tied to their mother’s, grandmother’s or even their father’s apron strings to learn how to cook. A lot of our country’s traditions are tied to the foods we eat. Now, while so many of us are locked down is the perfect time to teach our children a little bit about cooking.
 
It doesn’t have to be complicated, and it isn’t just limited to the “girls.” It’s an opportunity to teach everybody in the family (dads included) to try their hand at cooking. I am not suggesting that everything should be made from scratch or that the ingredients must be expensive… just a little something to get everyone’s feet just a little wet and begin to learn how to cook.
 
This recipe starts with refrigerated biscuit dough—the kind that Poppin’ Fresh jumps out of in all the Pillsbury commercials. Poppin' Fresh, more widely known as the Pillsbury Doughboy, is an advertising mascot for the Pillsbury Company, appearing in many of their commercials. I worked at the production house where the Doughboy was born. Many commercials from 1965 until 2005 concluded with a human finger poking the Doughboy's stomach. The Doughboy responds when his stomach is poked by giggling. I still have the original Doughboy Model in “my collection of stuff.”
 
Okay, get off your cell phone and Facebook and supervise your kids to bake homemade Monkey Bread with the help of Poppin’ Fresh. This recipe is for Mable and Monty and their moms or dads. They’ll love this recipe because it is so much fun to eat and it is so simple to make—and they can do a lot of them themselves which they’ll love.
 
Prep time for kids:  5 minutes
Prep time for adults:  15 minutes
Bake time:  35 minutes
Yield:  8 to 12 servings
 
Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough (Pillsbury or private label house brand)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Grease a tube pan with food release spray.
3. Mix 3/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons cinnamon in a large plastic bag. Set aside.
4. Quarter the biscuits with kitchen shears. Dip shears in water after each cut to keep the biscuits from getting too sticky.
5. Place about 8 pieces of biscuit dough at a time in the plastic bag; shake in the sugar mixture and place the pieces in a sprayed tube pan. Do this until all biscuit dough pieces are used.
6. Melt the butter and mix in 3/4 cup sugar; stir until the sugar is dissolved.
7. Pour mixture over biscuits.
8. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

ChefSecret:  If desired, a thin mixture of confectioners’ sugar and milk frosting can be poured over warm pull-a-part Monkey Bread pieces.  You can also add fruit, like raisins or bananas, and also nuts and chocolate chips.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “When all is said and done and the government does a postmortem on the Covid-19 pandemic they will find out it was a conspiracy between the makers of Charmin and Scott toilet tissue.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to [email protected].  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Baking #MonkeyBread #Bread #Pillsbury #PoppinFresh #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                               ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021