How you doin’? I know what you’re thinking... How are they going to make a cocktail on a sheet-pan? I must say I had my doubts as well. But then I started experimenting in the test kitchen and came up with wonderful roasted tomato Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail.
 
A Bloody Mary is a cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and other spices and flavorings including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, garlic, herbs, horseradish, celery, olives, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, lime juice and celery salt. Some versions of the drink, such as the "surf 'n turf" Bloody Mary, include shrimp and bacon as garnishes. It is reportedly a popular hangover cure.
 
The Bloody Mary was invented in the 1920s or 1930s. There are various theories as to the origin of the drink and its name. It has many variants, most notably the Red Snapper, the Virgin Mary, the Caesar, and the Michelada.
 
The French bartender Fernand Petiot claimed to have invented the Bloody Mary in 1921, well before any of the later claims, according to his granddaughter. He was working at the New York Bar in Paris at the time, which later became Harry's New York Bar, a frequent Paris hangout for Ernest Hemingway and other American expats. The original cocktail is said to have been created on the spur of the moment, according to the bar's own traditions, consisting only of vodka and tomato juice. This cocktail was originally referred to as a "Bucket of Blood.”
 
New York's 21 Club has two claims associated with it. One is that it was invented in the 1930s by bartender Henry Zbikiewicz, who was charged with mixing Bloody Marys. Another attributes its invention to the comedian George Jessel, who frequented the 21 Club.
 
Fernand Petiot again claimed to have invented the modern Bloody Mary in 1934 as a refinement to Jessel's drink, at the King Cole Room in New York's St. Regis Hotel, according to the hotel's own history.
 
And now, here is a Sheet-Pan Garlic Bloody Mary Shrimp Cocktail, that was created at Perspectives Happy Hour Bar in 2021. Enjoy!
 
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
For the roasted Bloody Mary mix
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
20 cherry tomatoes
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon horseradish
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
 
For the Bloody Mary cocktail
1-1/2 ounces vodka
2 quarters of a lime
1 celery stick
1 sprig cilantro
1 skewer with 3 roasted shrimp (from above)
 
Directions:
To make the roasted Bloody Mary mix

1. Preheat an oven to 400°F.
2. Lightly oil a sheet pan or coat with nonstick food release.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning and cayenne.
4. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Place shrimp and cherry tomatoes; in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Pour the oil mixture over the shrimp and tomatoes and gently toss to combine.
6. Place pan in oven and bake just until the shrimp is pink, firm and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
7. Using a pair of tongs, remove the shrimp from the sheet pan and set aside.
8. Continue to cook the tomatoes until they are wrinkly and cooked through.
9. Let the tomato mixture cool, then add to the blender jar.
10. Add red wine, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce and process in the blender to liquify. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.

To make the roasted Bloody Mary cocktail

1. In a highball glass filled with ice, add the vodka.
2. Pour the chilled Bloody Mary mix 3/4 up the side of the glass.
3. Garnish with lime, celery stick, cilantro and 1 skewer of 3 shrimp.
4. Serve immediately.

ChefSecret:  If the roasted Blood Mary mix is a little too thick, add a couple of ounces of chilled tomato or V-8 juice. Cheers and all the best!

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “You know what they say: feed a cold, starve a fever, drink a corona!”
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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 #Vodka #SheetPan #Shrimp #Cheers #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                             ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2021

How you doin’? Who doesn’t love, love, love fried rice?! We were told at our Chinese restaurant, China Rose, that we made the best fried rice ever! What exactly is fried rice?

Fried rice first appeared during the Sui Dynasty (220–589ce) in China and, as such, all fried rice dishes can trace their origins to Chinese fried rice. At the time it wasn’t an expedient way to use leftover rice (as it is today).
 
It is a dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood or meat. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish. Fried rice is a popular component of East Asian, Southeast Asian and certain South Asian cuisines, as well as a staple national dish of Indonesia and Malaysia. As a homemade dish, fried rice is typically made with ingredients left over from other dishes, leading to countless variations.
 
Many varieties of fried rice have their own specific list of ingredients. In Greater China, common varieties include Yangzhou fried rice and Hokkien fried rice. Japanese chāhan is considered a Japanese Chinese dish, having derived from Chinese fried rice dishes. In Southeast Asia, similarly, constructed Indonesian, Malaysian, and Singaporean nasi goreng and Thai khao phat are popular dishes. In the West, most restaurants catering to vegetarians have invented their own varieties of fried rice. Fried rice is also seen on the menus of American restaurants offering cuisines with no native traditions of the dish. Additionally, the cuisine of some Latin American countries includes variations on fried rice, including Ecuadorian chaulafan, Peruvian arroz chaufa, Cuban arroz frito, and Puerto Rican arroz mamposteao.

Fried rice is a common street food in Asia. In some Asian countries, small restaurants, street vendors and traveling hawkers specialize in serving fried rice. In Indonesian cities it is common to find fried rice hawkers moving through the streets with their food cart and stationing it in busy streets or residential areas. Many Southeast Asian street food stands offer fried rice with a selection of optional garnishes and side dishes.
 
Today, fried rice is every person’s dish.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Stir-Fry time:  10-15 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients
For fried rice seasoning base
8 cups cooked rice, cold, 1 day old
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (I prefer Kikkoman)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup peanut oil
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
 
Directions
To prep the fried rice base

1. Fluff 8 cups of cold cooked rice by rubbing it between two gloved hands to separate it into individual grains in a medium size mixing bowl.
2. Combine the seasoning ingredients and pour over fluffed rice.  Mix thoroughly using gloved hands.
3. Divide seasoned rice evenly among 2 smaller bowls.
4. Cover, label, date, rotate and refrigerate until ready to stir-fry.

Shelf Life:  5 days, refrigerated
 
Ingredients
For the fried rice
1 egg omelet, thin, cut into long julienne strips
Pinch of kosher salt and white pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
4 cups fried rice base
1/4 cup frozen carrots/green peas blend
1/4 cup pre-cooked Chinese barbecued pork, chicken or beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and/or
1/4 cup uncooked shelled and deveined shrimp or lobster meat (36-40 ct)
1 tablespoon sherry wine
2 tablespoons of cut green onion tops
 
Directions
To stir-fry the fried rice

1. In a small bowl beat an egg.
2. Season the egg with salt and white pepper.
3. Using a seasoned wok or fry pan add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat until it the oil is hot and ripples.
4. Fry the egg into an omelet and remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the already-hot wok and add 4 cups of the fried rice base and the carrots and peas.
6. Dry-wok (no other sauce) the mixture until it is getting hot and the rice is well-separated.
7. Add the pre-cooked proteins and continue to mix the rice in the wok.
8. When the rice is hot, add the uncooked shrimp or lobster if using, continue to stir-fry.
9. Cut the omelet into thin julienne strips, add to the rice mixture and stir to incorporate into mix.
10. Make a well in the center of the rice mixture and splash the sherry in the center, let it sizzle, then continue to stir-fry the mixture a few more turns.
11. Plate-up, garnish with green onions and serve steaming hot.

ChefSecret:  The professional’s secret to making perfect fried rice is using leftover rice at least 24 hours old that has been kept in a refrigerator uncovered allowing it to dry out.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I love being married and confined. It’s so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to send 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 #Sides #FriedRice #ChinaRose #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                           ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? Whenever I have a reason to make Florentines, I’m doin’ well! Florentine lace cookies are wafer thin, toffee-like, and buttery—that is, they are not your average cookie. In fact, I hesitate to even call them a cookie… it’s a Florentine. As Florentines bake, they spread out to form delicate lace patterns, hence their name.
 
Florentines are simple to make and gorgeous to look at. This cookie technique is versatile and adaptable to many kinds of nuts or chocolate. They also keep well so they're perfect if you're looking for an idea for homemade gifts for any cookie lover on your list—just stack them up in a box or a beautiful clear tube and tie them with a bow!
 
As with other food lore there are many different stories that all claim to know where the Florentine, as we know it today, originated–some say Florence while others credit Austrian bakers. The most well-known legend, however, claims that the Florentine was first made in France at the Palace of Versailles for King Louis XIV. The “cookie” was thought to have been created by the King’s #1 pastry chef for his visiting in-laws, the Medici family of Florence—whose Tuscan relative, Catherine de’ Medici had been Queen Consort of France in the 16th Century. Due to these close ties to Florence, it is not surprising that the French would have thus named the delicacy after Florence. King Louis XIV left Paris and moved his court to live at the Palace of Versailles from 1682 to 1715 so, if this legend is true, the likely time of creation was during this period.
 
There is also another little piece of evidence that supports this story of the Florentine’s roots. Many of the main ingredients of the Florentine are typically French, but perhaps the most concrete piece of evidence comes from the base of these biscuits. The base is known as a ‘roux’, which is a French cooking technique, and perhaps alludes to the fact that the Florentine is a French delicacy that simply took the name of a place that was admired or was deemed to be important to the King at the time of its creation.
 
Prep time:  50 minutes
Bake time:  1 hour (10 to 12 minutes per pan)
Cool time:  30 minutes
Yield:  18 chocolate-filled cookies
 
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups whole raw almonds
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Line your sheet pans with a Silpat, non-stick (silicone) liner. If you don’t have a Silpat, use buttered parchment paper.
3. Place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor; alternate pulsing and running at full speed every few seconds until finely chopped and crumblike. Be careful not to go too far; you don't want them too fine and pasty.
4. Combine the butter, brown sugar and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir a few times and cook until melted and dissolved. Bring to a boil, then carefully remove the mixture from the heat.
5. Add the vanilla extract, salt and flour, and whisk until smooth.
6. Add the chopped almonds and mix with a spatula until everything is combined.
7. Drop eight uniformly sized, rounded spoonfuls of batter (each about 2 teaspoons) onto the prepared sheet. Fine-tune the cookie shapes with a spoon to make sure they are evenly spaced.
8. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until golden brown and a bit darker around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Set a timer.
9. Remove from the oven and slide the pan liner off the baking sheet and directly onto the countertop. Allow to sit until cool and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes, then gently peel cookies off the liner.
10. Repeat to bake remaining dough.
11. Spread melted chocolate over the flat side of one cookie. Place a second cookie, flat-side down, on top to make a sandwich and press very gently to seal. Repeat to form remaining cookies. Check out the ChefSecret for other options
12. Let sit until chocolate has firmed up, about 30 minutes.

 
ChefSecrets:  You can use most types of nuts— pecans, hazelnuts walnuts or even macadamia nuts— and any type of chocolate you'd like, milk, dark or white. You can simply dip a single cookie or you can skip the chocolate and eat them as is which will result in twice as many cookies. Honey is the secret as it adds a pronounced caramelized, burnt-honey flavor. If you let your melted chocolate cool slightly, you will get a little thicker consistency and avoid the chocolate from squeezing out through the holes of the Florentines.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  “I don’t think a video could better define the younger generation better than a kid making a Tik-Tok video while being tested for Covid-19 in the hospital and asking “fans” on GoFundMe to pay for the test.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to send 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.

#Baking #Dessert #Cookie #Snack #Florentine #Honey #Silpat #LouisXIV #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                            ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? I’m in the mood for something different… how ‘bout some Sheet Pan Cooking?! 
 
During the pandemic, sheet pan cooking has taken the U.S. by storm. It’s a distant cousin to the one-pot dinner. Sheet-pan cooking uses shallow, sturdy, rimmed baking pans made of aluminum or steel. Recipes usually involve proteins, starches, and vegetables all cooked together at the same temperature and for the same amount of time. It is a cooking method that is affordable, approachable and offers abundance (with plenty for seconds, too). Just a quick drizzle of oil and layer everything onto one pan. Within 30-45 minutes dinner will be table ready.
 
So close your eyes and visualize the following, picture-perfect bronze, wrinkly sausages, chicken thighs or pork medallions, bursted cherry tomatoes, tendrils of pencil asparagus, maybe some dollops of a green-sauce—pesto or green chile or chermoula? Add a scattering of roasted carrots, some purple onions and halved miniature potatoes all on the same aluminum foil wrapped sheet pan. If you have a small kitchen, don’t have a dishwasher and don’t want to spend a lot of time doing dishes, sheet pan cooking is for you.
 
For starters get a heavy duty, professional quality sheet pan either anodized (dark) or au natural (shiny). Wrap your sheet pan in heavy duty aluminum foil. Preheat an oven so it is up to temperature before putting the sheet pan in the oven. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir things around every 10 minutes or so.
 
While the sausages, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts are roasting away, we whisk together some honey and Dijon mustard. The fun thing about that is you can mess with it: add mustard seed for spice, a little more honey if you like it sweet, or extra Dijon if you want more of that hot, vinegary bite. However you do it, the tangy-sweet condiment will taste fantastic swirled through all the lightly charred vegetables and sausages.
 
A note about nuts: In the ingredients, you’ll see that chopped nuts are an optional add. Don’t skip them: We loved running into them in the dish. In a bite of meaty sausage, sweet, tender Brussels sprouts, and creamy potato, their dry, nutty crunch makes it perfect.
 
Sheet-Pan Sausage & Brussels Sprouts Dinner is designed to come together quickly, to cook itself and to be enjoyed in the calm peace of the dining room with a glass of wine.
 
Prep time:  10 to 15 minutes
Cook time:  30 to 45 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients
1-pound fresh sausage (sweet or hot Italian or bratwurst)
1-pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed of the outer leaves and halved length-wise
1-pound small potatoes, halved (baby Yukon gold, red potatoes or a combination of both)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon grainy-style mustard
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, almonds, pecans or cashews
 
Directions

1. Heat an oven to 450ºF and place a foil-lined sheet pan on the bottom rack in the oven allowing the pan to heat up.
2. Using a fork, poke the sausages in a few places on all  sides, making sure not to cut all the way through.
3. Transfer them to a large bowl with the Brussels sprouts, potatoes and olive oil and stir until well coated. If the mixture seems a bit dry, add a little more oil.
4. Season with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
5. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the hot baking sheet and arrange the vegetables cut-sides down. Roast for 15 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts and potatoes start to soften. The sausages will not be cooked through at this time.
6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the honey and mustards.
7. Drizzle the honey-mustard mixture over the sausages and vegetables and toss or shake to coat. Flip the sausages.
8. Sprinkle the sausages and vegetables with the chopped nuts.
9. Roast until the sausages are cooked through and the vegetables are golden brown and tender… about another 15 minutes or so.
   
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

ChefSecret:  This should not be considered a hard-and-fast recipe.  Do not hesitate to change out the vegetables or sausages.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I really wish I had a dog right now, but then I remembered that old adage, a dog is for life, not just for a global pandemic.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to send 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 #SheetPanDinner #SausageAndBrusselsSprouts #BrusselsSprouts #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                 ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? A few years back I was traveling to Lisbon every month to work on projects for two clients. Two foods I fell in love with were Bacalhau (dried cod) and Portuguese sausage (Linguiça), which I was told every Portuguese person craves, too.  Apparently, there are over 1001 ways to cook Bacalhau and there are almost as many formulations for homemade Linguiça.

Almost every meal in Lisbon starts with soup and my hearty and tasty Portuguese Sausage Soup is the perfect way to begin a lunch or dinner. At the Pingo Doce central kitchens we produced over 25,000 liters of homemade-style soup every day to ship out to their grocery stores and restaurants. This soup was on the weekly rotation—you might want to put it on yours. The best thing about this recipe is that you really have to work hard to screw it up. Don’t have an ingredient? No problem... substitute it with something else you have in your pantry.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Yield:  8 servings
 
Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1 pound sliced smoked sausage (I prefer Linguiça)
4 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 medium head cabbage, rough chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed (use Yukon Gold or White Rose; do not use Russets)
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups of beef stock
8 cups water (you can fill the insert pot to the maximum limit line)
2 tablespoons beef bouillon (I prefer Better Than Bouillon brand)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup white vinegar
 
Directions

1. Set the SAUTÉ function on the Instant Pot and heat the oil in the insert until it ripples.
2. Cook the onions in oil until just tender.
3. Stir celery and carrots and cook 5 minutes more.
4. Sir in the sausage and cook an additional 5 minutes
5. Add the garlic, cabbage, potatoes, beans, tomato paste, stock, water and bouillon in the pot.
6.  Season with the garlic powder, pepper and salt.
7. Add the red wine and vinegar.
8. CANCEL the SAUTÉ function
9. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set the PRESSURE on HIGH for 22 MINUTES.
10. Let it sit for FIVE MINUTES, then NATUALLY RELEASE by opening the pressure release valve; carefully remove the lid.
11. Stir the soup and add more water if necessary.

ChefSecret:  Linguiça is a type of Portuguese sausage and refers to a smoke-cured pork sausage seasoned with garlic and paprika used in recipes from Portugal and Brazil.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “My therapist told me to write letters to people I don’t like and then burn ‘em.  I’ve done that and now I don’t know what to do with the letters.”
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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.

#Soup #PortugueseSausageSoup #InstantPot #Entree #SmokedSausage #Cabbage #BetterThanBouillon #PingoDoce #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021