… from the California Kitchen How you doin’? Let’s do something a little different today. When I sold my house a few years ago, I had to give up my large smoker and grill. The smoker was the kind that had a trailer hitch and could smoke about 2,500-pounds at a time. I don’t want to brag (yes, I do), but my smoked brisket won best BBQ in Austin 3-years running. As I told my Texas client, “it took a California guy to teach a bunch of big strappin’ Texans to smoke delicious brisket, ribs and pork butt.”
Now that I live in a high-rise condo that does not allow any grilling on the balcony, I had to find ways to satisfy my need for smoked barbecued meats. How do I do it during the pandemic? I CHEAT. Without buying any new equipment and not breaking any condo rules or regulations here is a plan for making the best South Carolina pulled pork dinner with all the fixin’s. You may have to shop for a few convenience ingredients (that’s where the cheatin’ comes in) and allow the right amount of time to season and hold the pork butt overnight and about 7-hours of slow cooking. After you buy the boxed and canned goods you can flavor them any way you please. It’s really quite easy—I’ve given some guidelines below. Here’s the menu—get started. Hallelujah! Barbecue Flavors That’ll Bring You To Your Knees Boiled South Carolina Peanuts Corn Bread Muffins Vinegar-Based Dirty Cole Slaw w/Roasted Peanuts Brown-Sugar Baked Beans Pulled Pork Plate Chocolate-Pecan Tartlets For the boiled peanuts My friend Jared Jester owns the Heritage Peanut Company down in Bluffton, SC. He makes boiled peanuts. You can order a mess of ‘em tasty little things on his website. All you have to do to eat them out of the bag is stick them microwave for about 30 to 60 seconds to hotten’ up a bit. For the cornbread I use Krusteaz Honey Cornbread & Muffin Mix or you can just use Jiffy Cornbread Mix—either way you can dress it up a little with a few enhancements. I used bacon fat for half of the called-for butter or oil; I added a few drops of Tabasco sauce, half cup of Cheddar cheese and I sometimes I add up to 1/2 cup of frozen corn. Bake as directed on the package. For the dirty coleslaw I start with a bag of pre-washed and cut, store-bought coleslaw mix. I add 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 tablespoon Everything Bagel Seasoning (I prefer Trader Joe’s brand), 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon roasted garlic powder, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (that’s what makes it dirty) and 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I prefer peanut oil). Mix well and let it sit for at least 4-hours or overnight. Salt to your taste. Or fool around with it and make it your own. Always add the oil at the end to make sure all your spices have had a chance to blossom. When serving top it off with some roasted peanuts—that’s the South Carolina way. For the brown sugar baked beans I like to doctor a can of store-bought baked beans. This time I used Bush’s Brown Sugar Hickory beans. To a 28-ounce can I added 1/4 cup molasses, 1 teaspoon Wright’s Liquid Hickory Smoke, 1 heaping teaspoon yellow mustard (or you can use grainy mustard), 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons hot sauce and 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Mix it all together and microwave it on high for 6 to 7-minutes (take out and stir about every 2 minutes). The sauce will thicken up. Serve while piping hot. Here again, these ingredients are just suggestions—make it to your own taste. For the “BBQ” pulled pork Go to your favorite butcher and buy a nice hunk of fresh pork butt—4 to 7 pounds. The night before you are going to cook it massage it all over with a nice rub. Here’s what I used this time. For the rub I suggest 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper. Rub-a-dub-rub it all over the pork. Put in a clean plastic shopping bag (check for holes or you’ll have a mess in the morning) and refrigerate overnight. In the morning take the pork out of the refrigerator. Take the pork butt out of the bag and put it in a roasting pan and rub the fat side of the pork butt with 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of smoked salty (I prefer to use SaltWorks Hickory Smoke Salt, easily found on Amazon). Finish off the prep with a light drizzle of balsamic vinegar. The pork roast will take 5 to 7-hours to cook, depending on the size of the butt. Take the butt out of the refrigerator an hour before cooking. Preheat an oven to 225⁰ F and roast. If it’s starts to get a little too dark, cover with foil. ChefSecrets: After nearly 250 editions of our Survival Guide, you are trusted to change and innovate these recipes to suit your family’s tastes. There are no secrets here, if there’s an ingredient you think will work, add it—if there’s something you don’t like, leave it out. Have fun and let me know how everything turned out… send pictures. Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Why do they call it the novel coronavirus? It’s a long story.” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to send a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? 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. We added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. ------------------------------------------- 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 #PulledPork #BBQ #HeritagePeanuts #NPB #NationalPeanutBoard #Krusteaz #BushsBeans #Saltworks #Pork #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021
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… from the California Kitchen How you doin’? Some soups wear well all year ‘round, and in my book, Pasta e Fagioli is definitely one of those soups. It’s nourishing, comforting and oh so delicious! Pasta e Fagioli is a classic peasant soup loaded with veggies and pasta and Italian flavors! Best of all my recipe is made in an Instant Pot and ready in only 30 minutes from start to finish! Pasta e Fagioli translates to “pasta and beans.” Pasta and beans may not sound terribly enticing (unless you're me and the whole country of Italy, as well as New York City, New Jersey and Philly), but I assure you that this Italian stew is truly irresistible from the aroma to the taste. Lots of aromatics, crushed tomatoes, fresh parsley and Tuscan kale turn pasta and beans into a hearty meal-in-a-bowl. At 199 calories for 12 ounces you have a meal with very low calories. The Italian Bean soup with pasta has very old roots. Since the time of the Roman Empire, it was common prepare Pasta e Fagioli with the only variety of beans known at that time—black-eyed peas imported from West Africa. Pasta e Fagioli as we know it today comes with the discovery of America, and the importation of the American beans which started in the early years of the 15th Century. The Pope Clement VII (born Giulio de’ Medici) introduced the new beans in 1528, in Tuscany and the Papal States, then in Veneto where the Pietro Valeriano started the plantation of beans in the countryside around Belluno. In the beginning, the “new” American beans like Borlotti or Cannellini were exclusively served on the tables of rich people and nobles, while the poor and working class kept eating the black-eyed peas. Over the years, the use of the black-eyed peas fell into disuse, and now in almost all regions of Italy Pasta e Fagioli is prepared with the American beans. Read on to the ChefSecret to learn how to take this great soup to the next level. Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 4 minutes Natural release time: 15 minutes Yield: 8 servings Ingredients 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup white onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 medium carrots, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce or hot sauce 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped or 1/4 teaspoon if dry 2 bay leaves 1 can (15-1/2 ounces) cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed 5 ounces dry pasta such as shells, gemelli, or elbow macaroni 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes (do not drain) 5 cups low sodium chicken broth Garnishes: chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese Directions
ChefSecret:
Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I finally understand why pets try to run out the front door when it’s open—me, too!” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? 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 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. #Soups #InstantPot #PastaEFagioli #Entrees #ComfortFood #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021 … from the California KitchenHow you doin’? Last week Joan came into my office and told me that she wanted to see more side dish recipes that are less calorie-laden—she said, no cheese, little butter and lay off the potatoes and pasta. I thought for a while and told her to get a steamer. You don’t need recipes for steaming. I guess that wasn’t good enough as she stuck to her guns. So, after I picked myself off the floor, I went into our restaurant archives… the new side recipes you are going to see are from any one of my restaurants or even back to my days at the Cordon Bleu. Today's recipe comes from my Customs House restaurants. Eating mushrooms, dates back to ancient times. Edible mushroom species have been found in 13,000-year-old archaeological sites in Chile. Ötzi, the mummy of a man who lived in Europe between 3400 and 3100 BC, was found with two types of mushrooms. Back then picking mushrooms was like playing Russian Roulette today. You see, not all mushrooms are edible. The world's most poisonous mushroom, Amanita phalloides, commonly known as the Death Cap Mushroom, is responsible for 90% of the world's mushroom-related fatalities. So, don’t go picking those pesky little mushrooms growing in your back yard… you never know. Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 1 pound white mushrooms, 1/4-inch sliced 1 ounce unsalted butter 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic 3 tablespoons dry sherry 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground coarse black pepper Parsley, chopped (for garnish) Directions
ChefSecret: You can make this same recipe with brown, portobella or wild mushrooms. These sautéed ‘Shrooms are great in omelets, on burgers and atop grilled steaks. Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “One can get a bit paranoid during these COVID-19 times. I was recently asked what I did last weekend? I squinted and replied, Nothing… what did you hear?” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? 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 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. #SideDish #Shrooms #SauteedMushrooms #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021 …from the Happy Hour Bar How you doin’? Do you love vodka? Many vodka drinkers never get past the vodka tonic. Yes, it’s a refreshing, easy to make cocktail that’s hard to beat—or is it? Most vodkas are famous for having a mild, mixing-friendly flavor. However, if your drink of choice is vodka, it would be a shame not to reach out and embrace the myriad of options that this spirit has to offer. As with many other foods, historians debate the origins of vodka due to the lack of historical material available. The vodkas from centuries past are worlds apart from the vodkas of today. The spirit of long ago had a very different flavor, color and aroma, and was originally used as a medicinal remedy. It contained little alcohol, an estimated maximum of about 14% compared to about 40% today. The still, allowing for distillation ("burning of wine"), increased purity and increased alcohol content, was invented in the 8th century. How do you make vodka? Vodka may be distilled from any starch- or sugar-rich plant matter; most vodka today is produced from grains such as sorghum, corn, rye or wheat. Among grain vodkas, rye and wheat vodkas are generally considered superior. Some vodkas are still made from potatoes. Others from molasses, soybeans, grapes, rice, sugar beets and sometimes even byproducts of oil refining or wood pulp processing--ick! In some Central European countries, such as Poland, some vodka is produced by just fermenting a solution of crystal sugar and yeast. In the European Union there are discussions underway to standardize vodka specifications. The Vodka Belt countries insist that only spirits produced from grains, potato and sugar beet molasses be allowed to be branded as "vodka," following the traditional methods of production. In the United States, many vodkas are made from 95% pure grain alcohol produced in large quantities by agricultural-industrial giants Archer Daniels Midland, Grain Processing Corporation, and Midwest Grain Products (MGP). Bottlers purchase the base spirits in bulk, then filter (sometimes two and three times to make it more neutral in flavor removing the "fore-shots", "heads" and "tails"). These components of the distillate contain unwanted flavor compounds such as ethyl acetate and ethyl lactate (heads) as well as the fusel oils (tails) that negatively impact the usually desired clean taste of vodka. That allows the brands to dilute, flavor, distribute and market the end-product under a variety of vodka brands. So, what’s the difference in vodkas? A study conducted on NPR's Planet Money podcast revealed negligible differences in taste between various brands of vodka, leading to speculation as to how much branding contributes to the concept of "super-premium vodkas.” With that in mind, we used good old Smirnoff a 10X-filtered neutral vodka. Smirnoff currently uses a process of multi-column filtration, inspired by the process developed by P.A. Smirnov, himself. The double-digit filtration process removes a high level of impurities and imparts a smoothness that doesn't go unnoticed by vodka fans. Prices range from $4.95 to $19.95. We tested some of the more interesting vodka cocktail recipes from mules to the martinis. With unique flavors and easy to follow instructions it's never been easier to get yourself out of a cocktail rut, so try out these fun cocktails that any vodka drinker is sure to love. Old Vodka Glory Ingredients 8-10 blueberries, fresh or frozen 2 ounces vodka 1 ounce fresh lemon juice 1 ounce simple syrup (see ChefSecret below) 1-2 ounces Pinot Noir Directions
Espresso Vodka Martini Ingredients 1-1/2 ounces vodka 1 ounce cold espresso 3/4 ounce premium coffee liqueur 1 pinch of salt Directions
Non Classico Spritz Ingredients 1 ounce vodka 3/4 ounce grapefruit juice 1/4 ounce St. Germain (elderberry liqueur) 2 ounces Prosecco Directions
ChefSecrets: For basic simple syrup only two ingredients are required—equal parts of water and sugar. Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool, then pour into a glass jar and seal tightly with a lid. Simple syrup will keep, refrigerated, for about a month. Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Heard from a couple in NYC on lock down… I love you no matter what you do, but do you have to do so damn much of it?” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? 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. We added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. ------------------------------------------- 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 #Smirnoff #Prosecco #Martini #Cheers #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021 The Original Recipe from the Famous Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles How you doin’? Probably the best known 5-star hotel in Los Angeles is The Hotel Bel-Air. It is a beautiful garden setting hotel that has attracted the famous (and some infamous) since 1946 after it first opened. Personally, I consider the hotel to be one of the most beautiful resorts in the world. Long before Wolfgang Puck took over the food services at The Hotel Bel-Air, they had several signature dishes served in the café. One of my favorites was the original Tortilla Soup. At one point in time the executive director and our client, Carlos Lopes, shared the hotel’s famous Tortilla Soup recipe with me. How did this hotel come to be in such a posh residential area of Los Angeles, you ask? Alphonso Bell, a wealthy oil tycoon, bought 600 acres of land to the west of downtown Los Angeles. He named the area ‘Bel-Air’ and created the most exclusive neighborhood. After Clark Gable bought property in the compound it was like his wild cat well came in and many other well-known people followed Gable’s lead. Mr. Bell built a design and estate planning office nestled in the Santa Monica canyons. This building was later converted into Hotel Bel-Air’s main mission-style building. In early 1946, a Texan hotel entrepreneur named Joseph Drown purchased 18 acres of land from Bell, including the original building and transformed the site into an elegant and secluded hotel. Mr. Drown restored the original buildings and added a series of new guest rooms before the hotel officially opened on August 24, 1946. Hotel Bel-Air became very popular with many famous and wealthy celebrities of old Hollywood and world dignitaries, who were attracted by the luxury and privacy of the hotel. Well-known guests during this time included Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. Aside from the beauty of the property the service and hospitality were the biggest draws and, of course, you couldn’t have al fresco lunch or dinner without enjoying a bowl of their famous Tortilla Soup. After the last major hotel renovation, Chef Puck made many changes to the menu, but the Tortilla Soup has remained with a slightly different recipe. If you are so inclined, try the original. Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes Yield: 10 10-ounce servings Ingredients For the soup: 1/4 cup corn oil 10 corn tortillas (6”), chopped 1/4 cup fresh garlic, minced 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced 1 large fresh brown onion, pureed 1 tablespoon cumin 4 bay leaves 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicier) 18 ounces tomato puree 1 cup chicken base (I prefer Better Than Bouillon) 16 cups hot water Setup for a single serving portion 1-1/4 cups prepared tortilla soup (from recipe above) 1/4 cup fried corn tortillas, cut into thin strips 3 tablespoons grilled chicken, julienne cut 1 tablespoon Monterey jack cheese, shredded 1 tablespoon avocado, peeled and cubed 1 fresh cilantro sprig 1 fresh lime wedge Directions
ChefSecret: When making creamy smooth soups one indispensable tool is an immersion blender. An immersion blender, also known as stick blender, mini blender, hand blender or wand blender, is a kitchen blade grinder used to blend ingredients or purée food in the container in which they are being prepared. The immersion blender was invented in Switzerland by Roger Perrinjaquet, who patented the idea on March 6, 1950. He called the new appliance "Bamix", a portmanteau of the French "battre et mixer." Larger immersion blenders for commercial use are sometimes nicknamed boat motors (popularized by Emeril Lagasse and Alton Brown). Uses include puréeing soups and emulsifying sauces. Prices for the home units range from $30 to $150. If you’re looking for a quicker and more ingredient-friendly recipe try my Six Can Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe. Six Can Chicken Tortilla Soup When was the last time you did a thorough inventory of the canned goods in your pantry? If you haven’t taken inventory recently you may be surprised to find that you have several delicious meals just waiting to be made. Personally, I’m not a big user of canned foods, but during these turbulent times and shortages of certain supermarket items I bought and stored a lot of canned goods—just in case. I’m not a hoarder and I don’t have a closet full of toilet paper, but I do have at least one can each of the items listed below just crying out to be used. For this recipe, you’re not going to need a lot of skills training unless you flunked can-opening 101. And, if that’s the case you want to buy or borrow an electric can opener. If you think this is a tinny-tasting solution, you’d be wrong. Not only is this a fast and easy soup to prepare, but this zesty soup is also delicious and only 5 canned ingredients! Serve this soup over store-bought tortilla chips, and top with shredded Cheddar cheese and avocado slices. Now, throw away the empty cans and no one will ever know that it wasn’t from scratch! Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Yield: 6 servings Ingredients 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth 1 (10 ounce) can chunk chicken 1 (15 ounce) can black beans 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained (Ro-tel) 3 ounces sharp Cheddar or pepper-jack cheese 1 chopped avocado Directions
ChefSecret: Canned products are best used within 12 to 18 months. Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Today I will live in the moment unless it is unpleasant in which case, I will eat a cookie.” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? 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 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 #TortillaSoup #HotelBel-Air #Chicken #Entree #BetterThanBouillon #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021 |
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