How you doin’? Here’s a pretty little cocktail with a thick frothy head served in a Collins glass with a long and distinguished history. I first discovered this “original” drink at Alta Mira Hotel and Restaurant (now closed) which featured it for Sunday Brunch. However, like many other cocktail origin stories this one is shrouded in murky lore.
 
While Alta Mira claimed the invention, a little research proved it was first mixed in 1888 by Henry Charles “Carl” Ramos (thus the name) at the Imperial Cabinet Saloon in New Orleans. Along with drinks like the Sazerac, the Ramos Gin Fizz is still one of the city’s most identifiable cocktails. It has stood the test of time and is still being mixed by barmasters today. My bartenders had a love-hate relationship with this frothy classic. Most bartenders hate frou-frou cocktails because they take so much time to make and clean-up after, but a Ramos Gin Fizz looks and tastes great and always garnered good tips.
 
The original recipe combines gin, citrus, simple syrup, egg white, heavy cream, orange flower water and club soda… a delicious array of flavors and textures. The gin used is important—you want to use a neutral-flavored gin like Beefeater’s. Ramos himself used Old Tom Gin which was fashionable in his time and provided a good neutral base for the cocktail. The sugar and citrus add balanced sweet-tart notes while the heavy cream imparts richness, and the egg white creates the fizzy mouthfeel. The orange flower water adds a light floral note and the sparkling water lightens the drink, adding a touch of effervescence making it perfect for Sunday Brunch.
 
Shaking-up the egg whites to create the fizz is the most important part of this cocktail. Some people claim that Mr. Ramos employed a chain of “shaker men” in his bar to meet the constant demand from his customers. Supposedly, each drink was shaken for between 12 and 15 minutes, which we can all agree is a lot of minutes. That was for show.
 
Don’t let that put you off, most bartenders can shake their Fizzes between 25 and 45 seconds. You can use the more contemporary dry-shake method. Try agitating the filled shaker for 10 seconds without ice and then giving it another vigorous shake for 15 seconds with ice to get the proper chilling and dilution. The result is a perfectly mixed Ramos Gin Fizz with a foamy head that’s the right amount of frothy, thick fizz.
 
Ingredients 
2 ounces gin
3/4 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce heavy cream
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
3 dashes orange flower water
1 fresh egg white (read warning below)
Chilled Club soda, to top it off or for a stronger drink I sometimes use Champagne
lemon or lime slice for garnish
 
Directions

1. Add the gin, simple syrup, heavy cream, lemon and lime juices, orange flower water and egg white into a shaker and dry-shake (without ice) vigorously for about 10 to 15 seconds.
2. Add the ice and shake for at least 15 to 20 seconds more, until well-chilled.
3. Strain into a Collins glass.
4. Pour a little bit of club soda (or Champagne) back and forth between the empty halves of the shaker to pick up any residual cream and egg white, then use that to top the drink.
5. Garnish with lemon or lime slice.
6. Drink-up! You now have one of the most iconic egg white cocktails. It’s got just the right balance of gin and a creamy rich egg white foam.

​Raw Egg Warning:  Consuming raw eggs poses a slight risk of food-borne illness. You can substitute 2 tablespoons of aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) or the equivalized amount of Vor Faba Foamer (powdered cocktail foamer available from Amazon) if you are concerned about food safety or to make a vegan variation that will fizz.

ChefSecret:  Everyone later found out one of the reasons that the Alta Mira sold so many Ramos Fizz cocktails and no one ever seem to get even slightly buzzed was the chose to omit the gin in their phony, frou-frou cocktails.

Quip of the Day:  What do you get if you cover your cat in a mixture of sugar and egg white and throw it out into the ocean?  A cat-a-meringue!
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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 .
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be 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. 

#Cocktail #HappyHour #RamosGinFizz #Gin #Cheers #2022 #Cheers# QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
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                                        ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

How you doin’? With prices on the rise we’re all having to watch our spending these days. For those who love a great basic budget pasta this is the perfect recipe. It is super quick to make by simply tossing your favorite pasta with butter, fresh-chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese. It’s the recipe to cook when you don't feel like making a trip to the grocery store. Just use whatever you have on hand! To freshen it up a bit and give it a pop of color, add some chopped vine-ripened tomatoes for an added “flavor thrill.”
 
Cheesy, buttered pasta is one of those dishes that feels naughty, indulgent and comforting—all at the same time—but in reality, costs next to nothing. The total cost for this recipe is about 6-bucks for the whole thing or a $1.50 serving. You can splurge by adding some shrimp or chicken, roasted nuts or asparagus slices to make it prettier, more flavorful and more nutritious.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients 
1 (6 ounce) package dry spaghetti
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon red pepper (optional)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 
Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil—lightly salted. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
2. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Melt butter with garlic very slowly to avoid burning the garlic. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and parsley. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste, if desired.
3. Toss the drained pasta into the skillet until well-coated with butter. Increase heat to medium and cook until pasta is heated through and has absorbed some of the butter. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

​ChefSecret:  A good rule of thumb; figure 6-ounces of uncooked pasta will yield 18-ounces of cooked pasta. If you have a little cream left over in the fridge mix in an ounce or so for a creamer, saucier dish.

Quip of the Day: Overhead in the doctor’s office:
“Doctor, when do you think Covid-19 will be over?”
“I don’t know, Mr. Smith, I’m not a journalist.”
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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.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be 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. 

#Entrees #Lunch #Dinner #BudgetPasta #Butter #Parmesan #Parsley #Pasta #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                             ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

How you doin’? Did you know that March is National Peanut Month? Mark the occasion with my delicious Thai Chicken-Peanut Stir-Fry… the perfect weeknight meal. It’s full of sweet, salty and spicy flavors and it's ready in just minutes.
 
Thai peanut chicken stir fry is an Asian-inspired recipe that is loaded with so much flavor and color—it’s a feast for eyes. The sauce is rich, thick and delicious and it’s easy to customize the recipe based on whatever vegetables you have on hand. You can even make the dish all vegetarian by swapping the chicken for tofu and then serve it over brown rice, noodles or quinoa.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  10 minutes
Yield:  4 servings 
 
Ingredients 
1 cup basmati rice
3 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup green onion bottoms roughly chopped,
1 jalapeño red pepper seeded and thinly sliced
1 small head Napa cabbage, cored and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup green onion tops, thinly sliced
10 sugar-snap peas
1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
 
Directions

1. Cook the rice as the label directs.
2. Whisk 2 teaspoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon each cornstarch and rice vinegar in a bowl; add the chicken pieces and toss to coat; set aside.
3. Whisk the brown sugar, water, peanut butter and the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 teaspoon each soy sauce and rice vinegar in a small bowl. 
4. Heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon; place the pieces in a bowl. 
6. Wipe out the skillet, return to high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil. When it begins smoking add the ginger, green onion bottoms and jalapeño; stir-fry 45 seconds.
7. Add the cabbage and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
8. Stir the brown sugar mixture and add to the pan along with the chicken; stir-fry until the sauce is thick and the chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.
9. Stir in the green onion tops, snap peas and peanuts.
10. Serve over the cooked rice and top with a generous pinch of cilantro.

ChefSecret: Red jalapeños are a little milder and more full-flavored than greens. Green jalapeños are a bit harsher and hotter to the taste.

Quip of the Day: “Why did the girl smear peanut butter on the road? Because she's nuts!
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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.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be 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.

#Entrees #Dinner #Chicken #Peanuts #ChickenPeanutStirFry NationalPeanutBoard #NPB #NationalPeanutMonth #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup
                                      ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

​How you doin’? Flip and Crash were two of my star bartenders at Tommy’s in Tiburon, California. They both started out as bussers, became servers, then bartenders and finally they managed a couple of our restaurants... great co-workers. They were the two who introduced all of Strawberry Hill to Long Island Iced Tea. This drink was popularized in the 1970s and is still enjoyed today.
 
Although it may have been rediscovered in mid-century America, some think Long Island Iced Tea was born out of Prohibition, when thirsty boozers wanted to disguise their cocktails. It’s also possible the drink sprung up in the ’70s at a bar in Long Island, or maybe at a TGI Friday’s. This much is known for sure: You still can’t throw a lemon wedge inside a chain restaurant without knocking one over.
 
Because of its light and refreshing iced tea flavor it was thought to be a “girl’s” cocktail, but don’t let that easy going flavor fool you into thinking that it is light on the booze—it isn’t… and more than one of these drinks can knock you on your butt. There are four different spirits—a cacophony of flavors—all mixed up in a single glass, along with triple sec, lemon juice and Coca-Cola and somehow it tastes just like an iced tea! The recipe looks more like a bartender spill mat (more on that later) with all the drips and spills on a busy night at the bar, but somehow it works.
 
A Long Island Iced Tea may be considered a bit crass with nearly four ounces of alcohol and less than half that amount in mixers. Unless you’re a sailor on shore leave (and, probably, even if you 're not), that’s a red-flag ratio loaded with morning-after consequences. It’s also precisely what a person needs every now and then. So, throw caution to the wind and just enjoy it, but remember it tastes just like iced tea, goes down easy and gives a quick easy buzz followed by a killer hangover if too many are “enjoyed”. Take two aspirins and don’t call me in the morning.
 
Ingredients
3/4 ounce vodka
3/4 ounce white rum
3/4 ounce silver tequila
3/4 ounce gin
3/4 ounce triple sec
3/4 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 ounces Coca-Cola to top
Garnish: lemon wedge or slice
 
Directions

1. Add the vodka, rum, tequila, gin, triple sec, simple syrup and lemon juice into a Collins glass filled with ice.
2. Top with a splash of the cola and stir briefly.
3. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
4. Serve with a straw.

ChefSecret:  The restaurant business is not a dollar business (unless you count losing money by dollars); it is a nickel, dime and penny business. Every dime saved goes right to the bottom line. When pouring drinks at a professional bar, you pour the liquor over a bar mat. At the end of the night you might have collected as much as four or five ounces of different liquors. What’s a prudent bartender to do to manage liquor costs? Auction it off at the end of the night, of course! Cheers!

Quip of the Day: “Sad story about the Native American that drank 37 glasses of iced tea. The next morning they found him dead... face down in his tea pee.”
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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.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be 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.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #LongIslandIcedTea #Vodka #Rum #Tequila #Gin #TripleSec #Cheers #2022 #Cheers# QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
                                             ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

How you doin’? Sock it to me! The phrase itself has quite a history. It was first popularized in Aretha Franklin’s 1967 version of the song “Respect,” an Otis Redding original. In 1968, the phrase was made even more popular when it was used in NBC’s Rowan & Martin’s reoccurring sketch comedy show, Laugh-In. And it was made even more famous when Rowan & Martin got President Richard Nixon to recite that line in his own inimitable style.
 
Later, in the 1970s, Duncan Hines added a recipe for Sock-It-To-Me Bundt Cake on the back of its Classic Butter Golden Cake Mix box and the recipe has since become a Southern dessert staple (sometimes known as Tunnel Cake).
 
If you haven’t baked a Sock-It-To-Me Cake before then you’re definitely missing out! This moist, tender cake has a ribbon of brown sugar, pecan and cinnamon streusel in the middle that is to die for and a sugar-almond glaze on top that ties it all together perfectly. Think of it like the best Southern butter cake with a surprise filling. It’s so easy to make and it is beyond delicious!
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Bake time:  60 to 75 minutes
Yield:  12 servings
 
Ingredients 
For the cake batter
Non-stick baking spray (I prefer Pam)
3 cups cake flour sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
2-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange zest (optional—see ChefSecrets)
 
For the pecan filling
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
 
For the cake glaze
1-1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 325⁰ F
2. Liberally spray a 10 to 12 cup Bundt (or Angel Food cake) pan with non-stick baking spray.
3. Whisk or sift the flour, salt and baking soda together and set aside.
4. Using your fingers mix the filling ingredients and set aside. It will look light small clumps of sand.
5. In a bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar and whip for 3-4 minutes on high speed until very pale yellow and fluffy.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.
7. Turn the mixer down to its lowest speed, and slowly add flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture in two increments. Do not to overbeat.
8. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, scrape down sides again and mix until just combined; turn off mixer.
9. Pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
10. Evenly deposit the filling over the batter as close to the center as possible.
11. Top with the remaining cake batter over the top and smooth off the top.
12. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Be patient.
13. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert cake on serving plate for at least an hour or until the cake is cool to touch.
14. Whisk together confectioner’s sugar, milk and almond extract to form a glaze, drizzle over the cake. Add a little more milk, one teaspoon at a time if the glaze is too thick.
15. Serve and sock-it-to-them!

ChefSecrets: 

• It’s best to use a simple designed Bundt pan and really spray the inside of the Bundt pan well to make sure the cake doesn't stick. For the cover shot, I forgot to bring home a Bundt pan and just used an angel food cake pan with a removable bottom.
• To really Sock It To ‘Em, try adding 2 Tablespoons of fresh Orange Zest to the cake batter.
• Just a few seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in the toaster oven with a little butter, refreshes the cake if a few days old... if it lasts that long!

Quip of the Day: “Learn to cook and bake well now—you can’t build a reputation on what you say you’re going to cook, plus you can often eat your mistakes while practicing!
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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.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be 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 or to relief efforts in Ukraine.
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#Desserts #Baking #Cake #SockItToMeCake #LaughIn #Rowan&Martin #Snack #Pecans #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup
                                        ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022