Okay my friends...How are you doing, today? It is our 21st day in isolation and I think I may be getting used to it. At first, I was thrilled with the lack of Los Angeles traffic, but now I can’t believe how thrilled I am without those pesky phone calls and emails. Of course, it would be nice to get a paycheck now and then, but at least I’m eating well. I’m still on my Instant Pot recipe development project. It may be hard to believe, but you can actually bake in an Instant Pot. You can purchase some inexpensive interesting add-ons for your Instant Pot. For about $29 I found a 14-piece Instant Pot accessories set—steamer basket, 7-inch springform pan, egg bites mold, egg steamer rack, kitchen tongs, silicone oven mitts and more. Once I had my new springform pan I was off to the races—the cheesecake races. The Ancient Romans served cheesecakes during religious ceremonies. It makes perfect sense: who hasn’t had a religious experience eating a great piece of cheesecake? Whether you are a fan of Junior’s in Brooklyn or you head to The Cheesecake Factory at every opportunity, cheesecake aficionados have a hard time resisting this dessert. When you blend chocolate with cream cheese and heavy cream, something magical happens. Cheesecakes are easy to dress up. You can add chocolate chips, pieces of leftover cake, or ripples of fruit-flavored ganache to the batter. I am sure you won’t be surprised to learn that cheesecake has outdistanced apple pie as America’s number-one dessert. I know New York–Style Cheesecakes require patience. They are not difficult to make—really!—but it’s hard to wait to eat them while they cool. And cool they must, because cheesecakes are best eaten after being allowed to chill overnight and then brought back to room temperature. In some cases, simplicity can be used to imply beauty, purity or clarity. And, that is the essence of this cheesecake recipe. All things being equal, the simplest cheesecake is most likely to be the best. So, pull out your food processor and begin.
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Okay, my friends… How are you doing? It is our 18th day staying away from others and I am really missing our company Happy Hour Fridays. We stopped having our end-of-week celebrations about a month ago when we knew it just wasn’t safe to be with lots of other people. That doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the end-of-the-week at home with a large bottle of Hendrick’s. I discovered Hendrick’s Gin on my last visit to Africa—Equatorial Guinea to be precise. I was sitting at the bar when it was suggested to compound my malaria protection (the pills) with a glass of quinine water (tonic). The bartender suggested that the tonic the hotel used was not the best tasting and thought to fortify it with a shot of gin—not just any gin—but Hendrick’s. He told me that Hendrick's suggests that the gin be served with tonic water over ice garnished with cucumber instead of the traditional lime. I thought that was good, but I still prefer the more traditional serving with a slice of the green citrus. I have since heard that Hendricks’ Gin Master suggests an alternative in which the gin is blended with soda water and elderflower cordial. A very refreshing beverage on a hot afternoon on the dark content. Hendrick's is produced by William Grant & Sons at the Girvan distillery in Scotland. Launched in 1999, Hendrick’s is a relatively new brand as liquor brands go. It was invented by Lesley Gracey, a Yorkshire native, hired by William Grant & Sons to work on their new products; a decade later she created a super-premium gin known as Hendrick’s. It is interesting to note that the lady turned out one hell of a ballsey gin. It has a most distinctive flavor. It is made in a small pot still which was first used in 1860 and completely restored 100 years later. The botanicals used with the Carter-Head still are added to a flavor basket at the very top of the still. The Carter-Head bathes the botanicals in the alcohol vapors only and does not the boil them in the pot. In addition to the traditional juniper infusion, Hendrick's uses Bulgarian roses and cucumbers to add flavor. I prefer my Happy Hour Hendrick’s mixed one of two ways: Hendrick’s and Tonic: Pour 2-ounces of Hendrick’s over ice in a chilled 12-ounce cocktail glass. Take a wedge of lime and spin it along the top rim of the glass. Squeeze the remaining lime into the glass. Cheers! Hendrick’s Martini: A Hendrick’s Martini is not the highest point of human achievement; it is far more important than that. 6 parts Hendrick's Gin to 1 part Dry Vermouth. Stir the vermouth and Hendrick's over ice cubes in a mixing glass--Do not shake! Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a peeled cucumber slice. Enjoy! #Cocktails Okay my friends... How are you doing? It is our 17th day staying away from others and I refuse to go stir-crazy! So, I am doing the one thing that I do best… cook. I am trying out and creating all types of new recipes that taste great and will last me several meals (you can be a good guy and share with a neighbor). I am going to be sharing these recipes with you daily. I used to do a television show in San Francisco, Stump the Chef. I invited our viewers to call in with a recipe request and I would make it on the air. I can’t do that in this format, but I can share some great, easy-to-make recipes that you can easily duplicate at home. I purchased an Instant Pot last year. An Instant Pot is a multi-cooker that does the job of a slow cooker, electric pressure cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, sauté/browning pan, and warming pot. It's a single appliance that does the job of seven different kitchen appliances or tools 10 times faster using about 70% less energy. They are not very expensive and can easily be purchased online from Amazon, Williams-Sonoma, Target and Walmart. Shop around a bit—I’ve seen them from $80 to $200 depending on the model and the size. Personally, I prefer the 6-quart model. I love short ribs and I love wine so I married them together to make Instant Pot Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs. Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes Yield: 4 Servings Ingredients 1 large yellow onion 2 carrots (use the big thick ones) 2 medium stalks celery 3 to 3 1/2-pounds [1] boneless beef short ribs 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2-3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, divided 1 cup low-sodium beef broth 4 fresh thyme sprigs 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons fresh basil, [2] chiffonade cut 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons tomato paste 4 garlic cloves 3 cups dry red wine [1] Many prefer to use boneless rather than bone-in meat for convenience; you won’t lose much flavor. [2] To achieve a chiffonade cut, leaves are stacked and tightly rolled before being thinly sliced to produce long, delicate strips. Directions
#Entrees #Beef #Instant Pot |
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