How you doin’? This is a delicious, fun crispy-cookie-style bar with the taste and texture of a Butterfinger bar. Butterfinger was invented by Otto Schnering in 1923 after he founded the Curtiss Candy Company in Chicago the year before.
 
The company held a public contest to choose the name of this candy. In an early marketing campaign, the company dropped Butterfinger and Baby Ruth candy bars from airplanes in cities across the United States as a publicity stunt that helped increase their popularity—it was raining chocolate and peanuts.
 
The first bite of a Butterfinger bar is a unique experience. There’s no candy that quite captures the same flaky crunch of this peanut-y pleasure. After several different shifts in ownership, the taste and texture has remained pretty much the same.
 
The whole thing starts off with real, freshly roasted runner peanuts. These peanuts are then ground into a creamy peanut butter—the base for the Butterfinger filling, with additional ingredients to deliver that crispy, crunchy texture.  
 
To get that rich flakiness, the recipe calls for the addition of hybrid corn flakes to create the light, airy and perfect texture that compliments the smooth peanut butter. They’re stirred into the churning vat of peanut butter, making up the Butterfinger center!
 
While the peanut butter is being readied, another mixture is boiling away. It is a mixture of molasses, corn syrup, sugar and water which is heated 300⁰ F degrees, and then poured onto a cooling table to rapidly bring down the temperature. The sudden temperature changes cause the candy to crystallize, adding even more of a bite to the consistency of the filling. Then the whole thing is covered with chocolate.
 
Nestlé sold over twenty of their candy brands, including Butterfinger, to Italian chocolatier Ferrero, for $2.8 billion. The newly acquired brands were folded into the operations of the Ferraro Candy Company. Butterfinger has since been reformulated to improve the flavor and texture with a cleaner label.
 
Here is my version of a clean label Butterfinger-style confection.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Cool time:  20 to 25 minutes
Yield:  2 dozen servings
 
Ingredients 
Food release spray (I prefer Pam)
4 cups crispy cereal (corn flakes or crispy rice)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup white corn syrup (I prefer Karo)
1/3 cup molasses
1 (16 ounce) jar crunchy peanut butter
2 cups milk chocolate chips
 
Directions

1. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with aluminum foil leaving a 2-inch overhang on either side.  The overhang will make it easier to remove the sheet of confection when it has set up.
2. Spray the foil with food release.
3. Using a rolling pin, slightly crush the crispy cereal; set aside.
4. Heat the sugar, syrup and molasses together in heavy pan until boiling, then cook to 300⁰ F; check the temperature with a candy thermometer.
5. Remove from the heat and carefully add the peanut butter, mixing until well blended.
6. Pour the mixture over the lightly crushed cereal, coating it well.
7. Transfer to the prepared 9 x 13-inch pan pressing into the corners.
8. Melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan.
9. Spread the melted chocolate chips over the crushed cereal mixture.
10. Chill for 20-25 minutes.
11. Cut into 24 bars.

ChefSecrets:  If you ever wondered, it’s the molasses that gives the Butterfinger the unique orange color.

Quip of the Day: “I tried juggling some candy bars but kept dropping them. I guess I have Butterfingers.”
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Do you have a question or comment? 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, 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.

#Desserts #Snacks #ButterfingerBars #CrispyCereal #PeanutButter #NationalPeanutBoard #NPB #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

How you doin’? Edna Earle’s Fog Cutter was of of my father’s favorite Hollywood restaurants in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. Located on North La Brea between Sunset and Hollywood boulevards, every night was a great night at the Fog!
 
Food and drink specials were everyday priced… you couldn't afford to go anywhere else. I was only there once and not for a cocktail, but I do remember (as an eleven-year-old) a filet and lobster tail was a paltry $5.50 (see advertisement below). The Fog Cutter featured entertainment nightly. Or, if you were feeling lucky you could play the slots in the back room for a chance to win big! That may be the reason the restaurant was closed. By the way, Edna Earle was born in McPherson, Kansas. She was a silent screen actress, known for The Studio Girl (1918), How Could You, Caroline? (1918) and The Eagle (1918).
 
The Fog Cutter Cocktail is a delicate, fruity combination of different spirits and juices. It’s a mix of orange juice, lemon juice, brandy and gin. According to tradition, it’s topped with a float of sherry. However, you can add syrups if you want to make your drink more personalized.
 
The Fog Cutter is sometimes called the Long Island Iced Tea of tiki drinks and for good reason. Tempered by the acids of citrus juices--sweetness of orange juice and the tartness of lemon juice, along with orgeat syrup and sherry, this classic tiki cocktail isn't messing around. The Fog Cutter abandons that philosophy, and instead harbors an uncommon mix of rum, gin, brandy, and sherry. This combination may strike some as overkill, but it’s a handy recipe if you mean to clear the bar of near empty bottles. Fortunately, it also turns out to be rather tasty.
 
This seemingly innocuous orange-yellow long, fruity cocktail packs a serious punch. A version of a Tiki classic, credited to Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber. Vic remarks in his Bartender's Guide (1972 revised edition), "Fog Cutter, hell. After two of these, you won't even see the stuff."
 
Ingredients 
1-1/2 ounces freshly-squeezed orange juice
1-1/2 ounces white rum
1/2 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/3 ounce Cognac
1/3 ounce Pisco
1/2 ounce dry gin
1/2 ounce orgeat syrup
1/2 ounce sweet sherry
 
Directions

1. Add all ingredients, except the sherry, into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well.
2. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass.
3. Float the sherry on top of the drink.
4. Garnish with an orange wheel and serve.

ChefSecret:  Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain.

Orgeat is a sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar and rose water or orange flower water. It was originally made with a barley-almond blend. It has a pronounced almond taste and is used to flavor many cocktails. Orgeat syrup is an important ingredient in the Mai Tai and many Tiki drinks.

Quip of the Day: The hard part about being a bartender is figuring out who is drunk and who is just stupid.
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Do you have a question or comment?  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, 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 #TheFogCutter #Cognac #Gin #Orgeat #Sherry #Rum #OrangeJuice  #EdnaEarle #Cheers #2022 #Cheers# QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                           ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

How you doin’? I like lamb any way it’s cooked. Today, let’s talk lamb shanks. The shank is the cut of lamb taken from the lower section of the animal's legs. It can be from the front legs (foreshank) or the back legs (hind shank). The foreshank may include part of the shoulder, as well as part of the leg, while the hind shank will include only part of the rear leg.
 
Lamb shanks are a relatively inexpensive, tougher cut of meat. Because of this, lamb shanks need to be slowly-cooked—braised or roasted—to break down the tough meat and soften it into succulent tenderness. Thankfully, lamb shanks are one of the easiest meat choices at the market. When you braise it, you have about as close to a winning sure thing as possible. After a long, slow roast in an aromatic, deeply flavored broth, these lamb shanks will definitely garner rave reviews. This is a great entrée for your Easter table.
 
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cool time: 10 minutes (while you’re prepping the sauce)
Yield: 6 servings
 
Ingredients 
5 to 6 pounds young lamb shanks
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
1-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
⅛ teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 450⁰ F.
2. Place the lamb shanks into a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Season with salt, black pepper, dried rosemary and thyme. Toss lamb shanks to coat with oil and seasonings.
4. Roast the shanks in a preheated oven until lamb is browned; about 30 minutes.
5. Reduce the oven heat to 325⁰ F.
6. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
7. Stir in the onion, celery and carrots and cook in the hot butter until onion is browned, about 10 minutes.
8. Stir the flour into the vegetables until combined. Mix in garlic and cook and stir for 1 more minute.
9. Pour the red wine into the vegetable mixture; stir to combine and mix in chicken stock, water, balsamic vinegar and pepper flakes. Pour sauce over lamb shanks in the roasting pan.
10. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil, sealing foil loosely so that the sauce can reduce slightly as it cooks.
11. Braise the lamb shanks for 1 hour, then turn the lamb shanks and place foil back on the pan. Continue roasting until a fork inserts easily into the meat, about 1 more hour.
12. Transfer the lamb shanks to a large bowl, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
13. Pour the braising liquid into a saucepan, place over high heat and boil for 10 minutes, skimming fat as it reduces and slightly thickens.
14. Stir the chopped fresh rosemary into the sauce; check levels of salt and pepper and correct as required.
15. Serve the lamb shanks over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta with the pan sauce.

​ChefSecrets:  I prefer to use young lamb, it has less gamey flavor, sweeter at the bone and more tender than older lamb or mutton.

Quip of the Day: “As we grow older, we all want to revisit our youth. I want to be 14 again and ruin my life differently. I have new ideas.”
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Do you have a question or comment? 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, 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 #BraisedLambShanks #Lamb #Easter #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                             ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

How you doin’? It’s coming close to when Jews around the world observe the Passover holiday. This year it coincides with April 15th. Maybe, just maybe the Angel of the IRS will pass over my house! There are a number of dietary restrictions that are important to this holiday, one of which is the absence of any leavening in baked goods. Being the author of Choclatique—150 Simply Elegant Desserts, I have a great chocolate dessert recipe that fits this requirement perfectly.
 
Okay! Are you ready? Here is my new great-tasting Passover dessert! It’s a wonderful combination of flourless chocolate cake and coconut-almond macaroons. You will need to shop for kosher for Passover ingredients—coconut oil, toasted almonds, shredded coconut and, most importantly lots of cocoa powder and chocolate. The dessert has both great flavors and textures—it’s nutty, melt-in-your-mouth fudgy, rich and chocolaty and spiked with coconut. You’ll love the topping, too—a rich chocolate, glossy ganache sprinkled with crunchy, toasted coconut-almond clusters. The ganache may be a bit extravagant, and maybe it is, but it sets up to a very shiny finish and gives the cake its unmistakable Passover holiday elegance.
 
Prep time:  35 minutes
Bake time:  35 to 45 minutes
Assembly time: 30 minutes
Yield:  10 servings
 
Ingredients (If strictly observing kosher or for the Passover holiday, be sure to look for the certifying kosher agency seal on ingredients)
 
For the cake
1 cup virgin coconut oil, melted, cooled, plus more for the pan
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for the pan
1 cup skin-on almonds
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
6 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
 
For the ganache and assembly
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (from a very well shaken 13.5-oz can)
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
 
Directions
To make the cake

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350° F.
2. Lightly brush a 10-inch cake pan with coconut oil.
3. Line the bottom with parchment paper and brush the parchment with oil.
4. Dust the sides of pan with cocoa powder; tap out excess.
5. Toast the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and slightly darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
7. Meanwhile, heat the chocolate and 1 cup of coconut oil in a medium, heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring often, until mixture is smooth. Do not not let the bottom of the bowl touch the steaming water.
8. Remove from heat and set aside.
9. In a food processor, pulse the toasted almonds, salt and 1/ cup of cocoa until nuts are finely ground.
10. Add the shredded coconut and pulse a couple of times to combine.
11. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on medium speed until no longer streaky, about 30 seconds.
12. Add both sugars and vanilla, increase speed to high, and beat until mixture is pale, thick, and starts to hold the marks of the whisk, about 2 minutes (it should fall off the whisk and immediately sink back into itself).
13. Switch to the paddle attachment and with mixer on low speed, gradually add the chocolate mixture.
14. Beat to incorporate, then mix in the almond mixture.
15. Fold batter several times with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth the top.
16. Bake the cake until it’s firm to the touch and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean but greasy; 35 to 45 minutes.
17. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cake cool for 20 minutes in the pan. Run a paring knife or small offset spatula around the edges of the cake and invert onto the rack.
18. Carefully peel away parchment and let cool completely.
19. Note: Here’s where you can bake the cake a day ahead. Wrap it in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature until you’re ready to put the ganache on top.

To make the ganache and put it all together

1. Preheat an oven to 350°.
2. Combine the chocolate, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Bring the coconut milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat and pour it over the chocolate mixture. Let it sit until the chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, toss the coconut flakes, sliced almonds, sugar, and remaining teaspoon of maple syrup on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden; about 4 minutes.
5. Let the almond-coconut mixture cool, then break into smaller clusters.
6. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the chocolate mixture until it has lost its sheen and is thick enough to hold very soft peaks, 6 to 8 minutes (the ganache won’t be quite as thick as frosting, but close).
7. Working quickly before the ganache starts to set, scrape it on top of cake and spread to the edges with a small offset spatula.
8. Top with the almond-coconut clusters.

ChefSecret: My recipe is an easy cake to make (really it is), it has a lot of steps to help you avoid making mistakes. It can be baked a day ahead. More good things to think about—this cake is gluten-free and it can be dairy-free if you use vegan chocolate.

Quip of the Day: “There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and chocolate truffles.”

​What is Passover? Passover, also called Pesach is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The Passover Seder is the ritual meal on Passover night—the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Passover is traditionally celebrated for eight days. The Passover Seder is one of the most widely observed rituals in Judaism.
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Do you have a question or comment? 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, 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.

#Desserts #Baking #Cake #Kosher #ChocolateMacaroonCake #Passover #Coconut #Holiday #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                        ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

How you doin’? There is a darn good reason why this cocktail is called a Zombie. It starts with four different rums!
 
So, just what is a Zombie Cocktail? A Zombie is a frou-frou Tiki cocktail made of fruit juices, liqueurs and various rums. It first appeared in late 1934, invented by Donn Beach at his Hollywood Don the Beachcomber restaurant. It was popularized on the East coast soon afterwards at the 1939 New York World's Fair. Donn believed, If you can't get to Paradise, we'll bring Paradise to you! And so he did.
 
Texas-born restaurateur and adventurer Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt (1907-1989,  aka "Donn Beach") founded the first Don's Beachcomber bar in Hollywood, California. This was one of the first, if not the first, restaurant to take on a Polynesian/ tropical motif for both decor and cuisine. The restaurant became fashionable, and other locations opened by World War II.

While he was in the armed forces providing servicemen with food and entertainment, his wife, Sunny Sund, managed his restaurants, expanding the number to 16. Over the years, at least 12 outlets existed in California and at least 25 across the country. Following his divorce from Sund, she retained control over the American restaurants and Gannt moved to Waikiki and began opening other businesses, including another tropical-themed restaurant called "Polynesian Village." He died in Honolulu in 1989.
 
The history of tiki culture dates back to ancient Polynesia. Such carvings were first discovered there and tiki carvings are said to represent a Polynesian God. They're an integral part of South Pacific mythology, culture and history.
 
Along with Trader Vic’s, The Warehouse Restaurants and Don the Beachcomber, it is well proven that Polynesian-style restaurants are long enduring. Before we opened the first Warehouse Restaurant in Marina del Rey, I spent a week with Donn in Hawaii and learned many of his mixology “secrets.”
 
Get ready to travel to paradise. You’ll need ten Zombie cocktail ingredients to make this gem, but it’s worth it! This fun rum cocktail is tropical, fruity…and POTENT!
 
Ingredients
1 ounce white rum
1 ounce spiced rum
1 ounce dark rum
1 ounce freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 ounce pineapple juice
1 ounce passion fruit syrup (try to find Monin Passion Fruit Syrup)
3 dashes orange bitters
1/2 ounce Falernum liqueur
1/2 ounce grenadine
1/2 ounce 151 proof rum
Ice, for serving
Suggested garnishes: Fresh mint, pineapple wedge and/or a tiki umbrella
 
Directions

1. Place all the ingredients except for the grenadine and 151 proof rum in a cocktail shaker. Add 2 handfuls of ice and shake until cold.
2. Strain into an ice filled highball glass (or better yet, an authentic tiki god glass, as pictured) .
3. Pour the grenadine into the drink over the back of spoon: it will sink to the bottom.
4. Pour the 151 proof rum over back of spoon onto the drink: it will float on top (if will ignite if you choose).
5. Add the fresh mint garnish or pineapple wedge and/or a tiki umbrella and serve.

ChefSecret: Falernum Liqueur is a liqueur or a nonalcoholic syrup from the Caribbean. It is best known for its use in tropical drinks. It’s flavored with spicy ginger, lime, almond and frequently cloves or allspice. It may be thought of as a spicier version of orgeat syrup.​

Quip of the Day: “I sat at the bar and ordered the bartender to ‘Make me a Zombie.’ The bartender said, ‘God beat me to it.’”
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Do you have a question or comment?  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, 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 #Zombie #DonTheBeachcomber #WarehouseRestaurant #TraderVics #Rum #Falernum #Monin #Cheers #2022 #Cheers# QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022