…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen How you doin’? There is a new French bakery and café that opened just down the street from where I live. The ladies who own the place are from Lyon. They barely speak English but have wonderful genuine French recipes. Their French almond cream is to die for. I can tell you conversing with them strains my high school French, but I was able to capture this recipe for saving stale bread—it’s called a Bostock. It is a non-discriminating recipe, whether you bake bread from scratch or source from local bakeries or the grocery store. It’s short of amazing how quickly last night’s leftover stale bread which was destined for bread crumbs and croutons is turned into something that puts French Toast for breakfast to shame. Yes, even those sad, day-old croissants that lost their flaky texture can be converted into something magnificent even, better than the original. Leave it to the French to figure out how to take a breadstuff past its prime and elevate it to cult status. Likely originating in bakeries trying to get rid of second-day stale bread, this process of adding a sugar syrup and re-baking with an almond cream topping is a genius way to make almost any stale baked bread rise to perfection again! While traditionally made with thick slabs of bread like sweet brioche, the technique can be used with great success with almost any plain or sweet bread. Ingredients 4 thick slices of stale bread 1 cup granulated sugar 2 cups water 7 ounces almond paste (not marzipan) 2 large eggs 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 1/2 cup raw slivered almonds Sliced fruit (optional) 1/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar (optional) Directions
ChefSecret: If you have a lot of bread left, prepped Bostock can be frozen uncovered in a single layer on a sheet pan and then stashed in freezer bags. Bake straight from frozen, increasing the baking time by a couple of minutes. Any leftover baked Bostock is a great addition to bread pudding. Quip of the Day: Baking is cheaper than therapy. ------------------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------------------- 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Baking #SweetAlmondBostock #Almonds #Bostock #2023Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023
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…from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour BarHow you doin’? It’s the weekend before the tax filing deadline of 4/18/23, and we thought you might need a little medicine for the pain. Just don’t drink while you’re calculating. Bartenders are some of the most creative people in the restaurant business. At The Customs House Restaurants in Northern California we had some of the most inventive bartenders who always tried to outdo each other by coming up with novel cocktails. Crash was one of my best and he and another couple of barkeeps, kept us ahead of the cocktail curve. That was what I expected so it’s always interesting when I see great, innovative cocktails being develop by today’s generation of mixologists. The Penicillin Cocktail is just one of those drinks. It was created by Sam Ross in the mid-2000s, when he was working at New York City’s famous Milk & Honey bar. The drink quickly gained a foothold as a modern-classic cocktail. It’s now served around the world, proving its status as one of the 21st century’s biggest cocktail success stories so far this century. It’s a riff on the Gold Rush, another Milk & Honey original, featuring bourbon, lemon juice and honey. He skipped the bourbon and instead opted to mix blended scotch with fresh lemon and a homemade honey-ginger syrup, adding sweetness and the herbaceous bite of ginger. Ross then added a float of peaty scotch from Islay, an island known for producing smoky whiskies. The blended scotch, lemon and sweetened ginger syrup create balance in the drink, similar to what you’ll find in a Whiskey Sour. The Penicillin is sweet, tart, spicy and delicious, garnished with candied ginger. But that topper of Islay scotch is the genius behind the cocktail, keeping the spirit’s smoky aromatics front and center with each sip. Ingredients 2 ounces blended scotch 3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice 3/4 ounce honey-ginger syrup (recipe is in the ChefSecrets below)* 1/4 ounce Islay single malt scotch Garnish: candied ginger Directions
ChefSecret: To make honey-ginger syrup combine 1 cup honey, 1 6-inch piece of peeled and thinly sliced ginger and 1 cup water in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Place in the refrigerator to steep overnight. Strain with cheesecloth. Quip of the Day: What is the best way to maintain a balanced diet? A cocktail in each hand. Who doesn’t love double-fisting a good cocktail? ------------------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------------------- 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Cocktail #HappyHour #PenicillinCocktail #BlendedScotch #HoneyGingerSyrup #IslaySingleMaltScotch #TheCustomsHouse #Milk&HoneyBar #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 …from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? I first discovered Casita del Campo when I was working at ABC Television—the older studio at Prospect and Talmage in LA. It was a place the production team and I went to enjoy a south-of-the-border, deliciously authentic Mexican meal—between dress rehearsals and show tapings for General Hospital. It was a place to go lift our spirits and delight our senses for a very reasonable price. Casita del Campo opened in 1962. This was a real West Side Story. The founder, Rudy del Campo had a successful dance career on Broadway and in Las Vegas. He was one of the Sharks in the film version of West Side Story. After the movie, he decided to open the restaurant. It was very modest at first, but over the years has grown to be a delightful Southern California oasis in what has become the uber-hot Silverlake area. At Casita del Campo you can find all your Mexican favorites—mine happens to be Enchiladas Suizas—two chicken enchiladas topped with green tomatillo sauce and melted Jack cheese topped with sour cream and guacamole. One great thing about Casita del Campo is the recipes never change—they taste today the same way they did when I first visited the restaurant years ago. Now you can make a similar dish at home. Serve 2 enchiladas on a plate and surround them with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes. Top with guacamole and sour cream. Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Yield: 6 servings / 9 x 13-inch baking dish Ingredients 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (you can use leftovers or store-bought) 1 cup sour cream 1 (10-ounce) can green chile enchilada sauce, divided (I prefer Las Palmas brand) 1/2 cup shredded pepper-jack cheese 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1 pinch ground black pepper 1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying tortilla 12 (5 inch) corn tortillas 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese Directions
ChefSecret: It’s a bit more work and a little messy but for more flavorful enchiladas, I dip the fried tortillas into a shallow dish of green sauce before filling. Quip of the Day: “Here’s a thought for you… Save business cards of people you don’t like. If you ever hit a parked car, just write, “Sorry” on the back and leave it on the windshield." 😂 ------------------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------------------- 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Entrees #EnchiladasSuizas #CasitaDelCampo #Silverlake #LasPalmas #ChickenEnchiladas #2023Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 …from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? This is a great soup that can even be made vegetarian with just a few substitutions… and the best part is that it is still rich and delicious (see ChefSecret). It is fast to prepare in your trusty Instant Pot. As in many cases relating to the history of foods the origin of tortellini is disputed. Both Bologna and Modena, cities in Italy's Emilia-Romagna region, claim to be the birthplace. The first recipe I found for "torteletti" appears in 1570 from Bartolomeo Scappi. Vincenzo Tanara's writings in the mid-17th century may be responsible for the pasta's renaming to tortellini. In the 1800s, legends sprang up to explain the recipe's origins, offering a compromise. Castelfranco Emilia, located between Bologna and Modena, is featured in one legend in which Venus stays at an inn. Overcome by her beauty, the innkeeper spies on her through a keyhole, through which he can only see her navel. He is inspired to create a pasta in this shape. This legend would be at the origin of the term ombelico di Venere (Venus' navel), occasionally used to describe tortellini. In honor of this legend, an annual festival is held in Castelfranco Emilia. Another legend suggests that the shape comes from Modena's architecture, which resembles a turtle. No matter the history or which story you believe, my Instant Pot Creamy Tortellini Soup is very delicious! Make it a little spicey with Italian sausage… or without. Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 2 minutes, plus pressure build-up and release Natural Release: 5 minutes Yield: 6 servings Ingredients For the basic soup 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup chopped yellow onion 1/2 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup chopped celery 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves 4 tablespoons minced garlic 3 cups chicken broth 1/4 cup white wine 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice Added after pressure cooking 8 to 10 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini (you can also use refrigerated ravioli) 1 cup loosely-packed fresh baby spinach 1/2 cup heavy cream For the garnish 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley (flat parsley) 1/2 cup ground Parmesan cheese Directions To make the stock
ChefSecret: To make this soup vegetarian, skip the sausage, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth, use a veggie-filled tortellini and use almond milk instead of cream. Quip of the Day: “Wrinkles mean you have laughed, grey hair means you have thought, tears mean you have cared and scars mean you have lived.” ------------------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------------------- 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 and/or American Red Cross. #InstantPot #Soup #TortelliniSoup #Modena #Bologna #Emilia-Romagna #ItalianSausage #2023Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 …from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour Bar How you doin”? If you are helping to get ready for an after Easter service brunch, my Wicked Wabbit recipe is so easy and refreshing. Sooo, Ready, Set, Get the punch bowl! Almost everyone wants to know what’s in this benign tasting yet wicked punch, and where they can get the recipe! Well, here it is. I originally got it from a bartender who dubbed it as the “3-2-1-1” punch, as this is the ratio of ingredients. Here are the not so secret 3-2-1-1 ingredients that are easy to get and easy to transport to the party location. You can use Simply Raspberry Lemonade as the base flavor. Simply Lemonade has the perfect flavor for this recipe and is the best option. The best part is, set aside a shelf in the frig where you can have all the ingredients for brunch punch cooling until after church—then just pour them all together, in the punch bowl over some large chunks of ice. Look at the ChefSecret for a kid’s non-alcohol version below. Prep time: Allow 10 minutes--that’s all folks Yield: 30 4-ounce servings Ingredients 1 59-ounce bottle raspberry lemonade, Simply brand 34 ounces ginger ale 1 750 ml bottle Bombay Sapphire Gin 24 ounces club soda Garnish with raspberries, mint leaves and lemon slices Directions
ChefSecret: Make it a bit less wicked for young people by leaving out the gin. It’s still a great punch without the wicked buzz. Quip of the Day: What do rabbits say before they eat? “Lettuce pray.” ------------------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well and stay safe. 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Cocktail #HappyHour #WickedWabbitBrunchPunch #EasterPunch #Gin #BombaySapphire #GingerAle #RaspberryLemonade #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 |
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