![]() How you doin’? It’s finally Friday! Whoopie, it’s Happy Hour time! You’re going to be doing very well shortly. What’s your favorite Southern city? I have two--I love Nashville and New Orleans! (Nashville HOT Fried Chicken will be the subject of a later blog.) When I think of New Orleans, I think the French Quarter and when I think about the French Quarter, I think of Pat O’Brien’s. O’Brien’s is known for great jazz entertainment and their most popular signature drink—The Hurricane Cocktail. The perfect place to sip a Hurricane is still in Pat O’s legendary courtyard, overlooking the flaming fountain. This local NOLA libation is made with rum because during World War II whiskey was hard to come by, but rum was plentiful. The name for the drink comes from the glass it’s served in that resembles a hurricane lamp. You can find Hurricanes elsewhere around the city as well, and most bartenders will be happy to mix you one, but they just don’t taste as good as Pat O’Brien’s. You can see people swaying down Bourbon Street carrying their take-away souvenir glasses. Ingredients 2 oz. light rum 2 oz. dark rum 2 oz. passion fruit juice 2 oz. orange juice 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon simple syrup 1 tablespoon grenadine Garnish: orange slice and cherry flag Directions
#Hurricane #Cocktail #Gin #HappyHour #Cocktail #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19
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![]() How you doin’? Did you ever try my recipe for Texas Cowboy Casserole (Lesson #14) using Original Bisquick? Why not? Don’t be a slacker. You’re at home with the kids and baking and cooking are great releases from all the stress you are going through. Okay, I’m going to give you another chance to be a “baking hero.” Cheddar Corn Cakes make a great accompaniment to a nice dining room dinner or an informal outdoor cookout. It all starts with a box of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix and a box of Original Bisquick. Skip the standard bake-and-serve, store-bought dinner rolls and try these quick-to-fix biscuits studded with cheddar and corn kernels. It's almost impossible to resist eating one right from the oven! Prep time: 20 minutes Bake time: 20 minutes Yield: 16 to 20 biscuits Ingredients Food release spray (Pam) 1 box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (8.5-oz.) 1 large egg 1/3 cup milk 2-1/2 cups Original Bisquick Baking Mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons ground mustard 1/2 teaspoon ground dry rosemary 8 tablespoons cold salted butter, cubed 1/2 can (14-3/4 ounces) cream-style corn 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons milk, plus more for brushing the tops 1/4 cup melted salted butter for brushing the tops after baking Directions
![]() How you doin’? As we continue to be glued to our televisions either watching reruns of NCIS or the Covid-19 news, we are all learning how hard all the scientists and health care providers are working to bring this war on coronavirus to an end as soon as possible. It seems it has the capacity to devastate our country men and women. The germs are relentless. We remind you to maintain social distancing (at least 6-feet) and wear a mask. We are doing our part to beat these little bastards. Okay, on to today’s cooking lesson. I love green chicken enchiladas, but many times I just don’t have the time to make them—prepare the filling, fry the tortillas, grate the cheese, roll the tortilla, bake them and get them on the table. I creatively copied this simple recipe from a Mexican dish I saw at El Coyote Cafe in Los Angeles. I wanted to find a way to cut the cooking time and eliminate some of the repetitive steps. You won’t be surprised to hear that I use my trusty Instant Pot which cuts cooking time and improves the taste and texture of the filling. Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes (estimated Instant Pot cooking time) Assembly time: 10 minutes Oven time: 20 to 25 minutes Yield: 8 stacks Ingredients 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (you can use chicken breasts if you prefer white meat) 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 can (28-oz) green enchilada sauce, divided (I use Las Palmas brand) 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided 1 can (4-oz.) mild chopped green chilies 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion 2 red jalapeno peppers, chopped, more or less to taste 1/2 cup peanut oil or other stable vegetable oil for frying 16 corn tortillas, or more to taste 1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce Directions
#InstantPot #GreenEnchiladas #ElCoyote #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 ![]() How you doin’? I recently heard from Spencer, our former R&D chef. Chef Spencer is now the executive chef for Chatrium Hotels in Bangkok Thailand. Chef Spencer tells us that tourism in Thailand has slowed considerably due to the pandemic, so, I guess I’m not going to be traveling to Thailand any time soon. I’m really missing great Thai food. There are only a few decent Thai restaurants in Los Angeles that have food that is even close to authentic Thai food. A little history about the chef… We first met Chef at the Mandarin Oriental on the Chao Phraya, the major river in Thailand that flows from the north through Bangkok and out into the Gulf of Thailand—a beautiful setting. Chef Spencer is a Brit with over 30 years of culinary experience in high-end hotels, restaurants and resorts across the globe, including America, Australia, Barbados, England and Thailand which is what attracted us to him, aside from the fact he is such a very likable guy. ![]() So, when you’re missing good Thai food and none of your favorite restaurants are open, what do you do? Create and innovate. Here is my easy recipe for a salad with an elegant Asian flair and good for even the fanciest party meal. I think Chef Spencer would approve. Most Thai noodle salads have a peanut butter infused dressing—this one doesn’t and is much lighter. It's not only a healthy alternative but is delicious. It is zesty and pairs well with some Thai barbecued chicken and a bottle of Singha Thai Beer. I like to sprinkle some additional peanuts right before serving. Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Chill time: 1 hour Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 15 ounces dried Soba noodles 1-3/4 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided 1/3 cup rice vinegar 1/2 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce 1 lime, zest (microplane) and juice 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons Sambal--chili garlic paste, or to taste (optional) 1 cup finely shredded carrots 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons green onion top rounds 2 tablespoons cucumbers, julienne cut 1/2 cup bean sprouts 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped roasted, salted peanuts 8 ounces grilled chicken breast, julienne cut (optional) 2 tablespoons crisp bacon bits (optional) Directions
ChefSecret: What is Sambal? It is an Asian chili sauce or paste typically made from a mixture of a variety of chili peppers with shrimp paste, garlic, ginger, shallot, scallion, palm sugar and lime juice. It is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Singapore and Country Thai cuisines. It is quite spicy, so use sparingly. What is a microplane? A Microplane grater originated as an excellent smoothing tool for woodworkers, and it has proved to be an indispensable grating tool for chefs and cooks. It is a great tool for quickly zesting citrus fruits and even grates the hardest Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. #Salad #ThaiNoodleSalad #SpencerKells #ChatriumHotels #Brunch #Lunch #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 ![]() How you doin’? Since you have so much time on your hands and your cooking skills have undoubtedly improved during the pandemic, I am throwing you a bit of a challenge today. In Lisbon at A Padaria Portuguesa the center of the restaurant is the hot bakery and the star of the bakery is the Pasteis de Nata—Portuguese Custard Tartlets.to edit. ![]() Many cuisines have a custard dessert, in America we have custard pies, in France it’s the Crème Brûlée and in Hong Kong you can find the Don Tarts on the dim sum cart. Pasteis de Nata is so popular in Portugal that every bakery has their version. Pasteis de Belem is the most famous. They bake over 20,000 of these tarts a day. What makes these tarts so much better than other international custard offerings? The pastry is thinner and crisper and the filling is usually still hot and creamy from the oven. They are sprinkled with a touch of cinnamon—they are absolutely delicious. Despite there being lots of wonderful freshly made Nata houses in Lisbon, A Padaria Portuguesa and Pasteis de Belem are definitely the best. I’ve watched this recipe made in APP central bakery for years. This is a difficult recipe to make at home, but during this time you should have all the time in the world. I decided to simplify it a little to tailor it to the American kitchen. You’ll find that you already have all the ingredients in your kitchen pantry and refrigerator—they just require a few basics. It is a rather busy recipe and some practice is helpful, but well worth it. Prep time: 1-1/2 hours Chill time: 2 hours or overnight Bake time: 25 minutes Ready In: 4 hours Ingredients For the laminated dough 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/3 cup cold water 1 stick unsalted butter Plugra (European-style), softened, divided For the syrup 3/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon water 1 lemon, zested with a microplane For the custard 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1-1/2 cups milk 6 large egg yolks Syrup (from recipe above) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional) Directions To make the laminated dough
#PasteldeNata #CustardTart #aPadariaPortuguesa #Lisbon #Portugal #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #Dessert |
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