How you doin’? This Creamy Cheesecake is what I classify as a California-style Cheesecake. It is basic, creamy and lends itself to a number of different cheeses—ricotta, mascarpone or even cottage cheese—and a wide variety of toppings—or just a great simple cheesecake all by itself. You can use flavored or unflavored full fat yogurt in place of the sour cream. In fact, when you really come down to it, it’s hard to make a mistake when making this cheesecake in your Instant Pot.
 
While I have offered cheesecake recipes in the past, I love this one for its simplicity, flexibility and creamy texture of the final cheesecake. This cheesecake will last for at least 5 days refrigerated… unless it is consumed first!
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Instant Pot Cook time:  20 minutes, plus release time
Chill time:  6 hours or overnight
Yield: 6 servings (1 6-inch Instant Pot springform pan)
 
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
 
For the cheesecake batter
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
 
For the sour cream topping (optional)
3/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla if you prefer)
 
Directions
To make the graham cracker crust

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 6-inch springform pan.
3. Line the bottom and sides (making a collar) with baking parchment and then butter the parchment.
4. In a bowl of a food processor, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Process all ingredients well.
5. Press the crust crumbs into bottom and up the sides of the springform pan over the parchment.
6. Bake the crumb crust in the middle of the preheated oven for 15 MINUTES or until it begins to brown.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack.

To make the cheesecake batter

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
2. Blend in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
3. Fold in the sour cream.
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared springform pan. Gently tap the pan against the counter to pop any air bubbles.
5. Pour 1 cup of water into your Instant Pot.
6. Place a trivet with lifters (fitted for an Instant Pot) in the pot. Place the springform pan on the trivet.
7. Lock the lid on and make sure the valve is set to seal. Set to cook under HIGH PRESSURE for 20 MINUTES. It will take about 5 minutes to come up to full pressure.
8. When the cook time is up, let the pressure NATURALLY RELEASE for 10 MINUTES. Quick release any remaining pressure. Open the pot, using the lifters to remove the baking pan from the Instant Pot. The center of the cake should be jiggly and the sides more or less set.
9. Remove from the Instant Pot and cool on a rack for about 2 hours.
10. Run a paring knife around the warm cake to release it from the sides of the pan, but do not remove the springform sides.
11. Reduce the oven temperature to 300⁰F.
12. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes gently blotting up any condensation that has collected on top of the cake with a paper towel. You will be covering the cheesecake with a sour cream topping, so don’t be concerned if it’s less than perfect.

To make the sour cream topping (if desired)

1. Place the 3/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon almond extract in a medium size bowl and whisk thoroughly.
2. Top the slightly cooled cheesecake with the sour cream topping. Place in a 300⁰F for 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven.
3. Cool the cake to room temperature, about 2 hours.
4. Refrigerate the cheesecake at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
5. Carefully remove the ring from around the cheesecake. Using a large flat spatula, transfer the cheesecake to a cake plate.
6. Keep refrigerated until serving.

ChefSecret:  For best results, only use full fat cream cheese and sour cream. Anything less and the cheesecake may not set up properly. Control the amount of fat you get by controlling the size of the piece you eat.
Quip of the Day: “I noticed the other day that Joan started carrying a knife in her purse. I asked her why? She told me, well just in case I run into a cheesecake or something. That was good enough for me.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers? 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 and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Desserts #InstantPot #Cheesecake #CreamCheese #SourCream #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                           ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How y’all doin’?  I love when chefs and bartenders get experimental.  There is usually a lot of down time in restaurants and bars where the staff can attempt to outdo one another coming up with new concoctions.  In Tennessee these last couple of years, it’s all been about spicy hot chicken and hasselback potatoes. But the drinks have been kind of remakes of the same old thing. So, move over shooters, margaritas and overly sweet, fruit-infused “girly” cocktails––there’s a new ‘tender in town and he’s all about spice!
 
Peppery Cocktails are hitting center stage this summer in Nashville and they’re going to cool you off and heat you up, all at the same time. Here’s a distinctive, delicious and unlikely pairing of blackberries and black pepper—Blackberry-Black Pepper Cocktail. Raise ‘em up and drink ‘em down, pardner! Isn’t that what Blake Shelton might say?
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield: 1 cocktail
 
Ingredients
4 blackberries, plus 2 more for garnish
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons simple syrup
1/4 teaspoon coarse fresh ground black pepper
1 sprig mint, plus more for garnish
2 ounces vodka
1/2 to 1 cup club soda
 
Garnish with 2 skewered blackberries and a sprig of mint.
 
Directions

1. In a highball glass muddle the blackberries, lemon juice, simple syrup, pepper, mint and vodka. You can muddle with a bar muddler or with the back of a wooden spoon.
2. Fill the glass with ice and top off with club soda and lightly stir.
3. Garnish with blackberries and a mint sprig.
4. Serve chilled immediately.

 
ChefSecret:  You can “hotten” this cocktail up a notch by floating a pinch of cayenne pepper on the top.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I’ve taken up puzzles this past year. I don’t want to brag, but I finished my last one in under a week, even though the box said 2-4 years.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  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. We have added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. 
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.
 
#Cocktail #HappyHour BlackberryBlackPepper #Blackberries #Mint #Nashville #BlakeShelton #Vodka #Cheers #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How y’all doin’? The sides of the South are some of the best you can find anywhere in the world. The entrées and desserts are great, but the sides are special. Here is a triple header of the most famous—Whipped Potatoes (with black pepper Milk Gravy), Creamy Mac & Cheese and Collards.


                                                  Whipped Garlic Potatoes
                     What else can I say? Whipped Potatoes and Milk Gravy—that should be enough.
 
Total: 40 minutes
Active: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
5 to 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
10 to 12 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
 
Directions

1. In a medium pot, combine the potatoes, garlic and 1 tablespoon salt. Add cold water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife; about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Strain the potatoes and garlic and then rice them into the bowl of a mixer.
3. Add the milk, chicken stock, white pepper and kosher salt.
4. Using the whisk attachment, whip the potatoes until the mixture comes together.
5. Add the butter and continue to whip until the butter has melted.
6. Wrap the bowl in foil and hold in a low temperature oven.

ChefSecret:  Mashed potatoes are not really Southern unless you top them with Milk Gravy.

                                                           Milk Gravy
Ingredients
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook until the mixture begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Whisk in the milk and cook until thick and smooth, another 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 
                         Super Creamy Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
 
Did you know that most Instant Pot models have a Slow Cooker mode? Seems counter-intuitive, but, yes, they do and that’s perfect for this recipe. I’ll be honest with you I never even noticed it before I started to develop this recipe.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Slow Cook:  3 hours 15 minutes
Yield:  12 servings
 
Ingredients
Non-stick cooking spray
8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
5 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
 
Directions

1. In an Instant Pot sprayed with cooking spray, mix the cooked macaroni, evaporated milk, milk, butter, salt, pepper, eggs and all but 1/2 cup of the grated cheese.
2. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top of the mixture and then sprinkle with paprika.
3. Press the SLOW cooking mode, cover and cook for 3 HOURS, 15 MINUTES.
4. CANCEL SLOW mode and open the lid, stir the mixture and serve hot.

 
ChefSecret:  You can cook this recipe in a regular Crock Pot following the same directions. If you don't have an Instant Pot or Crock Pot, butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch pan, add the macaroni and cheese mixture and bake at 350⁰ F for 50 minutes.

                                                            Collards
 
Brine time: 30 minutes
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  at least 1 hour
Yield:  4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients
2 large bunches collards, rinsed well
1/2 pound smoked ham hock or salt pork
1/2 cup salt, for brine (see ChefSecret below)
Buttermilk cornbread, for serving
Hot sauce, for serving
 
Directions

1. Prepare the collards for cooking by cutting the large stems from the center of the leaves.
2. Stack the leaves and cut them crosswise into 1-inch strips.
3. Add 2-inches of water in a saucepan large enough to hold the raw collards. The leaves should be pushed down tightly; they will wilt to about one-quarter the volume as they cook.
4. Add the ham or pork and bring the water to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, or until tender. Stir occasionally, checking to be sure there is enough liquid to prevent scorching; add water if necessary. Taste the liquid and add salt if needed.
6. Serve with hot sauce.

ChefSecret:  Brine by soaking the leaves briefly in a salt-water brine made by adding 1/2 cup salt to enough water to cover the leaves. Brine for 30 minutes, then rinse and drain.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “What we’ve learned with home-schooling is that everybody apparently knows better how to raise children than the actual parents do.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  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. We have added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. 
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.
 
#SideDish #SouthernSides #Mac&Cheese #Collards #WhippedPotatoes #MilkGravy #Nashville #YukonGold #Vegetables #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                 ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How y’all doin’? I think it’s time to spice things up a bit, and when I think about spicy chicken, I think about the Anchor Bar in Buffalo where the hot chicken wings craze started 50 or so years ago. Today, however, everybody is talking about Nashville Hot chicken—fried, grilled and even, as in this recipe—meatballs.
 
If you’re looking for big bold flavor to snack on here is the perfect recipe. Nashville Hots Chicken Sliders can be made with all-white ground chicken, all-dark meat ground chicken or a mixture of both. This is a great way to stretch a pound of chicken to feed 6 people. Each bite is bursting with flavor inside and out.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  15-20 minutes
Yield:  12 sliders
 
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
1 tablespoon Louisiana hot sauce (or Frank’s Hot Sauce)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pound ground chicken (white, dark or a mixture of both)
2 ounces blue cheese, cut into twelve 1/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
 
For the sauce
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup Louisiana hot sauce (or Frank’s Hot Sauce)
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons roasted garlic powder (I prefer Penzeys)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
 
For the slider buns
12 Kings Hawaiian slider or dinner rolls, split (are perfect for this recipe)
3 tablespoons Ranch Dressing
Pickle chips
 
Directions
To make the meatballs

1. Preheat an oven to 375⁰ F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the hot sauce, brown sugar, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne and garlic in a bowl.
3. Place the ground chicken in the bowl and gently mix with your gloved hands.
4. Divide the meatball mixture into 12 portions and form them into 1-1/2-inch meatballs using wet gloved hands (chicken meat sticks to dry hands).
5. Push a piece of blue cheese into the center of each meatball and pinch to seal.
6. Heat the butter and vegetable oil in a large, oven-safe sauté pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides; about 5 to 8 minutes.
7. Transfer the pan to the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking.

To make the sauce

1. While the meatballs are cooking, combine the butter, hot sauce, honey and brown sugar in a small saucepan over high heat. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and cook until the mixture comes together; about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat, mix in the garlic powder, salt and pepper, and stir until smooth.
3. Pour the sauce over the cooked meatballs and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

To assemble the sliders

1. Put a teaspoon of ranch dressing on the top half of each slider bun.
2. Add a pickle chip to the bottom of each bun, then set a meatball on top. Skewer with a toothpick to hold it all together. Serve warm.

ChefSecret: Sliders can be paired with blue cheese dressing instead of Ranch to further enhance the big bold flavor and served with French fried carrots.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “This has been a very rough year. I’ve often thought over the last 12-months maybe this world is another planet's Hell.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  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. We have added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. 
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Entrees #Sandwiches #Sliders #Meatballs #MeatballSliders #NashvilleHots #Nashville #Chicken #FranksHotSauce #KingsHawaiian #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How y’all doin’? Before everyone went gaga with salted caramel desserts, there was the Southern Peanut Pie. Some say it's a poor man's version of pecan pie. Others say it was the salty-sweet punch inspired by the flavor thrill of a now-vanishing gas station treat created by pouring a packet of salted peanuts into a bottle of ice-cold Coke. Either way, we say it's a crackerjack of a pie. This swoon-worthy peanut pie is topped with a tender  natural peanut-brittle-like veneer. Cowboy Peanut Pie is at its at its best made with roasted Virginia peanuts... kind of ironic for a Nashville favorite, right?
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Bake time:  55 minutes
Yield:  8 servings
 
Ingredients
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups roasted Virginia peanuts
1/2 cup (1 stick butter), melted
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 9-inch deep dish pie shell, unbaked, or homemade pastry
 
Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 325⁰ F.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar and eggs until creamy.
3. Add the peanuts, melted butter, milk, maple syrup, flour and vanilla extract; stir to combine.
4. Pour the mixture into the pie shell.
5. Bake the pie for 55 minutes.
6. Check for doneness by shaking the pan slightly. The pie should be firm with only a slight jiggle in the center. It will set more as it cools.
7. Serve topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or with a dollop of homemade whipped cream.

ChefSecret:  Allow the pie to cool completely before cutting to prevent the center from running.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “A perfectionist walked into and out of a bar… apparently, the bar wasn’t set high enough.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  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. We have added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. 
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Desserts #Baking #Cowboys #PeanutPie #VirginiaPeanuts #Nashville #NPB #NationalPeanutBoard #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021