How you doin’? Shot at Desilu Studio in Hollywood, The Untouchables with Robert Stack starring as Eliot Ness and his squad—Lee Hobson (Paul Picerni), Enrico Rossi (Nick Georgiade), William Youngfellow (Abel Fernandez) and Jack Rossman (Steve London) was a Thursday night must in my house when I was growing up. In 1959 The Untouchables put ABC Television Network on the map.
 
The Untouchables was based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley. It fictionalized Ness' experiences as a Prohibition agent, fighting crime in Chicago in the 1930s with the help of a special team of agents handpicked for their courage and incorruptibility, so named the Untouchables. The Untouchables won Robert Stack an Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series in 1960.
 
Everyone in my house would drop everything, huddle around the old Zenith 21-inch TV and tune into the show, never to miss a single episode. One of the chapters in this fictionalized docudrama was the antagonist Charles “Lucky” Luciano.
 
Lucky was the archetypical 1930s-era gangster. He’s often cited as one of the most influential figures in the development of modern organized crime—not only for his criminal exploits, but for his style. Wearing sharp suits, Luciano was one of the architects of the Mafia Commission and led one of five of New York Cities Mafia’s families.
 
But he was noticeably different from his peers. Despite the fact he and his pals made millions off Prohibition liquor, it seems Charlie was not a particularly big drinker himself. His vice leaned more toward women. In 2011, Basil Hayden’s Bourbon worked with HBO to develop signature cocktails inspired by the show Boardwalk Empire—here is one of them and it’s not your daddy’s Manhattan.
 
                                                Lucky’s Manhattan Cocktail
 Ingredients
1-1/2 ounces Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth 
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/2 ounce pure maple syrup
2 dashes of Angostura bitters                                                
Maraschino cherry and lemon peel garnish
 
Directions

1. Stir together the BH bourbon, sweet and dry vermouth, maple syrup and bitters over ice in a stemmed glass.
2. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and lemon peel.

ChefSecret:  Basil Hayden created the kind of whiskey he loved; spicy yet smooth—rich and sweet. An original high-rye Kentucky straight bourbon with a refined flavor profile.

Quip of the Day:  Everybody's a gangster until they get punched in the mouth. And after that, everybody's a gangthter.
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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.
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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 and/or American Red Cross.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #Bourbon #TheUntouchables #EliotNess #LuckyLuciano #Desilu #CharlesLuckyLuciano #DrinkLikeAGangster #ManhattanCocktail #BasilHaydenBourbon #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
                                                                                 ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? What? Mayonnaise in chocolate cake? You’ve got to be kidding! No kidding, mayonnaise is exactly what your cake has been missing all along. Made from eggs and oil (which are standard cake ingredients) mayonnaise will boost the moisture level in a cake recipe when added to the batter. It can even gussy up a boxed cake mix enough to taste homemade. 
 
While adding mayonnaise to dessert may sound odd, apparently this is an old-timey baking trick. The Kitchn traces mayonnaise in cakes back to World War II or the Great Depression when food scarcity forced cooks craving sweets to get creative. 
 
To try it, simply stir in a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise to boxed cake batter for rich flavor. Mix in a whole cup of mayonnaise to really up the decadence. By adding mayonnaise, the texture of the cake is transformed, becoming luscious and extra-moist. Mayonnaise will become your secret cake ingredient.
 
According to Serious Eats, the mayonnaise addition works especially well with chocolate cakes, which can easily become dense. The extra oil adds tenderness to the cake crumb and the vinegar (or lemon juice) found in mayonnaise actually works to enhance the flavor. The acidity offsets the sweetness and makes the chocolate flavor stand out.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  45 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Yield:  9 x 13-inch cake (18 reasonable servings)
 
Ingredients 
2 tablespoons soft unsalted butter (to prep the pan)
2 tablespoons sifted cocoa powder (to coat the pan)
1-2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup mayonnaise
4 ounces melted semisweet chocolate
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/3 cups water
1 tablespoon cold coffee
1 tablespoon orange zest
Your favorite frosting or glaze
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan and dust with cocoa powder.
3. In a large mixing bowl add the sugar, eggs and orange extract beat at high speed for 3 minutes, until nice and light.
4. Add the mayonnaise and melted chocolate; beat on low until well blended.
5. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
6. In another separate bowl, mix together the water with the coffee and orange zest.
7. Add the flour alternately with the water mixture to the chocolate mixture in four additions, beating well after each addition.
8. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
9. Bake the cake batter for 45 minutes until the cake tester comes out clean.
10. Cool the baked cake on a wire rack.
11. Glaze or frost the cooled cake as desired.

ChefSecrets:  The frosting versus icing battle has been going on for years. Though it may seem the choice to say that you want cake with frosting or cake with icing is similar, the truth is frosting and icing just aren't the same thing, no matter how you look at it.
 
Briefly, frosting is most identifiable by its thick and fluffy consistency. Because frosting holds its shape and is opaque in color, you'll see it often used and called for when you are decorating cakes and cupcakes. Unlike frosting, icing is thinner, glossier and flows more due to its consistency. It's great for drizzling. Icing doesn't hold its shape like frosting and is regularly used in decorating as an accent to its frosting counterpart (a drizzle on top of a layer of frosting, for example). It is also used as the sole decoration or coating for pastries or donuts. Got it?

Quip of the Day: “In case you never thought about it, “bakers make the world smell better.”
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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.
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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 and/or American Red Cross.

#Baking #Dessert #OrangeChocolateMayonnaiseCake #Mayonnaise  #MoistCake #Chocolate #OrangeZest #2023Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
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                                                                               ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? Here is a dinner entrée that, as of this writing, might still save you a little money. The prices on pork and chicken don’t seem to be going up as much as other proteins—of course, this is dependent on the cut you choose.
 
At first glance this pork chop appears like many others of the Milanese variety you’d find—a generous cut of meat pounded, breaded and fried. However, it’s the important last step that really sets my Milanese Pork apart from all the others.
 
After the chop has been fried, the oil is poured out of the pan and then the meat is returned to the skillet, where it is generously doused with white or red wine vinegar, continued cooking soaks up all the liquid. It gives the dish an outstanding note of acidity that cuts through the fat.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  10 minutes
Yield:  2 servings
 
Ingredients
2 ounces all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, whisked
2 ounces panko Japanese-style cut breadcrumbs
2 pork chops
2 ounces canola oil for sauteing
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ounce white or red vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
 
Directions
Prepare a dredging station

1. Place enough flour on a plate or large flat bowl to lightly coat the pork chops.
2. Whisk the eggs and pour them into a flat bowl large enough for you to be able to turn the pork chops in. You could add some grated garlic, smoked paprika, or herbs de Provence to the eggs to add an extra layer of flavor.
3. Place the panko crumbs into a third and separate large, flat bowl.
4. Hammer the pork chops with a meat tenderizer on both sides to flatten.

​To prepare and cook the pork chops

1. Lightly cover the pork chops in flour, dip and coat in the whisked eggs, then evenly cover the chops in panko.
2. Get a large pan big enough to fit the chops, cover the entire surface with neutral oil and warm over medium-low heat.
3. Add the butter to the warm oil and once the butter has melted into the oil and is beginning to sheen, carefully add the pork chops.
4. Cook and caramelize the pork chops on the first side to a golden-brown.
5. Carefully turn the pork chops with a pair of tongs and continue to cook the other side to golden brown.
6. When both sides are caramelized, lift the pork chops out of the oil and place onto a wire rack to the side.
7. Carefully pour the frying oil into a heatproof container to the side and return the pan to the heat.
8. Turn the heat up to medium and put the pork chops back in the dry pan followed by the vinegar.
9. Shake the pan a little while the vinegar bubbles and is absorbed into the pork chops.
10. Once the vinegar has pretty much absorbed, lightly season the chops with salt.
11. Serve with a side of pasta, potatoes or topped with well-dressed greens.
12. Eat immediately.

ChefSecret:  I like to add a little sweet paprika, garlic powder and white pepper in the flour dredge for a more robust flavor.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Nella botte piccola, c’è il vino buono. In small barrels, there is good wine” deriving from the tendency of winemakers to keep the part of the wine considered best in smaller barrels. This should enhance its aromas and flavors. It is used to emphasize that apparently insignificant objects, or people of short stature, may have valuable qualities that are revealed with more careful observation or knowledge.”
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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, 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 #Pork #MilanesePorkChops #Panko #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
                                                                                 ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? Here’s the bag man who never got caught holding the bag. Meyer Lansky was known as "The Accountant." He was an American mobster who, along with his associate Charles "Lucky" Luciano, was instrumental in the development of the Mafia Crime Syndicate in the United States. 
 
A member of the Jewish mob, Lansky developed a gambling empire that stretched around the world. He was said to have had a strong influence with the Italian-American Mafia and played a large role in the consolidation of the criminal underworld. The full extent of his role has been the subject of much debate, as Lansky himself denied many of the accusations against him. Lansky was never found guilty of anything more serious than illegal gambling.
 
Despite his nickname, the “Little Man,” Meyer Lansky was a huge figure in organized crime history. An émigré from Poland, Lansky grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan with little formal schooling. He quickly attached himself to gangs of Jewish and Italian racketeers, who were active in the underworld during Prohibition. Lansky started running gambling operations, and eventually owned casinos in pre-Castro Cuba and the Bahamas, as well as financial interests in the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
 
He has a legacy of being one of the most financially successful gangsters in American history. Before he fled Cuba, Lansky was said to be worth an estimated $20 million (equivalent to $200 million today). When he died in 1983, his family learned that his estate was only worth around $57,000. Where did all that money go?
 
According to his daughter, Sandi Lansky, Meyer favored scotch, specifically Dewar’s. Scotch was a perennial favorite drink for many gangsters and Dewar’s has long been one of the most popular whiskeys in the United States, especially during the post-World World II era. Though Lanksy preferred his drinks straight, his name inspired a few modern cocktails he favored, including this one found on the menu of the DGS Delicatessen, in Washington, D.C.
 
                                                  The Meyer Lansky Sour
 Ingredients 
2 ounces gin
1-1/2 ounces Meyer lemon juice
1 dash orange bitters
Splash simple syrup
maraschino cherries and orange wheel, garnish
 
Directions

1. Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake for 30 seconds.
3. Strain into chilled double old fashioned glass with ice.
4. Garnish with a couple of maraschino cherries and an orange wheel.

 
ChefSecret:  I prefer to use one large ice cube made from distilled water to make it clear.
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Quip of the Day:  When a gangster puts out a hit on Daffy Duck, what was his one condition? Just send me the bill.
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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.
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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 and/or American Red Cross.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #MeyerLansky #MeyerLanskySour #DrinkLikeAGangster #Gin #OrangeBitters #MeyerLemonJuice #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
                                                                              ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? One of my favorite Italian appetizers are double-breaded deep-fried mozzarella sticks but sometimes even perfection needs a little refresher.
 
So, here’s my modern makeover on mozzarella sticks. Fried Mozzarella Puffs are a cross between Café du Monde Beignets and Rao’s Mozzarella Sticks. No breading is required. They are easier, crispier and cuter than ordinary cheesy sticks.
 
How do make these, you ask? It begins with choux pastry (cream puff pastry dough). Make a kind of roux by combining butter, flour, and water together in a pan until it clumps into a smooth dough, then incorporate egg and seasonings once it’s cooled down a bit.
 
While the fridge works its magic on the dough, season up the jarred marinara sauce of your choice. All that’s left is to incorporate the mozzarella cheese into the cooled dough. Now just scoop it out and drop the cheese balls into the fryer. You’re never going to dip another cheese stick again.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Chill time: 60 minutes
Fry time:  15 minutes
Yield:  12 puffs
 
Ingredients 
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup marinara sauce, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese
4 cups canola oil for frying
1 anchovy fillet
 
Directions

1. Combine the water, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Be careful not to brown the butter.
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer and pour in the flour all at once. Reduce the heat to medium. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a dough starts coming together. Cook, scraping up and stirring the dough, for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and transfer dough to a mixing bowl.
4. Let the dough cool until no longer hot but still very warm… about 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Add egg and season with cayenne and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk vigorously until mixture combines into a very soft, sticky dough. Switch to a spatula and scrape dough into a ball.
6. Seal dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate in the bowl until cool; about 1 hour.
7. In the meantime, using a small sauce pan over medium heat season marinara sauce with oregano, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar.
8. Add anchovy fillet.
9. Stir the sauce and bring it to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes; turn off heat and let sit until ready to use.
10. Grate mozzarella cheese over the dough and stir to combine.
11. Heat frying oil to 350⁰ F in a deep fryer or heavy-duty Dutch oven over medium heat.
12.  Preheat an oven to 200⁰ F to keep the fried puffs warm while continuing to cook the remaining puffs.
13. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough per puff and form into a football shape using two spoons.
14. Fry the puffs, 5 or 6 at a time, in the hot oil until browned for 2 to 3 minutes.
15. Drain on paper towels.
16. Keep puffs warm in a low-temperature oven while frying the remaining puffs.
17. Serve with hot marinara sauce.

Chefs Secret:  This recipe works well with shredded Smoked Gouda, Cheddar, Pepper-Jack or Swiss cheeses.
Quip of the Day: “What do you call a row of people lifting mozzarella—a cheesy pick-up line.” Let’s hear the rim shot... bud-dum!
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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.
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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 and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Appetizers #FriedMozzarellaPuffs #Mozzarella #ChouxDough #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
                                                                                 ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023