How you doin’? If you're heading to St. Tropez this summer for the beaches, the sand and the surf, then July and August are the best months to go. This is peak tourist season so the city will likely be crowded. The temperatures average from the low 80s during the daytime hours, to the mid-60s at night. It cools off enough in the evening so that you can enjoy the wonderful foods of the region like my St. Tropez Summer Fruit Tart.
 
This St. Tropez Summer Fruit Tart is not only beautiful but one of the healthiest summer desserts. This fruit tart is easier than making a classic summer pie, but fancier than a down-home fruit cobbler. It looks dramatic, elegant, and downright impressive, but it's actually quite simple to make. With its fresh fruit topping, light, creamy custard filling, and crisp crust, this fruit tart is perfect for delicious dessert after a summer dinner.
 
This fruit tart's base filling is creamy but not too heavy. It's made with cream cheese, tangy sour cream, confectioners’ sugar and pure vanilla extract. Blend it all together before folding in the whipped cream which helps it achieve a light and fluffy texture.
 
Before serving, top with a variety of fruits of the season—a colorful mix of strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, and mango, but the tart would be just as delicious with say, all raspberries, or a mix of blackberries and blueberries, or an artfully placed fan of mango and papaya spears. Just be sure the fruit is properly chilled, peeled, hulled and pitted.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Dough Chill time: 60 minutes (refrigerator)
Tart Crust Chill time:  30 minutes (freezer)
Bake time:  12 to 15 minutes
Assembly time:  15 minutes
Set Chill time: 2 hours (or overnight)
Yield:  8 - 10 serving(s)
 
Ingredients 
For the tart short crust
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large, chilled egg yolk
4 teaspoons ice water
 
For the tart filling
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup whipped cream
 
For the fruit topping (options)
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup hulled and sliced strawberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup mango slices
1/2 cup kiwi slices
3 tablespoons apple jelly
 
Directions
To make the crust

1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
2. With a pastry cutter or your fingers, gradually work the butter into the flour until pea-sized pieces form.
3. Stir together the egg yolk and water, then stir into the flour mixture using a fork in a small bowl, then knead the dough together until it is no longer crumbly and holds together when pinched with your fingers.
4. Form it into a disc and wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
5. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.
6. Transfer the crust to a 9-inch round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
7.  Press the crust into the pan and trim the edges right at the top of the tart pan sides. (Do not worry if the crust cracks! Patch it up with the dough pieces that were trimmed from the edges).
8. Place the crust in the freezer for 30 minutes.
9. Preheat an oven to 400˚⁰ F.
10. Prick the crust all over with a fork.
11. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
12. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

To make the tart filling

1. Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Gradually fold in the whipped cream until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the cooled crust and spread into an even layer.

To fruit top the topping

1. Artfully arrange the fruit on top of the filling.
2. Microwave the apple jelly in a small microwavable bowl until melted and smooth, about 30 seconds.
3. Brush the apple jelly over the tops of the fruit.
4. Chill the tart for about 2 hours (or overnight) until cold and the filling is set.
5. Carefully cut and serve.

ChefSecret:  You can dress up the filling by replacing the vanilla extract by using vanilla bean paste. This will give some random specks of vanilla bean in the filling.

Quip of the Day:  What is Dracula's favorite fruit tart? Neck-tarine!
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your favorite recipes, pictures or thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. 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 #StTropez #SummerFruitTart #Berries #Kiwi #2023Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
                                                                                 ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 

How you doin’? Do you remember the days before everyone went crazy for low-carb foods when bread of some kind was on every table as a meal starter?
 
Actually, there was a good reason to get something into the stomachs of every guest. When your blood sugar is low you feel hunger pangs. People get short tempered and people with a few drinks in them can get downright nasty when they’re hungry. A bowl of tortilla chips, Asian noodles or a breadstick or two, creates a little forgiveness, buys some time and keeps people reasonable until the server can get to the table to take an order. In these times when so many restaurants are running short-staffed, many restaurants would do well to remember this secret.
 
Let’s bring this custom back with my Homemade Garlic Breadsticks (or turn them into tied garlic bread knots). You’ll find they’re delicious and goes perfectly with a bowl of pasta and soup!
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Proof times:  40 minutes (first proof) / 25 minutes (second proof)
Bake time:  10 to 12 minutes
Cool time:  10 minutes
Yield:  18 breadsticks
 
Ingredients 
1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water, divided
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more to coat the pan
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon chopped dried parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 
Directions

1. Dissolve 1-1/2 teaspoons of sugar and the yeast in 1/2 cup warm (no higher than 109⁰ F) water in a bowl.
2. Let the yeast mixture stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
3. Mix the flour, oil, egg, salt, remaining sugar and remaining warm water into yeast mixture until smooth, adding more flour if needed to form a soft dough.
4. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes. (Personally, I prefer to use the dough hook on my Kitchen Aid mixer.)
5. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to cover completely with oil.
6. Cover the bowl with a damp dish towel and place in a warm place in the kitchen until dough is doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
7. Using vegetable oil, lightly coat a sheet pan.
8. Punch the dough down and turn onto a floured work surface.
9. Divide the dough into 18 pieces and shape each into a 6-inch rope.
10. Arrange the dough pieces on the prepared oiled baking sheet pan; about 2 inches apart.
11. Cover with a damp dish towel and let rise until doubled in size; about 25 minutes.
12. Preheat an oven to 400⁰ F.
13. Remove the towel from the rolled dough.
14. Bake the breadsticks in the preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
15. Whisk the melted butter and garlic powder together in a bowl, brush over each breadstick.
16. Sprinkle salt, parsley and Parmesan cheese over each breadstick.

ChefSecret:  When proofing the dough, I turn the oven on warm and put the bowl with towel-covered dough in the oven with the door slightly ajar to let it rise.

Quip of the Day:  When he was young, Bob decided to go to medical school. At the entrance exam, the candidates were asked to rearrange the letters P N E I S and form the name of an important human body part which is most useful when erect. Those who answered SPINE are doctors today, while the rest are on Facebook.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your favorite recipes, pictures or thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. 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 #Appetizers #Breadsticks #HomemadeBreadsticks #GarlicBreadsticks #DoughKnots #2023Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  

​                                                                                   ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

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.
-------------------------------------------
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