How you doin’? It’s that wonderful time of the week when we can’t wait to start happy hour—sometimes it’s Thursday at midnight... that's 5 o'clock somewhere, right?
 
Let’s talk a little pineapple and coconut or the infamous Piña Colada. Sometimes the Piña Colada gets a bad rap among cocktail connoisseurs and snobs. For years, it was the stepchild of the blender boom, a symbol of poolside bars, boozy cruises and the poor man’s beach vacation. But the tropical classic—a mix of rum, coconut, pineapple and lime juice—dates back more than a half century, when it was the drink of the day in San Juan, Puerto Rico. If you’re not into blended drinks, this recipe will silence the blender blades and you can use pebble or shaved ice instead, along with and a nice sturdy shake… count it toward your exercise for the day.
 
The Piña Colada is a sweet cocktail made with rum, cream of coconut or coconut milk, and pineapple juice. It may be garnished with either a pineapple wedge, maraschino cherry, or both—a paper cocktail umbrella is a must. There are two versions of the drink, both originating in Puerto Rico. Both are shown here.
                                                     The Piña Colada
                                     
Ingredients
2 ounces light rum, plus a splash more to float
1-1/2 ounces cream of coconut
1-1/2 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
 
Garnish: pineapple wedge
Garnish: pineapple leaf
Garnish: maraschino cherry
Garnish: paper cocktail umbrella
 
Directions

1. Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously (20-30 seconds).
2. Strain into a chilled Hurricane glass over pebble ice.
3. Garnish with a pineapple wedge, pineapple leaf and a tiny cocktail umbrella.

 
                                                 The Painkiller Cocktail
 
A Painkiller is a rum cocktail trademarked by Pusser's Rum Ltd, their signature drink. It is often associated with the British Virgin Islands, its place of origin. Similar to a Piña Colada, The Painkiller is a blend of Pusser's (or any other rum) with 4 parts pineapple juice, 1 part cream of coconut and 1 part orange juice, well shaken and served over the rocks with a generous amount of fresh nutmeg on top. It may be made with either two, three or four ounces of Pusser's dark rum.
 
Why Pusser’s? It is the original Navy Rum as served on board warships of Great Britain’s Royal Navy for more than 350 years from about 1655 to 1970. It was a part of the life and times of Nelson—the Admiral—and the old navy so aptly described in the novels of Patrick O’Brian.  Pusser’s 350 years of Liquid History has become the standard by which other dark rums are measured. Pusser’s was never sold or offered to the public until 1979. Prior to this, if a rum connoisseur managed to obtain a tot or two, it was valued at a high price and for a very special occasion. Pusser’s full, rich flavor is all natural, no flavoring agents are added. It is the only rum whose flavor is sufficiently distinctive to be savored through the ingredients of just about any cocktail.
 
Ingredients
2, 3 or 4 ounces Pusser's Dark Rum
4 ounces pineapple juice
1 ounce cream of coconut
1 ounce orange juice
 
Directions

1. Shake ingredients vigorously with ice, then pour into a tall hurricane glass or hollowed out pineapple over crushed ice.
2. Sprinkle nutmeg on top and serve.

ChefSecret:  

• At our ocean front restaurants we served this drink in a hollowed our pineapple with 2 straws. For just under 15 bucks you can add this handy gadget to your bar tools collection and mystify all your guests (assuming we’re allowed to have any).
• The first cocktail to get an umbrella was the tapa punch, in 1959 in California, by either Trader Vic’s or Don the Beachcomber depending on whose history you want to believe. So why were those little umbrellas hanging around? Ladies loved them and couldn’t resist a strong rum drink topped off with a tiny, little paper parasol—they’re so cute and a great keepsake of an even better date. 
  

 -------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#PinaColada #CocktailUmbrella #Pineapple #Rum #PussersRum #Coconut #Cocktails #HappyHour #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                                ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020

How you doin’? How would you like to spend a weekend in India? Oops, so sorry that kind of travel is impossible during the worldwide pandemic. But here is the next best thing… my Instant Pot Peanut Chicken Curry recipe.
 
There are so many bad curries out there (almost as many as crappy Indian restaurants). Some recipes are lacking in the layers of flavors leaving a non-descript curry flavor; others are so overpowering it’s like licking the cap of the spice bottle. Some recipes just use a mono-flavored curry powder that doesn’t bring out the layering of a mix of spice and herbs. A good curry should have many different spices, i.e. turmeric, coriander, cumin, garlic, black pepper, fenugreek, cinnamon, fennel, nutmeg, white pepper, cayenne, cilantro, cloves, cardamom and ginger.
 
There are some recipes that suggest that you put your final curry over a bed of rice. They don’t tell you what kind of rice to use. Please don’t use Uncle Ben’s—that’s okay for some things. For this recipe, use a good long-grain rice with a slightly floral aroma and a soft, sticky texture, like Jasmine or Basmati rice. Plan your cook time accordingly so you can rinse and soak the rice for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
 
Prep time:  35 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes / rice and curry can cook concurrently
Yield:  4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients
 
For the rice
2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed and soaked
 
For the curry
4 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1-pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” cubes
1 cup yellow onion, minced
3 small Yukon gold potatoes, diced into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2-1/2 tablespoons curry powder (I prefer Penzeys’ Curry Powder)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 10-oz. can Ro-Tel dice tomatoes and green chilies
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar packed
5 oz. spinach, room temperature (thawed and drained, if frozen)
For the garnish
6 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
6 tablespoons toasted sweetened coconut
6 tablespoons mango chutney
 
Directions
To make the rice

1. Cook the rice according to the package instructions. 

To make the curry

1. Set an Instant Pot to SAUTÉ.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the peanut oil over medium heat; add the chicken, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
3. Add the onion and potatoes and sauté until the onions begins to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. 
4. Add the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil, ginger, garlic, coriander, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
6. Add back the chicken and stir to coat the chicken in spices.
7. Add the Ro-Tel with juices and stir to scrape up any of the bits of chicken or spices stuck to the bottom of the pot to deglaze. 
8. Add the peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar—stir well.
9. CANCEL SAUTÉ and put the lid on the Instant Pot making sure to close the vent.
10. Set the Instant Pot to PRESSURE for 25 MINUTES.
11. Do a NATURAL RELEASE for 10 MINUTES and then fully vent the Instant Pot.
12. Open the lid and add the spinach and stir to fully bend.
13. Serve the chicken curry piping hot on a bed of rice.
14. Garnish with chopped peanuts, coconut flakes and mango chutney on the side.

ChefSecret: 

• In dishes like this I often use chicken thighs because they have a little more flavor and do not dry out when reheated. If using chicken thighs increase the amount to 1-1/2-pounds.
• If you like your curry a little spicier, sparingly add cayenne pepper—a little at a time—until you get the heat level you prefer.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Just wait a second—so you’re telling me that my chance of surviving all this is directly linked to the common sense of others?”
-------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe, be kind and always give thanks to our many first responders on the front line who risk their lives for us. If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#InstantPot #ChickenCurry #InstantPotCurry #Entrees #Peanuts #NationalPeanutBoard #NPB #JasmineRice  #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                               ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020

                                    A Recipe Hack of The Kentucky Colonel

How you doin”? Thinking of going on a summertime picnic any time soon? How about some chilled roasted chicken, or better yet some old-fashioned crispy fried chicken? Coleslaw is the best side with any cold (or hot) picnic chicken, of course. It is the perfect side dish to go with almost anything.
 
I’ve always been addicted to KFC’s minced creamy coleslaw. It’s quite simple to make and it only takes about 15 minutes to pull it all together. Personally, I don’t care for coleslaw that is just mixed. I like to give the final slaw about 4 hours to marry the flavors and discharge all the water out of the cabbage. Put mine next to the Colonel’s and I bet you can’t taste a difference.
 
Prep time:  15minutes
Chill time:   4 hours or overnight
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
 
Ingredients
4 cups shredded and as well as diced cabbage (about 1/2 of a medium head)
1/4 cup minced carrot
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk (see ChefSecret below on how to make your own buttermilk)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
 
Directions

1. Shred and dice the cabbage, carrot and onion—confetti cut is what you are looking for. Do not use purple cabbage as it will discolor.
2. Place the veggie mix in large mixing bowl and mix well.
3. In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
4. Add the completed dressing to the cabbage mix and stir to combine thoroughly.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a refrigerator for approximately 4 hours, or overnight. That will give your coleslaw flavors some time to blossom
6. Mix and stir your coleslaw before serving.
7. Serve fresh within one or two days for best results.

 
ChefSecret:  This coleslaw recipe calls for 1/4 cup of buttermilk. If you don’t want to purchase a whole carton of buttermilk, you can make your own buttermilk by using milk and lemon juice. Put 1/4 cup of whole milk in a measuring cup and 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice into the milk—it’s got to be fresh lemon juice, not from concentrate—that won’t cut it. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and it should become a little bit curdled. It’s kind of like magic—it’s now buttermilk and is ready to use in this coleslaw recipe.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: I don’t get it… Some people are afraid of getting fined for congregating in crowds. As if catching a deadly disease and dying a horrible death wasn’t enough of a deterrent.
-------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Salad #ColeSlaw #KFC #SideDish #Picnic #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                            ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020

How you doin’? Are you ready for a treat? Well, here’s one for you. Rice Krispy Treats are a classic, delicious snack that has been making happy memories for kids and parents alike for generations. This is how it all started…
 
In 1928 Kellogg's Rice Krispies Cereal first appeared on grocer’s shelves. It was only a moderate success and company executives were thinking of withdrawing it from sale. The breakfast cereal's popularity didn’t come until about 1938—10 years later—that’s when Rice Krispies treats were created by a Campfire Girls troop leader, seeking an easy and inexpensive fundraiser product for a bake sale. She came upon the idea of mixing a puff rice cereal with butter and sugar.
 
Mildred Day, the Campfire Girls troop leader and Kellogg's employee, is credited for bringing the inexpensive treat to life and public consciousness, after her scouts sold hundreds of Rice Krispies Treats during the summer of 1939 as a fund raiser in Battle Creek, Michigan. Mildred came up with an improved and simpler recipe by adding marshmallows and called them Campfire Marshmallows sold in a waxed box, like the Girl Scout Cookies today.
 
In 1941, a couple of Kellogg's executives saw that Mildred's recipe was so hot with both kids and money-conscious moms they added the recipe to the back of the Rice Krispies box. Thanks to old Mildred’s fundraiser, Rice Krispies Treats became a national sensation. However, it took until 1995 for Kellogg to begin producing and packaging the complete treats for supermarkets themselves. Slow learners, I guess.
 
If you love crispy puffed rice treats and peanut butter cups, you'll love these Chocolate-Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Cups. They are the perfect treat to satisfy that special sweet treat craving!
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cool time: 10 to 15 minutes
Yield:  16 cups
 
Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter creamy or chunky, your preference
6 tablespoons honey or corn syrup (Karo)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups crispy puffed rice cereal
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
 
Directions

1. Spray a muffin pan with food release (Pam) or line with muffin cups.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the peanut butter, honey and salt over medium heat; stir until loose and smooth.
3. Measure the crispy puffed rice cereal into a medium bowl and pour the peanut butter mixture on top.
4. Stir gently to fully coat the cereal, trying not to “mush” the cereal together too much.
5. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full with the cereal mixture; press firmly to pack it down.
6. Let the cups set-up in the refrigerator for about 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips with the vegetable oil in a microwave safe bowl in 15 second bursts, stirring between the bursts to ensure the chocolate is melted and the oil is well incorporated.
8. Spoon melted chocolate onto the tops of the peanut butter cups.
9. Place muffin tray in refrigerator to set up.
10. Once chocolate is firm, serve and enjoy!

ChefSecret: 

• Paper-lined cups might be easier for kids to handle when eating, but the cups will form better if pressed directly into the sprayed pan. You will be amazed how easily the rice cups release from the pan and the paper liners.
• I like to make them even more indulgent by adding a half cup of roasted red skin peanuts or mini M&M’s to the mix.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  Whoever decided a Liquor Store is more essential than a Hair Salon is obviously a bald-headed alcoholic.
-------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Dessert #Snack #RiceKrispies #RiceKrispieTreats #Kelloggs #MildredDay #PeanutButter #Chocolate #ChocolatePeanutButterCrispyRiceCups #NPB #NationalPeanutBoard #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                              ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020