How you doin’? Let me introduce you Emily. Sweet Emily is my current basil plant—she replaced dear Vera who had gotten a bit seedy. You can usually find small fresh basil pots in many supermarket produce sections. I keep fresh basil on hand because I love the taste of fresh, sweet basil for sandwiches, salads and pesto. Now to some people pesto is an acquired taste and they prefer a good old-fashioned tomato or Alfredo sauce on their pasta instead. We found that blending a combination of pesto and marinara or Alfredo cheese sauce may be the perfect solution for those who are a bit timid with pesto alone. Most Italian chefs make their pesto with pine nuts—I make mine with roasted almonds. You can save a bundle using windowsill-grown basil and almonds in place of pricier nuts. What you’ll love is how easy this no-cook recipe is easy to make—perfect to keep your kitchen cool during the summer months. For me, the perfect summer meal is stuffed pasta sautéed in brown butter sauce and topped with a little pesto, a small salad and some nice sourdough bread for sopping up the pesto or just spread the pesto directly on some freshly grilled garlic bread. Pesto is easy to store in the refrigerator, just drizzle a little olive oil over the top to prevent it from oxidizing. I keep my pesto in a vacuum-pump container (very handy in the kitchen). Prep time: 5 minutes—that’s it! Yield: 6 to 8 servings Ingredients 2 cups fresh basil leaves 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese shreds 3/4 cup whole roasted almonds (skin on) 1/2 cup light olive oil, or more as needed 3 cloves garlic, peeled Directions
ChefSecret: You can make pesto with a variety of other ingredients—walnut, cashews, macadamia nuts and spinach instead of sweet basil. ------------------------------------------- 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 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. #Sauce #Pesto #Basil #Almonds #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020
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How you doin’? It’s that magic day of the week and the best hour of the day—Happy Hour. Joan asked me to make a cocktail named after her—so here is, The Joan. Wait a minute, I think she had a Polish Princess Cocktail in mind. Everyone thinks of Joan as the Polish Princess. She has a sweatshirt with Polish Princess emblazoned across the front. So, I looked hard and far to find a suitable beverage for an exceptional lady. I first had to find a Polish liquor—that was easy—Sobieski Vodka. Sobieski Poland is known as the birthplace of vodka and one of the great vodka-producing countries of the world. While Poland may be better known for its potato vodkas, Sobieski Vodka will show you how great Polish rye vodka can be. Their claim, Just Water, Rye and no BS. There are few vodkas that have a premium taste and remain within a budget-friendly price range—just about $12 a bottle. This Polish vodka is relatively new to the U.S. market (2007). However, Sobieski claims to be the number one vodka in Poland. Now, if people in the country known for its vodka like it, you know it must be good and it is! The story of Sobieski (Sobi) Vodka itself is rather short but its roots are deep in the Polish heritage of vodka. The brand name is taken from King Jan III Sobieski, a 17th-century ruler who is regarded by some as "the last great King of Poland." Sobi has been distilled in Poland since 1864. It uses Dankowski rye from Poland's Mazowse fields as the base. The vodka's water is naturally filtered from Oligocene epoch springs. The vodka is distilled in a continuous column still. This is "real vodka," a pure form of distilled spirit that is relatively tasteless while leaving your palate clean and refreshed. It does not have the heavy alcohol notes found in many of the cheaper brands. Sobi is not afraid to call itself the premium vodka, a moniker typically reserved for those in the $25 to $50 price range, but that description is fitting. Just because it costs less does not mean that it should taste like it. Ingredients 2 ounces Sobieski Vodka 2 ounces coconut water 2 ounces pineapple juice 1 ounce cranberry juice Garnish: a wedge of pineapple dipped in toasted minced coconut Directions:
------------------------------------------- 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 also being 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 lines who risk their lives for us every day. 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. #PolishPrincess #SobieskiVodka #Vodka #Cocktails #HappyHour #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020 How you doin’? Over the Memorial Day weekend a few weeks back a bunch of us were talking about our families and the passing of generations. The discussion centered on which generation in American history was the greatest. After a long debate, we came to a consensus that each generation since the founding of this union shared in and contributed to the greatness of America. Our families included. After my father died, I found a box of “little treasures” that he kept for years. I never looked through the box of his personal letters and mementos; they were just there sitting on the top shelf of my closet. I don’t know why, but after the barbecue and after all the talk, I felt compelled to search through the box. I found some tiny baby booties. I’m not sure if they were mine, my brother’s or maybe even my father’s. It’s hard to believe that my feet were ever that small. I found an old autograph book—a collection of long-forgotten boxers, baseball players and a wrestler or two. A Brooklyn Dodgers’ Ebbets Field seat cushion autographed by Gil Hodges, Pee Wee Reese and Duke Snyder from the 1955 World Series. I guess way back then you didn’t have to fork over $1000 for an all-star athlete’s signature. And then I stumbled onto some hand-written notes—seemingly secret “code”–on a back page of the New York Times from 1904. There, scribbled in his own hand, over a picture of my grandfather Max’s presidential idol, Theodore Roosevelt, was a secret message. Max and TR? Was this story about Max being named an ambassador to some exotic foreign country or to a cabinet post? Was he returning from some secret spy mission? No, it was all about peanut brittle... not just any peanut brittle, but grandpa’s crunchy peanut brittle that was pictured with my grandfather handing it to T.R. himself. I’d heard that my grandfather owned a moving company way back when the “vans” were pulled by horses. I heard the legend of how he had grabbed onto a rope that had broken away from a safe that his workers were hauling up to the 5th floor by block and tackle; he saved a half dozen kids below. I remember he used to tell us his heroic story showing us the burn scars on his hands. I also heard that he was a gentlemen’s banker, a stockbroker, even a tax collector. But now, looking through my dad’s treasured keepsakes, I found out that grandpa’s hobby was making peanut brittle—not just any peanut brittle, but brittle fit for a president. As I read on, I discovered the recipe dated back to the 1870s or ‘80s when he first perfected his peanut “packin'” peanut brittle. Everyone, T.R. included, proclaimed that it was, the best peanut brittle on earth. I found out that my grandfather started delivering his fresh peanut brittle to the Roosevelt family when they lived in New York City. When T.R. became president, Max was asked to deliver his peanut brittle to Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay. In fact, rumor has it that his peanut brittle even made it to the White House in Washington, DC. The cryptic, hand-written code turned out to be grandpa’s secret peanut brittle recipe. I couldn’t wait to get to the test kitchen and try it for myself. I fired up a copper kettle, added the sugars, syrups (grandpa use cane sugar syrup, I prefer corn syrup) and butter—just plain honest ingredients—and turned it into a steaming caldron of molten goo. At 305º I stirred in the Spanish peanuts, added the vanilla and then shut off the heat. I poured the magic mixture out on to the cooling slab. After a suitable cooling time, everyone agreed I had duplicated the peanut brittle recipe. Hey, grandpa, I aced it the first time. While traditional peanut brittles tend to be a bit hard on the teeth (filling-pullers) and somewhat difficult to eat, grandpa’s secret recipe combines an abundance of Spanish, red-skin, US-grown peanuts into a perfectly-cooked, buttery, sugar brittle. The result is a much lighter bite that leaves a long-lasting, wonderful all-natural flavor. If you truly appreciate great peanut brittle, you will understand why everyone says, it is the very best they ever tasted. Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Yield: 1-1/2 pounds You will need a candy thermometer for this recipe. Be very careful especially if you children are helping, as hot sugar is very dangerous and can result in serious burns. Ingredients 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 3/4 cup light corn syrup (I use Karo) 3 tablespoons water 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon baking soda 1-1/2 cups salted Spanish peanuts 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Directions
ChefSecrets:
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 #PeanutBrittle #SpanishPeanuts #Peanuts #NPB #NationalPeanutBoard #TR #TeddyRoosevelt #SagamoreHill #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020 How you doin’? It’s not too often I get a command request for a recipe, but Joan came into my office one morning last week said, “This one’s a must. Please bake off the Dolester “Dol” Miles’ award-winning recipe Coconut-Pecan Cake.” This recipe is a showstopper of a cake from the James Beard 2018 Outstanding Pastry Chef Award winner. Chef Miles (a three-time James Beard winner), is a self-taught chef who has worked at Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham, Alabama for over 30 years, and has drawn in diners with her takes on some of the South's most beloved desserts. This rich layer cake is one of Miles' signature creations featuring plenty of coconut and warm, toasted pecans. After making the cake a couple of times I found a few ways to make it easier and increase the flavors of the pecans and coconut. To help you with the math, in all you will need to toast 2-1/4 cups of cup firmly packed sweetened, shredded coconut and 1-1/4 cups of pecan halves. Prep time: 35 minutes Bake time: 30 to 35 minutes Cool time: 30 minutes Assembly time: 15 minutes Chill time: 1 hour Yield: 12 to 14 servings Ingredients For the cake: 1 cup firmly packed sweetened, shredded coconut, lightly toasted 3/4 cup toasted pecan halves, chopped 2 cups granulated sugar, divided 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup cream of coconut 4 large eggs 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract (use almond extract if you can’t find coconut) 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk For the pastry cream filling: 2 cups milk 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 large egg yolks 1 large egg 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract 1 cup firmly packed sweetened, shredded coconut, lightly toasted 1/2 cup toasted pecan halves, chopped For the simple syrup: 2/3 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup of water For the icing: 2 cups heavy cream 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon coconut extract or pure vanilla extract 1/4 cup firmly packed sweetened, shredded coconut, lightly toasted, for the topping Directions
Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I’m done with my 90-day trial of 2020. How do I cancel my membership?” ------------------------------------------- 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 lines who risk their lives for us every day. 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 #CoconutCake #PecanCake #CoconutPecanCake #DolMiles #JamesBeard #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020 How you doin’? ¿Cómo te va? When you make this salad for your family you will be doing very well, thank you. For some of us, salads can be very boring… most families use them as the first course for dinner—a little lettuce, shredded carrot and a tomato slice or two. Why is this salad so different? Yes, it’s made with fresh, crisp produce, but it’s also loaded with different flavors and textures. It incorporates many of the ingredients found in Mexican cuisine. It is easy to make with both store-bought canned corn or fresh corn off the cob that you can grill or roast. You can use a store-bought taco mix (like Lawry’s) or you can use the Perspectives recipe below. You can use store bought chips, but freshly fried tortilla chips are so much better. And finally, if you want to get really showy, you can fry flour tortilla bowls and serve the salad in the bowl. Actually, you can add or delete ingredients at will according to the tastes and the whims of the chef. I have had a lot of people ask over the last several weeks, where do all our recipes come from? We have over 10,000 recipes in our data base that come from our cookbooks, restaurants and The California Kitchen (our test kitchen). Our recipes are tested by chefs and cooks and meal providers (with no professional experience) to make sure that the recipes are understandable, easy to make and, as advertised, delicious. Let’s get cooking! Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients For the crisp tortillas and beef 1/4 cup light frying oil 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into thin strips 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1-pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken) 1/4 cup fresh tomato salsa 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (see recipe below or Lesson #24) For the dressing 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup fresh tomato salsa 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 1 teaspoon taco seasoning For the salad 1 head romaine, chopped, rinsed and dried (about 6 cups) 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, picked 6 medium green onion tops, thinly sliced 1 (15-oz) can corn kernels, drained or 2 cobs of corn roasted or grilled, removed from the cob 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1-pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1 medium avocado, diced Directions To make the crisp tortillas and beef
Taco Seasoning Prep time: 5 minutes Yield: 1 cup Ingredients 1/4 cup sweet paprika 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 tablespoons dried oregano 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Directions
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. #Salad #TacoSalad #BeefTacoSalad #ChickenTacoSalad #RestaurantStyleTacoSalad #TurkeyTacoSalad #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020 |
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