How you doin’? We have another great Instant Pot meal to share with you, but before I share Joan’s favorite meal in the world—Mac & Cheese—we want to thank many of our friends for their responses to our Covid-19 Survival Guide Cooking Lessons. To Jayne and Kathy, your quiches looked great—thanks for the pix. We especially like to hear that you both included additional vegetables to make this your own recipe. That’s part of the fun of it all. Our cooking lessons are flexible, and you can always feel free to add and subtract ingredients at the whim of the chefs. Brad, your comments on cocktails have been fun to read. I didn’t know you were of Portuguese descent so you can really appreciate my references to Lisbon-siders drinks and pastry. Bob and Will, thanks for the photo images on our Texas Cowboy Casserole—you proved once again that Bisquick is a great fallback ingredient. And, Nel, I’m glad you saw the wisdom and convenience of our Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatball dinner. Linda, thanks for trusting us enough to go out and purchase a new Instant Pot. I’m sure it will bring you lots of cooking joy. We know many of you were skeptical of everything tossed into one pot turning out dishes that are so delicious. We can’t call out everyone for your cooking efforts, but you know who you are—thank you and stay tuned. There must be thousands of recipes for mac and cheese, not to mention the boxed products from Kraft, Amy’s and others. A classic homemade stovetop macaroni and cheese often has you make a cheese sauce that requires making a roux and at least two cups of milk or half-and-half. But while it might be hard to believe, in this Instant Pot version, the pasta and cooking water do most of the sauce work, so all you need is a little half-and-half added together with the cheese at the very end. Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Yield: 6 to 8 servings Ingredients 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 16 ounces dried pasta shells or elbow macaroni 4 cups water 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 3-1/2 cups shredded cheese, such as sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack (about 16 ounces) 1/2 cup half-and-half Directions
ChefSecret: If you are like me and like a sharper finish on your mac and cheese sauce, add a couple of teaspoons of blue cheese for a more adult finish. Take it to the next level with a little cooked lobster, shrimp, chicken or bacon. ------------------------------------------- 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. 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 #Macaroni&Cheese #Entrees #SideDishes #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica © Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020
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A Blood Mary With A Personality How you doin’? It’s Friday and that means Happy Hour. In Los Angeles, the bars are closed once again. I guess it’s time to stand in line at BevMo and hope they haven’t run out of your favorite spirits. Who was Bloody Mary? There is an old English folklore legend of a ghost, phantom, or spirit conjured to reveal the future. She is said to appear in a mirror when her name is chanted repeatedly. The Bloody Mary apparition may be benign or malevolent, depending on historic variations of the legend and how much you’ve had to drink. Others believe she was the tormented spirit of the violent Queen Mary I of England, who earned the nickname "Bloody Mary" for burning hundreds of witches and religious dissenters at the stake. While many question the origin of this popular anytime cocktail, the Bloody Mary's staying power leaves no question. A Shipwreck Mary is a well-fortified Vodka-based cocktail that means a lot of different things to a lot of people—a more healthful cocktail (tomato juice and an array of veggie garnishes), a good happy hour treat— no appetizers required (comes with skewers of chilled shrimp and green olives), a good morning hair-of-the-dog hangover cure. It is a vodka-soaked nutritional breakfast, lunch, dinner and hangover cure all in one. What else could you ask for? Bloody Mary tomato-based cocktails have hundreds of variations, from heavy on the hot sauce to a splash of Guinness on top to a float of red wine. It’s best to start with the classic recipe and work toward the way you like it (it’s the Burger King Cocktail--Have It Your Way!), even if it’s topped with a shrimp skewer, a slice of bacon and, in some cases, a tiny cheeseburger. Crazy garnishes aside, there’s a reason this iconic beverage is a classic. Caution: If you see an apparition of Bloody Mary in the mirror, you probably didn’t have enough to drink. Ingredients 1 ounce celery salt (for the rim of the glass) 1 lemon wedge 1 lime wedge 2-1/2 ounces vodka (I use Kettle One) 4 ounces tomato juice 3 dashes Tabasco sauce 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce 1 pinch celery salt 1 pinch ground black pepper 1 pinch smoked paprika Garnish: lime wedge Garnish: 3 green olives Garnish: parsley sprig Garnish: celery stalk Garnish: 3 large chilled shrimp 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, 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, #ShipwreckMary #BloodyMary #Vodka #Cocktails #HappyHour #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020 How you doin’? It has been very sad to see Beverly Hills closed up tighter than a drum, but things are starting to open up once again. One bright spot has been that you could still get the “legendary” Italian Chopped Salad from La Scala. Back in the 50s, Chef Jean Leon served a popular chopped salad at La Scala Boutique in Beverly Hills. The classic dish combined two kinds of lettuce, salami, chickpeas, and cheese. Over the years, the salad has been nibbled on by movie stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Julia Roberts, and Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as JFK. La Scala still features the original version. The secret ingredient in the vinaigrette dressing is the dry mustard. The original salad was hard to eat so the salad was chopped into small bite-size pieces. So… ready, set, pull out your mezzaluna and get to rockin’ and choppin’. Prep time: 15 minutes Yield: 2 servings Ingredients For the secret chopped salad dressing 2 tablespoons wine vinegar 1 clove garlic, pressed 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup light olive oil For the salad mix 1 cup iceberg lettuce, chopped 1/2 cup romaine lettuce 4 tablespoons Italian salami, chopped 4 tablespoons cooked chicken, chopped 4 tablespoons garbanzo beans, chopped 4 tablespoons jicama, small dice 2 tablespoons carrot, shredded 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped 1/4 cup of provolone, chopped 1/4 to 1/3 cup Chopped Salad dressing For the toppings 1 tablespoon scallions, chopped 1 tablespoon black olives, chopped 2 tablespoons tomatoes, chopped Directions To make the salad dressing
ChefSecret: By no means do you have to abide by these salad mixin’s suggestions. You can use most any leftover in the refrigerator to add to a great salad, i.e. bacon, fried onion strings, croutons, etc., and that goes for the salad dressing as well. So, put on your Italian chef’s coat and knock yourself out—create a masterpiece. ------------------------------------------- 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. And, 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. 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. #ChoppedSalad #LaScala #Salads #Entrees #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #BeverlyHills ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020 How you doin’? How is your Stroganoff IQ? Who was Count Pavel Stroganoff? You don’t know much about it, you say? Here’s a brief primer on Stroganoff 101. The Stroganoff (or Stroganov) family didn’t gain fame on beef and noodles fare, but it is now their legacy. History tells us Count Pavel Stroganoff made his fortune in 18th century Russia trading salt and furs, but nowadays the name is mainly associated with the popular Russian beef dish. Stroganoff (the dish) probably goes back to a much earlier time as peasant fare, sans the beef. Although written after the Count’s death, Tolstoy’s War and Peace paints a vivid picture of a Russian society of the time which was fascinated with French culture, language and food. The chefs of day, within the great households, were striving to create dishes in a more elegant and refined style to outdo one another. The reinvention of Beef Stroganoff probably came about because of these dynamic changes in society. The first recorded documentation of the dish was in a cookbook in 1871. By the middle of the 20th century Stroganoff had become popular fare in America, with variants such as Turkey- or Hamburger-Stroganoff making their way to tables across the land. Maybe you’re feeling the pandemic budget squeeze a bit? Not many ingredients are as versatile and budget friendly as ground beef. You couldn’t begin to think about how many recipes from sandwiches to casseroles, and everything in between require ground beef. Joan is a fan of most comfort foods and Beef Stroganoff fits the bill. Usually Beef Stroganoff is made from thin slices of round steak—I didn’t have on hand for this recipe but I know I can always use ground beef as a replacement. This is an easy one-pot version of a classic recipe that comes together in minutes—noodles included. You can almost have it done in the time it takes for the water to boil and the thick egg noodles to cook. This is recipe is perfect for most anytime. Maybe not for breakfast unless you’re making a Stroganoff omelet (interesting idea). Keep the stress down to a minimum—you have most of the ingredients on hand, it’s easy and everybody loves Stroganoff. Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1-1/2-pounds lean ground beef 1 cup finely chopped white onion 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon dry thyme 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper 1-pound sliced white mushrooms, 2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/4 cup red wine 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 3 cups beef broth 8 ounces (half package) uncooked thick egg noodles 3 tablespoons corn starch 3 tablespoon cold water 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, plus optional dollop for serving salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoon fresh cut parsley, garnish Directions
ChefSecrets:
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. 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. #Stroganoff #BeefStroganoff #Beef #Entrees #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #InstantPot #ComfortFoods #FeedingAmerica ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020 |
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