How you doin’? I pretty much love most everything made with peanuts. Peanuts probably originated in South America and spread throughout the New World as Spanish explorers discovered the peanut's versatility. When the Spaniards returned to Europe, peanuts went with them. Later, traders were responsible for spreading peanuts to Asia and Africa. Peanuts proved so very popular in Africa, it was African slaves who smuggled peanuts to the Southern United States, and they took root.
 
I love texture in baked goods and confections, so peanut brittle and these cookies are my go-to recipes. If you love peanuts like me, you’ll love these incredible Skinny P’nutters. They’re called skinny because they spread to a thin, even wafer when they’re baking. These cookies are filled and topped with peanutty goodness. I bet you can’t eat just one once you discover the crispy edges, chewy interior, and crunchy peanuts!
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  15 minutes (per tray)
Yield:  2 dozen cookies
 
Ingredients
3 cups peanuts, honey-roasted (about 1 pound)
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon kosher table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons cold water
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400⁰F.
2. Line several sheet pans with foil, shiny side up.
3. In a food processor, pulse 1 cup of the peanuts with 1/4 cup of the sugar several times, until some of the nuts are finely chopped and some are coarsely chopped.
4. In a small bowl, whisk flour, salt and baking soda together.
5. In a large bowl, beat the egg with the cream, butter, vanilla extract and remaining 1 cup sugar until blended.
6. Beat in flour, water and chopped peanuts.
7. Spoon slightly rounded tablespoons of dough about 3-inches apart onto baking sheets.
8. Press 1 tablespoon of remaining peanuts onto each cookie, flattening it slightly.
9. Bake cookies 1 sheet pan at a time in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the sheet pans front to back halfway through cooking.
10. Slide foil onto wire rack and let cookies cool completely.
11. When cookies are cool, invert and peel off foil.
12. Store in an airtight container for up to a week or so.

ChefSecret:  If you eat peanuts every day you get protein, vitamins, minerals and more! Peanuts have more protein than any nut (7g per serving), containing more than 30 essential vitamins and minerals and they are a good source of fiber and good fats. They taste good, too!

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  “Exercise makes you look younger naked. So does wine. Your choice.”
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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 [email protected].  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 and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Baking #Snack #Cookie #Peanuts #NationalPeanutBoard #NPB #PeanutFarmers #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? We hope you had a terrific 4th of July holiday with lots of family, friends, great food and fun!
 
 Chocolate Chicken? Are you kidding? No, it’s a real Mexican dish. An authentic Mexican dish where the chicken is slow cooked in a delectable sauce of chiles with a rich, never overpowering, bitter chocolate background. It is truly wonderful served with warm corn tortillas, rice and beans. It may be a bit messy to make, but well worth the effort.
 
Two states in Mexico claim to be the origin of mole—Puebla and Oaxaca. The best-known moles are native to these two states, but other regions in Mexico also make different types of mole-style sauces. Moles come in various flavors and diverse ingredients, with chile peppers as the common ingredient.
 
The classic mole version is the variety called mole poblano, which is a dark red or brown sauce served over meat. The dish has become a culinary symbol of Mexico's mestizaje, or mixed indigenous and European heritage, both for the types of ingredients it contains and because of the legends surrounding its origin.
 
One common legend of its creation takes place at the Convent of Santa Clara in Puebla early in the colonial period. Upon hearing that the archbishop was going to visit, the convent nuns panicked because they were poor and had almost nothing to prepare. The nuns prayed and brought together the little bits of what they did have, including chile peppers, spices, day-old bread, nuts, and a little chocolate. They killed an old turkey, cooked it and put the sauce on top; the archbishop loved it. When one of the nuns was asked the name of the dish, she replied, "I made a mole." Mole is an archaic word for mix; now this word mostly refers to this dish and is rarely used to signify other kinds of mixes in Spanish.
 
A similar version of the story says that monk Fray Pascual invented the dish, again to serve to the archbishop of Puebla. In this version, spices were knocked over or blown over into pots in which chickens were cooking. What we do know is there is nothing like a good mole.
 
Modern mole is a mixture of ingredients from North America, Europe, Africa and Asia making it one of the first intercontinental dishes created in the Americas. Its base, however, is indigenous. Nahuatl speakers had a preparation they called mōlli, meaning "sauce", or chīlmōlli ([t͡ʃiːlˈmoːlːi]) for chili sauce. In the book General History of the Things of New Spain, Bernardino de Sahagún says that mōllis were used in several dishes, including those for fish, game and vegetables.
 
Prep time:  40 minutes
Cook time:  2 hours 20 minutes
Yield:  8 servings
 
Ingredients
4 dried mulato chiles (dried poblanos)
4 dried ancho chiles
4 dried guajillo chiles
4 dried pasilla chilies
2 teaspoons lard, or more as needed
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (7 inch) flour tortilla
2 (5 inch) corn tortillas
1 plantain, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup peanuts
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1 (14 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablet of Mexican chocolate, such as Abuelita or Ibarra
1 whole chicken, washed and cleaned
 
Directions

1. Remove the stems, veins and seeds from the chiles (you might want to wear gloves when you do this).
2. Heat the lard in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the chiles, and cook and stir until the chiles are fragrant, about 1 minute, being careful not to burn them. Remove the chiles and place them in a large bowl.
3. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove and add to the bowl with the chiles.
4. Break the flour and corn tortillas into pieces and add them to the skillet. Toast on both sides, turning often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove; add to the bowl.
5. If needed, melt a small amount of additional lard in the skillet. Add the plantain pieces to the skillet, and cook and stir until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove plantain; add to the bowl.
6. Stir the almonds and peanuts into the skillet and cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the sesame seeds and continue cooking until sesame seeds are lightly browned, 15-30 seconds. Remove; add to the bowl.
7. Warm the tomatoes over medium heat in the skillet until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
8. Break the chocolate into chunks and stir into the tomatoes until melted.
9. Pour the chocolate and tomato mixture into the bowl with the chile mixture; stir to combine.
10. Working in small batches, puree the mixture in a blender until smooth, adding a small amount of water if needed to make a smooth sauce.
11. Place the chicken into a large Dutch oven; pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover and simmer over medium low heat until the chicken falls off the bone, 2-3 hours.

 
ChefSecret:  Always wear gloves and be sure to wash your hands very well before going to the restroom to prevent serious burns to your private parts—no kidding. A chile burn down there can ruin your whole day.

Quip of the Day: “A word to the wise isn’t necessary… it’s the stupid ones that need the advice.”
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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 [email protected].  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 and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Entrees #ChickenMole #OaxacanChickenMole #ChocolateChicken #Chicken #Chiles #Mexico #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? It’s time to put out the Red, White and Blue and the American flag, too. Here is one heck of a festive cocktail that is perfect for the 4th of July. Just a few ingredients, a cocktail shaker and some Pop Rocks are all you need to make this cocktail sizzle.

My patriotic drink is a delicious blend of the Red White and Berry Vodka, curaçao, grenadine and homemade lemonade to keep it balanced.
 
There is a limited edition Smirnoff Vodka that comes out just for the summer months. It’s released in June, just in time for the 4th of July Holidays. Red White and Berry vodka is sweet with cherry, citrus and blue raspberry flavors all blended into a dynamite flavor combination. If you enjoy sweet drinks, you will love this one.
 
I am including a homemade lemonade recipe in the thread of this recipe in case you are out. You only need 3 ounces of lemonade. No need to buy it for one cocktail. The lemonade is very easy to make with lemon juice, sugar and water. You can adjust the proportions if you like it sweeter or less sweet. The Red White and Berry Vodka needs to tart to offset the sweet mix and keep this cocktail from getting over the top cloying and yucky.
 
The grenadine naturally falls through the curaçao to the bottom of the glass creating the beautiful gradation of colors.
 
A Pop Rocks Candy Rim… you remember Pop Rocks—They are back again. The pop rocks react with the liquids around the edge of the glass and bang and pop continually while you sip… very much in the spirit of the 4th of July. Cool thing! Pop rocks make firecracker sounds so you can sizzle while you sip!
 
You can make a kid-friendly version with a 7-up, a little grenadine and some grape juice (or blue food coloring). Just rim the glass with honey as noted below and dip into the Pop Rocks… if you use soda or juice on the rim, either will immediately activate the rocks. Honey is thick enough to hold them until sipping begins.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 Cocktail
 
Ingredients
1-1/2 ounces Smirnoff Red White and Berry Vodka
3/4 ounce blue Curaçao
1/2 ounce Grenadine
3 ounces lemonade
 
Directions
To rim a glass with Pop Rocks

1. Put a dollop of honey on a flat plate. Roll the lip of your glass through the honey until the entire rim is coated.
2. On a separate flat plate mix the blue and red pop rocks.
3. Set your coated glass rim into the pop rocks. Using your fingers, push the pop rocks around the rim until the rim is completely coated with pop rock candy. Set aside.

To make the cocktail

1. Fill your cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Pour the Curaçao, vodka and lemonade into your shaker—Shake until very cold.
3. Fill your rimmed cocktail glass with ice.
4. Pour your cocktail into the rimmed cocktail glass.
   
5. Pour the Grenadine over the back of a spoon to float it atop the cocktail.
   
6. Garnish with a cherry or berries of your choice on a bamboo pick.

ChefSecrets:  You will need red and blue pop rocks and either honey or light corn syrup to rim your cocktail glass. Listen to the pop rocks 'rockets' explode as you sip this tasty and beautiful July 4th Firecracker Cocktail. It's a fun patriotic refreshment.
 
                                         Homemade Lemonade Recipe
                             If you do not have lemonade on hand, you can make your own:
 
Ingredients
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
 
Directions
Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use. You will need 3 ounces of lemonade for one cocktail.

A Little History:  What are Pop Rocks, you ask?  Where have you been hiding?  Pop Rocks differ from typical hard candy in that pressurized carbon dioxide gas bubbles are embedded inside of the candy, creating a small popping reaction when it dissolves.

The concept was patented by a General Foods research chemists on December 12, 1961, but the candy was not offered for sale to the public until 1976. General Foods withdrew it from the marketplace in 1983, citing its lack of success in the marketplace and its relatively short shelf life.

Rumors persisted that eating Pop Rocks and drinking soda would cause a person's stomach to boil and explode. This was, in part, caused by the false assumption that Pop Rocks contain an acid/base mixture (such as baking soda and vinegar) which produces large volumes of gas when mixed through chewing and saliva.

Though the confection had been extensively tested and found safe, the carbonated candy still alarmed residents in Seattle. The Food and Drug Administration set up a hotline there to assure anxious parents that the fizzing candy would not cause their children to choke. General Foods was battling the "exploding kid" rumors as early as 1979. General Foods sent letters to school principals, created an open letter to parents, took out advertisements in major publications and sent the confection's inventor on the road to explain that a Pop Rocks package contains less gas (namely, carbon dioxide, the same gas used in all carbonated beverages) than half a can of soda.

Because of the unique flavor of the legend, and the duration of its perpetuation, the story has appeared in many other forms of media and fiction even before the internet.

Quip of the Day: “Keep the American spirit alive by honoring this special occasion. Happy Independence Day!”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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 and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #FirecrackerCocktail #July4th #Smirnoff #PopRocks #IndependenceDay #SummerCocktail #Cheers #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                 ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021