How you doin’? Here’s a pair of cocktails that are as polar-opposites as their names—sunshine and stormy. So get ready for some bright sunshine and dark clouds—please just don’t mix them together as I won’t be publishing a hangover recipe until New Years.
 
                                            Sunny Californication Cocktail
Californication reflects the Southern California orange groves and a patchwork of cultures and flavors. So why not mix it up a little for this week’s Happy Hours mixin’s? At the old Customs House we used to auction off the bar mat at the end of the evening. The bar mat catches all the spills of all the different liquors that may have been used that evening. I know that may sound awful, but waste not want not.

So, the Californication reflects these cultures with the various spirits used within the cocktail from all over the world. It is a generous mixture of rum, vodka, tequila and gin finished with orange liqueur, lemon juice and orange juice to mask the various spirits used throughout. Simply garnish with either a slice of orange or a twisted orange rind or both. This drink is deceptively strong and yet sweet… kind of like a Long Island Iced Tea with OJ instead of Tea.
 
Ingredients
1/2 oz each of vodka, gin, white rum and tequila (yes, all four)
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 oz orange liqueur
3 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
Garnish with slice of fresh cut orange
 
Directions

1. In a large glass, splash equal measures of vodka, gin, white rum and tequila into a glass.
2. Add the lemon juice, freshly squeezed orange juice and lots of ice.
3. Mix well.
4. Float the orange liqueur over an inverted spoon over the ice cubes
5. Garnish with a fresh orange round or strip of rind to finish it off.
6. That’s it—you’re now officially a Californian—time to pay your taxes.

ChefSecret: It is important to use fresh lemon and orange juice, not the bottled stuff.
 
                                               Dark & Stormy Cocktail
While Dark and Stormy may sound ominous you don’t have to batten down the hatches or pull into a safe harbor. The cocktail was not born from the windy blackness of London, nor was it created in a barroom catering to the needs of distressed beached sailors. The Dark and Stormy is a drink that came from the calm, blue Caribbean waters, where rum, pretty girls are plentiful and so are sailors. It’s a simple drink that with a cool name.
 
For all its name’s melodrama, the Dark and Stormy’s history is tame. In 1806, an early Gosling family member sailed from England bound for Virginia. He didn’t make it to America—the sea was too calm—so the ship headed for the nearest dock instead, which happened to be in Bermuda—he never got much further. He used his family background in spirits to create the recipe for Gosling’s Aged Black Rum.
 
Moving forward 100 years, after World War I, British naval officers were brewing up ginger beer to combat sea sickness. They swirled the ginger beer and the black rum together in a cup, a sailor allegedly commented it looks like “the color of a cloud only a fool or a dead man would sail under,” and that where the Dark and Stormy was christened like a British ship.
 
To make a Dark and Stormy—it takes just three ingredients—Gosling’s Black Seal is the preferred brand of rum, but really, anything dark and funky will work.
 
Ingredients
2 ounces dark rum (Gosling’s preferred to make it official)
3 ounces ginger beer (don’t cheat and try to use ginger ale)
1/2 oz. lime juice (optional)
Lime wedge garnish
 
Directions

1. Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.
2. Add rum.
3. Pour in the ginger beer and lime juice.
4. Stir with a barspoon.
5. Garnish with a lime wedge.
6. Enjoy.

 
ChefSecret: Gosling’s is litigious about its intellectual property, going after competing beverage companies that try to rip off the name and recipe with their own rum brands. On some menus, you’ll find a cocktail called Safe Harbor, which is basically a Dark and Stormy without the legal baggage.
 
Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  Home schooling is not going all that well. Two students were suspended for fighting and the teacher was fired for drinking on the job.
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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—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.

#DarkAndStormy #Cocktails #SunnyCalifornication #Goslings #Vodka #Gin #Rum #Tequila #GingerBeer #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                                ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020

How you doin’? These days I like to keep something at hand in the refrigerator that’s easy to eat without too much fuss and bother. Something that I can just slice or heat in the microwave that takes just a few minutes to finish and plate.  I like to have homemade soup or chili, a small roasted prime rib, cold and crispy fried chicken or a half boneless turkey breast.
 
We’ve discussed the benefits of sous-vide cooking in previously cooking lessons and I hope you have gone online and purchased one that is suitable for your household needs. I have a Chefman sous vide cooker that only costs about $99. After a couple of years of use, I was very happy with it until the spring-loaded handle broke yesterday afternoon. The unit still functions, but better with the right handle. I have already asked for a replacement handle from the company which I hope will arrive soon.
 
Sous vide is a method of cooking in which food is placed in a plastic, sealed pouch or a glass jar under vacuum and cooked in a water bath for longer than usual cooking times at a precisely regulated temperature. The temperature is much lower than usually used for cooking, typically around 130⁰ to 145°F for meats, higher for vegetables. The intent is to cook the food evenly, ensuring that the inside is properly cooked without overcooking the outside, and to retain moisture. It enhances the natural texture of poultry and pork keeping them moist and flavorful. Not only do I use this cooking method in restaurants, but at home nearly every week. It’s great to open the fridge and grab a bag of chicken breasts or pork chops, pop them under the broiler for crisping and re-heating and have a gourmet meal in just minutes—that’s what sous-vide is all about.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Sous-vide time:  3 to 3-1/2 hours
Finish time:  7 to 10 minutes
Yield: 6 to eight servings
 
Ingredients
1 boneless, skin-on turkey breast half (about 3- to 4-pounds)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 lemon wheels cut 1/4-inch thick
2 sprigs of fresh basil or rosemary
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
 
Directions

1. Set the sous vide immersion Cooker to 145°F.
2. Season the turkey breast on all sides with the garlic powder, salt and pepper and place in a large vacuum seal bag (like a Foodsaver bag).
3. Place the lemon wheels on top of the skin.
4. Slip the sprigs of basil or rosemary under the lemon wheels.
5. Place the cold butter around the turkey breast.
6. Seal the bag using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer.
7. Place in the sous-vide water bath and set the timer for 3 to 3-1/2 hours for a slightly pink center.
8. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath and immediately plunge it into ice water.
9. Store refrigerated.
10. When ready to serve, remove the turkey breast from the bag and pat dry with paper towels; reserve the butter.
11. Heat broiler for 5 minutes on high heat. Add the turkey breast and butter and sear, skin side up (if oven broiler), until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.
12. Let the turkey breast rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

ChefSecret:  Some recipes call for you to sear the turkey breast before the sous vide process; I prefer to crisp the skin after the sous vide cook.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “It’s kind of ironic and hard to believe, when the pandemic first broke that people’s survival instincts told them to grab toilet paper.”
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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—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.

#Entree #TurkeyBreast #SousVide #Turkey #Poultry #Chefman #FoodSaver #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? Πως είσαι'? I bet you never knew my Greek was so good—I’m multi-lingual. In Greece the salad is called “Horiatiki,” which translates to village or peasant salad. It’s a combination of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, green peppers, olives and feta cheese, dressed in olive oil and sprinkled with oregano.
 
Let me tell you a little bit about traditional Greek salads. The Greek isles have been conquered by many people and Greek salads are no different. Greek salads did not reach world popularity until the end of the 19th century when the tomato became popular in Greece.
 
There is no lettuce or any other leafy greens in a traditional Greek salad. The salad is never mixed before it is served. The feta cheese is never cut in cubes but rather large slices are placed on top of the salad. In Greece, Horiatiki, is served most often from early spring to the early part of fall when the season’s quality produce including juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and onions are at their peak.
 
What goes best with a Greek Salad? Grilled ribeye steak with sautéed onions and mushrooms, loaded baked potato, cheesy broccoli and a horseradish cream sauce is delicious with this salad. Grilled shrimp and peppers are delicious on salad. Grilled steak over this salad is also delicious!
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
For the Greek salad dressing
1-1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (1 large clove)
1 1/2 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon honey
Sea Salt, to taste
6 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
 
For the salad
4 medium Roma tomatoes, diced
1 medium English cucumber, peeled and sliced into circles
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced shreds, rinsed and drained
1 small red or yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
3/4 cup kalamata or black olives, drained and sliced
1 cup (4 ounces) sliced (not cubed or crumbled) feta cheese
1 medium firm avocado, diced
1 loaf warm crusty bread   (Optional: omit if gluten-free is desired)
 
Directions
To make the dressing

1. Add all of the dressing ingredients, except the olive oil, to a blender jar and blend well.  Let the dressing rest for 10 minutes and then blend in the olive oil.
2. Season with salt to taste and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
3. In a large salad bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, onions, bell peppers, olives, avocado and feta cheese.
4. Drizzle dressing over top and gently toss to evenly coat. Add dressing within a few minutes of serving for best results.
5. Serve with warm crusty bread.

 
ChefSecret:  Add the olive oil as the last step in making any salad dressing or marinade giving the rest of the ingredients a chance bloom for full flavor. Consider adding slice grilled ribeye, grilled chicken breast or grilled shrimp as a topper to your Greek Salad.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Wash your hands like you just finished a bag of hot Cheetos con limón and you need to remove your contact lenses.”

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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 also being 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—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.

#Entree #Salad #EntreeSalad #GreekSalad #Tomatoes #Horiatiki #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? Three of my favorite pork roast recipes are carnitas, kalua pork and pork belly. The best pork belly I ever tasted—until now—was at Tom Colicchio’s Craft Restaurant in Century City, where the meat is unctuously delicious and the skin is so snappy crisp.

I saw rolled pork belly roasts in the display case at Huntington Meats at the Los Angeles Original Farmer’s Market last week. I didn’t really know how I was going to cook it, but I did know I wanted to duplicate that Colicchio pork belly taste and texture.
 
I found some recipes for Lechon Roll slow roasted in the oven with super crispy skin and super moist meat. So, I knew I didn’t have to order a whole pig cooked in an imu pit to get my kalua pork and I didn’t have to boil a pork roast in lard and Coca Cola to make it moist like carnitas. I decided that none of the recipes I researched were going to give me exactly what I wanted so I went off on my own and created my own rolled pork belly roll roast recipe.
 
I always try to provide somewhat decent pictures of my finished work at its best, but in this case, I didn’t have a chance. It smelled so good, it was dinner time and I had hungry people waiting to, so what you see is that all that was left—an end piece and lots of string. I know you would understand. 
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Roast time:  4 hours
Chill time:  24 to 48 hours
Crisp time:  30 to 45 minutes
 
Ingredients
1 (4 to 5 pounds) tied whole pork belly, skin-on without ribs
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
 
Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 450⁰ F.
2. Using paper towels, pat down surfaces of meat to completely dry.
3. With a small knife, poke the surface of the skin all over without piercing the meat.
4. Rub the seasonings all over the rolled roast.
5. Place the rolled pork belly on a sheet of parchment paper and roll up the roast in the paper.
   
6. Then roll-up the paper-wrapped roast in 2 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil and tightly seal on the bottom and side edges.
   
7. Begin to roast in the 450⁰ F. preheated oven and then immediately turn down the temperature down to 250⁰F to roast for 4 hours.
   
8.  Remove the rolled roast from the oven and let it counter cool for a couple of hours and then place it into the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours.
9. An hour before final cooking, take the roast out of the refrigerator, unwrap and place on a foiled-wrapped sheet pan.
10. Preheat the oven broiler to medium.
11. Place the roast under the broiler and allow the skin to crisp and blister while it heats the center of the roast; 30 to 45 minutes or until skin is very crisp.
12. Remove from oven and let the roast rest for about 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

ChefSecret:  By triple wrapping the roast it allows the meat to roast until very tender, while the skin and fat are rendering free of most fat.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “The government doctors said, ‘a mask and gloves were enough to go to the supermarket.’ They lied; can you imagine how embarrassed I was when everyone else was wearing clothes?”
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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—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.

#Entree #PorkBelly #RoastedPorkBelly  #LechonRoll #Pork #TomColicchio #CraftRestaurant #HuntingtonMeats #OriginalFarmersMarket #FarmersMarketLA #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                                 ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? Every time I think of King Ranch Chicken (KRC), it reminds me of an old TV series, Sky King. That series sparked my fascination with planes, leading to my learning to fly. I would dream of having my own Twin King Air, flying through the clouds to my ranch in Texas, Oklahoma or Montana. It was a child’s wonderful dream and it came true!... not with a King Air but an Aero Commander years later. The fact is I never felt freer than when I was piloting my own plane up in the wild blue yonder. Cute story. Of course, King Ranch Chicken has nothing to do the with Sky King. It’s just one of those associations in my mind.
 
KRC is a classic American casserole that many remember as one of the best meals from their childhood. It’s chicken and peppers layered with tortillas and cheese—lots of cheese.  Although the exact origin of King Ranch Chicken is somewhat of a mystery, one thing is certain, whoever created this American classic had a pretty good idea of what they were doing. It is made with readily available ingredients and is a fantastic way to use leftover chicken. It consists of layers of smoked, grilled or roasted chicken, roasted or grilled peppers, and toasted corn tortillas, all smothered in cheese and sour cream, then baked until bubbly and golden brown.
 
It’s an easy, make-ahead, take-it-anywhere type of casserole. Some people use a concentrated canned soup as a base in their recipe, which very well may be the original—I don’t. My King Ranch Chicken is from scratch and is much healthier and fresher tasting. It takes me only 35 minutes for all the cutting and sautéing, 10 minutes for assembly and about 30 to 35 minutes in the oven (while I enjoy a couple of fingers of Bourbon and Branch—that’s a cocktail in “western speak”). A little effort, but worth it. It’s the type of meal that your stomach tells you to stop eating, while your brain keeps telling you to go back for seconds.
 
Prep time:  35 minutes
Assembly time:  10 minutes
Bake time:  30 to 35 minutes
Yield:  Serves 8 to 12
 
Ingredients
A couple of spritzes of Pam non-stick cooking spray
6 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups chopped red or yellow onions
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped poblano pepper (about 2 medium peppers)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, seamed and chopped
3 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-3/4 cups chicken stock
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained (Ro-tel is great)
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish
1-1/2 cups sour cream
5 cups cooked chicken meat, coarsely chopped or shredded
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/4 cup vegetable oil, for grilling the tortillas
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with Pam.
2. Heat the oil or the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, poblano pepper, and jalapeño pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
5. Still stirring constantly, slowly stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Boil until the mixture thickens; 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
6. Add the tomatoes and sour cream to the skillet and stir to combine.
7. Add the chicken and cilantro and stir again until mixed.
8. Mix the two cheeses in a small bowl.
9. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
10. Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with oil and toast them on both sides until they start to brown. Flip them once, about 1 minute per side. It’s best to just toast a couple at a time so they don’t burn on the hot skillet, until lightly browned and crisp.
11. Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 6 tosated tortillas, overlapping the tortillas slightly. Top with 1/2 of the chicken mixture and 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layers once, adding 6 more tortillas and the remaining chicken mixture and 1/2 the remaining cheeses. Top with the remaining tortillas and cheese.
12. Lightly coat a sheet of aluminum foil with Pam spray release and cover the baking dish, placing the coated side down.
13. Bake the casserole for 20 minutes.
14. Uncover the casserole and continue to bake until bubbly and lightly browned on top, 10 to 15 more minutes.
15. Let the casserole stand 10 minutes to cool slightly and then sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

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ChefSecret:  One of the best things about casseroles (aside from their yummy taste) is that you can just slide the baking dish into the oven and forget about it while it cooks—no tending required. The preparation must be done before you get to that point of just effortlessly sliding it into the oven, and my King Ranch Chicken recipe is no exception.
 
Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Half of us going to come out of this pandemic as amazing cooks. The other half will come out overweight with drinking problem.”
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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.
-------------------------------------------
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.

#Entree #Casserole #KingRanchChicken #Chicken #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                             ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020