…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen How you doin’? There are benefits to being a dishwasher and serving in the Navy—you can learn a lot. Jessie, the cook at the camp in Malibu where I washed dishes for a couple of summers as a kid, used to make this “Easy As Pie” Chocolate Mousse. He told me this was one of the best recipes he learned as a Navy cook. Who knew sailors were so well fed? I’ve made my mousse recipe even easier and you can make it any time you need a great-but-not-too-fussy luscious dessert that kids will love and your guests will think is one of the most elegant desserts you can make. Because the egg whites aren’t cooked for this recipe, be sure to use pasteurized eggs (store-bought, or see my procedure below on how to pasteurize eggs at home). Letting the pasteurized egg white come to room temperature ensures they’ll whip up to their full volume. Prep time: 15 minutes Yield: 6 servings Ingredients 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1/2 cup whole milk 6 large, pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature 2 cups whipped cream 1/4 cup shaved bittersweet chocolate 6 stem-on Maraschino cherries (optional garnish, just for the kids) Directions
ChefSecret: Speaking of “easy as pie” this recipe makes a great chocolate silk pie. Use a pre-baked pie crust (store bought is okay). “Paint” a little melted chocolate on the bottom of the crust to make it “water-proof.” After the chocolate sets up, fill the crust with chocolate mousse and then top with lots of whipped cream. Quip of the Day: “My wife can't cook at all. She made chocolate mousse. An antler got stuck in my throat.” … Rodney Dangerfield How To Pasteurize Large Eggs At Home
ChefSecret: Jumbo sized eggs need to cook for 5 minutes in 140°F water. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? 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. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America. #Dessert #ChocolateMousse #PasteurizedEggs #Yum #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022
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…from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? If you’re a fan of Seinfeld, then you’re undoubtedly familiar with the Soup Nazi. He was famous for his Mulligatawny Soup which, if you didn’t know how to order properly, his response would be “No Soup For You!” The funny thing about the Soup Nazi is he is a relatively small character in the overall timeline of the show. There are 180 episodes of Seinfeld over its 9-year run, and the Soup Nazi only appears in 2 episodes. Nevertheless, his name is forever linked with the show. I first came to taste Mulligatawny Soup in an Irish pub in Dublin. It had a taste of curry which you wouldn’t have found in Ireland at the time. With a name like Mulligatawny, I thought it was Irish… doh! Mulligatawny is the Anglicized version of the Tamil (a southern Indian dialect) which means "pepper water" or "pepper broth." It became popular with the British stationed in India who were employees of the East India Company during the British colonial period, during the late 18th century. My Instant Pot Mulligatawny Soup is a rich, warm, soup with a nice light curry spice flavor. Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 35 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients For the soup 2 tablespoons olive oil 1-pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts cut into 2-inch cubes 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup diced yellow onion 1 cup diced celery 1 cup diced carrots 1/2 cup diced green pepper 4 tablespoons minced garlic 2 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated) or 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder 1-1/2 tablespoons sweet curry powder 1-1/2 teaspoons garam masala 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 6 cups chicken broth 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained 1/2 cup white rice (rinsed well) 1 apple, diced 3 whole cloves To finish the soup 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup heavy cream Directions
ChefSecret: Always remember that tasting the spice level a teaspoon at a time is different from eating an entire portion. This recipe results in a mild, sweet curry flavor; if you like a spicier version add more curry powder. Quip of the Day: “I bought a warehouse full of soup stock… now I’m a bouillonaire! ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? 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 and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America. #Entrees #Lunch #Dinner #Soup #Mulligatawny #InstantPot #SoupNazi #Seinfeld #2022Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022 A Favorite Cocktail In Memory of HRM Queen Elizabeth II How you doin’? We have the deepest respect for the lady that wore the Crown of England for the last 70-years. Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom from 6 February 1952 until her death last week on 8 September 2022. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days was the longest of any British monarch and the second-longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country—an extraordinary reign. Elizabeth was known for many things, but for today I would like to address one of her favorite after-a-day’s hard work evening cocktails. Being a Royal is hard work, not like digging a ditch hard, but always being ‘on stage.’ The queen was partial to gin—her favorite—Buckingham Palace branded gin made with botanicals grown on the palace grounds. Wouldn’t it be nice to have cocktails mixed every night with what many consider the best gin in the kingdom? In celebration of the Queen’s 70 years, put on your biggest fascinator (ugly English lady’s hat) and pour yourself a super fancy cocktail—the Queen’s favorite—the Dubonnet and Gin cocktail. It does appear that this was the go-to drink for the past monarch. Queen Elizabeth would sip one for long periods of time at social events. The Dubonnet is an apéritif cocktail that’s just unique and rare enough to make a splash in any social setting. Once wildly popular, this aromatic drink has become a bit rarer in recent years, however, it is now making a resurgence. If you want to be a member in good standing in the non-royal drinking social circle, you have to first understand what is an apéritif cocktail. An apéritif is an alcoholic beverage meant to stimulate the appetite, which is why the Queen preferred to drink this particular cocktail right before a meal. Apéritifs are usually dry beverages instead of sweet. They tend to be served with appetizers or an amuse-bouche. Dubonnet is a sweet wine apéritif—a blend of fortified red wine, herbs, spices, and quinine. It has a fruity, spicy flavor and hails from France. Dubonnet was originally marketed in 1846 by Joseph Dubonnet. A perfect Dubonnet cocktail is a particularly potent cocktail made from one part gin and two parts Dubonnet, which is part of why it is so small. Once strained, the final result comes out to only about two and a half ounces. Although the Queen had a staff member whose job it was to mix this perfect cocktail drink for her every day, the rest of us can make it rather easily at home as well. The Dubonnet Cocktail done the Queen’s way requires just four ingredients. Prep time: 3 minutes Yield: 1 cocktail Ingredients 2 ounces of Dubonnet 1 ounce of gin Ice 1 lemon slice Directions
A Suitable Toast for the Day: “The Queen Is Dead; Long Live The King!” ------------------------------------------- ChefSecret: In 2021, the Queen awarded a royal warrant to Dubonnet. The royal warrant is seldom handed out and has only been given to a handful of companies during the Queen’s reign. This warrant means that from now on, all Dubonnet bottles will have the royal mark to show they have earned this designation. Other past recipients include Bollinger Champagne, Lanson and Pol Roger, Hine Cognac, and Laphroaig Scotch. It is a seriously special designation. Quip of the Day: “I love water especially when it’s frozen in cubes and surrounded by Gin.” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? 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. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America. #Cocktail #HappyHour #QE2 #DubonnetCocktail #Gin #RIPQueenElizabeth #Cheers #Covid19SurvivalBlog #2022 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022 …from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? I spent a wonderful summer researching Tivoli Gardens—an amusement park and pleasure garden located in the center of Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on August 15, 1843; it is the second-oldest operating amusement park in the world, after Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Klampenborg, also in Denmark. There is a cookie bakery in the park that bakes up butter-vanilla and butter and almonds into the most delightful crisp cookies imaginable. These cookies are my very favorite cookies to make around Christmas time… or any time of year for that matter. They are simple to make, unique and pretty. Prep time: 10 minutes Bake time: 15 minutes Yield: 40 to 45 cookies Ingredients For the cookie dough 1/2 cup unsalted Danish butter (see ChefSecret) 1 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon almond extract 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup sliced almonds 2 tablespoons milk For the icing 1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 cup milk Directions To make the cookie dough
Quip of the Day: “Which type of cookie can make a person become a rich man from a mere pauper? It definitely is a fortune cookie!" ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? 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. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America. #Baking #Cookies #DanishAlmondCookies #TivoliGardens #Plugra #Aldmonds #2022 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022 …from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? Let’s try something a little different today—Let’s make some Gnocchi with baked potatoes! Classic gnocchi are light, tender and airy. Gnocchi is not classified as a pasta, but more of an Italian dumpling. These dumplings are not over-powered by the taste of potato which isn't a hugely overwhelming flavor in and of itself, but the shape and texture makes them an excellent carrier for other flavors in sauces, making them incredibly versatile. The potato gnocchi originated in Northern Italy, where the cooler climate was better suited for growing potatoes rather than grain. There are potatoes that are starchier, that make light, airy dough and are responsible for the soft, pillowy texture and the light potato flavor of the gnocchi. Bartolomeo Scappi included gnocchi in his 1570 cookbook; they were made from a dough of flour and stale breadcrumbs mixed with water and pushed through the holes of a cheese grater. In later years, egg, flour and water were introduced to the recipe, which became known as malfatti. But it didn’t become the potato dumplings we know today until the 16th century when potatoes were introduced to Europe. The most common way to prepare gnocchi today is to combine mashed potatoes (boiled or baked) with flour, forming balls of dough. The gnocchi dough is rolled out, then cut into small bite-sized pieces, each individually pressed with a fork or a cheese grater to produce the ridges on one side. The purpose of these grooves is to enable each dumpling to hold the sauce for a more flavorful finished dish. The most popular gnocchi sauce is a light butter sauce with fresh sage. There are other methods and other sauces that make delicious gnocchi, such as extra virgin olive oil with small savory ingredients like toasted pine nuts, mushrooms or a touch of cream. There’s also gnocchi with sausage ragú, a traditional Sardinian dish. There’s baked gnocchi of cheeses and veggies with sausage, prosciutto or pancetta. And there are tomato-based sauces, light cream sauce and even pesto (pine nut, cheese and basil) sauce… all are delicious. Gnocchi is generally a first course dish, or an alternative to soups or other pasta. There are many variations–ricotta, spinach, pumpkin, and more. Gnocchi are still home-made in many Italian households. There’s also ready-to-eat package gnocchi bought fresh or frozen in grocery stores and supermarkets. My recipe is so simple it’s just as easy and more delicious to make at home yourself. Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 2 large russet potatoes 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 large egg 2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons kosher salt Sauce of your choosing Directions
ChefSecret: Gnocchi developed into different variations since the times of the Romans. They can be made with different ingredients such as squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and breadcrumbs or made of ordinary wheat flour or cornmeal. Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “This sign was found across the street from a courthouse in South Dakota--Love is Grand! Divorce is Twenty Grand!!!” ------------------------------------------- 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. #Entree #Dinner #PotatoGnocchi #Gnocchi #ItalianDumpling #2022Recipes #Covid19SurvivalBlog #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022 |
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