…from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour BarHow you doin’? Even though by calendar fall is about two weeks away, I’m sorry to report that with Labor Day in the rear-view mirror it’s really just a whisper away. I love Summer but Fall also has many attractions of interest for this writer. Before we start to extol the new season’s virtues, I want to close out the season with a last Summertime cocktail. When I was in high school, I was a lifeguard and watched over the throngs of sun-worshiping people on my assigned beach. At this time of the season, I used to sit on the Santa Monica pier, look out over the nearly empty beach and out to ocean as the sun was setting to the West and think about my summer experiences. So here is my toast to the end of summer with a Pacific Ocean Breeze Cocktail. For this cocktail I used Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka. Smirnoff is the number one selling premium vodka in the world. It is described by The New York Times as “clean and ultra-smooth with a pleasing texture”… the hands-down favorite. Smirnoff’s award-winning taste is triple distilled, filtered 10 times, with 57 quality checks. It is great for mixed drinks! There is an edge to it if you drink it straight. So, pick your favorite mixer carefully and get to drinking! Cheers! Also important, with inflation on the rise, the price is still very affordable, as I think this brand is meant to be. Don't discount it just because of the lower price and it being rated the number one brand—It’s number one for a reason—it’s good! Prep time: 3 minutes Yield: 1 cocktail Ingredients 1-1/2 ounces Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka 1-1/2 ounces Blue Curaçao 2 ounces lemonade 1 lime wheel Directions
ChefSecret: Serve this cocktail for a pool or patio party—turn it into a punch.
Quip of the Day: “I tried to say no to vodka, but it’s 40% stronger than I am.” ------------------------------------------- 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 and positive, stay well and safe and be kind.
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…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen How you doin’? Yes, I know it’s Wednesday, but this one is for busy Friday dinners, so you need to plan ahead. Besides, Fridays are for Happy Hour cocktails! I hate cleaning up dirty pot and pans! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe it’s beneath my dignity—I just hate it. If you’re dirtying separate pots for boiling noodles and making sauce, then I’ve got a hack that will surprise you. Spaghetti is an easy meal that almost everybody loves to eat. No two people make it exactly the same way. Start with sauces… traditional Italian red sauces range from those made with fresh-picked tomatoes slowly simmered for days, to Southern sauces made with a pinch of white sugar that can be whipped up in 30 minutes. Many people use a good quality jarred sauce (I refer Rao’s). As you can see, spaghetti recipes are as varied as the cooks who make them. Next time you set out to make your favorite spaghetti recipe, think of me and a clean kitchen… my hack will help you generate fewer dirty dishes and less mess. This gives you the opportunity to spend more time with people you love. Best of all you won’t suffer from after dinner dirty dish dread, and you can enjoy the great aftertaste of a delicious spaghetti meal. For those of you who grew up attached to your mother’s apron strings this is going to sounds a little freaky but, trust me, it really works! This original hack is to cook your noodles directly in your sauce—yes, that’s what I said--DIRECTLY IN THE SAUCE! By adding the uncooked spaghetti (or noodles) and some extra liquid into the sauce, you end up with a simple and delicious meal made in just one pot—yes, ONE POT. It's important to make sure there's enough extra liquid added to your sauce so the spaghetti cooks properly and gets completely rehydrated. Not enough, and you'll have crunchy spaghetti. Too much, and you'll end up with mushy spaghetti stew. Below is my Freaky Friday One-Pot Spaghetti recipe that you can chef up to be all your own. You can also make your usual recipe, just be sure to add in three to four cups of extra liquid (water or wine), as directed below, to ensure your spaghetti comes our perfectly every time. Give my hack a try and you won't have to dread doing the dishes on Freaky Fridays. Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes Yield: 4-6 servings Ingredients 1-pound lean ground beef, veal, pork or Italian sausage 1 jar store-bought marinara sauce 4 cups broth (chicken, beef or vegetable), divided 1 cup chopped fresh basil 1 clove finely chopped garlic Pinch of salt and pepper 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup water or wine 1-pound thin dry spaghetti Directions
ChefSecret: You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Add about 1/4 cup of water before reheating in a microwave. Quip of the Day: “The hack for properly washing dirty pots and pans—place dirty pots in hot, soapy water—tell yourself they need to soak—go watch television (they’ll still be there in the morning).” ------------------------------------------- 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. #Entree #Dinner #Italian #Raos #Spaghetti #MeatSauce #1PotEntree #Marinara #CleanHack #y #Covid19SurvivalBlog #2022 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022 … from the Perspectives’ Kitchen How you doin’? I don’t know about you, but I hate to throw away food. Throwing away good food is sinful! So, how can you avoid wasting food and money? It starts by buying right. While it’s tempting to see all that is being offered in today’s supermarkets it is important to only buy what you can eat within a short period of time. Personally, I’m a weekly shopper with very little mid-week fill-in shopping. During the summer, the produce department looks so tempting that you want to buy everything especially in the fresh-cut departments; these items have a really limited shelf life. Always check the label on when ready-mixed salad greens were harvested and when fresh cut fruits and vegetables were prepared and packaged. The same goes for groceries from the center of the store. Because of the different nomenclature used, food labeling can be confusing. A survey from the National Resources Defense Council found that nearly 90 percent of Americans toss out food prematurely. Much of this waste can be attributed to a confusing food dating system that is not federally regulated. Here's what you need to know to get the most out of groceries and avoid expensive toss outs. The FDA states on its website that, except for infant formula (assuming you can find any), product dating is not required by Federal regulation. The food dates or "expiration dates" we're so familiar with are not necessarily indicators of food safety at all, they are simply the manufacturer's suggestion as to when their product is at the best quality. So, what does this mean for you the consumer? You may very well be throwing out food while it's still perfectly safe to eat. The best way to combat this waste is to be familiar with common food labels and their meanings. Let me break down the meaning behind these food labels and give a general guideline as to how long groceries will last. What Do Common Date Labels Actually Mean? I've already established that food labels generally refer to quality, not food safety. This begs the question, what are our food labels telling us about the quality of our food? And what's the difference between sell by, use by, best by, and all the other labels? Let me break it down here: Sell By The sell-by date simply tells retailers how long to display the product before taking it off the shelves. It's in no way an indication of safety. Grocery stores will often try to get rid of older inventory through sales, but it is still safe to eat! Best If Used By/Before The most heeded food date is the best-by date, but the label is a little misleading. As with other food dates, this label doesn't indicate when a product is "best" in terms of safety, but rather in terms of quality. So, the best-by date simply refers to when a product will be at its flavor or quality peak. Guaranteed Fresh This date usually refers to bakery items. It simply indicates when the item will be at peak freshness, but it's still safe to eat after this date. Out-of-code breads are still tasty when slathered with butter and garlic and toasted to perfection. Use By This refers to the last date recommended by the manufacturer for use of the produce while at peak quality. The only time this refers to safety is in the case of infant formula. Pack Date The pack date is the code that refers to the date the food was washed, graded, and packaged. This is commonly found on egg cartons. The tricky thing with this label is it's not the easiest to read. The label is often in a code that represents the day of the year that it was packed. For example, 001-22 would refer to January 1, 2022, and 365--22 would refer to December 31, 2022. Sometimes the code also includes a number representing the production facility, and sometime also includes the shift number or actual time produced. Freeze By This date indicates when a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality as long as it's frozen. Some labels even read consume by or freeze to maintain quality. How to Know If Food Has Gone Bad Let me share some “general” guidelines as to how long different types of foods are safe to eat—keyword here being general. What's most important to know about food safety are the signs of spoilage.
How Long Are Foods Safe to Eat? General Food Guidelines The food storage guidelines come from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service: Refrigerated Foods (these guidelines assume your refrigerator is holding temperature at or below 40°F, ideally about 36⁰ F).
How to Stretch Food Past Its Expiration Date If food can’t be cooked and it is on the verge of going bad, there are several ways you can stretch it well past the expiration date. Refer to my guide on how to safely freeze, thaw and reheat food. Make the most of seasonal produce canning fresh fruits and veggies for enjoyment well into the winter months. Even with these preserving methods, the food will only be as fresh as it was at the time it was stored. Keep food from spoiling before you have a chance to freeze or can it, by keeping it out of the "temperature danger zone," as much as possible. This is the range we call the kill zone—41⁰ F to 140⁰ F—in which bacteria grows the most rapidly. I keep my refrigerator temperature at 36⁰ F. I keep my freezer at below 20⁰ F. Food Safety Guidelines HYGIENE: Wash and Sanitize Hands--Before working with food and after eating, using the toilet, or covering a cough or a sneeze and after using the telephone. HOLDING: Hot Foods Above 145° F; Cold Foods Below 40° F. TEMPERATURE: Sanitize thermometer between tests. RE‑HEATING / COOLING: Re‑Heat Foods To 165° on stove, in the microwave or in the oven. Rapidly cool large amounts of food in shallow pans in the refrigerator or freezer. FOOD HANDLING: Do Not Serve any food that has been placed on unclean work surfaces or foods held at unsafe temperatures. FOOD STORAGE: Label foods not stored in original containers. Do not store foods on the floor. Date & Rotate all foods--First In, First Out. CONTAMINATION: Clean & Sanitize All Utensils & Tools From One Food Product To Another. Never mix cooked and uncooked food in the same area. Keep poultry separate from other foods. Use the sink to wash, rinse, sanitize. ILLNESS / INFECTION: Do Not Handle food when sick, with open cuts or sores or with an infection. MAINTENANCE: Keep all cleaning equipment in Good working order. Check detergent and sanitizer levels. CHEMICAL STORAGE: Label and store cleaning supplies and pesticides Away From Food. INSECTS/RODENTS: Store trash in covered, lined containers. Keep Refuse Area Clean and away from fresh food. Seal wall openings and keep doors in good repair. ChefSecret: More food borne illness cases originate in peoples’ home than in restaurants. Yes, that turkey that sat out for 2 or 3 hours at Thanksgiving may not be safe to use for leftovers. Quip of the Day: What do you call a plate of spoiled sausages? A bunch of brats. (Get it? Brats? HA!) ------------------------------------------- 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. #SpecialEdition #ExpiredFood #FoodSafety #FDA #BestBy #UseBy #Fresh #USDA #SpoiledFood #Covid19SurvivalBlog #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022 Our 500th Issue!!How you doin’? While it’s hard for us to believe this is 500th issue of our Survival Guide. If you’ve been following us then you already know that when the word of the lock-down was issued back in 2020 many of our family, friends and neighbors didn’t have the knowledge or recipes to prepare 3 meals a day every day for their families. As food professionals we knew we could send out recipes for the 14-day lockdown. And so that’s where this blog was born. It is now almost 2-1/2 years later and we are still getting requests for recipes. We have tried to provide a variety of recipes—Healthful, Sinful, Gluten-Free, Vegan and even a Happy Hour Friday cocktail. We’ve been told we more than achieved our goal to help everyone get through those early days… and well beyond. We now have enough material to publish another book (the first one being Choclatique – 150 Simply Elegant Desserts, 2011). As I think you know, this takes lots of time and effort to research, develop, test, photograph and publish recipes. We have decided to continue to reach out to you all at least for the next 100. We hope you continue to enjoy them. We’re coming up on the last summer national holiday—Labor Day. So here’s a way everyone can salute the red, white and blue with a Labor Day Red, White and Blue Daiquiri. One of our readers sent this recipe to me which they found on The Food Network. Most of my cocktails are fairly simple, but this one takes the cake for being one of the most complex drink recipes ever created. Why do I include it? Because it tastes great, it looks amazing and is perfect for Labor Day. Prep time: 20 minutes Yield: 6 cocktails Ingredients For the red layer 1 cup frozen strawberries 1 cup watermelon chunks, frozen 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes) 2 tablespoons white rum 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup ice cubes For the white layer 1 cup coconut sorbet 1/4 cup rum 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes) 1 cup ice cubes For the blue layer 1/3 cup blue passion fruit liqueur, such as Hpnotiq or Alize 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes) 2 tablespoons blue curacao liqueur 2 tablespoons white rum 2 tablespoons sugar 2 cups ice cubes Directions To make the red layer
ChefSecret: The 3 layers have to be very cold. For best results, slowly pour the color layers over the back of a spoon into the glass to prevent them from blending into each other. Quip of the Day: “Actually, if you could see close in my eyes, the American flag is waving in both of them and up my spine is growing this red, white and blue stripe.” …Walt Disney ------------------------------------------- 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 #Daiquiri #Red-White-Blue #LaborDay #Rum #BlueCuracao #PassionFruitLiqueur #Cheers #TheFoodNetwork #Covid19SurvivalBlog #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022 |
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