How you doin’? It is officially winter and in some parts of the country people have been freezing their butts off for weeks. I can’t make that claim in my sunny location, although it has been unusually chilly of late.
 
There are all types of drinkers in this world. Some people like their drinks sweet, fruity and fun. Others prefer something smooth and civilized, without too much kick. Then there are the ones who want things to be simple, square-jawed and boozy. I fall into that last category, and for most of the year that’s not a problem. Just give me an Old Fashioned and I’m fine: whiskey, a dot of sugar, a couple dashes of bitters, ice and lemon peel. Simple. Tasty.
 
Come winter, though, when you’ve been trudging through the snow or otherwise freezing your ears off, who wants ice? A Hot Toddy is what you may crave: whiskey, sugar, boiling water and maybe a sliver of lemon peel. That’s what “toddy” used to mean, anyway. Unfortunately, it has somehow come to mean just about everything but that. Step up to the bar and order one, and you’re likely to end up with a mess of boiled cider, honey, every spice McCormick makes, two or three different liqueurs and, somewhere deep down at the bottom, a tiny drop or two of whiskey. While there’s nothing wrong with drinking all that, it would be nice to be able to get something without all the frills. Perhaps if we called it something different...
 
Fortunately, there’s another name for a traditional Toddy: a Whisky Skin. Back in the daguerreotype days (1840’s through 1850’s) that’s what it was called. (The “skin” part coming from the lemon peel and the “whisky” part meaning they liked it best with Scotch.) It used to be quite popular, too. No wonder—back then, all the Scotch was pure malt; rich, heady stuff that could stand up to a little sugar, water and a lemon peel with no problem at all. Is it just me or do you feel a chill coming on? Relax and heat up a little of my Whisky Warmer.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Yield:  1 serving
 
Ingredients 
Boiling water
1 teaspoon demerara sugar
2 ounces Scotch Whisky (I prefer Chivas)
Lemon peel

Directions

1. Pour 8-ounces of boiling water into a heavy mug.
2. Add the sugar and scotch and stir to mix.
3. Garnish with a lemon peel over the rim of the mug.

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ChefSecret:  If you’re entertaining and serving this beverage, line up all the mugs and pour the boiling water into the mug when desired.

Quip of the Day: “What I really love is my scotch. It’s the power... the power of positive drinking.”
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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, 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 and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Cocktail #HappyHour #WinterWhiskyWarmer #Whisky #Chivas #HotToddy #Cheers #2022 #Cheers# QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
                                                                     
                                                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

How you doin’? When I lived in Dallas, I discovered Black Eyed Peas were a potluck dish to help ring in the New Year. 
 
On New Year’s Eve, many African-Americans make a point to cook black-eyed peas to usher in the new year, and as author John Egerton wrote in his book Southern Food, it is believed they have a “mystical and mythical power to bring good luck.”
 
Actually the black-eyed pea isn’t a pea at all—it’s a bean that is in the cowpea family. Black-eyed peas were brought to the Americas on slave ships from West Africa to feed the enslaved people who made the long and tortuous journey across the Middle Passage. In Africa, black-eyed peas would have been either boiled and eaten with rice, or fried and eaten with rice and fried plantains. Once in America, black-eyed peas were able to be planted by enslaved people in their gardens because they were viewed as a food for poor people and were also used to feed animals. They were often used in soups, stews and fritters.
 
After the Civil War, eating black-eyed peas became more common throughout the South and was not limited to being food for the Africans or the poor. The Union Army raided the Confederate Army’s food supplies during the Civil War and took everything that they considered edible, with the exception of black-eyed peas. At this point, the Confederate Army had to eat whatever they could find and ate the beans out of necessity. 
 
No one knows for sure where the tradition of eating black-eyed peas for good luck and prosperity in the New Year came from; there are a couple of theories. One theory is that the enslaved ate black-eyed peas when the Emancipation Proclamation became effective on January 1, 1863. Another theory is based on the Southern phrase, “eat poor on New Year’s and eat fat the rest of the year”—grounded in the historically held belief that black-eyed peas were for poor people.
 
The most common way to eat black-eyed peas is in the Hoppin’ John dish. The earliest recipe can be found in an 1847 cookbook, A Carolina Housewife, written by Sarah Rutledge. Most recipes for Hoppin’ John call for cooking the black-eyed peas with rice, pork (usually fatback or bacon) and seasonings. Some variations include chopped onions and hot sauce.
 
My Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas are just as delicious as the good old-fashioned recipes that are still served for New Year's Day feasts.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  40 minutes
Release time:  15 minutes
Yield:  8 servings
 
Ingredients 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 bay leaves
8 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pound dry black-eyed peas, rinsed
1 pound smoked ham hock (see ChefSecret)
4 slices thick cut smoky bacon, rough chopped
5 cups water
2 teaspoons low sodium Better Than Bouillon chicken base
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

1. Turn the Instant Pot to the Sauté setting. When hot, add the oil and the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to turn translucent.
2. Add the bay leaves and the garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for 20 seconds.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Cancel the sauté setting.
4. Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
5. Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button, and then the +/- button to select 16 minutes. High Pressure.
6. When the cook cycle has finished, turn off the pot and let it sit undisturbed for a 15 minute natural release. Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to release the remaining pressure.
7. When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid.
8. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Then remove the ham hocks and get the meat off of the bones. Add the meat back into the pot.
9. Taste and add a little salt, if needed.
10. Serve with freshly baked cornbread. You can also serve over rice as an option.

​ChefSecret:  Ask your favorite meat cutter to saw the smoked ham hock into several pieces to make it easier to separate the meat from the bones after cooking. This can be a "dump and cook" recipe if you don't want to bother to do the sautéing steps.

Quip of the Day: “You don’t realize how old you’ve gotten in the last two years until you sit on the floor and then try to get back up.”
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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, 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 and/or American Red Cross.
 
#InstantPot #BlackEyedPeas #TexasStyle #Entrees #HamHocks #BetterThanBouillon #Holidays2022 #2022Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup
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                                                                           ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

How you doin’? In 1951, Brennan’s Restaurant on Bourbon Street was getting rave reviews.  Owen Brennan asked his sister Ella to come up with a fancy new dessert for a dinner honoring Richard Foster for being named chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission.
 
An already-overworked Ella Brennan gathered her chef, Paul Blange, and headwaiter in the kitchen to help her dream up the new dessert. Scanning the kitchen and spying bananas, she thought of a simple dessert her mother had made by splitting bananas and sauteing the halves with butter and brown sugar. To jazz it up, they poured rum and banana liqueur on top, setting the mixture on fire at tableside, tossing in cinnamon to make it sparkle and serving the concoction over vanilla ice cream. And that’s how the classic Bananas Foster was born. I jazzed it up a bit by cooking sliced bananas and walnuts in a buttery rum sauce and serving it over waffles with vanilla ice cream. My version of Bananas Foster is a Christmas morning (or the day after) favorite we all love! Splurge… Add a touch of whipped cream on the top!
 
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients 
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
3-1/2 tablespoons rum
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise and crosswise
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
Waffles (see recipe below)
1 pint vanilla ice cream (for this recipe I used Signature brand French vanilla)
 
Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
2. Stir in brown sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon; bring to a low boil.
3. Place the bananas and nuts in the pan. Cook until bananas have softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Serve at once over hot, just-made waffles topped with a scoop of ice cream.

​ChefSecret:  You can use any good quality frozen waffles for this recipe or you can dig out Aunt Ethel’s old Sunbeam waffle iron and whip up some homemade beauties. You’ll make her proud.
 
                          Quick & Easy, Great-Tasting Homemade Waffles
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  3 to 5 minutes per waffle
Yield:  8 to 10 thin waffles
 
Ingredients 
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
nonstick cooking spray as needed
 
Directions

1. Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
2. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Add the flour, milk and melted butter and mix to combine.
4. Whisk in the sugar, then mix in baking powder, salt, and vanilla just until smooth, being careful not to overmix.
5. Spray the preheated waffle iron with nonstick spray.
6. Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron and cook until golden brown and the iron stops steaming; about 3 to 5 minutes.

Note:  Preheat an oven to 200⁰ F to keep waffles warm until ready to serve.

Quip of the Day:  Holidays are for giving gifts, sleeping in and making waffles.
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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, 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 and/or American Red Cross.

#Breakfast #Waffles #BananasFoster #BrennansRestaurant #EllaBrennan #Bananas #IceCream #Rum #Christmas #Holidays2022 #HolidayRecipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup
 
                                                  ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

How you doin’? If you have children at home this cocktail is not recommended as the morning after consequences may be more than you bargained for. Here is a cocktail and a little poem to help you over celebrate on Christmas Eve with this Nightmare Before Christmas Cocktail.
 
I hope Clement Clarke Moore, the author of the original, will forgive us for taking these liberties.
 
                 Twas the Nightmare before Christmas
                                    Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
                                                  It reeked of liquor while I was getting soused.
                                             The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
                                      The bar was well stocked in hope old Nick would be there;
                                        The children were at granny’s nestled snug in their beds;
                                                  While visions of martinis danced in my head;
                                                     And mamma in her nighty, and I in my cap,
                                           Had just drunk our brains out for a long winter's nap,
                                               When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
                                               I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
                                                         Away to the window I flew like a flash,
                                                  Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
                                                     They were outside on the new-fallen snow,
                                                   Giving us a gesture to get down and stay low,
                                                  When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
                                               But a miniature sleigh and eight drunken reindeer,
                                                   With a little old driver so passive and drunk,
                                                       I knew in a moment he must be a punk.
                                                  More rapid than eagles his curses they came,
                                          And he swore, and shouted, and called them by name:
                                             "Now, Fasher! now, Fancer! now Pervy and Vixen!
                                                On, Vomit! on, Stupid! on, Dumber and Flitzen!
                                                 To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
                                                  Now drink away! drink away! drink away all!"
                                     Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night! Cheers!
 
Ingredients
1-1/2 ounce black rum
3/4 ounce crème de cacao
1 cup ice
1 drop Black food color (I tested with McCormick black food coloring)
3 tablespoons of marshmallow fluff (I tested with Kraft Fluff)
1 mini candy cane peppermint stick for each glass as garnish
 
Directions

1. Prepare as if you were making a martini by adding the black rum, crème de cacao, ice and 1 drop black food color to a martini shaker.
2. Place the marshmallow fluff on a bread plate and heat in your microwave for 15 seconds.
3. Wet the rim of martini glass with water. Dip rim the glass bowl of marshmallow fluff and let drizzle down the glass sides; set aside for 3 minutes to set.
4. Strain the cocktail into martini glass
5. Garnish with a red and white candy cane and serve.

ChefSecret:  The marshmallow fluff is the perfect ingredient to decorate the glass to compliment the color of the drink.

Quip of the Day:  “Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of receiving."
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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, 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 and/or American Red Cross.

​#Cocktail #HappyHour #HolidayHappyHour #Martini #NightmareBeforeChristmasCocktail #BlackRum #CremeDeCacao #MarshmallowFluff #CandyCanes #PeppermintStick #Cheers #HolidayRecipes #Holidays2022 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  

                                                                          ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

How you doin’? I recently posted some recipes that are great to give as Christmas gifts.  As I was going through Perspectives’ first holiday cookbook, I rediscovered a favorite of mine that is wonderful to eat but also a terrific hostess/host gift—Phil’s Mom’s Holiday Stollen. 

Who is Phil? Phil is a young man that we hired right out of college and one of our favorite culinarians we raised from a young pup. Phil later became the head of our brand new test kitchens and producer of The Food Show (on ABC). It was a sad day for us when Phil decided to leave us and take over a family business, Daffy Apple, but we wished him well.

He told us the story of his mom’s Baked Stollen—"It was only a few years back when my mom first decided to bake stollen for Christmas morning. Traditionally, she baked her signature coffee cake after we emptied our stockings, but with a house filled with more holiday guests than usual, she decided to expand the morning menu.”

“I can still remember her kneading the dough on the 23rd, and when I later walked past the countertop, I encountered the most supple, glistening dome of dough I had ever seen. I didn’t know what to expect, as the dried and candied fruit seemed reminiscent of a fruit cake. But after my first warm bite, it was clear: This incredible bread is nowhere near a fruit cake or an angel food cake. It’s nothing short of a powdered-sugar-coated piece of heaven.”

Since then, our test kitchen chefs have become obsessed with trying all different types of stollen inspired by Phil’s Mom’s. They’ve baked up stollens with a marzipan rope and without; folded by hand or baked in a stollen bread pan. We’ve done deep dives on the internet with dreams of someday attending the annual Stollen Festival in Dresden, Germany.

This bread immediately became a holiday tradition in my home. As I write this blog I’m fantasizing and looking forward to kneading that gorgeous bread dough and smelling that sweet aroma filling my new kitchen. I hope this recipe can find its way into your new holiday traditions for your family as well.

I am often asked, Is Stollen the Same as Fruitcake? While stollen is made with candied fruit and nuts, it is a yeast bread, not a fruit cake. In fact, if you are someone who doesn’t like fruit cake, do not fret and don’t shy away from a slice of stollen. After the first bite you will be convinced this Christmas treat is a category all its own!

A stollen that has been wrapped in plastic wrap will keep at room temperature for up to one week (if not devoured first), and slices can be revived quickly in the microwave. When wrapped airtight, it can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw completely and dust with additional powdered sugar before serving. It can also be toasted and buttered as a breakfast treat.

I classify stollen as a rich and delicious yeast-raised bread. Since it is filled with nuts, dried fruit and a hearty amount of butter, it is understandable that this bread can be confused for a cake—especially because it is typically topped with a blanket of powdered sugar.

Prep time: 30-45 minutes
Proof time:  1-1/2 to 2 hours
Bake time:  35 to 45 minutes (depending on the oven)
Yield: 8 Loaves
 
Ingredients
1 pound margarine
1 quart scalded whole milk
1 pound granulated sugar
2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 large room temperature eggs
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
8 packages of powdered yeast (I prefer Fleishman’s)
1/2 cup lukewarm water
4 pounds all-purpose flour
1 pound currants
1 pound raisins
1/2 pound mixed citron or candied fruit
1/2 cup blanched chopped almonds
 
Directions

1. In a large sauce pan melt the margarine and add the hot milk, sugar and salt.
2. Let mixture cool to room temperature.
3. Beat the eggs together and add to the margarine mixture along with the cardamon. 
4. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water.
5. Blend a 1/2 cup of flour into the margarine mixture. 
6. Blend in the yeast mixture, a little at a time, mixing well.
7. Add and blend in all but 1/2 cup of the flour.
8. Mix in the currants, raisins, citron and almonds. 
9. Add in the last 1/2 cup of flour and mix well.
10. Cover the dough and set it in a warm, draft-free place to let it rise until it doubles in size. 
11. Punch the dough down.
12. Divide the dough into eight round loaves and place on greased sheet pans (2 loaves per pan), well apart to allow for spreading. 
13. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise until almost doubled in size.
14. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for approximately 35 to 45 minutes or until fully raised and lightly browned.

ChefSecret:   very seldom bake with margarine, but Phil’s mom says this is what she has always done—that’s good enough for me. So, we will just keep it original as can be.

Quip of the Day: It’s time to bake the world a better place!
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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, 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 and/or American Red Cross.

#Baking #PhilsMomsStollen #ChristmasStollen #Fruitcake #Christmas #Holidays2022 #HolidayRecipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup
 
                                                                     ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022