…from the Perspectives’ Holiday Kitchen How you doin’? With Christmas and Chanukkah just around the corner it’s time to think about gifts you want to share with your loved ones. With money kind of short for lots of people this year, think about whipping a pound of something very sweet, box it up and bring it to dinner.
I have two wonderful confection recipes that are perfect for gift-giving—sugared pecans and chocolate fudge. Holiday Gift Candied Pecans Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 17 to 20 minutes Yield: 2 cups Ingredients 3 separated egg whites 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup water 2 cups pecans halves Pinch sea salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Directions
ChefSecret: Be careful when your heating the sugar, it gets extremely hot. Do not touch it or taste it. Wait until sugar is hardened and cooled down. Grandfather’s Chocolate Fudge This recipe takes a lot of patience to stir and watch over a boiling pot of butter, sugar and evaporated milk. Do you have the patience? This is another recipe if you’re watching your gift-giving budget. This will be an economic way for you to make something to give to your friends during the holidays. I tried to get my nieces and nephews to make the fudge for me, but they are always more interested in eating it. Butter is the essential ingredient in my recipe and so is patience because you cannot double the recipe. It will crystalize. Eleven minutes of constant stirring may seem like a lot, but the end product is worth it—everyone loves it. Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Yield: 5 pounds+ Ingredients 4-1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk 2 cups mini marshmallows 1 12-ounce package chocolate chips (semisweet, milk chocolate or a mixture of both) 2 cups toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional) Directions
ChefSecret: Do not attempt to double this recipe as it will likely turn to crystallized sugar, and the fudge will not completely set-up. Serving Suggestion: I like to pour coffee or espresso over a piece of fudge—coffee and chocolate create a perfect marriage of flavor and texture. Quip of the Day: I don’t care about the problem. Fudge is the solution! ------------------------------------------- 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. We have added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. ------------------------------------------- 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. #Snacks #ChristmasGifts #CandiedPecans #HolidayFudge #Treats #ChocolateFudge #Christmas #Holidays2022 #HolidayRecipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022
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…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen How you doin’? Leon Askin invited me over for a Hanukkah dinner. I had just designed a theatre production of Jacob’s Ladder that he directed. He promised me a good roasted brisket and the best potato latkes (potato pancakes) I ever would taste. Leon was an Austrian-Jewish actor best known in North America for portraying the character General Burkhalter on the TV situation comedy Hogan's Heroes. I enjoy the flavor of potato latkes that are made with potatoes and both green and yellow onions—sweet, lightly pungent, and savory—that never fail. They also have a wonderful soft and crispy texture. Potato latkes are traditionally served with applesauce, but the fully loaded version goes a little overboard with crème fraîche, lox, salmon caviar and chives. The toppings are usually set on the table to let the guests and family build their own latkes with promises that all will be delighted. Just what is Hanukkah? It is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. I hope I got that right. The festival lasts for eight nights and days, and is observed by lighting the candles of a menorah. Each night, an additional candle is lit until all eight candles are lit together on the final night of the festival. Hanukkah has attained major cultural significance in North America and elsewhere, especially among secular Jews, as it often occurs around the same time as Christmas during the holiday season giving license to celebrate with great food and gift giving. So, let’s celebrate together with Leon’s ever popular potato latke recipe. Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 5 to 7 minutes Yield: 5 servings Ingredients 1 cup coarsely shredded yellow onion 2-1/2 pounds russet baking potatoes, peeled and coarsely shredded 2 large beaten eggs 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions (tops and bottoms) 1/4 cup matzo meal (or all-purpose flour) 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, cooled slightly 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Vegetable oil, for flat frying Applesauce, crème fraîche, lox, salmon caviar, and chives, for garnish Directions
Quip of the Day: Three high rise construction workers were sitting on top of a high rise eating lunch. The first builder opens up his lunch pail and says, "if I get a turkey sandwich one more time, I'm gonna jump off this building and kill myself". The second builder opens up his lunch box and says, “if I get a polish sausage again, I'll join you and jump off this building and kill myself." The third worker opens his lunch box and says, “if I get potato pancakes again, I'll join you two and kill myself as well.” The next day at lunch the first worker opens his lunch box shows the other guys a turkey sandwich and jumps and kills himself. The second worker opens his lunchbox, shows the remaining worker his polish sausage and jumps off the building and kills himself. The third worker opens his lunch and sees that it’s potato pancakes again, he throws the lunchbox off the building and jumps off and kills himself. About a week later at one of the funerals the wife of the first worker says, "God had I known he wanted something other than a turkey sandwich, I would have made him something else!" The wife of the second worker says, "Oh me too, had I known he had grown tired of polish sausage I could have made him anything else!" The third wife says, "Stupid jerk, he always made his own lunch." ------------------------------------------- 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Entrees #PotatoLatkes #HanukkahRecipe #Latkes #LeonAskin #GeneralBurkhalter #HogansHeroes #Holidays2022 #2022Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022 …from the Perspectives’ Holiday KitchenHow you doin’? Don’t be naughty by leaving Santa some stale old cookies by the fire place this year; be nice and leave him a large square piece of Granny’s favorite Gingerbread Cake. You can't beat a good Gingerbread Cake recipe and this one is one of the best. Our West End Bistro’s pastry chef created this recipe just for the month before Christmas. It's perfection when served warm and topped with fresh sweetened whipped cream, crème anglaise or vanilla ice cream. You don’t have to wait for Christmas… it is a quick snack whenever the weather turns cold. It is so easy to make and really has the best flavor. Make two and bring one to a friend. Prep time: 15 minutes Bake time: 30 to 60 minutes Cool time: 20 minutes Yield: 9-12 servings Ingredients 1/2 cup unsalted, softened butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 cup molasses (not blackstrap) 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup hot water Directions
The original recipe called for 1 hour of bake time. Reviewers had different results, with some cakes being done after 30 or 45 minutes. The recipe has been updated to reflect a bake time of 30 to 60 minutes. ChefSecret: Sometimes when I’m pressed for time, I make a cheater crème anglaise by taking a scoop of French vanilla ice cream and melting it in the microwave oven for about 30 seconds or so—just until pourable. Quip of the Day: How do you make a gingerbread man’s bed? “With a cookie sheet.” ------------------------------------------- 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Baking #Gingerbread #GingerbreadCake #CremeAnglaise #Holidays2022 #HolidayRecipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022 …from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour Bar How you doin’? Celebrate the holidays with this festive crowd-pleaser. The Peppermint Southsider is a refreshing, flavorful cocktail that is wonderful in winter and beyond without the candy canes! Legend has it that the candy cane, in some form, dates back to 1670, when the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany handed out sugar sticks among his young singers to keep them quiet during the service. The contemporary Polkagris was invented by Amalia Eriksson in the town of Gränna in Sweden in 1859. Gränna is a small town in Sweden located on the east side of Sweden's second largest lake, Vättern. The first time they are documented as being called 'candy canes' comes in 1866; and their first connection to Christmas comes from 1874. Bryan, Ohio is the candy cane capital of the world since it is home to the Spangler Candy Company the largest manufacturers of candy canes in the world. Road trip! Prep time: 5 minutes Yield: 1 cocktail Ingredients 2 tablespoons crushed candy canes 1-1/2 ounce gin 3/4 ounce lime juice 3/4 ounce simple syrup 1 cup ice cubes A few fresh peppermint leaves Directions
ChefSecret: For a more vibrant holiday flavor, blend an added teaspoon of crushed candy canes and blend the ingredients with ice. You can make your own peppermint gin or vodka by dropping 10 candy canes in a full bottle of liquor and let them melt over several days. Quip of the Day: “What's red, white, and blue at Christmas? A sad candy cane.” ------------------------------------------- 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Gin #Peppermint #CandyCanes #SimpleSyrup #Cheers #HolidayRecipes #Holidays2022 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022 …from the Perspectives’ Holiday Kitchen How you doin’? I wish I could tell you this was Pappy’s old world recipe, but it isn’t. Grandpa Max owned a moving and storage company in New York City, not a candy store. Max drank scotch and not Kentucky Bourbon. That said, you can make this recipe using scotch, rum or even a full-bodied bottle of a dry red wine in place of Bourbon… as you like! A bourbon ball is a Southern delicacy reportedly invented by Ruth Hanly Booe of Rebecca Ruth Candy in 1938. Bourbon balls come in many different shapes, sizes and flavors but are usually bite-sized confections incorporating bourbon and dark chocolate as the main ingredients. In Rebecca Ruth's recipe, the center piece of the bourbon ball is a creamy candy dough that is infused with bourbon and other secret ingredients. The creamy center is then enrobed in dark chocolate and topped off with a southern pecan. The most common variation for home cooked recipes is regional to the southern United States and incorporates crushed cookies, corn syrup, chopped pecans and bourbon into a mixture that is formed into balls and coated in powdered sugar to prevent the evaporation of the alcohol. Once molded they are aged for up to a week in a sealed container in a cool dark place before serving. They will stay edible for up to a month before becoming too frail to pick up in one piece as the evaporation process desiccates the packed structure of the cookie. Using other types of alcohol one can make rum balls, flavored vodka balls or liqueur balls. No matter which liquor you choose, I can tell you it isn't Christmas without Max’s Whisky Balls. People love ‘em and they’ll go fast! Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 2 minutes Additional curing time: 7 days Ingredients 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I prefer Guittard chocolate) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons corn syrup (I tested with Karo) 1/2 cup Kentucky bourbon (slightly warmed) 2-1/2 cups crushed graham crackers 1 cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar Additional crushed nuts, or jimmies for coating (optional) Directions
ChefSecret: If you’re looking for something really chocolatey, use Oreos sandwich cookies (pulsed in a food processor) instead of graham crackers. You can also dip Whisky Balls in a melted chocolate couverture. Quip of the Day: If you hold a glass of Kentucky Whisky to your ear, you can actually hear the weekend… of course it’s a little clearer after you have the first one! ------------------------------------------- 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Snacks #WhiskyBalls #KentuckyBourbon #GrahamCrackers #Guittard #Jimmies #Christmas #Holidays2022 #HolidayRecipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022 |
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