How you doin’? To change things up, I like to make skewered dinners with any kind of meats—beef, pork or chicken. If you decide to have a skewered dinner, always remember to cook your meat and vegetables on separate skewers. Meats and veggies cook at different rates, and it is best to keep them separate to ensure each cooks properly.
 
You can use small 5-inch (or larger) bamboo skewers. I cook these skewers in a large non-stick sauté pan because of the amount of honey in the marinade. It will make a mess on your grill and I hate cleaning up stuck sugars on grills. This will make clean-up so much easier.
 
This luscious honey-balsamic chicken recipe makes a great appetizer or a main dish over rice. The Worcestershire adds the taste of salt. If you have soy sauce that will work just as well—just watch the sodium (salt) level. After the chicken is cooked through, lightly baste with a little extra honey to caramelize it a little longer for an extra touch of sweetness.
 
Evidence of the prehistoric use of skewers dates as far back as the Lower Paleolithic, and has been found at a 300,000-year-old site in Schöningen, Germany. A stick with a burnt tip was found to have been used to cook meat over a fire. That said, Iraq lays claim to the kebab among many other Middle Easterners who believe they invented it. The skewered meat dish appears as early as the 9th century in a book from the southern city of Basra called The Book of Misers.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Marinade time:  1 to 2 hours
Cook time:  8 to 10 minutes (4 to 5 minutes a side)
Yield:  4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients
6 chicken thighs; skinless, boneless, trimmed
 
For the marinade
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons onion powder
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
4 tablespoons crushed garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (Asian-style)
 
For the topping
Sesame seeds for sprinkling on top
Extra honey for basting
 
Directions

1. Cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch uneven pieces.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the all the marinade ingredients.
3. Pour over the chicken.  
4. Mix completely so that all the chicken pieces are covered. Let chicken marinate for 1 to 2 hours (not overnight).
5. Drain the marinade off the chicken and skewer a few chicken pieces onto each bamboo skewer (see ChefSecret).
6. Heat a non-stick pan on med high until hot.  Lower the heat to med/low and add a few skewers to the pan.
7. Cook thighs on one side for 4-5 minutes or until caramel brown. Turnover and cook second side until caramel brown. You will notice that as the chicken cooks, it first releases some liquid and then the liquid starts to caramelize. It will then coat the chicken. Make sure your heat is not too high when cooking the chicken.
8. Baste the chicken thighs with extra honey if you like and cook for an additional minute or so. Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve. 
9. Keep chicken thighs warm in a 200⁰ F oven while the remaining skewers cook.

ChefSecret:  To prevent the chicken from sticking to the skewers, soak them in water for a couple of hours before cooking. This also prevent skewers from burning if you cook on an open flame barbecue.
Quip of the Day: “Life rule: Vodka mixes well with everything… except decisions.”
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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 and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.
#Entrees #Chicken #BalsamicVinegar #Honey-Balsamic #SkeweredChicken #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

​                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? The name SPAM was derived from a contraction of 'spiced ham'. The original variety of Spam is still available today, acknowledged as the 'spiced hammiest' of them all. Spam is a brand of canned cooked pork made by Hormel Foods Corporation. It was introduced by Hormel in 1937 and gained popularity worldwide after its use during World War II.
 
The difficulty of delivering fresh meat to the front lines during World War II saw Spam become a ubiquitous part of the U.S. soldier's diet. It became variously referred to as "ham that didn't pass its physical", "meatloaf without basic training "and "Special Army Meat". Over 68,000 tons (150 million pounds) of Spam were purchased by the military before the war's end. It may have been the only meat seen by US troops in both theaters for months on end.
 
During World War II and the occupations that followed, Spam was introduced into Guam, Hawaii, Okinawa, the Philippines and other islands in the Pacific. Immediately it was absorbed into native diets. It is a unique part of U.S. history and an interesting culinary influence in the Pacific islands.
 
Spam's basic ingredients are pork shoulder with added ham, salt, water, modified potato starch (as a binder), a little sugar and sodium nitrite (as a preservative). Natural gelatin is formed during cooking in its tins on the production line. Many have raised concerns over Spam's nutritional attributes, in large part due to its high content of fat, sodium, and preservatives. That said, it has become a delicacy in the Hawaiian Islands in the form of Spam sushi or musubi. Musubi is a dish made of fish or meat (Spam) tied to a block of rice with nori, differing from sushi in that the rice is not vinegared. The Hawaiians have appropriated Spam Musubi as a culinary culture menu icon.
 
It’s hard to believe that a snack so small and “cute” could be truly satisfying, but do not underestimate the power of Spam Musubi. This popular Hawaiian treat is made similarly to sushi, with a slice of SPAM swapped instead of the raw fish. 
 
The Spam is lightly caramelized in a blend of sugar and soy sauce, creating a savory-sweet-chewy layer that contrasts beautifully with the light, airy texture of egg. The rice is seasoned with sesame oil and Furikake, a Japanese spice blend with dried fish that lends just the right note of umami. Creamy Sriracha aioli ties it all together with a little heat at the finish.
 
Spam Musubi are easier to make than they look—prep time is only about 30 minutes, and the Spam and eggs come together in one pan for easy clean up. After you’ve made Musubi once, you may soon find that you want them all the time, and that’s okay, because they’re versatile. You can eat them for breakfast, serve them as a petite appetizer with beer, or pack them for a hike. Spam musubi makes the ultimate mid-Saturday-chores snack. The combination of protein, egg and rice is so fortifying and filling you’ll keep coming back for more.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  2 or 3 minutes
Yield: 8 Spam musubi pieces
 
Ingredients
 1 can reduced-sodium Spam
2 sheets roasted seaweed
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon water
6 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 cups cooked sushi rice
2 tablespoons Furikake seasoning
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Sriracha aioli, for serving (recipe below)
 
Directions

1. Slice the canned Spam into thick, quarter-inch slices.
2. Cut the seaweed into 1-1/2-inch strips.
3. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, granulated sugar and water. Stir to combine and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper.
5. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Pour half the eggs into the pan and cook for 2 minutes, or until they are starting to set. Fold 2 of the sides toward the middle of the pan, creating a long rectangular omelet sheet. Flip the egg sheet and cook for 1 minute more.
6. Transfer the cooked egg omelets to a cutting board and cut into slices the same size as the SPAM.
7. Repeat step 4 with the remaining olive oil and eggs.
8. Wipe out the pan, and then bring it to medium heat. Place half of the SPAM slices in the pan and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned and sizzling. Flip and cook for 30 seconds more. 
9. Add half the soy sauce mixture, swirling the pan continuously until the SPAM has caramelized, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate.
10. Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the remaining SPAM and soy sauce mixture.
11. Season the cooked rice with the Furikake and sesame oil; stir to combine.
12. To assemble the Spam Musubi: Roll about ½ cup rice into a tight ball, slightly flatten, and shape into a rectangle, about the same size as the Spam. 
13. Lay a strip of seaweed in the middle of the cutting board. Place a slice of fried Spam in the middle of it. Top it with a slice of the egg sheet and then a rice rectangle. Pull the ends of the seaweed up and press them into the rice to secure the musubi. 
14. Repeat step 11 with the remaining SPAM, egg, and rice.
15. Flip the musubi over, so the SPAM is on top, and serve with Sriracha aioli.

 
                                                         Sriracha Aioli
This is a simple, fresh-tasting spicy sauce excellent with Spam Musubi, Spam, crab cakes or even fish tacos as well as a perfect dipping sauce for homemade French fries.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield: 1-1/4 cups
 
Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
 
Directions

1. Stir mayonnaise, sriracha hot sauce and garlic together in a bowl until the color is consistent.
2. Add lime juice and stir.

ChefSecrets:  Furikake is a Japanese seasoning typically made with toasted sesame seeds, nori, salt and sugar. It varies from region to region and can also include anything from bonito flakes to chili flakes to miso powder to shitake powder to poppy seeds.

Quip of the Day: “The best things about the “good old days” are that I wasn’t all that good and I wasn’t so damn old.”
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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.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Appetizer #SpamMusubi #Spam #Hormel #Hawaiian #Furikake #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                               ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? I can’t help but smile when I tell this story, although it’s always better told in person over cocktails. We were contacted on the internet to submit our credentials to develop a unique Lebanese restaurant concept for people in Azerbaijan. One week later we were awarded the project and were asked to come to Baku to meet with the client. Little did we know that this would turn out to be something of a James Bond novel type story visiting many cities and countries in Europe and the Mid-East.
 
The first thing we had to do was find out where Baku, Azerbaijan was. We found it’s a small country located in a crack between Georgia and Iran—not the safest place in the world considering that there had been a state of war (shooting war) between Armenia and Azerbaijan for years (and it still goes on today). Of course, one never knows what the Iranians are up to.
 
We were supposed to meet our client in London and travel to Baku with him so he could get us into his country. After waiting a week for Azer, eating at many of the Lebanese restaurants in London we found that he couldn’t get into the UK due to passport irregularities and never showed—a little unsettling to say the very least. Joan and I hopped on plane to now meet Azer at the airport in Baku.
 
After clearing customs (which wasn’t all that easy), we finally connected with Azer and were whisked to a new hotel, unpacked and had our first business meeting… here is the gist of the meeting. A Russian-Azerbaijani (formerly KGB… yes, for real) living in Baku wanted to open a chain of Lebanese restaurants in capitol cities across Europe. The targets (pardon the pun) were Kiev, Berlin, Paris, London and Washington, DC. It sounded like a secret agent’s hot list to us. So, we put our on trench coats and started on the “mission.”
 
I must reiterate… this was the strangest project we ever worked on—the details could and will fill a book someday. In the meantime, rest assured we were not involved in any illicit or covert activities for either side.
 
We developed a restaurant concept named SPOT and opened the first unit in Berlin in a vacated 3-story McDonald’s that was built directly over Adolph Hitler’s Berlin bunker where he took his own life—no kidding. As we dug down deep to fix a foundation leak, we found numerous artifacts—Nazi rifles, helmets, medals and papers that we had to turn over to the German government. This was one helluva experience and I swear it’s all true.
 
SPOT’s food was fabulous! Our company did a great job in the test kitchen to bring authentic pre-war Lebanese food to the customers of SPOT. I still get a hankering for Man'oushe and Hummus. Man'oushe is a delicious puffy bread that is made in a hot deck oven. It is often topped with za'atar, a popular mix of herbs and spices served in the Middle East.
 
This recipe is easy and delicious! The flatbread can accommodate other types of toppings on it. The toppings vary from minced meat, feta cheese, fresh herbs like mint, cucumber, tomato and za'atar and is great dipped in hummus.
 
Okay, here's the Man'oushe (bread) recipe so you can begin to taste the flavors of old Beirut, by way of Berlin and Baku.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Proof time: 1 hour
Bake time:  7 minutes
Yield:  12 pieces
 
Ingredients
For the dough
2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons honey
3 teaspoons dry yest
6 cups bread flour
3 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
 
Semolina (for the baking; not the dough)
 
For the za'atar topping (optional)
2/3 cup za'atar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
 
Directions
To make the dough

1. Mix the honey with warm water.
2. Sprinkle the dry yeast over the honey water and mix; allow to activate.
3. In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the rest of the dough ingredients including yeast mixture. Mix to incorporate and then knead for 10 minutes.
4. Form into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with food film and leave the dough to rise double its size; about 1 hour.

To make the za'atar topping

1. Mix the topping ingredients, set aside. Use good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best taste.

To put it all together

1. Preheat the oven at 500ºF with a pizza stone on the highest rack for at least 30 minutes. If you don’t have a pizza stone, turn a sheet pan upside down and use that instead.
2. Place risen dough on a working surface that has been lightly sprinkled with semolina. Lightly knead into a log and cut it into 12 equal pieces.
3. Form each piece into a ball.
4. Take a ball and roll it 1/4-inch thick.
5. Slide it onto a pizza peel that has also been sprinkled with some semolina.
6. Spoon some topping on top and spread all around leaving 1/2-inch edges.
7. Bake for 7 minutes or until it puffs and turns golden brown around the edges. Continue with the rest of the balls while baking.

ChefSecrets: How To Achieve Flatbreads With Air Pockets--The combination of high oven temperature, pizza stone, using a higher rack, thin dough and controlling the air pockets are the keys to get that rustic puffy, flatbread look with air pockets.

How To Serve

1. These flatbreads are best served hot-out-of-the-oven with some hummus, feta cheese, tomato and mint leaves on the side. Use the balance of the topping as dipping sauce.
2. Keep them under a kitchen towel to keep them warm before serving.

Quip of the Day: “I recently purchased a toilet brush. Long story short—I’m going back to toilet paper as soon as possible.”
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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.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Baking #Snack #Appetizer #Bread #Flatbread #Manoushe #Lebanese #Berlin #Baku #Azerbaijan #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                          ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin'? This recipe is “Shreveport-style” stuffed shrimp because I believe this style originated in the kitchen of the Freeman & Harris Café in Shreveport. That gives these stuffed shrimp appetizers historical significance--Hey, mom—I’m making history. All of this is to say that these are more than just fancy shrimp. They’re history on a plate. A very delicious history.
 
When you go to Shreveport, you’ll find stuffed shrimp can be a little different from restaurant to restaurant.  However, there is a little historical argument as at least three restaurants that claim to be serving the “original, correct recipe.”  
 
So now I will add to the complications and add my own touch—bacon.  Bacon-Wrapped Crab-Stuffed Shrimp will knock your socks off!

Prep time:  1 hour
Cook time:  40 minutes
Yield:  4 servings

Ingredients
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 finely chopped green onion, top and bottom
1/4 cup finely chopped red, yellow or orange bell pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2-1/2 teaspoons heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/8 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 pound crab meat pieces
8 extra colossal shrimp, peeled, de-veined, tails on
8 slices bacon, thinly sliced
basil cream sauce (recipe below)
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the green onions, peppers and garlic powder until peppers are limp.
3. Place mixture in a bowl and add cream, mustard and cayenne pepper to sautéed vegetables, mix well.
4. Add the breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, egg, parsley and lemon juice; mix well.
5.  Gently fold in crab meat.
6. Form into very small patties sized to stuff into shrimp; set aside.
7. Split shrimp down the bottom center to tail, being careful not to cut through.
8. Stuff each shrimp with crab meat mixture.
9. Tightly wrap the shrimp with the bacon and secure with a toothpick.
10. Place the stuffed shrimp on a foil-lined rimmed sheet pan and bake until the bacon is crisp and shrimp are pink; about 15 to 20 minutes.
11. To serve, arrange 2 extra colossal shrimp on each plate on a bed of rice, if desired.
12. Drizzle with Basil Cream Sauce.

 
For the basil cream sauce
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup diced onions
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon chicken or lobster base (I prefer Better-than-Bullion)
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon roux, (see ChefSecret)
 
To make the basil cream sauce

1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and onion and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the white wine and reduce by half.
4. Add heavy cream and chicken base and reduce by half again.
5. Add basil, cheese and roux; bring to a simmer and heat until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

ChefSecret:  Roux is roux: the ratio is always the same—1 part flour, 1 part butter and that doesn't change. As with all Mother Sauces, roux is the thickener used in bechamel and how much of it you use depends upon how thick you want the sauce to be.

I called out thinly sliced bacon to wrap the shrimp—the thinner the better. This ensures that the bacon will become cooked sufficiently—the flavor will be better, too.

If you can’t find can’t find extra colossal sized shrimp, go down to the next size and increase the number of shrimp (and crab patties and bacon slices) for each guest.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “This pandemic has the tendency to prematurely age people. You know you’re turning into your parents when one minute you were young and fun, and the next you’re turning down the music to see the road better.”
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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 and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Appetizer #CrabStuffedShrimp #BaconWrappedShrimp #Crab #Shrimp #Bacon #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                 ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? Allow me to share a story about my first restaurant, President Nixon and Crab Rangoon.
 
We received a phone call from the White House asking if we would close Warehouse Restaurant for about 2-hours on a Saturday so President Nixon could eat there with security. Exciting, right? Sure.
 
The Secret Service got into the kitchen even before our staff started for the day. They inspected every step of the preparation. Someone from the President’s staff had pre-selected the menu to be served to every guest—Dinner Salad, Crab Rangoon, Grilled Sirloin Steak with Loaded Baked Potatoes and a Frozen Ice Cream dessert.
 
The motorcade pulled up promptly at 8pm that Saturday night and everyone filed into the restaurant…. the President, followed by the Secretaries of State and Defense along with 30 other people. The President thanked me for the courtesy of closing the restaurant and told me that the Crab Rangoon was his favorite and very original. (See ChefSecret for the rest of the story.)
 
I probably should have told him that Crab Rangoon was on the menu of the famous Polynesian Restaurant Trader Vic's in San Francisco since at least 1956. Although the appetizer was allegedly derived from some authentic Burmese recipe, the dish was actually invented by Victor Bergeron, founder of Trader Vic's.
 
The filling is made with a mixture of cream cheese, crab meat or imitation krab meat, scallions or onion, garlic, and other flavorings. A small amount of the filling is wrapped in each wonton wrapper. The dumpling is then shaped by folding the wrapper over into a triangle, by creating a four-pointed star, by gathering it up into flower or purse shape, or by twisting it into the traditional wonton shape.
 
The dumplings are then deep-fried in vegetable oil until brown and crisp. They should be served warm with a sauce for dipping: soy sauce, plum or duck sauce, or sweet and sour sauce, with a dot of hot Chinese mustard. You can make these dumplings in advance of the festivities and freeze them on trays until party time. Everyone will love these bite-size, fried dumplings stuffed with crab fit for a president.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Fry time: 10 minutes
Yield:  10 servings
 
Ingredients
1 quart oil for frying
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh scallions
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 pound crab meat, shredded
1 (14 ounce) package small won ton wrappers

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet or deep fryer to 360⁰ F.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, scallions, parsley and crabmeat.
3. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the crab/cream cheese mixture into the center of each wonton wrapper.
4. Fold the wonton wrapper over the stuffing to make a triangle or a half moon, depending on the shape of the won ton wrappers you have purchased. Moisten the edges with a little water, and seal.
5. Place filled wontons under a slightly moist paper towel until ready for frying.
6. Add 3 or 4 wontons to the hot oil at a time, and cook until golden brown, turning once.
7. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
8. Repeat until all wontons have been fried. Serve hot.

ChefSecret:  Closing a new restaurant, even for a President, is very costly. The owner losses all the revenue for the evening and the servers lose all their tips. We were asked to send a bill to the White House; we did. The bill was never paid.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  Sign hanging in our test kitchen—"I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.”
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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. We have added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs. 
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Appetizer #CrabRangoon #Krab #Crab #Nixon #TheWarehouseRestaurant #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021