How you doin’? Are you a crunchy snack eater? I certainly am. I don’t enjoy granola and milk-soaked breakfast foods. What I do like is munching on granola clumps while watching TV. It’s the combination of a sweet (not too sweet), crunchy (lot of texture), seemingly healthy snack food… the latter being a misnomer—it ain’t necessarily all that healthy.

With good intentions, Granola was invented in Dansville, New York by Dr. James Caleb Jackson at the Jackson Sanitarium in 1863. The Jackson Sanitarium was a prominent health spa that operated into the early 20th century on the hillside overlooking Dansville. And then it kind of disappeared.
 
The food and name “Granola” were revived in the 1960s, and fruits and nuts were added to it to make it a health food that was popular with the health and nature-oriented hippie movement. At the time, several people claim to have revived or re-invented granola. During Woodstock, a soon-to-be hippie icon known as Wavy Gravy, popularized granola as a means of feeding large numbers of people during the festival. Another major promoter was Layton Gentry, profiled in Time magazine as "Johnny Granola-Seed."
 
In 1964, Gentry sold the rights to a granola recipe using oats, which he claimed to have invented himself, to Sovex Natural Foods for $3,000. From there it was sold to a number of different companies. Here’s where it gets interesting.

In 1972, an executive at Pet Incorporated of St. Louis, Missouri, introduced Heartland Natural Cereal, the first major commercial granola. At almost the same time, the Quaker Oats Company introduced Quaker 100% Natural Granola. Quaker was threatened with legal action by Gentry, and they subsequently changed the name of their product to Harvest Crunch. Within a year, Kellogg's had introduced its "Country Morning" granola cereal and General Mills had introduced its "Nature Valley".
 
And then, there are granola bars. Granola bars have become popular as a snack.  Granola bars consist of the same ingredients with just a little more of the sticky stuff, pressed and baked into a bar shape, resulting in the production of a more convenient snack. Granola bars are the perfect individually packaged snack easy to carry in a purse, backpack or other bag for munchin’ later alligator (ode to the hippies). While passed off as a health food, they're basically cookies masquerading as a healthy alternative.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  30 minutes
Cool time: 1 hours
Yield:  About 8 cups (2-1/4-pounds)
 
Ingredients:
2 cups old fashioned oats
1-1/2 cups almonds, roasted or toasted, roughly chopped
1-1/2 cups sunflower seeds, hulled
1 cup unsweetened coconut, wide slice shredded
1/4 cup sesame seeds, white, hulled
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup canola oil
2-1/ tablespoons whole cane sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins or craisins  (optional)
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰F. Gather all the ingredients and have at your side.
2. Combine the oats, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, unsweetened coconut, sesame seeds and wheat germ in a very large bowl.
3. Combine honey, oil, whole cane sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan bringing it just to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar completely and fully incorporate the oil. Do not burn the sugar!
4. Mix wet ingredients into the oat mixture; coat the dry ingredients well.
5. Spread mixture onto parchment-line sheet pans in a single layer to ensure the greatest exposure to the heat. 
6. Bake in an oven for about 10-15 minutes; check the color and dryness of the mixture. Coconut should be browning but not burning.
7. If ready, use a large spatula (to minimize breaking the clumps apart) and turn the layer over to expose the underside of the mixture and bake for another 10-15 minutes.  NOTE:  the mixture should be toasted brown in color (not burnt) and dry.
8. Let the mixture cool completely before packing or storing. If bagged too soon, the granola will become soggy and lose shelf life.

ChefSecret:  It’s best to divide the mixed dry ingredients into two bowls and coat each one with half the wet mixture; then recombine all ingredients together to ensure thorough coverage.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  An average giant panda eats at least 12 hours a day. A confined human eats like a panda. Hence the name--PANDEMIC.
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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, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Snack #Baking #Granola #Almonds #CrunchySnack  #Raisins #Craisins #Cinnamon #Woodstock #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                © PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? My friend Lisa from Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter, asked for a fondue recipe—here it is Lisa—and there are even a couple of peanut butter options.
 
I can’t think of a better way to entertain one’s self than with a simmering pot of chocolate fondue. I can’t remember when I first discovered my love for chocolate fondue, but I can tell you it is a child’s dream dessert come true. It’s kind of like being in Charlie’s Chocolate Factory, gazing at and inhaling those beautiful wafts of melted chocolate pools.
 
Chocolate fondue can be made with any type of chocolate—dark, milk or white. You can use the inexpensive brown stuff or a good premium chocolate. Keep in mind that by going with dark chocolate fondue over the milk chocolate versions, you will be receiving many health benefits as dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, which are able to fight off free radicals in the body. There is also the absence of milk in pure dark chocolate, which is beneficial for many lactose intolerant individuals.
 
Have a little fun with flavor! It’s so easy to make a custom blend fondue using the ingredients in your pantry.

• You can add 1/4 cup of sour cream to 2 cups of dark chocolate and have a Chocolate Sour Cream Fondue.
• Go a little bit nutty by adding 1/4 cup of peanut butter to 2 cups of milk chocolate.
• Be completely outrageous and add both 1/4 cup marshmallow fluff—the store-bought fluff stuff—and 1/4 cup peanut butter to 2 cups of either dark or milk chocolate to create your own S’Mores Fondue.

 
Kid’s stuff you say? Then be a little more sophisticated.

• Add just a touch of spice—a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne to 2 cups of dark chocolate—to give you a delicious fondue with a bit of a kick.
• Playing on the adult theme you can add a little liquor to your dark magic… a couple of tablespoons of rum, Kahula or Grand Marnier will add a very special adult flavor.

 
Remember, if you are making your own milk chocolate fondue, there needs to be a liquid mixed with the morsels or they will stick to the pan and scorch. Many people use half and half, others evaporated milk. This is key to creating a rich, creamy, chocolate fondue for your family.
 
And, what’s a chocolate fondue without some dippers?  Strawberries, bananas, pineapple, pound cake, pecans, almonds, and anything else you can spear with a fondue fork or dunk with a spoon will work. Anything goes!
 
Use the right stuff. Not all chocolate is created equal. For great dark chocolate fondue, we have found that 64% dark chocolate to be about the best. If your taste leans toward lighter, you can’t beat a 32% milk chocolate for a silky-smooth milk chocolate fondue.
                             
Do it with flair. When making fondue it’s not all about how it is prepared that elevates it above the norm. Presentation is a factor almost as important as preparation. Use a good, attractive, heavy ceramic melting pot (metal fondue pots are for meat) or go crazy and put it all in a chocolate fountain and get “oohs” and “ahhs” all evening long. If it is made right, it will taste right, and then it can be dressed up to look right.
 
Happy Dippings!

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  “I’ll tell you a coronavirus joke now, but you’ll have to wait two weeks to see if you got it.”

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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 also being 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—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America.  Thanks for reading.

#Dessert #Brunch #Fondue #ChocolateFondue #Chocolate #DarkChocolate #MilkChocolate #WhiteChocolate #PeanutButter #CrazyRichardsPeanutButter #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                               ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doing? This recipe came out of my restaurant, Fanny’s Fish Market, in Foster City, California. I had tasted crab cakes all over the place before putting these on the menu and I always go back to this recipe, not so much because it so easy, but that they just taste great—they’re the best. If you don’t have time to pick your own crab meat during the Dungeness season, your local fish monger usually carries the canned product. The cans are full of jumbo lump crab meat.

Fanny’s original recipe has just the right amount of spices and seasonings. No need to bread the cakes before frying. They hold together well without seeming too bready. Fry the crab cakes in a mixture of butter and olive oil which gives them an amazing golden-brown crust.

I made these a couple of weeks ago as a Crab Cake Benedict topped with a quick and Easy Blender Hollandaise sauce (recipe below). They’re also perfect for a crab cake sandwich. Of course, you can serve them on their own as an appetizer or a dinner entrée, with a tartar or red cocktail sauce and lemon wedge.

Prep time:  10 minutes.
Cook time:  10 minutes
Yield:  10 to 12 crab cakes
 
Ingredients
16 ounces lump crab meat, drained
12 saltine crackers, finely crushed
2 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
 
Directions

1. Place the crab meat in a bowl and add the crushed saltines.
2. Beat the egg yolks, then pour them on top.
3. Add the remaining ingredients (except the egg whites) and gently fold everything together, being careful to not break up the crab pieces too much.
4. Use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites to soft peaks, then gently fold this into the crab mixture.
5. Shape the mixture into 3-1/2-inch rounded cakes.
6. Fry in a heavy bottomed saucepan in a mixture of butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until lightly browned on both sides. Be careful not to overcook.

 
                         Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce
Prep time: 5 minutes
Blender time:  5 minutes
 
If you’ve ever made Hollandaise sauce yourself you probably know that it not only builds character, but muscles as well. In many culinary schools it’s known as the sauce of 1,000-strokes. It is time-consuming to make and doesn’t keep well on a steam table without breaking. When you are preparing brunch for hundreds of guests, you don’t want them to wait for their Eggs Benedict. We invented this method to keep both our guests and co-workers happy.
 
Ingredients
5 large egg yolks
1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or reconstituted)
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
5 fluid ounces of unsalted clarified butter, boiling hot
 
Directions

1. Place egg yolks, lemon juice, Tabasco and salt in a blender jar—cover and blend for 5 seconds only.
2. Heat the butter in a microwave for 120 seconds or until it is very, very hot.
3. Turn the blender on, remove the port from the lid and slowly pour the hot butter into the egg yolk mixture.  Continue pouring slowly until the sauce has thickened.
4. Pour the sauce into a bowl and hold over warm water until ready to serve.

ChefSecret: This is a reduced quantity recipe.  It works well when doubling or tripling the recipes, too.
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Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  I have developed the new Covid-19 testing protocol. At 5pm open a bottle of wine, smell it, then pour it in a glass. If you can smell it and taste it, you’re good. Celebrate by finishing the bottle. You are welcome!
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Do you have a question or comment, want to share a favorite recipe or pictures? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. You can also find past blog posts at 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—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Entree #Appetizer #Brunch #CrabCakes #Crab #Hollandaise #Tabasco #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? A shrimp cocktail was ubiquitous on many upscale restaurant menus in LA for years and has kind of fallen out of favor. Why? I can’t tell you, but I still make it at home and love it today as much as I did years ago. Before I knew much about dining out, I knew that if they brought shrimp cocktails to the table as an appetizer, we were eating at a 'fancy joint’. It is a very easy dish to make, but first a little history.
 
This dish of cooked seafood with a piquant sauce of some kind is really of ancient origin and many varieties exist. Oyster, crab, lobster or shrimp dishes of this kind were popularized in the United States in the late nineteenth century. Some imagine this custom of serving of the food in cocktail glasses had something to do with the ban on alcohol during the prohibition era in the United States in the 1920’s. I’m not so sure about that.
 
The invention of the Prawn Cocktail is taken by a British television chef, Fanny Cradock in the 1960s in the United Kingdom. However, it is more likely that Cradock just popularized her version of an established dish that was not well known until then in Britain.
 
There was even a book dedicated to this famous dish--The Prawn Cocktail Years (Hopkinson and Bareha). It was once considered to be a part of the "Great British Meal" which consisted of Prawn Cocktail, followed by Steak Garni with Chips and Black Forest Gateau for dessert. Ridiculed by some, many still think this dinner is still something very special indeed.
 
While many think the quality of the Shrimp Cocktail is gauged by the quality of the sauce, much attention most go into the cooking of the shrimp itself and the flavor of the poaching liquid.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Additional: 30 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients
For the poaching liquid
4 quarts cold water
1/4 onion, sliced
1/2 lemon, outer skin removed
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon Old Bay® seasoning
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bay leaf
 
For the spicy cocktail sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup chili sauce
1/3 cup prepared horseradish (more if you like Indianapolis spicy)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
 
2 pounds tail-on, de-veined jumbo shrimp (21/25)
 
Directions

1. In a large pot, simmer the water, onion, lemon, garlic, tarragon, seafood seasoning, peppercorns and bay leaf together. Cook until flavors blend, about 15 minutes.
2. Whisk the ketchup, chili sauce, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and mustard together in a bowl. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 15 minutes.
3. Fill a large pot or bowl with water and ice to provide an ice bath for the cooked shrimp.
4. Bring poaching liquid to a rapid boil. Cook the shrimp in the boiling liquid until they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center, about 3 minutes.
5. Using a slotted spoon, quickly transfer the shrimp to the bowl of ice water to shock them (and stop the cooking) until chilled.
6. Drain the shrimp completely.
7. Arrange cold shrimp around the rim of a martini cocktail glass and serve with chilled sauce (see ChefSecret for the perfect presentation).

ChefSecret:  Give the Shrimp Cocktail the royal Hollywood treatment. Coat the rim of martini glasses with lemon juice and celery salt. Line the bottom of each glass with one medium size romaine lettuce leaf filled with chopped celery. Put a splash of cocktail sauce over the celery and line the edge of the glass with 5-jumbo shrimp (about 3 to 4 ounces). Then, top with another splash of cocktail sauce. The shrimp draped over the edge of the glass will resemble a Busby Berkeley movie with synchronized swimmers from an old Hollywood musical number--Crustaceans on Parade, which when you think about it, sounds more important than just a Shrimp Cocktail. Oh, very important, don’t forget the little oyster crackers. Left over sauce makes a great Bloody Mary, too.
 
Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  This morning I saw my neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought the cat understood her. I thought the confinement was driving her crazy. I came into my house and told my dog… we both laughed a lot.
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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, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Appetizer #Shrimp #ShrimpCocktail #CocktailSauce #BusbyBerkeley #Horseradish #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                  ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? This week’s blogs are a celebration of County Fair Food no matter where you live. There is nothing better than munching your way through the fairgrounds. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles County Fair has been cancelled this year—sob, sob, weep, weep—I am shedding real tears. I don’t think they even closed the fair during World War II. This is a real tragedy. But alas, why should this be any different from other events that have closed? Schools are closed, graduations were cancelled, weddings postponed… you can’t even get a haircut! But taking away my sin-a-mon buns is the real sin… more or less the last straw for me.
 
Whenever I go to the fair, I always start at the beginning. There is one particular stand that makes humongous cinnamon buns that look as big as flying saucers.  We like to develop recipes that bring us back to happier times and back together. This is just one of those great midway recipes that match the giant cinnamon buns for the county fairs across this fine land.
 
Read all instructions completely before beginning. Make sure to measure all ingredients and have them at your side before you start mixing.
 
Prep time:  40 minutes
Proof time:  1 hour + 1 hour or overnight
Bake time:  30 to 35 minutes
Yield: 12 large cinnamon buns
 
Ingredients
For the cinnamon bun dough
1/4 cup warm water (no warmer than 110⁰F)
1 package active dry yeast (7 grams)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4-pound unsalted butter, chilled (1 stick)
3 large egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
Butter (to grease the baking pans—2 cake rounds or 1 rectangle)
 
For the powdered sugar icing
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 tablespoons milk or half & half
 
Directions
To make the cinnamon buns

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and stir. Allow the yeast to dissolve for 5 minutes.
3. Stir together 1/4 cup of sugar, the flour and salt.
4. Cut the stick of butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Mix until there are coarse little lumps of butter throughout.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the yeast mixture, egg yolks and milk. Beat until blended.
6. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Knead until a smooth dough forms.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment until dough has doubled in size; about 1 hour.
8. Butter your baking pans, both bottom and sides… either two 9” cake rounds or one 9” x 13” rectangle.
9. Punch down dough and knead for two minutes to pop all the air bubbles. Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes.
10. Divide dough in half and roll out each ball to a 10 x 12-inch rectangle.
11. Cut remaining 1/3 cup of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and place evenly on each piece of rolled out dough.
12. Sprinkle half of the granulated sugar, cinnamon and brown sugar over the first dough rectangle.  Reserve the remaining granulated sugar, cinnamon and brown sugar for the second one.
13. Roll the dough up. With a think sharp knife, cut into 1”-1-1/2” slices.
14. Place the slices of dough in the baking pan, cut side down, leaving space between the buns to allow for rising.
15. Repeat steps 12-14 with the second dough rectangle.
16. In a warm draft-free place, allow the dough to rise in the baking pan(s) until doubled (about 1 hour or you can let the dough rest overnight in the refrigerator) (see the ChefSecret below).
17. Preheat an oven to 350ºF. If you have refrigerated the dough overnight, allow it to come to room temperature before putting it into the pre-heated oven (about 2 hours).
18. Bake the buns for 30 to 35 minutes.
19. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out of the pans

To make the powder sugar icing

1. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth, adding enough milk for desired glaze consistency.
2. Drizzle the cinnamon buns with powdered sugar icing. Serve and enjoy!

ChefSecret:

• Allowing the dough to proof a little longer overnight will develop more flavor in the dough.
• If you have refrigerated the dough overnight, remember to pull the pan(s) from the refrigerator and allow the dough to come to room temperature before baking. If the dough is cold when put into the oven, the rolls will only be baked on the outside but will be doughy and under-baked on the inside.

 
Covid-19 Quip of the Day: Do you remember when you were a little kid and all your underwear had the days of the week on them. Those would be helpful right now.
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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, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading,

#Baking #CinnamonBuns #CountyFair  #CountyFairWeek #FairFoods #Breakfast #Brunch #Dessert #Snack #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                           ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020