How you doin’? The first Sunset Magazine issue I bought featured a beautiful cover shot of a Dutch Boy Pancake. It was amazing. I looked at the picture for quite a while before I decided to read the directions. That too was amazing—something so beautiful, with so few ingredients and so easy to make. Just dump all the ingredients into a blender, give it a good whirl, pour it into a heated skillet sizzling with butter and pop it into the oven. Twenty-five minutes later—it’s ready to eat! This large, fluffy pancake is excellent to serve for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dessert… any time of the day and any time of the year.
 
Pannenkoeken—better known as (and easier to pronounce) Dutch Pancakes are a Dutch delight. Dutch pancakes can be described as a type of pancake that originated in the Netherlands (some claim Germany). It is a “pancake” that is made from a batter that is baked (not griddled like hotcakes) in a very hot oven. As it bakes the batter puffs up and climbs up the sides of the pan like a Yorkshire pudding or a popover. The recipe doesn't contain any leavening—just the milk and eggs create steam that causes the Dutch Baby to rise and puff.
 
My Dutch Baby Pancake recipe calls for using a blender to mix the ingredients. That  assures the batter will be thoroughly blended. The maximum puff of the pancake is ephemeral (lasting for a very short time) and it begins to deflate seconds after it's out of the oven. Be sure to call over everyone you're dining with to the oven so they can get the full effect of the grandeur that is a Dutch Baby Pancake… or you could just snap a picture!
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Bake time:  20 to 25 minutes
Yield:  2 servings
 
Ingredients
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Garnishes:  I prefer freshly-squeezed lemon juice and a heavy sifting of confectioners' sugar or you can use cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, fruit preserves or you can just fill it up with scrambled eggs.

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 475⁰ F.
2. Place a heavy 10-inch skillet in the oven to heat up about 15 minutes before you start to bake the pancake.
3. Combine eggs, flour, milk, vanilla extract, sugar and nutmeg in a blender jar and blend until smooth.
4. Place butter in the skillet or baking dish and turn down the temperature to 425⁰F.  
5. As soon as the butter has melted (watch it so it does not burn) add the batter to the pan, and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden.
6. Lower oven temperature to 300⁰ F and bake five minutes longer to make sure it is cooked through.
7. Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges and serve at once topped with the topping of your choice.

ChefSecret:  In most of my recipes I add the vanilla extract toward the end of the cooking process so as not to destroy the volatile oils present in the vanilla. Many flavors extracts are extracted using alcohol and the flavor will just go up the exhaust vent. In this case I doubled the amount of vanilla, so it is still there to taste. You can also sparingly use almond or orange extract to your taste—it’s up to you.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  “The pandemic has put us all together in close quarters with others and sometimes you feel you need to say, I love you no matter what you do, but do you have to do so much of 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 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 #DutchBabyPancake #Pancake #Brunch #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                           ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? In some of my blogs we talk about the origins of food. Today we are going to discuss the geographic differences in the recipes themselves. Let’s take for example Kringle vs Kringle—one from Wisconsin and the other from Denmark.
 
The first recipe is from my friend Birget’s grandmother who was born and raised in Aarhus, Denmark on the Jutland peninsula’s east coast. I was there at Christmas several years ago and enjoyed the 12 days with amazing Danish food. A Danish Kringle is a special holiday pastry treat that is both beautiful and delicious—but it is also a wonderful everyday treat. You might want to plan ahead and make your dough at least 1 to 2 days in advance. It's simple—it takes just a few minutes to prepare and refrigerate. Allow enough time to do it right.
 
Did you know the shape of a Kringle (pretzel-shaped) in Denmark is the Danish sign for a bakery (hence the name Kringle)? Outside every bakery in Denmark, you will find a sign with a Kringle on it. A Kringle is not only the dough, as it can be made of different types of dough, but the place to buy it.
 
Prep time:  45 minutes
Additional time:  at least 8 hours dough resting and cooling time
Bake time:  30 minutes
Yield:  3 braids / 12 servings
 
Ingredients
For the pastry
1 cup unsalted European-style butter
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
 
For the filling
1 cup European-style butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
1-1/2 cups roasted and chopped pecans or walnuts, divided
 
For the icing
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons water
 
Directions
To make the pastry

1. In a large bowl, cut 1 cup butter into flour until crumbly, leaving pea-sized chunks. Stir in sour cream and mix well; dough will be very sticky.
2. Form dough into a ball. Cover tightly, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.

To make the filling

1. Combine butter, brown sugar and 1 cup of chopped nuts.

To assemble the pastry and bake

1. Preheat an oven to 375⁰ F.
2. Lightly grease a sheet pan.
3. Divide dough into three equal parts; return two parts to the refrigerator to keep cold.
4. Quickly form the first part of the dough into a rectangle, and flour lightly.
5. On a heavily floured surface, roll out to approximately 12x17 inches. Position lengthwise on the work surface.
6. Along both long edges of the dough rectangle, use a sharp knife to cut 4-inch long angled lines about 1/2 inch apart, leaving an uncut patch in the center running the length of the dough.
7. Spoon 1/3 of the filling down the length of the rectangle's uncut center.
8. Alternating from one side of the dough to the other, fold each 1/2 inch wide strip towards the center, crisscrossing the filling in a braid-like fashion.
9. Lightly press together the ends of the strips to seal.
10. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the remaining nuts.
11. Repeat with remaining ingredients to form 3 braided danishes. Arrange danishes on prepared baking sheet.
12. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.
13. Cool for approximately 30 minutes.
14. While the danishes are cooling, prepare the icing: mix confectioners’ sugar and water until very smooth.
15. Drizzle in fine streams over warm danishes.

ChefSecret:  Why use sour cream? In terms of baking chemistry, sour cream is a powerhouse combo of acid and fat. In fact, it's one of the fattiest dairy products you can use in your baking. Both elements of sour cream's character make it a truly special (not to mention, hardworking) ingredient in your ingredient arsenal.

                                                       Wisconsin Kringle
 
This American Kringle recipe is a classic yeast-raised pastry that originated in Wisconsin by the many newly arrived German immigrants who settled in the area. It differs from the Danish version with its flaky, buttery crust and sweet filling that is made with almond paste. Kringles are best served within a day or two of baking. Drizzle or spread the icing on them about a half an hour before serving. 

Prep time:  1 hour
Chill/Proof time:  5 hours
Bake time:  25-30 minutes
Yield:  10 servings
 
Ingredients
For the dough
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup cold whole milk
1 large cold egg
 
For the filling
3/4 cup almond paste, softened
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup (from about 2 large eggs) egg whites, well-beaten
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
 
For the icing
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 teaspoons water (more if needed)
 
Directions
To prepare the pastry dough

1. In the bowl of a food processor combine the all-purpose flour, bread flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Pulse a few times to blend.
2. Add the butter cubes and pulse 10 times, or until butter chunks begin to break down by about half.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and egg.
4. Scrape the flour mixture into the medium bowl and using a flexible spatula stir together until nearly all the flour is moistened.
5. Using your hand quickly knead the dough to bring it together.
6. Transfer dough to a work surface, pat into a rectangle, and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours and up to 2 days.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough into a roughly 8x15-inch rectangle. Fold the two short sides of the rectangle toward the center, folding the rectangle into thirds, like a letter. Rotate dough 90 degrees, then roll out again into an 8x15-inch rectangle, fold into thirds again.
8. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
9. Roll the dough out into an 8x15-inch rectangle, fold into thirds, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes two more times. At this point, wrapped dough can be kept in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freezer for 2 months.

To make the filling

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the almond paste, butter, confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons of the egg whites and the salt.
2. Beat to combine, then beat in lemon juice, adding more to taste.

To make the pastry

1. Line two rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. Unwrap the dough and cut in half.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each half into a 6x24-inch rectangle.
4. Spread 1/2-cup filling on each in an even strip down the center (about 2-1/2-inches wide).
5. Fold one long side over the filling, leaving the remaining third of the dough exposed.
6. Using a pastry brush, brush the unfilled portion of dough with reserved egg whites on both the long side and two short ends.
7. Fold the second long side over the first; pinch and press the seam tightly along the length and at both short ends, sinking your fingertips into the pastry to create a tight seal.
8. Remeasure dough to make sure it’s at least 24 inches long; if necessary, stretch it back out.
9. Form into an oval, then tuck one end into the other. Pinch and press the seam together, then transfer oval pastry to the prepared sheet pans and flip over so it’s seam-side down.
10. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
11. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot for 30 to 45 minutes, or until slightly puffy.
12. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375⁰ F.
13. Brush the pastry with more egg white, then bake until golden, about 25 minutes, rotating sheet pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through.
14. As soon as the pastries come out of the oven, and the pastries are piping hot, press each pastry slightly by using the sheet pan with the other pastry on it, setting the sheet pan on top of the pastry and pressing gently to eliminate any air pockets between the pastry and filling.
15. Transfer the sheet pans to wire racks and allow pastries to cool completely.

To prepare the icing

1. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, almond extract and 4 teaspoons water (more if you need it to make it drizzly).
2. Drizzle the icing over the pastry.

ChefSecret:  Take the Kringle up a notch by sprinkling the icing with 1/4-cup of toasted slivered almonds.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “How did the health experts lie? They said a mask and gloves was enough to go to the grocery store. When I got there, everyone else had clothes on. I was so embarrassed!”
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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.

#Baking #Kringle #Danish #Wisconsin #Pastry #Dessert #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? Now that your winter duds are safely stored for the season it’s time to dust off your summer shorts and reach for lighter cocktails. The St. Germain Parisian Cocktail is another perfect summer Champagne cocktail.
 
In “Arsenic and Old Lace”, a 1944 American dark comedy film directed by Frank Capra and starring Cary Grant, the poison was secreted in elderberry wine. While St. Germain is derived from elderberry flowers it has nothing to do with arsenic—do you feel better now?
 
St. Germain was created by distiller Robert Cooper and brought to market in 2007 by Cooper Spirits Company, a company founded in 2006 and headquartered in New York. In 2013, the company was sold to Bacardi. Robert Cooper agreed to work with Bacardi as a consultant, "brand guardian" and spokesperson. Robert Cooper passed away in 2016 at the tender age of 39.
 
St. Germain is naturally flavored, and each bottle can contain up to 1,000 elderberry flowers. St. Germain’s flavor is compelling, pleasantly floral, lightly herbal, sweet without being sugary, and is surprisingly versatile for mixed cocktails.
 
St. Germain won the Grand Gold Medal at the Monde Selection in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and the "Chairman's Award" in the Liqueur category at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2010.
 
Who was this soon to be named saint? Germain was the bishop of Paris and is a saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. According to an early biography, he was known as Germain d'Autun—"Father of the Poor"—for the abandoned people; abuse victims; against poverty; disabled people; girls from rural areas; illness; impoverishment; loss of parents; shepherdesses; sick people; unkind people; physical therapists—that’s a lot of responsibility.
 
Take a few minutes to enjoy a St. Germain Parisian Cocktail and bless yourself.
 
Ingredients
1/2 ounce St. Germain
1/2 ounce Lillet Blanc
1/2 ounce honey syrup (equal parts honey and filtered water combined)
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 ounces Champagne or other sparkling wine
 
Directions

1. Add ice to shaker with all ingredients except champagne.
2. Shake for 10 to 15-seconds to mix and chill.
3. Strain into a Champagne flute.
4. Top with Champagne.

ChefSecret:  Lillet is classified as an aromatized wine. It is a French wine-based aperitif from Podensac. It is a blend of 85% Bordeaux region wines (Semillon for the Blanc and for the Rosé, Merlot for the Rouge) and 15% macerated liqueurs, mostly citrus liqueurs (peels of sweet oranges from Spain and Morocco and peels of bitter green oranges from Haiti). The mix is then stirred in oak vats until blended. During the aging process, Lillet is handled as a Bordeaux wine undergoing fining, racking, filtering etc.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Many found out over the last year when locked down together… Love is blind—marriage is the eye-opener.”
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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.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #StGermain #Lillet #Champagne #Cheers #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                 ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? I’m ready for some nutty toast spread, how ‘bout you? Let’s talk Nutella® (or as I like to call it, Ed-tella). Did you know Nutella is one of the top-selling nut butter spreads in the United States?
 
During World War II Chocolate was very expensive in Europe if you could find it. After the war, rationing of food products in Europe made chocolate so expensive that an Italian pastry maker named Pietro Ferrero began adding chopped hazelnuts to stretch out his supply of chocolate to create what he called Pasta Gianduja—a hard paste that was sliced and placed on bread, kind of like cheese. A few years later, he revised the formula to make it spreadable and in 1964 Pietro’s son Michele renamed it Nutella.
 
Ever since then, chocolate lovers the world over, from Paris, France, to Paris, Texas, have driven their tastebuds crazy with this rich and delicious topping—spread on toast, dolloped on to ice cream or devoured by the spoonful straight out of the jar.
 
This chocolate-hazelnut spread is so popular that it’s available in over 160 countries and Ferrero, the company that makes it, buys a quarter of the world’s hazelnut supply every year.
 
At Choclatique, our former boutique chocolate company, we wanted to create a clean label Nutella-inspired Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread. A good test of clean label products are limited ingredients, in this case only 6. Ed-tella is a perfect gift to take to friends’ homes now that gathering restrictions are lifting.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Roast time:  12 to 15 minutes
Yield:  2-1/2 cups
 
Ingredients
8 ounces raw hazelnuts
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰F.
2. Roast the hazelnuts on a sheet pan at 350⁰F for 12 to 15 minutes until you start to get a nutty aroma. Shake the pan about halfway through to expose different sides of the nuts.
3. Remove the hazelnuts from the oven and let them cool completely.
4. When cool, rub the nuts with a kitchen towel to remove the skins.
5. Place the hazelnuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until they start to liquify; about 5 minutes.
6. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and process well.
7. Add in the vanilla extract, oil and salt.
8. Store the spread in a large mouth jar. It should keep for about a month under refrigeration.

 
ChefSecret: Some people prefer to melt 2/3 of a cup of dark chocolate instead of using dry cocoa powder.  You can also substitute coconut oil in place of peanut oil.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Where do sick boats go to get better? To the dock!”
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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.

#Desserts #Nutella #ChocolateSpread #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’?  I love New Orleans! I love the food, the drinks and especially the people. I love doughnuts and I love Beignets! So, this is the perfect recipe for people just like me.
 
What are beignets? BEIGNETS are those delicious rectangular doughnuts served fresh and hot around the clock at the French Market coffeehouses in New Orleans. They are easy to prepare and make delightful breakfast breads, a delicious snack at any hour of the day (especially after a night of drinking Hurricanes) or a wonderful dessert.
 
The yeast dough must be prepared in advance and, for best results, refrigerated overnight. The dough keeps beautifully under refrigeration for almost a week. Cut off some dough when you want to make Beignets; roll it out, cut it up, and fry for about 3 minutes per batch, then fill with pastry cream (or not) and sprinkle the beignets with lots of confectioners' sugar and serve piping hot.
 
Put a little yummy in your tummy! Try my traditional recipe for beignets that taste just like the ones served at the famous New Orleans hot spot, Cafe du Monde. Pour a coffee or hot chocolate and enjoy these tender pillow-like doughnuts for any special occasion or weekend breakfast.
 
Prep Time: 1 hour
Chill Time: 1 hour or overnight
Fry Time: 3 to 5 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
 
Ingredients
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
1 cup evaporated milk
2 large eggs, beaten
7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting
 
Directions

1. Pour 1/2 cup of room temperature water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve.
2. Combine the shortening, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture and then stir in the evaporated milk. Wait for the mixture to cool down until it is lukewarm. Then, add the yeast and water mixture and beaten eggs.
3. Slowly mix in the flour until the dough forms a ball. Cover the dough with plastic food film and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Working with a small portion (a little larger than a baseball) at a time, roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut the rolled-out dough into strips 2 to 3-inches wide, then cut again in the opposite direction and at an angle, making diamond shapes.
5. Heat your oil for frying in a deep and wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat to 360⁰F.
6. Slide dough slowly into the oil to avoid splattering yourself and deep fry until they puff up and are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Carefully remove them from the oil and onto a rack with paper towels underneath and allow to cool until you can handle them.
8. Place them in a clean paper bag filled with confectioners' sugar and shake gently until covered generously or, use a sifter to dust the beignets with powdered sugar.

ChefSecret:  We tested a lot of beignet recipes for quite a while. We wondered why our beignets lacked that special Café du Monde flavor. Then one day we saw them using canned evaporated milk instead of fresh dairy, and it made good sense. Back in the day they didn’t have that much fresh milk in the hot climate of New Orleans. Many older New Orleanians consider canned evaporated milk a delicacy and, in fact, they refer to it fondly as "pet cream." PET refers to the manufacturer.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I don’t think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks, we go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone.”
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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.

                                                 ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021