…from the California Happy Hour Bar ![]() How you doin’? As the weather starts to warm up, we start to think about out outdoor brunches and barbecues. Nothing goes better with these home entertainment activities than a Blood Mary cocktail. The creation of the Bloody Mary dates back to the 1920’s and is often credited to Fernand Petiot while a young bartender at Harry's New York Bar in Paris. However, it appears he simply spiced up an existing and well-established combination of vodka and tomato juice while working at the St. Regis Hotel, New York City during the 1940s. The real secret to a great (not just good) Blood Mary is the mix… so much more than simple tomato or V-8 juice. It involves a mélange of ingredients that are complementary to each other as well as a great assortment of garnishes—you can never have too many toppers for a great Blood Mary. What does a Blood Mary do for a hangover? If you really want to feel better after a long night of drinking, maybe try a Virgin Mary on for size made with this mix. The non-booze ingredients of a Bloody Mary deliver up electrolytes, water, Vitamins A and C, and Vitamin B6, all of which might just help with a hangover. Prep time: 15 minutes Yield: 32-ounces Ingredients 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon fine grind black pepper 1/4 teaspoon celery salt 2 tablespoons sweet and sour mix 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon Rose’s lime juice 2 tablespoons red Burgundy 2 dashes Tabasco sauce 1 to 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (more, for a stiffer kick) 32 ounces tomato juice Directions
ChefSecret: A bartender’s secret to a great Blood Mary is not only the Blood Mary Mix (see above), but the garnishes. You can simply garnish with a stalk of celery and a lime or lemon wedge, or you can go all and rim the glass with celery salt and load it up with cheese cubes, olives, peppers and even skewered shrimp (Shipwreck Mary, Lesson #73) and make a meal of it. Quip of the Day: “Legend says that if you stand in front of the mirror in your bedroom at 3am and scream Bloody Mary then your spouse will appear, throw sandals at you and tell you to shut the hell up and go to sleep.” ------------------------------------------- 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. #Cocktail #HappyHour #ZippyBloodyMary #BloodyMary #Tabasco #RosesLimeJuice #Cheers #2022 #Cheers# QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022
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…from the California Kitchen ![]() How you doin’? For my generation there were lots of wonderful memories with some of mom’s or grandmother’s cooking—today’s kids may not have the same recollections. If you have a family favorite you might want to document now so it can live on as a family legacy to share with your current and future mini me’s. When I think back to my childhood most of the great baking came from my Aunt Esther and I have shared several recipes of hers with you on this blog. And then there was the yeasty waffle recipe from Aunt Waffle (actually, Aunt Ethel). My mother’s recipe… not so much. I once featured on one of my restaurant menus, “Apple Pie like mom used to make $2.95; Apple Pie like mom thought she made $5.95.” That being the case, I have a fascination with other moms’ great recipes. I recently read in Allrecipes that James Beard shared his mother's recipe for shortcake with a friend. James Beard claimed that his mother’s secret ingredient in baking her shortcake was finely crumbled hard-boiled egg yolks, which enrich the dough without toughening it. Even before Beard was the famous award-winning James Beard who wrote 20 cookbooks, hosted cooking shows and changed the game of modern cuisine, his mom was whipping up one seriously delicious—yet delightfully strange—shortcake recipe. Thanks mom! When I was in Melbourne several years ago, I worked with an old-world German pastry chef and he, too, used finely crumbled hard-boiled egg yolks, which enriched the dough without toughening it contributing to the baked cakes' perfectly tender crumb. The technique has also appeared in recipes from The Great British Bake Off in 2018. What I found out is that this method is common in Northern European baking, where savvy bakers discovered that the small egg yolk bits prevent too much gluten from forming in the dough, keeping the baked goods (like shortcakes) ultra-tender. The next time you’re in the produce section of your local supermarket and see all those beautiful, aroma-blessed fresh strawberries, pick up a couple of baskets (or flats) and then walk right by the packaged, convenience spongy bun shortcakes and go home to make your own home-baked shortcake pastry following the recipe below. Prep time: 30-40 minutes Bake time: 15 minutes Yield: 6 Servings Ingredients For the shortcake pastry 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling 1 tablespoon, plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled 2 hard-boiled egg yolks, pushed through a small mesh sieve 3/4 cup heavy cream, chilled 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter For the strawberry topping 3 pints fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and halved 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon orange liqueur For the whipped cream topping 1 cup chilled heavy cream 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract mint sprig (garnish) Directions To make the shortcake pastry
ChefSecrets: The secret to tender shortcakes is to not overwork the dough. Quip of the Day: “Why were the little strawberries so upset? Because their parents were in a jam!” ------------------------------------------- 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. #Desserts #StrawberryShortcake #Strawberries #EggYolks #JamesBeard #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022 …from the California Kitchen ![]() How you doin’? Sock it to me! The phrase itself has quite a history. It was first popularized in Aretha Franklin’s 1967 version of the song “Respect,” an Otis Redding original. In 1968, the phrase was made even more popular when it was used in NBC’s Rowan & Martin’s reoccurring sketch comedy show, Laugh-In. And it was made even more famous when Rowan & Martin got President Richard Nixon to recite that line in his own inimitable style. Later, in the 1970s, Duncan Hines added a recipe for Sock-It-To-Me Bundt Cake on the back of its Classic Butter Golden Cake Mix box and the recipe has since become a Southern dessert staple (sometimes known as Tunnel Cake). If you haven’t baked a Sock-It-To-Me Cake before then you’re definitely missing out! This moist, tender cake has a ribbon of brown sugar, pecan and cinnamon streusel in the middle that is to die for and a sugar-almond glaze on top that ties it all together perfectly. Think of it like the best Southern butter cake with a surprise filling. It’s so easy to make and it is beyond delicious! Prep time: 20 minutes Bake time: 60 to 75 minutes Yield: 12 servings Ingredients For the cake batter Non-stick baking spray (I prefer Pam) 3 cups cake flour sifted 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 3 cups granulated sugar 6 large eggs, room temperature 1 cup sour cream, room temperature 2-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons orange zest (optional—see ChefSecrets) For the pecan filling 1 cup chopped toasted pecans 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature For the cake glaze 1-1/2 cups confectioner's sugar 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons whole milk 1 teaspoon almond extract Directions
Quip of the Day: “Learn to cook and bake well now—you can’t build a reputation on what you say you’re going to cook, plus you can often eat your mistakes while practicing! ------------------------------------------- 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 or to relief efforts in Ukraine. #Desserts #Baking #Cake #SockItToMeCake #LaughIn #Rowan&Martin #Snack #Pecans #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022 … from the California Kitchen![]() How you doin’? I spent a lot of time at the Disneyland park as a kid and later as a consultant to all the Disney parks. They were magical to a 10-year old and even more impressive as an adult working behind the scenes. It’s fitting that we are coming into Mardi Gras as my favorite places is still New Orleans Square—one of the themed lands found at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. It’s based on 19th-century New Orleans. It was the first area to be added to Disneyland since the park’s opening. According to Disney history, at nearly $18 million the roughly three-acre area cost as much as the original Louisiana Purchase; without adjusting for inflation, it actually cost more. New Orleans Square is home to Pirates of the Caribbean and used to be the home of the Disneyland Dream Suite. Now closed, at one point, it was the only overnight accommodations in the park open to the public. You can also find the Blue Bayou Restaurant and Haunted Mansion. The Square is also home to Club 33 a subscription venue that can cost over $40,000 for the initial membership fee, and $10,000-$25,000 in annual dues thereafter… and that’s if you’re lucky enough to be selected from the waitlist. In New Orleans Square they used to sell what they called “New Orleans Beignets” but were not true beignets at all, but an eggy fried choux dough (creampuff pastry). That later changed to a more authentic pastry several years ago. I always loved the original and tweaked it several times to fit one of my restaurants. It is great for weekend brunches. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday… which falls on March 1st this year. Hey… that’s tomorrow! Prep time: 10 minutes Fry time: 11 minutes Yield: 25 small fritters Ingredients For the fritters 1 cup water 3 ounces unsalted butter 4 1/4 ounces all-purpose flour 1/4 ounce granulated sugar 5 large eggs Vegetable oil (for deep frying) For the topping 1/2 cup cinnamon sugar 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar Directions
ChefSecret: It’s best to weigh out all the ingredients instead of just using cups and spoons. Quip of the Day: “If there was no New Orleans, America would just be a bunch of free-loving people dying of boredom.” ------------------------------------------- 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, 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. #Desserts #Beignets #Fritters #DisneylandFritters #NewOrleans #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022 … Joan's Healthy Recipes![]() How you doin’? Okay, I know working from home, plus stress and/or other pressures seems to pack on the pounds. You made a New Year’s Resolution to lose at least 2-1/2 pounds a month. That’s a nice safe weight loss to help you from gaining it right back again. So cut back on the fried foods and the ooey-gooey desserts and try one of our new healthful recipes. Our Survival Guide will publish one new recipe from the Healthful Collection every week. We promise you won’t be disappointed. I love a good chicken salad sandwich, but who needs the high-calorie mayonnaise? Low-cal ranch dressing is the secret ingredient for replacing mayonnaise or other creamy ingredients typically used to dress a chicken salad. You’ll find it is addictively good and absolutely the best replacement for mayo—low on calories and fat and high on flavor! While you can definitely make your own ranch dressing, but you can make this recipe quick and easy with store-bought Hidden Valley Ranch Low Fat Dressing or Bolthouse Farm’s Yogurt Classic Ranch. My Healthy Chicken Salad is made with shredded chicken (left over rotisserie chicken), crisp celery, dried sweet cranberries, juicy grapes, and crunchy sliced almonds. It's tossed in a no-mayo dressing. Prep time: 20 minutes Yield: 6 -8 small sandwiches Calories: 270 kcal Ingredients 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (store-bought) 3/4 cup diced celery 1 cup sliced seedless red grapes 1/2 cup slivered almonds 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or dried sweet cherries) 1/4 teaspoon ground rosemary 3/4 cup reduced-fat ranch dressing 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper For serving 6-8 pieces green leaf lettuce 6-8 miniature or full-sized croissants or other toasted bread Option: 6-8 hollowed out tomatoes (for stuffing) in place of bread Instructions To prepare the chicken
ChefSecret: Eat healthfully, keep an eye to the calories. Remember, not all that goes in comes out. Quip of the Day: “I never would have known that a few weeks of uncut hair would weigh 20 pounds, but that’s what the scale says.” ------------------------------------------- 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. In this New Year, seek out the good in people and avoid conflict. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America. #Entrees #Lunch #HealthyChickenSalad #RotisserieChicken #LowFatRanchDressing #HiddenValley #BolthouseFarms #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022 |
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