How you doin’? It’s time to put out the Red, White and Blue and the American flag, too. Here is one heck of a festive cocktail that is perfect for the 4th of July. Just a few ingredients, a cocktail shaker and some Pop Rocks are all you need to make this cocktail sizzle.

My patriotic drink is a delicious blend of the Red White and Berry Vodka, curaçao, grenadine and homemade lemonade to keep it balanced.
 
There is a limited edition Smirnoff Vodka that comes out just for the summer months. It’s released in June, just in time for the 4th of July Holidays. Red White and Berry vodka is sweet with cherry, citrus and blue raspberry flavors all blended into a dynamite flavor combination. If you enjoy sweet drinks, you will love this one.
 
I am including a homemade lemonade recipe in the thread of this recipe in case you are out. You only need 3 ounces of lemonade. No need to buy it for one cocktail. The lemonade is very easy to make with lemon juice, sugar and water. You can adjust the proportions if you like it sweeter or less sweet. The Red White and Berry Vodka needs to tart to offset the sweet mix and keep this cocktail from getting over the top cloying and yucky.
 
The grenadine naturally falls through the curaçao to the bottom of the glass creating the beautiful gradation of colors.
 
A Pop Rocks Candy Rim… you remember Pop Rocks—They are back again. The pop rocks react with the liquids around the edge of the glass and bang and pop continually while you sip… very much in the spirit of the 4th of July. Cool thing! Pop rocks make firecracker sounds so you can sizzle while you sip!
 
You can make a kid-friendly version with a 7-up, a little grenadine and some grape juice (or blue food coloring). Just rim the glass with honey as noted below and dip into the Pop Rocks… if you use soda or juice on the rim, either will immediately activate the rocks. Honey is thick enough to hold them until sipping begins.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 Cocktail
 
Ingredients
1-1/2 ounces Smirnoff Red White and Berry Vodka
3/4 ounce blue Curaçao
1/2 ounce Grenadine
3 ounces lemonade
 
Directions
To rim a glass with Pop Rocks

1. Put a dollop of honey on a flat plate. Roll the lip of your glass through the honey until the entire rim is coated.
2. On a separate flat plate mix the blue and red pop rocks.
3. Set your coated glass rim into the pop rocks. Using your fingers, push the pop rocks around the rim until the rim is completely coated with pop rock candy. Set aside.

To make the cocktail

1. Fill your cocktail shaker with ice.
2. Pour the Curaçao, vodka and lemonade into your shaker—Shake until very cold.
3. Fill your rimmed cocktail glass with ice.
4. Pour your cocktail into the rimmed cocktail glass.
   
5. Pour the Grenadine over the back of a spoon to float it atop the cocktail.
   
6. Garnish with a cherry or berries of your choice on a bamboo pick.

ChefSecrets:  You will need red and blue pop rocks and either honey or light corn syrup to rim your cocktail glass. Listen to the pop rocks 'rockets' explode as you sip this tasty and beautiful July 4th Firecracker Cocktail. It's a fun patriotic refreshment.
 
                                         Homemade Lemonade Recipe
                             If you do not have lemonade on hand, you can make your own:
 
Ingredients
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
 
Directions
Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use. You will need 3 ounces of lemonade for one cocktail.

A Little History:  What are Pop Rocks, you ask?  Where have you been hiding?  Pop Rocks differ from typical hard candy in that pressurized carbon dioxide gas bubbles are embedded inside of the candy, creating a small popping reaction when it dissolves.

The concept was patented by a General Foods research chemists on December 12, 1961, but the candy was not offered for sale to the public until 1976. General Foods withdrew it from the marketplace in 1983, citing its lack of success in the marketplace and its relatively short shelf life.

Rumors persisted that eating Pop Rocks and drinking soda would cause a person's stomach to boil and explode. This was, in part, caused by the false assumption that Pop Rocks contain an acid/base mixture (such as baking soda and vinegar) which produces large volumes of gas when mixed through chewing and saliva.

Though the confection had been extensively tested and found safe, the carbonated candy still alarmed residents in Seattle. The Food and Drug Administration set up a hotline there to assure anxious parents that the fizzing candy would not cause their children to choke. General Foods was battling the "exploding kid" rumors as early as 1979. General Foods sent letters to school principals, created an open letter to parents, took out advertisements in major publications and sent the confection's inventor on the road to explain that a Pop Rocks package contains less gas (namely, carbon dioxide, the same gas used in all carbonated beverages) than half a can of soda.

Because of the unique flavor of the legend, and the duration of its perpetuation, the story has appeared in many other forms of media and fiction even before the internet.

Quip of the Day: “Keep the American spirit alive by honoring this special occasion. Happy Independence Day!”
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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.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #FirecrackerCocktail #July4th #Smirnoff #PopRocks #IndependenceDay #SummerCocktail #Cheers #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                 ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? I had the pleasure of working with Jimmy Buffet and John Cohan at Margaritaville—Las Vegas. After opening it turned out to be the highest grossing restaurant in the United States. Go Jimmy!
 
The Margaritaville song was the impetus for the restaurant. It is complete with a large margarita glass a slide that the tequila mermaid slides down once an hour. Las Vegas is always fun but Margaritaville is a complete blast.
 
So in celebration of Cinco de Mayo and Margaritaville, here is a new Margarita made with St. Germain instead and orange liqueur.

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 great with tequila.
 
Whether at home or at Margaritaville, have a wonderful Cinco de Mayo.
 
Ingredients
1 ounce St. Germain
1-1/2 ounce tequila (I used Patron Silver)
1/2 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice ()
 
Directions

1. Add ice to shaker with all ingredients.
2. Shake it like you mean it for 10 to 15-seconds to mix and chill.
3. Pour it into bucket glass that has a salted rim.
4. Toss the spent limes wedges into the drink as a garnish.
5. Add more ice if you need it.

ChefSecret:  Try using a mix of kosher salt and sumac to coat the rim of the glass. The sumac is what makes gives the salted rim a speckled red appearance. The sumac is optional, but it makes for a pretty presentation and adds a subtle hit of sour.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I discovered it’s not a good idea to work without shoes and socks in my home office. Did you know that your little toe is specifically designed to geo-locate furniture edges in low-light conditions?”
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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 #Tequila #Margarita #JimmyBuffet #Margaritaville #CincoDeMayo #Cheers #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                               ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? You may not have thought a whole lot about it, but tacos are a cool food. Now, I’m not talking about the Taco Bell style although I still go back to the “Bell” on occasion. I’m talking about marinated charred steak tacos folded up in homemade-style warm corn tortillas with a Mexican-style, homemade charred salsa.
 
I decided to use Chef Roy Choi’s signature carne asada marinade, which makes the meat impressively flavorful and aromatic. It is a combination of spices and herbs—garlic, scallions, ancho chile powder, jalapeños, fresh cilantro, beer, kiwifruit, mirin and plenty of citrus flavors.
 
It’s not a hot marinade, but it is full flavored and smoky—you can barely taste the heat. The steak tastes bright, fresh, tangy and is perfect for tacos. Making the marinade is no big deal, just take all the ingredients and buzz them together in your blender. 
 
The marinated steak chars up beautifully on the grill, and you can smell all the different ingredients of the marinade as it cooks. I like to take the steak and wrap a nice piece in a toasted corn tortilla with pickled onions, radishes, cilantro, lime, my Charred Salsa, hot sauce and maybe a little queso fresco—any favorite taco toppings will work, especially with a frosty cerveza on the side.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Marinade time:  1 hour minimum
Cook time:  10 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients
6 to 8 large, peeled garlic cloves
1/4 large peeled yellow onion, chopped
3 thick scallions trimmed and roughly chopped into 2” pieces
1/4 cup ancho chile powder
2 jalapeño peppers, stem removed
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
3/4 cup lager beer
1 orange—juice and grated zest
2 limes—juice and grated zest
1 kiwifruit, peeled
1/4 cup mirin Asian rice wine
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 pounds skirt steak
Olive oil, for brushing grill
Corn tortillas
Your favorite taco toppings, for serving
Salsa (see recipe below)
 
Directions

1. In a blender jar or food processor, combine the garlic, onion, scallions, chile powder, jalapeños, cilantro, lager, orange juice and zest, lime juice and zest, kiwifruit, mirin, salt, pepper, and sugar. Purée until smooth, about 30 seconds.
2. Pat the steak dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place the steak in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over the steak until it’s fully submerged. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
3. When ready to grill, pull the steak out of the marinade, letting the excess marinade drip off for about 30 seconds.
4. Heat the grill to high heat, and brush with the oil. Cook the steak for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the outside is nicely charred, and the inside is medium (125° F), or cook to your preference.
5. Let the meat rest for 5 to 10 minutes under tented foil before slicing.
6. Slice the steak and serve warm with corn tortillas, salsa (salsa recipe below) and your favorite taco toppings. 

ChefSecret:  You may never buy another jar of salsa again after trying my Charred Tomato Salsa.
 
                                                 Charred Tomato Salsa

Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  10 minutes
Cool time: 30 minutes
Yield: roughly 3 cups
 
Ingredients
4 medium (about 1 pound) plum tomatoes
2 jalapeño peppers, stems, seeds and seams removed
2 garlic cloves
1/2 white onion, cut into 4 wedges
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon tequila
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Taco and tortilla chips, for serving
 
Directions

1. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Working in batches, sear the plum tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic and onion until charred all over, 5 minutes for the tomatoes and garlic, and 8 minutes for the jalapeños and onion. You want to see the black from the char.
2. Put the seared tomatoes in a paper bag to steam to make the skins easier to remove.
3. Remove the skins from the tomatoes.
4. Transfer all the charred vegetables to the bowl of a food processor and let them cool completely.
5. Add the cilantro, lime juice and tequila and pulse until a get a chunky purée.
6. Season with salt and pepper to your taste, then transfer to a bowl.

 
Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Husbands are the best people to share secrets with. They’ll never tell anyone anything because they aren’t even listening.”
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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 #Beef #CarneAsada #Tacos #CincoDeMayo #Salsa #Tortillas #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                             ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? Let me help you get a little history straight. Do not confuse Cinco de Mayo with Mexican Independence Day, which is actually on September 16.
 
Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla where the holiday is called El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla (English: The Day of the Battle of Puebla). The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War. In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on that fateful day under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

Normally we celebrate at bars around the country where people enjoy tequila shots, Cadillac margaritas and nachos. I decided to add a little chocolate to the equation with my Cinco de Mayo Holiday Brownies. I felt that cinnamon and chili peppers are such an integral part of Mexican cuisine that they were an appropriate addition to an all-American favorite—the brownie. They are the closest flavors to what Montezuma himself may have consumed when he downed nearly 50 golden goblets of a roughly made chocolate beverage.
 
So enjoy the rich, spicy flavors of chocolate, cinnamon and chili, in this wonderful brownie recipe and also enjoy a full week of Cinco de Mayo celebratory recipes.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Bake time:  20 minutes
Cool time:  20 minutes
Ready in:  about 60 minutes
Yield:  About 30 brownies
 
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
3 cups granulated sugar
6 large whole eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1-1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
 
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Line a 12 x 15-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving about 3 inches of paper overhanging 2 sides to use as handles to help lift the baked brownies out of the pan.
3. Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on medium until the butter is about half melted, about 1 minute. Mash the butter with sugar until well combined.
4. Stir in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each one before adding the next.
5. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
6. Sift the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and baking powder into a bowl. Sprinkle in the salt. 
7. Mix the flour and cocoa mixture into the butter and sugar mixture, stirring to blend well.
8. Fold in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, 20 to 25 minutes.
10. Let cool in the pan and use parchment paper handles to remove the brownies for slicing.

ChefSecret:  Make it Authentic!  If you can find Mexican cinnamon (canela) in a local ethnic store, use it in place of the traditional bottled ground cinnamon for a real holiday flavor.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I ordered one chicken and one egg from Amazon—I’ll let you know which one comes first.”
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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 #Snack #Dessert #Brownies #CincoDeMayo #Margarita #Tequila #Chocolate #Cinnamon #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                  ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin? I’ve asked you to make quite a few crazy cocktails this last year (yes, it’s really been a whole year) infused with everything from fresh strawberries to Milk Duds. Now I’m asking for you to peak with a Peep. Here is a cocktail that starts with the cute little, scrunchy, sweet, pink marshmallow Peeps®. What else would you do for Easter?
 
This recipe is made with a vodka infusion of pink marshmallow Peeps. You can call it a “Pink Bunny” or a “Peeptini.” It’s easy to make with only 2 ingredients for a well-spirited and playful hot pink colored Easter cocktail with whisps of vanilla marshmallow flavor complete with a pink bunny garnish. The bunny will not look at all out of place sitting on a sugared glass rim. Remember to start making the infusion at least a day before you’re planning to serve it.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Maturation time:  24 hours
Yield:  6-ounces of infused vodka
 
Ingredients
4 Pink Chick Peeps® marshmallow candy (plus more for glass garnish)
3/4 cup (6 ounces) cheap vodka
 
Directions

1. Place 4 Pink Chick Peeps into a clean 12-ounce, Mason Jar with airtight screw top and pour the vodka over the Peeps and tightly screw on the jar top.
   
2. Refrigerate the mixture, shaking the jar vigorously 4 to 6 times during the 24-hour-period, returning it to the refrigerator.
3. You will notice that the Peeps will not be completely dissolved, just partially so after the first day.
4. You can continue to infuse or strain the pink mixture through a fine-meshed sieve or coffee filter into a glass bowl and discard the contents of the sieve.
5. The infused vodka is now ready to serve and to make cocktails like this one pictured here.
6. Wash out the jar and screw top lid and pour any remaining infused vodka back into it the Mason jar.
7. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
8. Serve as you would a martini with a hint of vermouth.

ChefSecret:  In the March 19th blog, Stealing Candy From A Baby, I listed a lot of candies that you can infuse with your favorite spirits. I’m at it again. You could use traditional yellow Peeps in place of the hot pink ones, but then you’d be left with something resembling a specimen jar.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “They told us that we can have groups of up to eight people without issues. Only one problem, I don’t know eight people without issues.”
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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. 
-------------------------------------------
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 #Vodka #Holiday #Easter #Peeps #Chick #Martini #Cheers #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021