How you doin’? I like lamb any way it’s cooked. Today, let’s talk lamb shanks. The shank is the cut of lamb taken from the lower section of the animal's legs. It can be from the front legs (foreshank) or the back legs (hind shank). The foreshank may include part of the shoulder, as well as part of the leg, while the hind shank will include only part of the rear leg.
 
Lamb shanks are a relatively inexpensive, tougher cut of meat. Because of this, lamb shanks need to be slowly-cooked—braised or roasted—to break down the tough meat and soften it into succulent tenderness. Thankfully, lamb shanks are one of the easiest meat choices at the market. When you braise it, you have about as close to a winning sure thing as possible. After a long, slow roast in an aromatic, deeply flavored broth, these lamb shanks will definitely garner rave reviews. This is a great entrée for your Easter table.
 
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Cool time: 10 minutes (while you’re prepping the sauce)
Yield: 6 servings
 
Ingredients 
5 to 6 pounds young lamb shanks
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
1-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
⅛ teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 450⁰ F.
2. Place the lamb shanks into a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Season with salt, black pepper, dried rosemary and thyme. Toss lamb shanks to coat with oil and seasonings.
4. Roast the shanks in a preheated oven until lamb is browned; about 30 minutes.
5. Reduce the oven heat to 325⁰ F.
6. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
7. Stir in the onion, celery and carrots and cook in the hot butter until onion is browned, about 10 minutes.
8. Stir the flour into the vegetables until combined. Mix in garlic and cook and stir for 1 more minute.
9. Pour the red wine into the vegetable mixture; stir to combine and mix in chicken stock, water, balsamic vinegar and pepper flakes. Pour sauce over lamb shanks in the roasting pan.
10. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil, sealing foil loosely so that the sauce can reduce slightly as it cooks.
11. Braise the lamb shanks for 1 hour, then turn the lamb shanks and place foil back on the pan. Continue roasting until a fork inserts easily into the meat, about 1 more hour.
12. Transfer the lamb shanks to a large bowl, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
13. Pour the braising liquid into a saucepan, place over high heat and boil for 10 minutes, skimming fat as it reduces and slightly thickens.
14. Stir the chopped fresh rosemary into the sauce; check levels of salt and pepper and correct as required.
15. Serve the lamb shanks over mashed potatoes or creamy polenta with the pan sauce.

​ChefSecrets:  I prefer to use young lamb, it has less gamey flavor, sweeter at the bone and more tender than older lamb or mutton.

Quip of the Day: “As we grow older, we all want to revisit our youth. I want to be 14 again and ruin my life differently. I have new ideas.”
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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, 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.

#Entrees #Dinner #BraisedLambShanks #Lamb #Easter #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                             ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

How you doin’? It’s coming close to when Jews around the world observe the Passover holiday. This year it coincides with April 15th. Maybe, just maybe the Angel of the IRS will pass over my house! There are a number of dietary restrictions that are important to this holiday, one of which is the absence of any leavening in baked goods. Being the author of Choclatique—150 Simply Elegant Desserts, I have a great chocolate dessert recipe that fits this requirement perfectly.
 
Okay! Are you ready? Here is my new great-tasting Passover dessert! It’s a wonderful combination of flourless chocolate cake and coconut-almond macaroons. You will need to shop for kosher for Passover ingredients—coconut oil, toasted almonds, shredded coconut and, most importantly lots of cocoa powder and chocolate. The dessert has both great flavors and textures—it’s nutty, melt-in-your-mouth fudgy, rich and chocolaty and spiked with coconut. You’ll love the topping, too—a rich chocolate, glossy ganache sprinkled with crunchy, toasted coconut-almond clusters. The ganache may be a bit extravagant, and maybe it is, but it sets up to a very shiny finish and gives the cake its unmistakable Passover holiday elegance.
 
Prep time:  35 minutes
Bake time:  35 to 45 minutes
Assembly time: 30 minutes
Yield:  10 servings
 
Ingredients (If strictly observing kosher or for the Passover holiday, be sure to look for the certifying kosher agency seal on ingredients)
 
For the cake
1 cup virgin coconut oil, melted, cooled, plus more for the pan
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for the pan
1 cup skin-on almonds
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
6 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
 
For the ganache and assembly
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (from a very well shaken 13.5-oz can)
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
 
Directions
To make the cake

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350° F.
2. Lightly brush a 10-inch cake pan with coconut oil.
3. Line the bottom with parchment paper and brush the parchment with oil.
4. Dust the sides of pan with cocoa powder; tap out excess.
5. Toast the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and slightly darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
7. Meanwhile, heat the chocolate and 1 cup of coconut oil in a medium, heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring often, until mixture is smooth. Do not not let the bottom of the bowl touch the steaming water.
8. Remove from heat and set aside.
9. In a food processor, pulse the toasted almonds, salt and 1/ cup of cocoa until nuts are finely ground.
10. Add the shredded coconut and pulse a couple of times to combine.
11. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on medium speed until no longer streaky, about 30 seconds.
12. Add both sugars and vanilla, increase speed to high, and beat until mixture is pale, thick, and starts to hold the marks of the whisk, about 2 minutes (it should fall off the whisk and immediately sink back into itself).
13. Switch to the paddle attachment and with mixer on low speed, gradually add the chocolate mixture.
14. Beat to incorporate, then mix in the almond mixture.
15. Fold batter several times with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth the top.
16. Bake the cake until it’s firm to the touch and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean but greasy; 35 to 45 minutes.
17. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cake cool for 20 minutes in the pan. Run a paring knife or small offset spatula around the edges of the cake and invert onto the rack.
18. Carefully peel away parchment and let cool completely.
19. Note: Here’s where you can bake the cake a day ahead. Wrap it in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature until you’re ready to put the ganache on top.

To make the ganache and put it all together

1. Preheat an oven to 350°.
2. Combine the chocolate, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Bring the coconut milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat and pour it over the chocolate mixture. Let it sit until the chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, toss the coconut flakes, sliced almonds, sugar, and remaining teaspoon of maple syrup on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden; about 4 minutes.
5. Let the almond-coconut mixture cool, then break into smaller clusters.
6. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the chocolate mixture until it has lost its sheen and is thick enough to hold very soft peaks, 6 to 8 minutes (the ganache won’t be quite as thick as frosting, but close).
7. Working quickly before the ganache starts to set, scrape it on top of cake and spread to the edges with a small offset spatula.
8. Top with the almond-coconut clusters.

ChefSecret: My recipe is an easy cake to make (really it is), it has a lot of steps to help you avoid making mistakes. It can be baked a day ahead. More good things to think about—this cake is gluten-free and it can be dairy-free if you use vegan chocolate.

Quip of the Day: “There are four basic food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and chocolate truffles.”

​What is Passover? Passover, also called Pesach is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The Passover Seder is the ritual meal on Passover night—the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Passover is traditionally celebrated for eight days. The Passover Seder is one of the most widely observed rituals in Judaism.
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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, 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 #Baking #Cake #Kosher #ChocolateMacaroonCake #Passover #Coconut #Holiday #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                        ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

How you doin’? Here are a pair of recipes designed to win the heart of your favorite Valentine again (or maybe just for the first time). Many people are playing it safe and making their Valentine dinner at home again this year. We have been hearing more about people loving couple’s cooking where both people take a part in making dinner. What could be more fun that having a blast cooking together?! Here are two great Creme Brûlée recipes that are pretty failure-proof to make and bring a little more love to your favorite lover’s holiday.
 
Where did creme brûlée originate? Well, as usual it isn’t an easy timeline to figure out.  France, England and Spain all lay claim to be the country where crème brûlée had its debut. The first printed recipe for a dessert called crème brûlée is from the 1691 edition of the French cookbook Le Cuisinier Royal et Bourgeois by Francois Massialot, a chef at the Palace of Versailles. Some of the confusion maybe in the different names countries placed on similar dishes. Crème brûlée may also be known as burnt cream or trinity cream and are virtually identical to the original crema Catalana. They are all desserts consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar.
 
For a different presentation you can turn the ramekin out and serve the custard with shards of sugar over mangos sprinkled with rum or strawberries with Grand Marnier.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Set & cool time:  2 hours
Yield:  6 servings
 
Ingredients 
6 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond or orange extract
2-1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 300⁰ F.
2. Fill a roasting pan about half full of water and place in the oven.
3. Butter 6 oven-safe ramekins.
4. Beat the egg yolks with 4 tablespoons of the granulated sugar and the vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy, about 5-minutes.
5. Pour the cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil.
6.  Remove the cream from heat immediately; cool slightly so as not to scramble the eggs in the next step.
7. Stir a little of the warm cream into the egg yolk mixture; add a little more and stir well, and then add the rest. Beat until well combined.
8. Simmer water in the bottom of a double-boiler. Pour the combined cream mixture into the top of the double boiler and stir until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 3 to 5 minutes.
9. Remove the mixture from the heat immediately and pour into the prepared ramekins.
10. Carefully place the ramekins into the water bath and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
11.  Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
12. Cool the custards for an hour and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
13. When ready to serve, preheat an oven to Broil on High.
14. In a mixing small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons of white sugar and the brown sugar.
15. Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over custards.
16. Place the sugar-topped dishes under the broiler until the sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn the sugar (see ChefSecret for more information).
17. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
18. Refrigerate until custard is set again and the sugar has crisped.

 
Cheater Vanilla Creme Brûlée
 
This recipe is for those who don’t want to go the trouble of making their own custard—not that it’s all that hard. The secret ingredient in this recipe is to substitute vanilla ice cream instead of all the other ingredients required up above. My smooth, creamy, restaurant-quality creme brûlée only requires 3 ingredients! By the way, I even use melted vanilla ice cream for a great crème anglaise when I am pinched for time.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  40 to 50 minutes
Set & cool time:  2 hours
Yield:  2 servings
 
Ingredients 
1 cup high-quality vanilla ice cream
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 325°F.
2. Fill a small roasting pan about half full of water and place in the oven.
3. Butter 2 oven-safe ramekins.
4. In a microwave-safe bowl, pulse the ice cream in 20 second intervals, stirring between, until melted.
5. Let the melted ice cream cool for 5 minutes.
6. Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time, until the mixture is smooth and consistent.
7. Pour evenly into the prepared ramekins.
8. Move the ramekins to the roasting pan.
9. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until set but still a little jiggly in the center.
10. Allow to cool completely, then wrap with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 3 days.
11. When ready to serve, let the ramekins come to room temperature for 30 minutes, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over each creme brûlée.
12. Broil on high on the top rack of the oven for 2-3 minutes until bubbly and browning watching to make the sugar doesn’t burn.
13. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
14. Refrigerate until custard is set again and the sugar has crisped.

ChefSecret:  If you have a kitchen blow torch, gently torch the sugar until golden and bubbly.

Quip of the Day: “Everything French is really amazing, especially creme brûlée, but then again, anything with a little cream and burnt sugar works for me.”
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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, 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 #Baking #Custard #ValentinesDay #CremeBrulee #VanillaIceCream #BlowTorch #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup
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                                        ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

How you doin’? It’s time to kiss 2021 good-bye and good riddance! Welcome 2022 and more power to you.
 
I want to thank all our readers on postings both here and on other platforms. You have supported us with your kind comments, and we really appreciate you! We have posted almost 400 blogs since the beginning of the Covid-19 lock-down as part of our Survival Guide. People tell us how much they enjoy, not only the recipes, but the history that accompanies them.
 
Look at all that has happened during the last 12 months—much of it not so good. The pandemic continues with new variants, everything has gotten more expensive, if you can even find things on shelves, we still are living in a country divided, kids are shooting kids in schools, governors are resigning, and news commentators are being fired left and right. It’s hard to even recognize our country these last few years.
 
But 2022 will be better, right? I hope so! We (just ordinary people) will make things better… after all we are positive-thinking Americans, and it is a new year. The pandemic will be overcome and that alone will relieve a lot of problems.
 
But we can make a lot go away for at least one night—the last night of year. Here are two cocktails for you to imbibe—one for the waning moments of 2021 and another for the early minutes of 2022.
 
                                                 Bourbon Negroni
 
If you're planning to toast a good riddance to 2021 with something stiff and bitter, you can't beat a Bourbon Negroni. It's easy to make, exceedingly good, and oh, so very satisfying and warming. So, warm up your New Year’s eve with this American bourbon spin on a classic.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients 
1-1/2 ounces American Bourbon
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
3/4 ounce Campari
Orange peel, for garnish
 
Directions

1. Combine American Bourbon, sweet vermouth, Campari and ice in a cocktail shaker or glass.
2. Stir with a long-handled spoon for 30 seconds.
3. Strain and pour over fresh ice.
4. Garnish with orange peel.
5. Toast good-bye to 2021!

 
                                            Bubbly New Year’s Punch
 
Celebrate this bubbly cocktail for an uplifting New Year’s fling. The origin of champagne cocktails is unclear, but some believe they first splashed on the scene in 1861, when England went into mourning for Prince Albert. According to historians, a bartender at London's Brooks' Club decided champagne also should be used to mourn and paired it with Guinness stout to make a black velvet.
 
My recipe is to celebrate, not mourn. I have paired a sparkling wine with Lillet Blanc (delicious taste and aromas of candied oranges, honey, pine resin and exotic fruits) and fresh orange juice.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients 
1 (750-milliliter) bottle chilled Lillet Blanc
16 ounces freshly-squeezed chilled orange juice
1 (750-milliliter) bottle chilled Champagne, Prosecco or other sparkling white wine
Orange wheel garnish
 
Directions

1. Combine Lillet blanc, orange juice and sparkling wine in a pitcher.
2. Serve in Champagne glasses garnished with an orange wheel.

ChefSecret:  Drive responsibly!  If you are drinking, please, please, please do not drive—call Uber!

Quip of the Day: “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a new 365-day book… write a great one!”
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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, 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.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #HolidayCocktails #BourbonNegroni #Champagne #Lillet #2022 #HappyNewYear #Cheers# QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                          ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin”? Are you an Oyster lover? Then this post is for you!
 
Felix’s is the story of the New Orleans Oyster Bar. Ask any New Orleanian where their kin folk went for oysters and raw bar specialties, and they’ll tell you that they went to Felix’s then and they still go now. 
 
Back in the 1940s, Felix’s put New Orleans Oyster Bar-style food on the map, creating a place where oyster-lovers could ‘belly up to the bar’ and have the freshest oysters shucked right in front of them. Felix’s fast became a New Orleans institution that drew a devoted local following and inspired generations of oyster fans.
 
Just on the edge of French Quarter (Bourbon and Iberville Streets), Felix’s remains one of my favorite restaurants. Personally, I am not a big oyster fancier, but I do love shrimp and crawfish which runs a plenty at Felix’s. I can eat pounds of their Spicy Peel & Eat Shrimp—tender shrimp coated in peppery Old Bay spice, poached in butter, and finished in beer. Peel & Eat Shrimp is comforting, nostalgic finger food at its most satisfying. It is especially messy when peeled and eaten while they’re still warm and a bit slippery.
 
You can easily make Peel & Eat Shrimp at home in just minutes. It’s perfect for a late afternoon happy hour on the patio or a lighter dinner with the whole family. It’s also great for those New Year’s Day football games. If you want to add to it, think about a green salad, some grilled corn, and a baguette to sop up all that delicious buttery beer broth.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  10 minutes
Yield:  4 to 6 servings:
 
Ingredients 
2 pounds shrimp, split and deveined (frozen or fresh)
2-1/2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup lager-style beer (or chardonnay)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with lemon wedges, for serving
 
Directions

1. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp together with the Old Bay Seasoning and set aside.
2. In a large sauté or cast-iron pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the pan is smoking hot, add the shrimp and let it sit for 30 seconds, or until the meat is seared. 
3. Toss or stir the shrimp quickly and add the beer or wine.
4. Let the shrimp cook for another 30 seconds, and then add the butter and water.
5. When shrimp are pink—they ae are done—remove them from the heat.
6. Season with salt, pepper and more Old Bay (if need be) and serve immediately with lemon wedges and a bottle of Tabasco.

ChefSecret: Serve the Spicy Peel & Eat Shrimp with a big stack of napkins and a lighter-style beer. I suggest a lager with light, citrusy notes to complement the zesty shrimp.

Quip of the Day: “My body feels sore sometimes, but it works. I don’t sleep well some nights, but I do wake up to live another day. My wallet is not full, but my stomach is. I don’t have all the things I ever wanted, but I do have all the things I will ever need. My life is by no means perfect (few are), but it’s my life and I am happy. ”
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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, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Have a wonderful safe and healthy holiday season. If you have a little extra in your pockets to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. 

#Appetizers #HappyHour #Peel-n-EatShrimp #Beer #Wine #Shrimp #Football #Felix's #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                           ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021