How you doin’? I love the hot chicken that you used to only be able to find on some of the back road stands on weekends run by African Americans. There was particular place to which I was willing to drive 20 miles. I have never had bad hot chicken… some is just better than others. Today you can find Nashville Hot Chicken in chains and independents alike. And now, thanks to this blog, you can find it in your own kitchen, too.
 
Like the old 1959 crime comedy movie directed by Billy Wilder--Some Like It Hot! If you’re one of them, you’ll go crazy for my air fryer version of classic Nashville hot chicken. The tenders come out of the air fryer crispy and irresistible, and you can customize the heat level to your own taste. I like to serve my Nashville Hots with my own secret recipe homemade sweet and spicy pickles with some Texas toast for the full Nashville experience (yes, I know Texas toast isn’t Nashvillian… but whoever heard of Tennessee Toast unless it’s to celebrate a Jack Daniels cocktail?).
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Marinade time:  3 hours or overnight
Cook time:  20 to 30 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients 
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons hot sauce (must be Crystal brand hot sauce)
1/4 cup dill pickle brine
1 large egg
2 pounds chicken tenders
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
Cooking spray (I prefer Pam)
 
for the sauce
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup lard (can’t get any more southern than this)
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
for the garnish
parsley, chopped, for garnish
sliced white bread, for serving
 
Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, dill pickle brine, and egg until fully combined.
2. In a separate medium bowl, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper over the chicken tenders and stir to coat evenly.
3. Pour the marinade over chicken and mix until the chicken is fully coated. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or, better yet overnight.
4. Take the tenders out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you want to cook them, to remove some of the chill.
5. Preheat the air fryer to 400⁰ F.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour and the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
7. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving marinade, and place the tenders on a paper-towel lined baking sheet.
8. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
9. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, then dip it into the reserved marinade, and dredge it in the flour once more.
10. Place the breaded chicken on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack.

Note: Work in batches, coating only as many tenders as you can air fry at one time. Coated tenders that aren’t cooked right away won’t be as crispy.

1. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket and spray with cooking spray.
2. Cook for 10 minutes, flip, and cook for another 10 minutes, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165⁰ F.
3. Transfer the cooked chicken to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
4. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, lard, cayenne powder, dark brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
5. Over medium heat, cook until the sauce begins to bubble and is very fragrant, whisking constantly to prevent burning, about 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken and gently toss to coat completely .
7. Using the tongs, place the chicken on a large serving tray and garnish with fresh parsley.
8. Serve hot with sliced Texas toast.

ChefSecret:  You can substitute leftover bacon fat for the lard—it’s kind of the same thing, just a little smokier. For the full Nashville Hots experience, serve with a ramekin of blue cheese and honey for an extra delicious meal. You can also cut the pieces up, drizzle ‘em with the hot sauce and serve a top air fries.

Quip of the Day:  What do you call a country song about Nashville’s famous hot chicken? A cluckin’ good tune!”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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, 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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Entree #Appetizer #Lunch #Dinner #NashvilleHots #ChickenTenders #SomeLikeItHot #CrystalHotSauce #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                               ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? It is 117⁰ F as I write this—another record breaking day in Las Vegas. I don’t want to go near the kitchen to cook anything. Pasta salads are the perfect food for hot summer days.
 
This recipe gives you a quick fix for lunches, dinners and picnics because it is chilled and full of rich, creamy flavors and hearty goodness. Keep my recipe on hand for a quick starter salad, or eat it all in one quiet, highly enjoyable family meal sitting.
 
Pasta salads are  popular dishes enjoyed all over the world, but have you ever wondered who invented it? The origins of pasta salad can be traced back to Italy, where pasta has been a staple food for centuries. The concept of mixing cooked pasta with vegetables, meats and dressing is probably a relatively modern invention, and it is believed to have been popularized in the United States in the mid-20th century.
 
The exact inventor of pasta salad is unknown, but it is believed to have been a creation of Italian immigrants who brought their traditional pasta dishes to America and adapted them to suit local tastes. Italian cuisine is known for its emphasis on fresh vegetables, herbs and olive oil, making it the perfect foundation for a refreshing and flavorful pasta salad. Over time, these salads have  evolved to include a variety of ingredients, such as cheeses, olives, nuts, seeds and different shapes of pasta, making it a versatile and customizable meal option.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Chill time: 1 hour minimum
Yield:  6 servings
 
Ingredients 
1 pound penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Catalina or French dressing
2-1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
3/4 pound bacon, cooked, crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup diced Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 
Directions

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
2. Cook the pasta of choice according to package directions until al dente (about 12 to 15 minutes).
3. Cool the pasta in ice water to stop the cooking.
4. Drain, toss with the olive oil and set aside.
5. When the pasta is completely cool, toss with the mayonnaise, dressing, chicken, bacon, Cheddar and Parmesan cheese.
6. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving cold.
7. Plate up and serve.
8. Refrigerate any leftover salad for up to 3 days.

ChefSecret:  Substitute cooked shrimp for the chicken and pepper-jack cheese for the Cheddar for totally different flavors. Add some tomatoes or red or yellow bell pepper for a pop of color. 

Quip of the Day:  Q. What does penne pasta do at a concert?  A. It noodles along to the beat!
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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, 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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Salad #Entree #ChickenBaconPastaSalad #PastaSalad #Penne #CoolSummerSalads #Summertime #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
                                                                                  ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? What do you do when you have left over rotisserie chicken?… wrap it all up!
 
I like to make quick lunch wraps with leftovers in the test kitchen. My Grilled Tortilla Chicken Wrap recipe is just perfect for an easy lunch or simple weeknight dinner. Add all your favorite salad veggies and a yummy sauce for a delicious summer meal.
 
Feel free to add green onions, shredded carrots, diced celery, feta cheese, or any other salad ingredients you have hanging out in the fridge. 
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Yield:  4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients 
1 pound shredded leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken breasts or thighs
2 cups tzatziki sauce
4 to 6 large tortillas warmed
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
4 to 6 thinly sliced tomatoes
12 sliced red onion rings
 
Directions

1. Make the tzatziki according to recipe instructions (see recipe below).
2. Grill the tortillas in a large frying or griddle pan turning once to griddle both sides.
3. Lay out the grilled tortillas and neatly stack the ingredients in the center about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom edge and top with the tzatziki sauce.
4. Roll like a burrito and cut in half.
5. Serve with a little more tzatziki on the side.

 
                                                   Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Prep time:  10 minutes
Yield:  4 to 6 servings
 
My easy tzatziki sauce is a delicious summer condiment. Use it to dress up  grilled veggies or a chilled crudité, sandwiches, salads and more, or add it to my Grilled Tortilla Chicken Wrap.
 
Ingredients 
1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
1 cup thick whole milk Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 grated garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, optional
 
Directions

1. Place the chopped cucumber on a towel and gently squeeze out most of the excess water.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, dill, and mint, if using.
3. Chill until ready to use.

ChefSecret:  Add a little more texture and flavor by grilling the assembled wrap in the same frying pan with a touch of melted butter.

Quip of the Day:  What’s a sandwich’s favorite type of music?  Wrap.
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Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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, 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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Entree #Wrap #RotisserieChicken #GrilledTortilla #TzatzikiSauce #Summertime #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
                                                                                           ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? Two of our favorite clients over the years were King’s Hawaiian (breads and rolls) and Hidden Valley (dressings)—two exceptional consumer products. Actually, King’s Hawaiian was the main stay of my breadbasket at the Custom House Restaurants. In the late ‘80s that sweet, yellow, yeasty pillow loaf was one of the food items that sent our restaurants over the top. And what restaurant didn’t offer Ranch dressing with their salad offering?
 
Now, all these years later, these two companies are still on the top of their game not only with their original products, but with new great tasting offerings that are every bit as quality driven as the originals. So, it’s fun to marry the two together as part of these zippy Tennessee Hot Chicken Dunkers
 
Hot chicken dishes are said to have originated in Nashville. They were  bone-in chicken pieces, marinated in a water-based blend of spices and seasonings, floured, fried, and sauced using a paste with cayenne pepper, served on slices of white bread with pickle chips. Anecdotal evidence suggests that spicy fried chicken has been served in Nashville's African American communities for generations.
 
Hot chicken may have been introduced as early as the 1930s; however, the current style of spice may only date back to the mid-1970s. It is generally accepted that the originator of hot chicken is the family of André Prince Jeffries, owner of Prince's Hot Chicken Shack. She has operated the restaurant since 1980; before that time, it was owned by her great-uncle, Thornton Prince III.
 
Although impossible to verify, Jeffries says the development of hot chicken was an accident. Her great-uncle Thornton was purportedly a terrible womanizer, and after a particularly late Saturday night out, his girlfriend at the time cooked him a fried chicken breakfast with extra pepper as revenge. Instead, Thornton decided he loved it so much that, by the mid-1930s, he and his brothers had created their own recipe and opened the BBQ Chicken Shack café.
 
My recipe for Tennessee Hot Chicken Dunkers utilizes a similar spice profile and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing as a cooling flavor extender and dunker.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Marinade time:  1-4 hours
Cook time:  8 minutes
Assembly time: 5 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
 
Ingredients 
8 each King's Hawaiian® Original Hawaiian Sweet Pretzel Pre-Sliced Slider Buns
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 large chicken thighs
10 ounces buttermilk
11 tablespoons bottles Nashville-style hot seasoning, divided
(I prefer Frank’s)
1 large bottle canola oil
1 cup corn starch
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup melted butter
1/3 cup water
16 dill pickle chips
3 cups coleslaw (vinegar profile)
3 tomatoes cut into 16 slices  
Original Hidden Valley Ranch®Dressing
 
Directions

1. Spread the butter on the inside top and bottom of the Pretzel Slider Buns and griddle until a light golden brown.
2. Butterfly each of chicken thighs into 2 thin portions.
3. Divide each portion into 2 equal pieces, so that you have 16 cuts of chicken.
4. Soak the chicken in buttermilk and 3 tablespoons of Nashville-style hot seasoning for at least 1 hour (up to 4 hours) refrigerated.
5. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven to 360°F.
6. Mix the corn starch, flour, panko and 2 tablespoons of Nashville-style hot seasoning.
7. Dredge chicken in dry mixture until well coated, then fry to golden brown.
8. The chicken is well cooked when it reaches 165°F internal temperature.
9. Mix the melted butter, water, and 6 tablespoons Nashville-style hot seasoning together to make a sauce.
10. Brush the fried chicken pieces generously in Nashville-style hot seasoning sauce.
11. Place 2 pieces of Nashville Hot Fried Chicken on the bottom of each bun and top with 2 pickles, coleslaw, and 2 tomato slices.
12. Pour 2 ounces of ranch dressing into 8 ramekins.
13. You are now ready to dunk it to cool it down and eat it.

ChefSecret:  Most recipes call for chicken breast meat, I like to use chicken thigh meat because it is juicer and more tender for this type of sandwich and it is a lot less expensive to buy. .

Quip of the Day:  Q. What do you call a country song about Nashville’s famous hot chicken? A. A cluckin’ good tune!”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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, 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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Entree #Lunch #Dinner #NashvilleHotChickenDunkers #KingsHawaiian #FranksHotSauce #HiddenValleyRanch #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
 
                                                                             ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? Summertime is salad and dip time. One of my all-time favorite salads is The Cobb—I can eat one every day and never get bored because of the different and interesting ingredients. The varied flavors and textures give you what we call comeback flavor.
 
You might ask yourself, what’s the origin of this now most popular salad? Well, the story goes like this…
 
The Brown Derby-Beverly Hills was actually Perspectives’ first client. Sally Cobb, Bob Cobb’s widow, was trying to keep the Derby in Beverly Hills afloat at a time when the entire restaurant scene in Los Angeles was changing. I used to love the Brown Derby, and especially the classic Cobb Salad.  So, here's the recipe along with the Hollywood folklore of how it was invented as told to me by Sally Cobb.
 
One night in 1925—almost one hundred years ago!—Herbert K. Somborn was chatting with Abe Frank, the manager of the Los Angeles Ambassador Hotel, and Sid Grauman of Chinese Theater fame; and as idle chatter goes he remarked, "You could open a restaurant in an alley and call it anything or you could even build it in the shape of a hat and if the food and service are good, the patrons will come flocking." To achieve the standards set for this little Derby, Somborn, the husband of the celebrated cinema star, Gloria Swanson, selected a young friend who had been raised in the restaurant business. This was Robert H. Cobb, a combination food checker, steward, buyer, cashier and occasional cook when the Brown Derby opened.
 
During its first four years, the original Little Hat Derby restaurant added only two items to its menu—a salad and a cake. The salad was almost an accident. Bob Cobb, growing weary of the steady hot-dog-hamburger diet, found an avocado in the icebox. He chopped it up, along with some lettuce, celery and tomatoes, plus a strip of bacon and some salad dressing, and had that for his dinner. Several days later he tried it again, adding other ingredients that he had purchased on his way to work—breast of turkey (some people claim it was chicken, but it was originally turkey), chives, hard-boiled egg, watercress and a wedge of Roquefort cheese for the dressing. And that's how the Cobb Salad was really born.

Everything was finely chopped and that was very laborious, so Mr. Cobb went  to an engineer who was able to invent a horizontal chopper. That device was later reproduced by Hobart Corporation and named the Buffalo Chopper (named for the city in which the concept was born).


Since it’s summer I decided that I wanted to invent a dip to bring to family picnics that emulated the flavors of The Cobb Salad.  With the help of Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix and all of the other Cobb Salad ingredients all chopped up it was like magic—the Cobb Salad Dip.
 
Prep Time:  15-20 Minutes
Yield:  8 to 10 servings
 
Ingredients 
1 packet Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dips Mix
16 ounces sour cream
3/4 cup shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup crumbled bacon, plus 2 tablespoons more for garnish
1/2 cup crumbled hard-boiled eggs
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, plus 1/4 cup more for garnish
3/4 cup diced avocado
1/2 cup diced tomato
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)
 
Directions

1. Mix contents of dips packet with sour cream.
2. Add chicken, bacon, eggs, blue cheese, avocado, and tomato.
3. Stir well to combine.
4. Shake on the Tabasco, if using.
5. Refrigerate for 1 hour to thicken.
6. Garnish with reserved bleu cheese and bacon.
7. Serve with your favorite chips and/or crackers (Cheez-it or Ritz crackers work best)

ChefSecret:  Got leftovers?  Be safe—refrigerate within 2 hours after putting the dip out, or discard it.

Quip of the Day:  My friend ordered a cobb salad yesterday and was disappointed there was no corn or cobs in this iconic salad.
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Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to [email protected]. 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, 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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Appetizer #Dip #CobbDip #Salad #CobbSalad #BrownDerby #Brunch #Lunch #HiddenValley #Cheez-It #Ritz #2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                          ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024