How you doin’? If you’re a fan of Seinfeld, then you’re undoubtedly familiar with the Soup Nazi. He was famous for his Mulligatawny Soup which, if you didn’t know how to order properly, his response would be “No Soup For You!” The funny thing about the Soup Nazi is he is a relatively small character in the overall timeline of the show. There are 180 episodes of Seinfeld over its 9-year run, and the Soup Nazi only appears in 2 episodes. Nevertheless, his name is forever linked with the show.
 
I first came to taste Mulligatawny Soup in an Irish pub in Dublin. It had a taste of curry which you wouldn’t have found in Ireland at the time. With a name like Mulligatawny, I thought it was Irish… doh! Mulligatawny is the Anglicized version of the Tamil (a southern Indian dialect) which means "pepper water" or "pepper broth." It became popular with the British stationed in India who were employees of the East India Company during the British colonial period, during the late 18th century.
 
My Instant Pot Mulligatawny Soup is a rich, warm, soup with a nice light curry spice flavor.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  35 minutes
Yield:  4 to 6 servings  
 
Ingredients 
For the soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts cut into 2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced green pepper
4 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated) or 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1-1/2 tablespoons sweet curry powder
1-1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
6 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup white rice (rinsed well)
1 apple, diced
3 whole cloves
 
To finish the soup
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
 
Directions

1. Measure all ingredients and have at your side before you start.
2. Prepare all the vegetables and fruit, and then portion your spices.

To cook the soup

1. Turn on the Instant Pot to the SAUTÉ. When the display reads "HOT" add the oil.
2. Add the cut chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cubes turn white, but are not fully cooked. Remove from the pot to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the butter, onions, celery, carrots, and green pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.
4. Stir in the garlic and ginger, cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
5. Sprinkle in the curry powder, garam masala, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, pepper and thyme. Stir well to prevent burning.
6. Add the chicken broth, stirring well.
7. Add the reserved chicken, tomatoes, rice, apple, and cloves. Stir well.
8. Cancel the SAUTÉ function.
9. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and lock in place. Seal the steam release knob.
10. Press the PRESSURE and then the + or - to set for 7 minutes.
11. When the cooking cycle ends, just let the pot sit and NATURALLY RELEASE the pressure for 20 MINUTES or more. Then turn the steam release knob to release any remaining pressure.
12. When the pin in the lid drops, open the Instant Pot and stir the soup.

To finish the soup

1. Turn on the SAUTÉ setting.
2. Mix the flour and the heavy cream together and whisk them into the simmering soup. Let simmer until soup starts to thicken, then turn off the SAUTÉ setting on the Instant Pot.
3. Serve hot with some Naan (Indian bread) or a grilled and buttered flour tortilla if you don’t keep Naan on hand.

​ChefSecret:  Always remember that tasting the spice level a teaspoon at a time is different from eating an entire portion.  This recipe results in a mild, sweet curry flavor; if you like a spicier version add more curry powder.

Quip of the Day: “I bought a warehouse full of soup stock… now I’m a bouillonaire!
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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 also being 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 #Lunch #Dinner #Soup #Mulligatawny #InstantPot #SoupNazi #Seinfeld #2022Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup
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                                                                          ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

How you doin’? For some parts of the country, grilling season will be winding down soon so I wanted to include this recipe in before the grill is covered and tucked away.
 
This salad was on the opening menu I created for Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville in Las Vegas. I thought it was a simple enough entrée salad but as it turned out so many people ordered it that it turned out to be a real bottleneck in the kitchen. Last week I found it on a menu in Green Valley… and it still is one delicious salad.
 
It's easy enough to make at home. You can use leftover rotisserie chicken and store-bought bottled Caesar dressing like Paul Newman’s or Cardini’s brand, or you can you make my simple dressing recipe below.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Grill time:  1 minute
Yield:  2 servings
 
Ingredients 
1/2 head split romaine head
1/2 ounce olive oil
3-1/2 ounces grilled, chilled and chopped chicken breast
2 ounces Caesar dressing (see recipe)
1/2 coarsely chopped hard-cooked egg
3 each split mini tomatoes
1/4 cup thinly shredded carrots
2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese
7 to 8 toasted croutons
 
Directions

1. Remove any wilted or damaged leaves from a head of romaine lettuce.
2. Split the head in half lengthwise.
3. Lightly brush the cut side of the romaine with olive oil.
4. Place the cut side down on a hot grill for 1 minute or until grill marks appear.
5. Place the grilled romaine on a large plate, grilled side up.
6. Top the romaine with grilled chicken.
7. Drizzle with Caesar dressing.
8. Artistically scatter the egg, tomato and carrot shreds on top.
9. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese and croutons.

                                              My Best Caesar Salad Dressing
I have been serving Caesar Salads in my restaurants for years using this made-on-premises dressing. It’s really quite easy and I think it’s the best Caesar Dressing ever. Of course, you don’t have to limit the use of this dressing to just a traditional Caesar Salad—it’s great on any green salad and even makes a nifty chicken marinade as well. Due to food safety concerns, I always suggest using pasteurized egg yolks which can be purchased in your local supermarket. However, it is easy to pasteurize eggs in your own kitchen—check out the ChefSecret at the end of this recipe.
Some people are a bit squeamish about using anchovies. They don’t like to open the tin and touch those slimy little things. Anchovies add that earthy, sweet, salty and umami flavor that cannot be found anywhere else. I keep of tube of anchovy paste in the refrigerator so I always have it on hand. I also add a couple of anchovy filets on top of the Caesar Salad, but that’s a personal option. If you are serving a Chicken Caesar Salad leave off the anchovies.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Chill time:  4 to 8 hours
Yield:  10 servings
 
Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup pasteurized egg yolks (see procedure for pasteurized eggs or egg substitute)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons cold water
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon anchovy paste (from a tube)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Blend mayonnaise, pasteurized egg, Parmesan cheese, water, garlic, lemon juice, anchovy paste, sugar, parsley, salt and pepper in a blender jar until smooth, about 1 minute.
2. Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

ChefSecret:  Avoid using raw or uncooked eggs in any of your recipes. It’s really easy and very important to pasteurize eggs correctly. Here’s how:

1. Bring the eggs to room temperature (20 to 30 minutes before pasteurizing).
2. Place the eggs in a saucepan filled with cold water, fitted with a digital thermometer. 
3. Turn on the heat and bring the water up to 140°F.
4. Keep the water temperature at 140°F for 3 minutes (and no more than 142°F), reducing the heat on the burner if necessary. Set a timer.
5. Remove the eggs from hot water and rinse thoroughly with cold ice water.
6. Use right away or store in the refrigerator until needed.

​Special Note:  Jumbo sized eggs require 5 minutes in 140°F water. 

Quip of the Day:  “How do you make any salad into a Caesar salad?  Stab it twenty-three times.
(Julius Caesar -- et tu Brutus?) Got it now?
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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. 

#Entree #Lunch #Dinner #GrilledRomaine #GrilledCaesarSalad #PaulNewman #Cardinis #Chicken #PasteurizedEgg #Anchovy #Covid19SurvivalBlog #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

How you doin’? I like to make one Instant Pot or Slow Cooker meal every week from which I can get 2 (or more) meals for two and chili is one of my favorites! I have shared other chili recipes in the past including a fantastic roast beef chili (Lesson #194), but this recipe—Mighty Meaty Chili—is a fan favorite as well. That’s a good thing since football season is upon us! What makes it so mighty and meaty? It starts with 4-pounds of meat.
 
The modern dish we know as chili, also known as chili con carne (chili with meat), appears to have roots in the American West, particularly the State of Texas. Legend holds that immigrants from the Canary Islands brought a recipe for chili with them when they settled San Antonio in the early 1700s.
 
Another 17th century legend attributes the first chili recipe to a Spanish nun, Sister Mary of Agreda, who never left the convent but whose spirit was said to have visited the Jumano (native people who lived in west Texas) while her body remained in Spain, in a trance. Now that’s one of the wilder origins of food I’ve ever heard.
 
Regardless of what story you believe and as time advanced, chili became more commonly prepared in northern Mexico and southern Texas. Unlike some other Texas foods, such as barbecued brisket, chili is largely consumed by the working-class Tejanos and Mexican women.
 
Ingredients 
4 pounds ground meat (can be a combination or 80/20 beef only or beef and pork)
2 cups of diced white onion
1 cup sliced green onion, tops and bottoms
4 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons ground chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 cans (10-ounce) Ro-Tel with juice
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, packed
12 ounces lager beer
3 (15.5-ounce) cans of chili beans with sauce
1 cup corn chips (I prefer Frito brand)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste
 
Directions

1. Sauté the meat over medium heat until it starts to brown; 5 to 7 minutes. No need to add additional oil.
2. When the meat is lightly cooked add the onions and garlic and sauté for another five to seven minutes.
3. Add the chili, cumin and Ro-tel and continue to sauté until the spices are fragrant.
4. Transfer the sautéed mixture over to the slow cooker and add the cilantro leaves and beer. Mix well.
5. Cook on low heat for 6 hours.
6. After 4 hours add the chili beans and continue to cook.
7. After 5 hours check the thickness of the chili. If it’s too watery or thin add the corn chips and continue to cook covered.
8. When done adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and add hot sauce, if desired.
9. Serve topped with shredded cheese, salsa and a couple of sprigs of cilantro.

ChefSecret:  This is one of those recipes that you can easily add or delete any of the ingredients. You can make it your own. You can even make it vegan by using one of the meat analog products that are currently available.

Quip of the Day: “So this bell pepper spots a jalapeño walking on the streets and he wants to know why he's all wrapped up in layers of clothes. “Hey,” he says, “aren't you a bit hot? "No," says the jalapeño, "I'm a little chili."
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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.

#Entree #SlowCookerMightyMeatyChili #FootballChili Ro-Tel #NFL #SlowCooker #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                      ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

How you doin’? All the way back in the late 1940s a couple of entrepreneurs started making a unique grilled and sealed sandwich called a Toas-Tite. The Toas-Tite sandwich press was originally designed for campfire cooking and was ubiquitous in the 1950s.

It was (and still is) quite simple. Just lay a sandwich (with cheese in the middle and buttered bread on the outside) on one side of the circular metal mold, clamp down with the other side, using a sharp knife, trim the off the crust and heat for a minute or two on each side over a campfire or on a gas stove top.
 
As a kid my brother and I loved them as it gave us the freedom to make hot sandwiches to our own taste without messing up our mother’s kitchen. There wasn’t anything we couldn’t make—salami and cheese, ham and cheese, bacon and cheese and then we got into making Toas-Tites with eggs and then even cherry and apple hand pies with a tablespoon of sweetened cream cheese.
 
Joan and I created a sandwich program for am/pm convenience stores for ARCO gas stations and produced Mighty-Melts—a square-shaped spinoff of Toas-Tites. We even got a waffle iron company to run the production molds of these “machines.” By the way, in Sidney, Australia they called Jaffles.
 
When we were disposing of some of our seldom used equipment in the test kitchen, we reluctantly sold several of the originals Toast-Tite irons and even two of the long-handled campfire versions. We even sold off the original proto-type Mighty-Melt press.
 
I bring this up because my brother recently sent me a replica of the 1949 original that he found on Amazon. I was thrilled and a made a bunch of Toas-Tites over the BBQ grill over the weekend. Our guests loved them, and they were still as great as I remembered.
 
So why are these coming back on the market 80 years later? It seemed that two sisters, Sue and Jan, had one crazy idea. Growing up in the Northwest Chicago suburbs during the sixties, their Mom’s Toas-Tite grilled cheese pudgy pie, along with hot tomato soup, was as much a part of the winter experience as skating on the pond in their backyard.
 
Fast forward 30 years at a road side table, during an outing to the Covered Bridge Festival, Sue finds a Toas-Tite Pie Iron, just like the one she remembered. It was an instant flashback with smiles and OMGs followed by “I have to have it.” But one just wouldn’t do. Jan wanted one for herself, and what about getting one for each of the kids?
 
Upon searching the internet, Jan saw that they are not the only ones wondering what happened to the Toas-Tite? Why isn’t anyone making these anymore? Now the crazy part… Sue and Jan, along with their spouses, dipped into their retirement funds and spent most of 2010 and 2011 going through all the necessary steps to bring the Toas-Tites pie irons back to the market.
 
September 2011, the sisters relaunched the Toas-Tite Pie Iron at a street fair on Broadway, in New York City. So, for those who remember the original… they’re baaaack!  Now you can make these great mighty melt Toas-Tites for your kids and grandkids just like you used to enjoy them when you were a kid.
 
Prep time:  2 minutes
Grill time:  2 minutes
Yield:  1 Toas-Tite sandwich
 
Ingredients
 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 slices of bread (large size loaf)
2 slices of American cheese (I prefer Kraft singles)
2 slices of crisp bacon, cut in half
 
Directions

1. Lay out the 2 pieces of bread and lightly butter both sides.
2. Place a slice of cheese on each slice of bread.
3. Top the cheese with the bacon, and then top it with the bread.
4. Place the sandwich in the Toas-Tite; close it and latch it shut.
5. Using a sharp paring knife run it around the outside of the Toas-Tie press.
6. Place it over an open flame for about a minute or two on both sides to toast the bread to a golden brown.
7. Open the press, plate up the sandwich and serve with chips.

ChefSecret:  Like candy bars, loaves of bread have gotten smaller and may not be big enough to cover the Toas-Tite grill. Try rolling out the bread with a rolling pin or simply cut of a third piece of bread in half and fit it in—close the grill and start cooking. 

Quip of the Day:  “I love Toas-Tites. Let’s face it, life is better between two pieces of bread.”
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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. 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, 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. 

​#Entree #Lunch #Sandwiches #ToasTite #Bacon #Cheese #Egg #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
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                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2022

​How you doin’? I happen to love all types of mixed salads—egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad and yes, even spam salad. But not just any old kinds of mixed salads—they must have a special zing about them. Let’s take the Chicken Salad… it can be served as a sandwich, in a cup of lettuce or stuffed into a half avocado or large tomato. In fact, all of the aforementioned salads can be served in these ways.
 
The zing comes with the selected ingredients and dressing that really sets your homemade mixed salad ahead of those store-bought deli salads. Don’t you always feel so much better when you know what’s in it and how it’s made? 
 
Once you've nailed the basics of chicken salad, there are endless ways to customize this classic dish to your liking. Let’s start with the chicken.
 
To my taste the best chicken salad is made with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Yes, I go for the dark meat because it yields a moist, more flavorful result and they are easier on the budget. Chicken breasts are okay as long as they’re not overcooked. Start by seasoning your chicken well with salt, pepper and a little garlic power, covering tightly with aluminum foil and baking at 300°F for 60-minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165⁰ F and the juices run clear. The cooked chicken will be tender, ready-to-dice with plenty of rich pan juice.
 
When making a large batch of chicken salad, don’t over mix it. Stir the ingredients just until you get the consistency you like. Always use a good quality mayonnaise, a little sour cream, grainy mustard—don’t forget a tablespoon or two of fresh lemon juice. The citric acid will ‘brighten” the mixture.
 
Next, you'll want to add something sweet—sugar, honey, and sweet relish are all great options for bringing perfect balance to your chicken salad dressing. Freshly chopped celery, scallions, parsley, and dried spices make for highly flavored, crisp finish.
 
To make my sweet, curried chicken salad, just follow the directions and enjoy. Add in grapes, toasted pecans, and chopped apples, too. It is healthy and tasty with a fruity twist. It’s great on a croissant or in a honey pita. Note: This salad is best if eaten the day after preparation. This allows the ingredients time to mingle, giving a fuller flavor. If desired, use nonfat mayonnaise.
 
Prep time: 50 minutes
Refrigerate time: overnight
Yield:  8 servings
 
Ingredients 
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cooked and diced
1 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped into rounds
1/2 cup ripe mango diced
1/2 cup green apple, peeled and diced
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup toasted caramelized pecans, rough chopped
1/3 cup seedless green grapes, halved
 
Directions

1. In a large bowl combine the chicken, celery, onion, mango, apple, raisins, pepper, curry powder and mayonnaise; mix well.
2. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or better yet overnight. This allows the ingredients time to chill and blossom giving a better flavor and texture.
3. Right before serving, gently fold in the pecans and grapes; gently mix together the salad.
4. Plate up and serve!

ChefSecret:  Consider serving the Sweet Curried Chicken Salad in a scooped, toasted round brioche loaf, on a warm croissant or stuffed into a split warmed pita.

Quip of the Day: Have you noticed that supermarket clerks are so overworked they never have time to chat? Last week I bought a pound of bird seed, and I asked the checker how long it would take for the birds to grow after planting the seeds. It took a minute, but I did manage to get a chuckle and a bit of a smile. 
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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 #Lunch #Dinner #Salad #ChickenSalad #CurryChickenSalad #Chicken #Curry #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022