…from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? Cold soup is a very tricky thing, and it is the rare chef that can carry it off well. More often than not, the dinner guests are left with the impression that had they only arrived a little earlier they could have enjoyed it while it was still hot. You’ve heard the old saying, “never wear white after Labor Day and never serve soup in the summer (or something like that). Not true! We whirled up fresh, green batches of gazpacho over the years and even included them on my restaurant menus. I make the green one at home when I have more overly ripe avocado than I know what to do with. I’ve been told that my green gazpacho converted many summer cold-soup skeptics into full-blown fanatics of the stuff. So, what do you do when you have more out-of-the-garden tomatoes and summer harvest, garden grown vegetables than you can use? We go to the other side of the color wheel and see red. My Summer’s End Chilled Gazpacho is made with a lightly acidified broth, made with puréed tomatoes and a wheel barrel of fresh harvest diced vegetables—Vidalia onions, punchy garlic, sweet red bell pepper, spicy red jalapeño and crunchy cucumber. If you’ve got some extra summer corn toss it in. All those veggies make this gazpacho a bit heartier than a straight purée, but it’s still wonderfully refreshing. You’ll love the combination of the cool, delicate broth with the fresh, crisp, vegetable textures. Serve with warm crusty sourdough bread and a bottle of Mondavi Fume Blanc. Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 30 seconds Chill time: 2 hours Yield: 6 servings Ingredients 6 to 8 large ripe red tomatoes, cored 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup diced Vidalia onion 2 tablespoon minced cloves 1-1/2 cups diced red or orange bell pepper 1 diced jalapeño pepper, seeds and seams removed 1 diced English cucumber, seeds removed 1/2 cup fresh corn off the cob (optional) 1-1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro leaves with stems Directions 1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. 2. Fill a large bowl of water with half ice and half water to shock the cooked tomatoes. 3. Cut an “x” on the bottom of each cored tomato (this makes it easier to peel) and, using a slotted spoon, gently place them into the boiling water for about 30 seconds. 4. Remove the tomatoes with the slotted spoon and transfer them immediately to the bowl of ice water. 5. Once the tomatoes have cooled, peel off the skin and cut them into quarters. Using a strainer over an empty bowl, squeeze out the seeds and reserve 1 cup of the tomato juice. Discard the seeds. 6. Transfer the squeezed, seeded tomatoes to a blender. Add the reserved 1 cup tomato juice and the extra virgin olive oil, and pulse until the tomatoes are completely puréed. 7. Pour the purée into a large bowl and add the diced Vidalia onions, garlic, bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, English cucumbers, corn (if you’re using it), rice and balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, and black pepper; stir to incorporate all ingredients well. Note: Reserve some of the chopped vegetables to garnish the soup. 8. Refrigerate the soup for at least 2 hours, allowing the flavors to blossom. 9. Serve in chilled bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro and reserved veggies, if applicable. ChefSecret: This soup can be made a day or two in advance and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Planning ahead, makes life a little easier by preparing this gazpacho a day or so in advance. The flavors only get more intense the longer you let the soup’s ingredients blossom in the refrigerator. Quip of the Day: “Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day and awakens and refines the appetite." — Auguste Escoffier ------------------------------------------- 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Entree #Soup #SummerSoup #Gazpacho #ChilledGazpacho #MondaviFumeBlanc #Vegan #Vegetarian #2023Recipes #Covid19 #QuarantineKitchen #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023
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…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen How you doin’? Over the years, Perspectives has worked with most of the major fast food chains in creating new products. As you would expect some were more successful than others. You have to be impressed when someone “invents” or reinvents something as long lasting as Pan Pizza for Pizza Hut, Fish Taco for Rubio’s and McRib for McDonalds. The downside to the rib sandwich for McDonald’s is that they originally formalized McRib with over 60 unique and mysterious ingredients ribs not necessarily being one of them. Easy for them to make; difficult for competitors to copy. With a little reverse engineering and not having to put it through freezing, distribution, and easy-to-make-in-McDonald’s mandate, I developed a home-made-easy recipe that you should try with real ribs. While it takes little active prep time, you do have to allow time for cooking, cooling and cutting—bake, chill, cut, sauce, finish on the grill, and voila, one of the best BBQ sandwiches for your family. McDonald’s sold so many McRib Sandwiches that they had to “bank” the cut of meat so as not to destroy the wholesale pork market. If you knew when they would bring this favorite sandwich back you could make a fortune on pork futures. All of the vendors were sworn to strict secrecy so as not to inflate prices. My recipe only has 10 ingredients and one of them is really baby back ribs instead of shaped ground pork. You’ll love the flavor of my Ed’s MacRib* Sandwich. Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 3 hours Cool time: 8 hours Yield: 8 sandwich halves Ingredients For the Dry Rub 1/3 cup kosher salt 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper For the Sandwiches 2 racks baby back pork ribs (extra meaty and well-trimmed) 1 cup barbecue sauce, divided (your choice—I prefer Masterpiece Original) 1 tablespoon liquid smoke (I prefer Wrights Liquid Smoke) 4 long French-style long sandwich rolls, split and toasted 1 cup coleslaw (store bought or your favorite recipe) Optional: white onion rings and bread and butter pickles. Directions
ChefSecret: Make sure you don't use the larger St. Louis-style ribs. Use a sweet mayonnaise coleslaw. Use extra-large sesame seed hamburger buns (5-inch) as an option to the French rolls. Quip of the Day: Inflation has gotten so bad in the last year; McDonald’s is selling the 1/4-Ouncer. *Disclaimer: Not wanting to infringe on anyone’s trademark I have named my masterpiece, Ed’s MacRib Sandwich. ------------------------------------------- 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Entrees #MacRibSandwich #PorkRibs #MasterpieceOriginal #WrightsLiquidSmoke #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 …from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? Our company develop the Smashed Stacked for Marine World / Africa USA in Redwood City in the early 1980s. The guest had a choice of 1, 2, or 3 1/4-pound grilled and smashed patties. Smashed thin on the grill, they were quick to cook. Since this theme park innovation years ago smashed burgers are now served in a variety of places including the Smash Burger chain. Many burger restaurants are trying to outdo themselves by delivering 8 to 10-ounce burger patties on eggy, toasted brioche buns with a giant steak knife stuck through the top to prevent it from falling apart. Personally, I don’t like them much. It’s take a real commitment to eat one of these messy giant stacks—once you start you can’t put it down or it will definitely fall apart. Unlike ordinary hamburgers that have thick patties, smash burgers are smashed thin, pressed down on the griddle with a heavy cook’s spatula. The center is neither rare pink nor juicy. Instead, the burgers have a consistent thinness and crust in every bite. They are cooked on the hottest griddle possible so that the thin patties get a fiery sear that takes them almost to the point of burning. However, that crispy, griddled char gives the patty its distinctive flavor and texture. The original Marine World Smashed Stack was inspired from Gaby’s, a diner in LA (my childhood favorite for their burgers and hot fudge sundaes), streamlined for Marine World and later adopted by Freddy’s, Smash Burger and Shake Shack. Now this burger style has an army of supporters. So why not turn the patty into a taco—a Smashed Taco Americano? Smash Burger Tacos are one of hottest burger trends this summer. I’ve seen them pitched on Tic Toc and YouTube—it’s pretty clear this fun and fresh spin on burger patties will be around for a long time. Although ingenious, the Smashed Taco Americano is incredibly simple to make. It is nothing more than a thin burger patty, cooked directly into a tortilla, loaded up with burger toppings, and folded like a taco. It is the ultimate smash-up of summer favorites, with the flavor of a burger and all the convenience of a taco. The tortilla is actually griddled in the burger grease, giving it the crisp, flavorful crust of a fried quesadilla. It’s crispy on the outside, but cheesy and meaty on the inside—kind of feels like a bun-less burger with all the familiar flavors of a burger in an entirely new build. Grab a handful of burger meat (about 4 ounces), season it generously with salt and pepper, and cook it on a flat griddle on high heat. Don’t go for lean burger meat blend—you’ll want the extra grease to cook the tortilla. Place a flour tortilla on top and smash it down until flattened Once the patty is totally browned, flip it over. Top it with a slice of American cheese, then cover with the lid of a pan to let the cheese melt, the burger cook fully, and the tortilla crisp up in the pan. All that's left to do is top your “taco” with your favorite toppings, like shredded lettuce, chopped pickles, diced onions, and a creamy, zesty burger sauce. Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 teaspoon mustard 1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce 1 pound fresh ground round (not a lean blend) 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 flour tortillas (6-inch) 2 slices American cheese, cut in half lengthwise 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce 1/4 cup diced lightly grilled red onion Directions 1. Combine mayo, ketchup, mustard, relish and hot sauce in a small bowl; set sauce aside. 2. Heat a griddle over extremely high heat. 3. Scoop beef into 4 loose portions and place them in mounds on the hot griddle and start to cook. 4. Season evenly with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes 5. Place a tortilla on top of each beef portion and press down to flatten the beef into the shape and size of the tortilla. Don’t be timid or bashful, push it down hard. 6. Cook until tortilla is golden-brown, 2 to 3 more minutes. 7. Flip each patty-tortilla over (patty side up) and top with cheese. 8. When the cheese has melted and the tortilla has lightly browned, top with lettuce and onions. Drizzle with sauce, remove from the griddle and fold in half like a taco. 9. Serve immediately. ChefSecret: Take the Smashed Taco in a different direction with smashed chorizo meat, Tex-Mex toppings like chopped tomato, pico de gallo, guacamole, cilantro and sour cream. Quip of the Day: A balanced diet is a taco in both hands. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your favorite recipes, pictures or thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Entrees #Snacks #SmashMeatTacos #SmashedBugerTacos #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 …from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? Summertime is picnic time and the perfect menu for such an occasion is Cold & Crispy Chicken, Cabbage Coleslaw and Potato Salad—South Carolina All Seasons Potato Salad. Whether dining at the local park or enjoying a bedspread picnic, this menu will be enjoyed by all in attendance. So where did this side dish originate? It was first introduced to Europe from the New World by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. The early potato salads were made by boiling potatoes in wine or a mixture of vinegar and spices. The more American version of potato salad is rooted in German cuisine and came here with European settlers. My potato salad includes eggs, celery, carrots, relish, scallions and peanuts, and can be served chilled or warm. The results will be Spud-Tacular! This salad is made with mayonnaise. If you’re taking this potato salad on a summer outdoor picnic, keep it chilled at a safe temperature (ideally below 40 degrees). Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Yield: 8 servings Ingredients 6 to 8 large Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes 4 large chopped hard cooked eggs 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup chopped celery 1/4 cup shredded carrot 1/4 cup sweet relish 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons prepared mustard salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped scallion tops 1/4 cup chopped peanuts Directions
ChefSecret: For easy-to-peel and the creamiest hard cooked egg yolks, place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water just to a boil; cover, remove from heat and let eggs stand in the hot water for 12 minutes. Strain the hot water off the eggs and run cold water with ice cubes over the eggs to let them cool completely. When the eggs are cool peel and chop; set aside. Quip of the Day: Q. Why did the potato blush? A. Because it saw the salad dressing. Do you have a question or comment? Send your favorite recipes, pictures or thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Salad #PotatoSalad #YukonGoldPotatoes #HardCookedEggs #SouthCarolina #Scallions #ChoppedPeanuts #NationalPeanutBoard #NPB #HappyIndependenceDay #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 …from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? I don’t know about you but when summer comes, I like to keep meals (indoors or outdoors) simple and safe as possible. Whether you’re hosting a feast or a family dinner, here is a bowl recipe for every type of spring or summer celebration—my favorite Chicken, Black Beans and Veggies Bowls–which just happen to be red, white, blue and delicious! I’ve included my most flavorful no-soak black beans recipe which is a great base for a perfect plant-based foundation to any epic bowl! If you want to cut the cooking time down by hours you can use canned black beans that have been drained and washed. Veggie-filled summer bowls make the perfect presentation for a DIY feast and might just very well be the easiest meal to serve at just about any celebration. Because so many of the ingredients like beans, salsas and toppings can be made in advance of the gathering, there is no need to light the stove. Summer is when fresh produce is at its peak of freshness! The sky is the limit with your toppings, and you should totally reach for it. Think fresh salsa, guacamole and fresh roasted corn. There are almost as many dietary preferences and restrictions these days at a party as there are guests! You can make the dietary equation easier on yourself with a DIY, a la carte bowl bar where guests can help themselves to all that is good and good for them. The recipe below can feed a crowd with minimal effort and can be made well in advance of your gathering. Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 3 hours Yield: 6 servings Ingredients For the black beans 1 pound dried black beans rinsed, picked through any small debris removed 1/4 of a red onion, rough chopped 2 bay leaves 3 sprigs cilantro 1 sprig oregano 3 cloves garlic smashed; peel removed 1- 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt For the roasted veggies 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 bell peppers, thinly sliced 1 white onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic minced 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt For the bowl 6 cups cooked rice of your choice 1/4 cup roasted corn 12 cherry tomatoes cut in half 1/4 cup slice bottled jalapeños 1/2 cup diced jicama 1/4 diced Oaxaca cheese 1 cup leftover rotisserie or roasted chicken Fresh-made salsa and guacamole 1/2 cup tortilla strips Directions To make the black beans
ChefSecret: Cooked beans can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Quip of the Day: “What did the tortilla chip say to the avocado when the veggie bowl was empty? Answer: “We’ve hit guac bottom!” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your favorite recipes, pictures or thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. 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 and/or American Red Cross. #Bowls #Chicken #Veggies #BlackBeans #Rice #Guacamole #Entrees #Lunch #Dinner #OaxacaCheese #2023Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 |
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