How you doin’?  When preparing meals for the holidays, many people think that every course has to be over-the-top special, including the salad. Others say that might just be overkill.  For a multi-course dinner menu like a Thanksgiving Day feast, a simple salad may be the best solution.
 
A Simple Salad is usually a limited combination of various ingredients that are either raw, cooked or both. The ingredients can be any vegetable, meat, fish, fruits as a main ingredient or in combination depending on the style of salad—composed or tossed salad. If you were working in a restaurant and a guest ordered a Simple Salad. What would you serve to that guest?
 
Let us understand what a Simple Salad is. It’s simple—consisting of one or more leafy lettuces such as Iceberg, romaine and arugula, lightly tossed in a vinaigrette dressing as a base with one or two additional ingredients like tomato and cucumber, and possibly a few nuts or colorful bell pepper matchsticks for decoration or as a garnish. The secret is rubbing the bowl with a cut garlic clove.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Yield:  4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients
For the salad bowl
1 garlic clove, cut in half
4 cups greens (any combination you like)
 
For the vinaigrette dressing
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup canola oil
 
Directions

1. Wash all vegetables thoroughly (as they can be a good source of contamination) and pat dry or spin in a salad spinner to prevent the salad from becoming too watery.
2. Keep all ingredients refrigerated and ready before preparing the salad as this ensures freshness and crunchiness in salad. If you have the room, chill the plates and salad forks, too.
3. Utilize the freshest ingredients and especially those in season as this will keep nutrients intact.
4. Light leafy vegetables should be torn into bite size pieces—never cut the greens—and tossed gently in the dressing just before serving to avoid wilting of the leaves.
5. Pour enough dressing just to season—not drown—the main ingredients. Go easy… you can always add more, but if over-dressed the greens will be wilted and unappetizing.
6. Use the right plate to present the salad and garnish with an edible ingredient to give it eye appeal.
7. Never stuff the salad plate. Accommodate the salad within the dish and not on or over the edge. Remember… there’s a lot more food to come.

To make the dressing

1. In a small bowl add vinegars and lemon juice.
2. Add the salt, pepper, mustard, and paprika and mix well to blend. 
3. Whisk in the oil with fork or whisk.

To dress and serve the salad

1. Rub salad bowl thoroughly with garlic.  Discard garlic (or save for another recipe).
2. Lightly and slowly pour the vinaigrette over the salad green until leaves glisten.  Remember, less is more!  Add in select ingredients such as sliced or cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, maybe some colorful bell pepper strips and toss to coat.
3. Portion the salad onto the chilled salad plates and top with the select garnish ingredients like toasted nuts or French’s Crispy fried onions.

ChefSecret:  The following steps are involved in preparing a simple salad:

• Wash the vegetables in cold water. Hold by the root ends, plunging in and out of water to force water to center, shaking loose dirt and grit. Rinse well.
• Cut the vegetables as per the required style (cubes, threads, strips etc.)
• Keep in a cool place until required. Refrigerate the clean greens in a colander covered with damp towel or in a perforated storage bin to allow air circulation and complete drainage. This helps to keep the greens crisp until it’s time to mix all the ingredients with the dressing.
• Lightly toss all the salad ingredients together except any crispy salad toppings.
• Always keep cool—serve on chilled plates with chilled forks.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  “Ran out of toilet paper and started using lettuce leaves. Today was just the tip of the iceberg, tomorrow romaines to be seen.”
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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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Here is wishing you the very best for the upcoming holidays. To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind welcoming in the 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.
Thanks for reading.

#Salads #Sides #Thanksgiving #HolidayRecipes #Holidays2020 #Thankful #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                 ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? Are you being able to manage your anxieties? In California it been a rough year—fires, power outages, civil unrest, and of course, contentious elections. Tensions have been running high even as businesses are slowly trying to re-open—maybe just a little bit. Some of us may still have jobs to come back to others won’t and will have to start looking for new options.

What’s needed are fast, easy comfort foods for cooks who may now be on a budget. Which brings me to this inexpensive cheese blintzes recipe and Junior’s Deli.
 
The original Junior’s Deli opened in West Los Angeles in 1959. It had no relationship to Junior’s (cheesecake fame) in New York City. Junior’s LA was a small operation run by the Saul Brothers that mainly sold corned beef, their grandmother’s blintzes and other deli foods to go.
 
They soon moved to a new building that was more of a restaurant than a bakery near Westwood, California. Almost instantly, Junior’s became one of great local success stories for the kind of business of which dreams are made. It wasn’t because the food was so outstanding—it wasn’t. The restaurant thrived on the personality of Marvin Saul. Aside from Marv, what Junior’s had going for it was a good, friendly feel and a great location. If you had to meet a friend or business associate for breakfast or lunch, it wasn’t easily the best choice, it was the only one.  Junior’s is now gone and the building remains empty, but the ghost of old-fashioned blintzes lives on.
 
These are basic cheese blintzes—nothing fancy—develop right here in the Perspectives test kitchens. They are mild, buttery, cheesy and creamy—the ultimate comfort food! Their smell, taste and abundance are sort of imprinted on my memory. Serve these blintzes with sour cream or strawberry jam for those who liked them a little sweeter.
 
Prep time:  20-25 minutes
Batter set time: 1 hour
Crepe cook time:  10 minutes
Yield: 20 blintzes
 
Ingredients
For the crepe batter
3 cups all-purpose flour
6–7 cups 2% milk at room temperature
7 large eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
 
For the cheese filling
3 pounds farmer's cheese (sometimes labeled “hoop” cheese)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
 
To finish cook and serve 
2–3 tablespoons butter
 
Optional toppings
sour cream
strawberry preserves
fruit toppings
 
Directions
To make the crepe batter

1. Using a blender, mix all the crepe ingredients until there are no visible lumps. Set aside to let the batter rest for about 1 hour to rehydrate the flour completely and eliminate of any air bubbles.

To make the cheese filling

1. Using a mixer, mix all the filling ingredients together. Set aside while cooking the crepes.

To cook the crepes

1. Line a sheet pan with waxed paper or parchment paper.
2. Heat a nonstick, crepe pan or small shallow frying pan over medium heat before coating the pan lightly with butter.
3. Pour about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter into the pan and swirl it around the bottom of the heated pan to cover the pan with a thin layer of batter. Pour out any unstuck batter back in the blender jar to make sure your crepe is paper thin. 
   It’s okay to do a few practice crepes because they seldom come out perfectly the first time. Don't be discouraged if you mess up the first few crepes.
4. Cook on one side only until you can see little holes popping through and the edges come away from the sides of the pan, just a few minutes. Flip the crepe out of the pan onto parchment paper, uncooked side face down. Repeat process with the remaining batter.
5. Once the crepes have cooled, place a couple tablespoons of the cheese mixture in the center of the cooked side of the crepe.
6. Roll the filled crepe skin like a burrito—tuck the sides in and then roll the crepe over the cheese to create a small sealed envelope. The uncooked side of the dough forms the outside of the blintz that will be cooked to finish.
7. Place the completed blintz with the seam down on the lined sheet pan. You can use more or less cheese filling based on your preference, but don’t overfill or it will burst.

To finish cook and serve

1. Heat the butter in a medium pan, add a few blintzes at a time and sauté until golden brown, a few minutes on each side to heat through.
2. Serve the blintzes with sour cream, strawberry preserves or your favorite fruit topping.

To prepare and serve later

1. Freeze the blintzes on baking sheet. When firm, transfer to freezer bags. Keep frozen until ready to eat; then sauté and serve.

 
ChefSecret:  Farmer’s or hoop cheese looks like very small curd, dried cottage cheese. You can also substitute farmer’s cheese with ricotta cheese. What are you going to do with all the subpar test crepes?
Eat them, silly—they delicious coated with cinnamon-sugar, so enjoy your mistakes.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  I was just wondering, why do stores have signs, 'Guide Dogs Only', the dogs can't read and their owners are blind?
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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, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Dessert #Brunch #Crepes #Blintzes #CheeseBlintz #JuniorsDeli #CheeseBlintzes #RestaurantConsultant #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                               ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doing? This recipe came out of my restaurant, Fanny’s Fish Market, in Foster City, California. I had tasted crab cakes all over the place before putting these on the menu and I always go back to this recipe, not so much because it so easy, but that they just taste great—they’re the best. If you don’t have time to pick your own crab meat during the Dungeness season, your local fish monger usually carries the canned product. The cans are full of jumbo lump crab meat.

Fanny’s original recipe has just the right amount of spices and seasonings. No need to bread the cakes before frying. They hold together well without seeming too bready. Fry the crab cakes in a mixture of butter and olive oil which gives them an amazing golden-brown crust.

I made these a couple of weeks ago as a Crab Cake Benedict topped with a quick and Easy Blender Hollandaise sauce (recipe below). They’re also perfect for a crab cake sandwich. Of course, you can serve them on their own as an appetizer or a dinner entrée, with a tartar or red cocktail sauce and lemon wedge.

Prep time:  10 minutes.
Cook time:  10 minutes
Yield:  10 to 12 crab cakes
 
Ingredients
16 ounces lump crab meat, drained
12 saltine crackers, finely crushed
2 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon onion, chopped
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
 
Directions

1. Place the crab meat in a bowl and add the crushed saltines.
2. Beat the egg yolks, then pour them on top.
3. Add the remaining ingredients (except the egg whites) and gently fold everything together, being careful to not break up the crab pieces too much.
4. Use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites to soft peaks, then gently fold this into the crab mixture.
5. Shape the mixture into 3-1/2-inch rounded cakes.
6. Fry in a heavy bottomed saucepan in a mixture of butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until lightly browned on both sides. Be careful not to overcook.

 
                         Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce
Prep time: 5 minutes
Blender time:  5 minutes
 
If you’ve ever made Hollandaise sauce yourself you probably know that it not only builds character, but muscles as well. In many culinary schools it’s known as the sauce of 1,000-strokes. It is time-consuming to make and doesn’t keep well on a steam table without breaking. When you are preparing brunch for hundreds of guests, you don’t want them to wait for their Eggs Benedict. We invented this method to keep both our guests and co-workers happy.
 
Ingredients
5 large egg yolks
1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or reconstituted)
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
5 fluid ounces of unsalted clarified butter, boiling hot
 
Directions

1. Place egg yolks, lemon juice, Tabasco and salt in a blender jar—cover and blend for 5 seconds only.
2. Heat the butter in a microwave for 120 seconds or until it is very, very hot.
3. Turn the blender on, remove the port from the lid and slowly pour the hot butter into the egg yolk mixture.  Continue pouring slowly until the sauce has thickened.
4. Pour the sauce into a bowl and hold over warm water until ready to serve.

ChefSecret: This is a reduced quantity recipe.  It works well when doubling or tripling the recipes, too.
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Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  I have developed the new Covid-19 testing protocol. At 5pm open a bottle of wine, smell it, then pour it in a glass. If you can smell it and taste it, you’re good. Celebrate by finishing the bottle. You are welcome!
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Do you have a question or comment, want to share a favorite recipe or pictures? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. You can also find past blog posts at 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—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Entree #Appetizer #Brunch #CrabCakes #Crab #Hollandaise #Tabasco #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? Some say that chicken soup is the Jewish penicillin. Maybe that’s the perfect cure for Covid-19. What do you think? Probably not, or the good doctors at the CDC or WHO would have come up with that solution.
 
It was once thought that the longer you simmered the soup, the more flavorful the result. Fortunately technology has enabled us to achieve that slow-cooked flavor in a shorter amount of time. With the Instant Pot, we’re able to cut down the cook time without sacrificing any of the flavor.
 
The Instant Pot concentrates the chicken with flavor, while tenderizing the meat at the same time, resulting in a deeply flavorful soup in a fraction of the time. If you’re all about that slow-cooked flavor, but don’t have the time or patience, you’ll want to try this Instant Pot recipe. This homemade chicken soup recipe, with Matzo Balls and Egg Noodles, is easy enough for even the most challenged cook.
 
Prep time: 15 minutes
Instant Pot Cook time: 20 minutes (plus 20 to build pressure and 15 minutes for the release)
Sauté & Noodle cook time: 20 minutes
Yield:  10 to 12 cups
 
Ingredients
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 4 to 5-pound whole chicken, giblets removed
1 small onion, sliced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
2 large carrot sticks, sliced
1 parsnip, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, whole, crushed
6 cups cold water
4-dried bay leaves
10-large allspice berries (optional)
Noodles (optional)
Matzo Balls (optional)
Italian parsley, chopped for garnish
 
Directions

1. Press the SAUTÉ button on Instant Pot, and let it heat up.
2. Combine the salt, pepper, turmeric and paprika; mix together well.
3. Pat the chicken dry. Coat it with the spice mixture, making sure to get underneath the skin and inside the cavity.
4. Once the Instant Pot is hot, brown the whole chicken in the pot about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
5. Add the onion, celery, carrots, parsnip and garlic to the pot, and sauté until onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Place the chicken breast-side-down on the Instant Pot trivet, and lower it into the pot, on top of the vegetables.
7. Pour the water in along the sides of the pot, so as not to wash away the seasonings on the chicken.
8. Add the bay leaves and allspice berries.
9. Cover with the lid and secure. Make sure the valve is locked in place and press the MANUAL PRESSURE button.
10. Set the Instant Pot to HIGH PRESSURE to cook for 20 MINUTES. It will take about 20 minutes to build up the pressure. After cooking, NATURALLY RELEASE THE PRESSURE FOR 15 MINUTES, then carefully release the pressure valve and let the pot depressurize completely before opening lid.
11. Remove the chicken, bay leaves and allspice berries (if using) and skim the fat layer from the top of the soup. Save the chicken fat for the matzo balls.
12. Return the pot to the SAUTÉ function, and add uncooked noodles and or matzo balls, if desired. Cook until noodles are al dente about 12 minutes.
13. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat from the bones, and return it to the soup.
14. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
    

ChefSecret: Now let’s talk matzo balls… the secret to perfect matzo balls may be to use the packaged stuff--Manischewitz Matzo Ball Mix.  I have had many homemade matzo balls, but the best ones come straight from the box. Just follow the directions on the box and make the perfect balls! 
Okay, you say you’re a scratch cook and want to make them the old-fashioned way—well knock yourself out!

                                Almost, But Not Quite Perfect Matzo Balls
 
Ingredients
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons chicken fat (from the above soup) or vegetable oil
1 cup matzo meal
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup hot water
12 cups salted water for boiling
 
Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together the eggs and chicken fat. Stir in the matzo meal and salt and add 1/4 hot water. Lightly mix, but don’t overmix.
2. Cover the dough, let it rest and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
   
3. Bring the water to a boil over high heat to cook the matzo balls. 
4. Form the matzo dough into balls the size of walnuts.
5. Add the matzo balls to the boiling water, cover, and cook for 20 minutes (don't even peek!).
6. Bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Remove matzo balls from hot water with a slotted spoon and add to the simmering chicken broth just a few minutes before serving.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  “My husband purchased a world map and then gave me a dart and said, “Throw this and wherever it lands—that’s where I’m taking you when this pandemic ends.” Turns out, we’re spending two weeks behind the fridge. I’ve got to learn to get better at darts!”
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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, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Entree #Soup #InstantPot #Bubbe #MatzoBalls #ChickenSoup #Chicken #EggNoodles #Manischewitz #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                               ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? One of things I miss the most during this pandemic is eating out at restaurants. I like all kinds of restaurants. California Pizza Kitchen has two menu choices that I used to go back for at least once a week—Thai Crunch Salad and Kung Pao Spaghetti.
 
It might seem kind of funny, but I will order either one of these two off the menu before I would order a pizza. The good news is, I think we finally cracked the code on a beloved California Pizza Kitchen dish: Now you can kung pao your spaghetti and eat it too in under an hour.  This recipe had all the essential ingredients that make this the perfect hybrid kung pao dish--tender chunks of stir-fried chicken are tossed with pasta, lots of toasted peanuts and a piquant sweet-and-spicy sauce.
 
Prep time:  30 min
Cook time:  30 min
Yield:  4 servings 
 
Ingredients
1 tablespoon kosher salt
8 ounces spaghetti
1/2 cup peanut oil, for drizzling and frying
1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet rice cooking wine)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1-pound chicken tenders, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (you can also use chopped thighs if dark meat is preferred)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon sambal
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts
6 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 dried chiles de arbol, stemmed and seeded
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mushrooms (optional)
 
Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions—10 to 11 minutes.
2. Drain the spaghetti and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of peanut oil and toss. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the mirin and 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce in a large bowl. Add the raw chicken pieces and toss to coat. Set aside. 
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, chili sauce, sambal, vinegar, sesame oil, 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Make sure to whisk in the cornstarch well. 
5. In a heavy bottom skillet, add a couple of tablespoons of peanut oil. Add the peanuts and cook until toasted to a dark brown, about 1 minute. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.
6. Toss the marinated raw chicken with the remaining 1/2 cup cornstarch until coated completely. Discard the marinade.
7. In the same heavy-bottomed skillet, fill halfway with peanut oil and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking (350⁰F). Add the chicken to the hot oil in batches and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 minute or so per side. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate; cook the remaining chicken in batches.
8. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil and wipe it clean with a paper towel.
9. Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the scallions, chiles and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute.
10. Add the chicken broth mixture to the skillet and bring to a boil.
11. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the peanuts and pasta to heat; toss until the pasta and chicken are fully coated and hot.
12. Serve warm.

ChefSecret:  

• If I have other extra vegetables in the refrigerator, I will dice carrots and celery and sometimes add sliced mushrooms.
• This recipe is set for a moderate heat/spice level. If you want it hotter add more chiles.
• The sauce on this recipe is also great for any stir-fry dish when you want it hot and spicy.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  Some sage advice—every few days or so try on your jeans just to make sure they still fit. The pajamas you’ve been wearing for the last two weeks will have you believe that all is well in the kingdom—it probably isn’t.
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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, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Entree #Kung Pao #Spaghetti #CPK #Pasta #HotSpicy #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                             ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020