How you doin’? This recipe has been written to maximize versatility… it can be a chilled, healthful salad, and can easily be made into a warm, Wilted Spinach Salad with the addition of a couple of strips of bacon—more on that in the ChefSecret below. You can use baby spinach leaves, or you can buy more mature spinach and tear the leaves. Like romaine lettuce you never want to cut the leaves with a knife as that will bruise them—just tear them into smaller, bite-size pieces.
 
I can tell you where the Cobb Salad was invented and where the Taco Salad was concocted; I even know where the Caesar Salad came from and it was far from Italy (it was Tijuana, Mexico), but the Spinach salad… not so much. Some think it came with the turn of the century German immigration rushes. Others think that it originated right here in the USofA… I really don’t know. But here’s how to make this simple, but mysterious salad.
 
No surprise, Spinach Salad is a salad with spinach as its main ingredient. Common additional ingredients include chopped tomatoes, eggs, goat cheese, slivered almonds, walnuts, pecans and/or dried cranberries.
 
Spinach salad is classically served with a warm bacon or vinaigrette dressing, but variations are endless.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Yield:  1 serving (7 Ounces)
 
Ingredients
3 ounces (about 3 to 4 cups) fresh-torn spinach
1 large hard-cooked egg, 1/4-inch dice
1 ounce brown mushrooms, sliced lengthwise 1/8-inch
1 ounce tart apple, julienned cut
1 ounce caramelized pecans (store bought)
4 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette (see Cooking Lesson #235)
 
Directions

1. Measure all ingredients and have ready at your side.
2. In a large salad bowl place the spinach, dressing, half of the egg and mushrooms, then toss together.
3. Place into an individual serving bowl.
4. Sprinkle the rest of the egg and mushroom over top.
5. Place the pecans around and sprinkle the apple slices in a heap in the center of the salad.

ChefSecret:  Spinach Salad is classically served wilted with a warm bacon-vinaigrette dressing. Following the directions above, start by cooking up 2 strips of chopped bacon in a sauté pan. When the bacon is cooked and crispy pour the dressing in with the bacon and then invert the pan over the greens and finish off the salad as directed above. Let the pan sit over the greens to wilt them.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Another pandemic discovery: if you lose a sock in the dryer, it comes back as a Tupperware lid. Now, you have one missing sock and a lid that doesn’t fit anything.”
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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 and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. 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 #SpinachSalad #WiltedSpinachSalad #Vinaigrette #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? Sheldon was a neighbor when I was growing up. His father owned a bagel bakery. This, of course, was when bagel bakers started working at two in the morning and still rolled all the bagels by hand… it was a union job—no rolling machines allowed. There were fifty or so “men” working around a large round table rolling and rolling and rolling for hours. Yes, they were all men—no women allowed. Sheldon’s dad invited us to come over to the bakery to see how bagels were made and try our hand at rolling a few. While the union guys were rolling 6 to 8 a minute, we were rolling about 1 bagel every 6 to 8 minutes.
 
I found out two important things that morning… I didn’t like getting to work at 2am and that I liked bagel-eating a whole lot more than bagel-making!
 
Here’s the “hole” story. It is believed that bagels made their way to New York with the migration of Eastern European Jewish immigrants in the late 1800s. As Jewish refugees from Poland and Eastern Europe began to arrive in New York City en masse, they brought their traditional foods with them such as challah, brisket, knishes, and bagels. For many decades, bagels were little known outside of the Jewish community, where their popularity was widespread. Bagels became so popular among the Jewish community of New York, that by 1900, 70 bagel bakeries existed on the Lower East Side. In 1907, the International “Beigel” Bakers' Union was formed to monopolize the production of bagels in the city. By 1910, Bagel Bakers Local 338 represented over 300 bagel craftsmen in Manhattan.
 
Why do New York City Bagels seem to be the best in the world?  Many people claim the main difference in taste and texture of a real New York bagel is New York City tap water, which contains certain minerals they attribute to creating a better bagel. The low concentrations of calcium and magnesium found in New York water are thought to make the water softer which has been claimed to strengthen the gluten in the bagel dough, helping to create the chewy-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside bagel.
 
While New York-style is the original bagel type available in the United States, various other cities around the world have their own distinct style of baking and serving bagels. Bagels remain a filling, tasty, inexpensive treat no longer just for Jewish immigrants living in Manhattan. In fact, I ate one just this morning lightly toasted with butter and jam.
 
Prep time:  2 hours
Proof time:  1 to 1-1/2 hours
Boil time:  3 minutes
Bake time:  10 to 12 minutes
Yield:  12 Bagels
 
Ingredients:
For the bagels
4 teaspoons active dry yeast (make sure it’s not expired)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1-1/4 cups warm water (110º F)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons malt
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
 
For the boiling soda dip
4 cups boiling water
3/4 cup baking soda
2 tablespoons honey
 
Suggested toppings
Coarse kosher salt or bagel salt
Sesame seeds
Poppy seeds
Caraway seeds
Cinnamon-Sugar
“Everything” spice blend (Trader Joe’s)
 
Directions
To make the bagel dough

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let it stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, malt and salt.
3. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add from one to 10 tablespoons of water, one at a time until the dough comes together.
4. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. (I use a KitchenAid mixer with a dough hook.)
5. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl and turn to coat the dough ball with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 450º F and grease your sheet pans.

To make the soda dip

1. In a large pot, dissolve baking soda and honey in boiling water.

To form, boil and bake the bagels

1. When the dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces (or roughly 3.7-ounces per piece). Roll each piece into a rope and stick together the 2 loose ends and seal them together with a little water.
2. Once all the dough is shaped, drop each bagel into the boiling soda solution, for about 3 minutes. Shake off the excess water and drop it on plate with the topping of your choice. Really pack the bagel into the topping to get as much to stick as you can. This is called Montréal-style.
3. Place the bagels, topping side up, on a greased sheet pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned and the internal temperature is between 190⁰ to 200⁰ F.
5. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and transfer the bagels to wire rack.
   

ChefSecret: 

• Why is so important to keep the yeast water temperature no higher than 110⁰F? Yeast is a living organism and will expire if the water is too warm—don’t kill the yeast or the bagel will not proof.
  
• I always suggest that you rotate your pans mid-way through the baking cycle for even baking.
  

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  I need to Social Distance away from the kitchen—I just tested positive for a big butt.
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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 and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. 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.

#Baking #Bagels #BoiledBagels #NYBagels #Breakfast #Brunch #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                              ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? Here is a quick, easy and delicious coffee cake that doesn’t even require an electric mixer. It’s a recipe you can make in different flavors by simply using different pie filling flavors. It is a very simple, tender, moist coffee cake made in a 7×11-inch baking pan.
 
While this cake is All-American, the first coffee cakes are thought to have originated in Germany. These were more like sweet breads than sweet cakes. According to the book Listening to America, by Stuart Berg Flexner, it wasn't until 1879 that the term “coffee cake” became a common term.
 
Your family will enjoy this cake for breakfast (brunch), lunch or dinner. You can reheat it in an oven at 350⁰F with just a tablespoon of butter on the top. A spritz of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream turns this from a coffee cake to an outstanding dessert. Delicious Cherry Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping is a recipe you will go back to time and time again.
 
Prep time:  10 to 15 minutes
Bake time:  35 to 45 minutes
Yield:  8 to 10 servings
 
 
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup crushed pecans, optional
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 can cherry pie filling or flavor of your choice
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 325⁰F.
2. Coat a 7x11-inch baking pan with butter.
3. Place the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and melted butter in a large mixing bowl; stir together with a fork until crumbly. If you have large clumps get your hands in there and break them apart. Your fingers are your best kitchen tool.
4. Take 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture out of the bowl and put them in a smaller bowl with the brown sugar, almond extract and the crushed nuts if using; set aside for the crumb topping.
5. In another small bowl, whisk the slightly beaten eggs, milk and vanilla together.
   
6. Add milk mixture to the large bowl of crumb mixture and stir until incorporated. There will be small lumps in the batter… that’s okay.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared 7x11-inch baking pan.
8. Spread the cherry pie filling over the cake.
9. Sprinkle the reserved crumb topping over the pie filling.
10. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Start checking cake at 35 minutes.
11. Remove the cake from oven and place on a cooling rack.

ChefSecret:  Here’s an interesting upscaling alternative… spread a half cup of whipped cream cheese over the batter before spooning on the cherries.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  I was just thinking… one nice thing about egotists, they don't talk about other people.
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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 and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. 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.

#Baking #Dessert #CoffeeCake #CherryCoffeeCake #CrumbTopping #Breakfast #Brunch #ListeningToAmerica #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? When the weather tuns cold it makes me think about great soups, but it doesn’t have to be chilly outside to enjoy this French classic.
 
French onion soup (French: soupe à l’oignon) may be served as a meal or as a first course and is usually based on beef or veal stock and onions—lots of onions. It is most often served gratinéed with a French bread crouton covered with cheese floating on top. After becoming a little obscure in culinary circles, this soup underwent a resurgence of popularity in the 1960s in the United States because of the renewed interest in French cuisine.
 
The Romans enjoyed a good onion soup. Throughout history, onion soup was food for the less fortunate as onions were cheap, plentiful, and easy to grow. The modern version of this soup originated in Paris in 18th century, made from beef broth, and a variety of caramelized onions. As it is told, it was introduced in the United States by the New York restaurant of Henri Mouquin in 1861, where his wife Marie Julie Grandjean Mouquin was the chef.  The crouton with the melted cheese on top is reminiscent of ancient soups served in Greece and Italy.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Yield:  6 large servings
 
Ingredients
For the soup
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
4 cups fresh white onions, julienne cut
1/2 cup fresh red onions, julienne cut
1/2 cup fresh green onions, circles
1/2 cup fresh shallots, julienned cut
1/2 tablespoon sherry wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce (I prefer Lea & Perrin)
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fine grind black pepper
2-1/2 tablespoons beef base (I prefer Better Than Bouillon bases)
5-1/2 cups hot water
 
For the bowl garnish per portion
1 slice Gruyère crouton (see ChefSecret)
2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon grated Monterey jack cheese
 
Directions
To make the soup

1. In a large pot, sauté all the onions and shallots in olive oil until translucent.
2. Deglaze the pan with sherry and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Add salt and pepper.
4. Combine water with the beef base; mix well and add to the onion mixture. Bring it to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

For soup service

1. Place about a cup of soup in each bowl.
2. Garnish with the crouton, shaved Parmesan and grated Monterey Jack cheeses.
3. Place under a broiler to melt the cheese.

ChefSecret:  To make the crouton, start with a thick piece of lightly toasted French bread. Set it on the bowl of hot soup like a raft, top with the cheese and melt the cheese under a broiler or with a kitchen torch. This is soup is even better the second day.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “There are so many Coronavirus jokes out there, it’s a like a major pundemic.”

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 and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. 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.

#Soup #FrenchOnionSoup #4OnionFondueSoup #Fondue #Entree #BetterThanBouillon #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                            ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? Did you have eggs for breakfast this morning? Do you think eggs negatively impact your cholesterol? If you do, that information is outdated. For almost a half century, the FDA included a daily recommended intake for dietary cholesterol, just like their recommendations for sodium and fat. Eggs contained more than half of this daily intake and were quickly labeled as not-good-for-you. That myth persists today, despite the evidence to prove that dietary advice is outdated.
 
Political Note & Commentary:  This comment is not geared toward any party—Republican or Democrat or anyone in between—but to all the “do-gooders” in Washington, DC who should stay the hell out of our diets and stomachs. As evidenced by recent events regarding Covid-19, much of the “scientific” information we get from the Feds is incorrect (coming from someone who has been on lockdown in Los Angeles, California for almost a year). Likewise, there is a whole list of dietary mistakes they’ve made that have been over-turned. Maybe it would be best if they just stuck to raising our taxes and spending our money like drunken sailors and leave the food choices up to us.
 
Even though eggs have suffered a bad rap for being bad for your cholesterol and, by extension, your heart, nothing could be further from the truth.
 
Eggs are actually good for your heart; they're just victims of confusion, bad P.R. and a few decades of unproven, uneducated and ignorant thinking (that’s when we let the inmates run the asylum). Eggs are good for you and they deserve your respectful consideration!
 
In 2015, the FDA dropped this negative recommendation entirely, citing a lack of evidence that dietary cholesterol has any real impact on your overall health. Eggs suddenly went from major culprit to relatively innocent. This new scientific change of heart is still fairly recent and not widely known, so maybe that’s why the egg myth still persists.
 
Another reason eggs get bad press is because of the confusion between dietary cholesterol (found in food) and blood cholesterol made in the body. As a matter of fact, your body needs and makes its own cholesterol for essential functions like helping cell membranes form, creating hormones, helping the liver process fats and making Vitamin D. Cholesterol is also extremely important for developing children. It drives me crazy when I hear a parent say that they have cut the intake of eggs for very young children or put them on a low-cholesterol diet. While your body makes all the cholesterol it needs, this doesn't mean the cholesterol in your food is excessive and therefore bad for you. It's actually saturated fat, not dietary cholesterol, that can be more harmful for your heart.
 
I know the difference between good and bad cholesterol is confusing to a lot of our readers, so let me clear up some of the confusion. Cholesterol is often thought of as good or bad. Good cholesterol refers to HDL (high-density lipoproteins) and bad cholesterol refers to LDL (low-density lipoproteins).
 
Lipoproteins help carry cholesterol through the bloodstream. HDL, or good cholesterol, helps your body flush out bad cholesterol, improving your heart health. LDL, or bad cholesterol, can cause plaque to build up in your arteries and increase your risk for heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.
 
How do we make more of the good cholesterol and less of the bad stuff? We can raise our HDL—the good stuff—by consuming fiber-rich foods; we can lower our LDL by limiting saturated and trans fats in our diet. Eggs have been proven to be a heart-healthy choice. They contain little saturated fat—that increases bad cholesterol—and are packed with good protein.
 
This has been tested on people just like you. A study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate 12 eggs a week for three months did not increase their risk of heart disease as was previously thought. The American Heart Association now recommends one egg a day as part of a healthy diet.
 
Here’s the rub—while eggs themselves are heart healthy, the most common stir-ins like cheese, sausage, bacon and cream are all high in saturated fat and can make an egg dish unhealthy. It all goes back to what my mother used to say—everything in moderation. So, consume less cheese and ham in your Sunday Omelets and “beef” up the veggies, like tomatoes, asparagus, mushrooms and spinach. You can even cook eggs fat free by poaching them and skipping the hollandaise in Canadian Bacon Eggs Benedict or try creating some savory, spicy bowls with an egg on top.
 
Do you feel a little better equipped to make your own decisions on eating eggs? Great, let’s start by poaching some eggs.
 
                                                   Egg Poaching Method
Ingredients
8 quarts water (roughly, a large kettle half full of water)
2 tablespoons vinegar (5%)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Eggs as needed
 
Directions

1. Bring the water and vinegar to a boil; add the salt and reduce the heat to simmer.
2. Crack the eggs open into a small bowl; using a large, long handled spoon create a whirlpool in the kettle and gently slide the eggs in the simmering water, one at a time. Simmer until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny inside, approximately 3-4 minutes.
3. Using a spider ladle, gently transfer the eggs to cold water to shock them and stop the cooking; hold in cold water until ready for serving.
4. When needed, place the eggs in the hot water just long enough to heat through.
5. Finish according to your favorite poached egg recipe.

ChefSecret:  I promise you won’t taste the vinegar. It just helps gather the strands of wild egg whites into a ball around the yolk. Likewise, creating the whirlpool in the simmering water helps to hold the egg whites close to the yolk.
 
                         Grilled Chicken Tenders & Poached Egg Sliders
                                 Burrata adds extra creamy goodness to grilled chicken sliders.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  10 minutes
Yield:  8 sliders (4 servings)
 
Ingredients
8 thin boneless chicken tenders (hammered flat)
1 pinch salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 King’s Hawaiian Original Rolls, split
1 tomato, thinly sliced
8 fresh basil leaves
4 ounces packaged burrata
 
Directions

1. Butterfly the chicken tenders in half to fit a slider bun.
2. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Lightly oil a grill or sauté pan over medium heat. Grill chicken until no longer pink inside (165⁰ F), about 5 minutes per side. Set aside.
4. Toast buns by grilling them cut-side down.
5. For each sandwich, layer a cooked chicken tender, tomato slice, fresh basil leaf and 1/2 ounce of burrata between the toasted slider buns.

ChefSecret:  A very good and simple variation is to use low sodium smoked, sliced turkey breast (luncheon meat) instead of the grilled chicken.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Because of the pandemic, I’m at a place in my life where errands are starting to count as going out.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to send 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 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 and positive, stay well and safe and be kind to others. 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.

#Entrees #Eggs #PoachedEggs #Sliders #Breakfast #Brunch #AHA #AmericanHeartAssociation #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021