How you doin’? Hawaiian Luau Chicken is sure to transport you to sunny skies, ocean waves and warm sands at Waikiki Beach. You can smell the intoxicating aroma of the luau made by simmering chicken thighs in an aromatic broth of soy sauce (or shoyu), ginger, garlic and brown sugar, it’s bright and bursting with umami flavor.
 
“Shoyu” is a Japanese-style soy sauce that’s made with a combination of soy and wheat. It has a sweet-and-salty flavor and is used in stir-fries, as a dipping sauce for tempeh, sushi, grilled meat, tofu, eggs and vegetables and as a marinade. Aloha brand is commonly used in Hawaii but Kikkoman is an easily accessible brand that works just as well.
 
Hawaiian Luau Chicken is best served with rice, of course, and sautéed bok choy, udon noodles, or stir-fried vegetables are all great accompaniments.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients 
1/2 cup shoyu soy sauce ( I prefer Kikkoman low sodium)
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
1-3/4 cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (roughly 1-1/2  to 2 pounds)
2-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Sliced fresh scallions (green onion tops)
 
Directions

1. In a medium Dutch oven or a large, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet, whisk together the shoyu, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and 1-1/2 cups of stock until the sugar dissolves, about 1 minute.
2. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and bring to a boil, undisturbed, over medium-high heat.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and simmer, turning the chicken halfway through, until it is tender and a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 165°F, about 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat.
5. Broil the chicken (optional):
6. Using tongs, remove the chicken pieces and place them on a large-rimmed sheet pan, skin-side up.
7. Preheat the oven to broil with a rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Broil the chicken until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes.
8. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup of chicken stock until well combined.
9. Add the cornstarch mixture to the shoyu mixture in the Dutch oven and whisk to combine.
10. Boil, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 minute.
11. Return the chicken, skin-side up, to the Dutch oven and spoon the thickened sauce over it.
12. Garnish with scallions, if desired, and serve.
13. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

ChefSecret:  If you want to get the true luau flavor, finish off the chicken thighs on an outdoor barbecue.

Quip of the Day:  This luau has me on island time—no rush, just relax.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. 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, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Entrees #Dinner #HawaiianLuauChicken #Aloha #Shoyu #IslandDinner #WaikikiBeach #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
                                                                                ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? My executive chef, Spencer, used to tell me the magical thing about Pad Thai is the way it layers flavor with texture. It’s bright, hot, nutty, salty, sweet, and full of umami, a perfectly balanced complexity that belies the stir-fry ease of the dish.
 
It’s also the rare dish that everyone agrees on—I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t love Pad Thai. For all those reasons, it’s a meal maker’s dream—it’s fun to make it for other folks because you always get more than 100% appreciation back on your cooking effort.
 
According to food histories, Pad Thai is based on the Chinese culinary tradition of stir fries. Kway teow is Chinese for rice noodles and pad is fried in Thai, so the name roughly translates to ‘Thai-style stir-fried noodles.’ It was either invented or introduced to Thailand in the 1930s, a pivotal time in the country’s politics, when its leaders were trying to both westernize and build national unity (Refer to the King & I Movie). Street vendors were encouraged to make Pad Thai as an expression of Thai cuisine, but also to help the country through an economically difficult time—rice noodles, stir fried veggies and very little protein add up to a satisfying yet inexpensive meal.
 
The dish takes the bulk of its flavor from a sauce made with tamarind paste, fish sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar. If you don’t have tamarind paste, you can replicate its signature sour-sweet flavor with pomegranate molasses and lime juice—as I’ve done here. The result is a close approximation to tradition: a tangy, umami-riffic sauce that clings to the noodles and the dish’s many other ingredients.
 
For protein, I use chicken. The chicken is nice and chewy and brings some fat to the dish. The chicken gets tossed into a wonderful jumble with the aromatics, chewy noodles, veggies—bean sprouts, shallots, and green onions—and that beautiful sauce. Add the crunchy peanuts and bright cilantro leaves, and you’re all set.
 
Pad Thai is a fantastic dinner. It’s also impressive for weekend lunches and, given the egg, I’d even fry up a big batch for brunch. It pairs well with deep, dark, chewy, roasty beers, like porters or stouts, or a glass of Fume or Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling.
 
Ingredients 
For the Pad Thai sauce
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (see ChefSecret)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
 
For the Pad Thai
4 ounces dry Pad Thai white rice noodles
3 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 chicken breast, sliced into ¼”-thick strips
6 ounces extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into ½ x ½ x 2” batons
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 large eggs
1 pinch salt
2 cups bean sprouts, plus more for garnish
4 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped, for garnish
1/3 cup cilantro, leaves only, for garnish
6 lime wedges, for garnish
Chili oil, for serving
 
Directions 
To make the Pad Thai sauce

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, fish sauce, pomegranate molasses, lime juice, soy sauce, water and white pepper. Set aside.

To make the Pad Thai noodles

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the pad Thai noodles in a large heatproof bowl and pour the hot water over the noodles, making sure they are submerged. Let sit until al dente, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir to loosen the noodles, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
4.  Add the chicken and extra-firm tofu strips, sprinkle with 2 pinches of kosher salt, and cook, tossing occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through; 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken and tofu to a plate.
6. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon peanut oil in the skillet. Add the shallots and cook until softened; about 3 minutes.
7. Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant; about 30 seconds.
8. Push the shallot mixture to the side and reduce the heat to medium-low.
9. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the eggs and a pinch of salt.
10. Pour the eggs into the empty side of the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until scrambled and mostly cooked through; 1 to 2 minutes. Push the eggs to the side.
11. Add the noodles, chicken, tofu, bean sprouts, green onions and Pad Thai sauce. Increase the heat to high, toss to combine, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
12. Transfer the finished Pad Thai to a large warm serving dish.
13. Garnish with additional bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, cilantro leaves and lime wedges.
14. Drizzle with chili oil, if desired.

ChefSecret:  If you can find tamarind paste, use 4 tablespoons of that instead of the pomegranate molasses and lime juice mixture. For added heat and a little color, feel free to add slivers of red chile.

Quip of the Day:  I never knew tofu could be this good! Honestly it never o-curd to me.
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Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Entrees #PadThai #OrientalBangkok #RiceNoodles #Tamarind #Dinner #Brunch #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                      ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? Peking duck is a dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the Imperial era. The meat is characterized by its thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly the skin and little meat, sliced in front of the diners by the chef.
 
Ducks bred especially for this dish are harvested after 65 days. They are blanched, pumped (with a bicycle pump), dry hung and seasoned before being deep fried. It is a massive undertaking. My recipe cuts the time and mess down considerably. Instead of 3 days’ work you can do the home version in just a few short hours.
 
The meat is often eaten with spring onions, cucumber, and hoisin or duck sauce, with pancakes rolled around the fillings.
 
Prep time:  45 minutes
Passive time:  1 hour 30 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour 30 minutes
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients 
2 (5-1/2 pounds each) large roasting ducks, innards and wing tips removed
6 quarts of chicken broth
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon Chinese Five Spice (I prefer The Spice House 5-spice mix)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon 5-spice seasoning
 
Directions

1. Unwrap the ducks and allow them to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2.  With a fork, prick the skin without piercing the meat. This will allow the fat to drain off while the ducks cook.
3. Meanwhile, in a very large stock pot that can hold the 2 ducks, heat the chicken broth with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of 5-spice seasoning until it boils.
4. Add the whole ducks very carefully and bring the stock back to a boil. If there isn’t enough stock to cover the ducks, add the hottest tap water to cover.
5. If the ducks float to the top, place a plate on top to keep them immersed.
6.  When the stock comes back to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the ducks in the stock for 45 minutes.
7. When the ducks are finished simmering, skim off enough duck fat from the top of the stock to pour a film on the bottom of a 14 X 18 X 3-inch roasting pan. This will keep the ducks from sticking when they roast.
8. Carefully take the ducks out of the stock, holding them over the pot to drain. Be careful not to break the skin.
9. Place the ducks in the roasting pan, pat the skin dry with paper towels, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon of 5-spice inside and out.
10. Allow the ducks to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the skin to dry.
11. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500⁰ F. (Be sure your oven is very clean or it will smoke!)
12. Roast the ducks for 30 minutes until the skin starts to get crisp. The interior temperature should be a minimum of 165˚  F.
13. Remove the ducks from the oven and allow them to rest, covered with aluminum foil, for 20 minutes.
14. Carve and serve warm.

ChefSecret: This classic Chinese Five Spice mix unites the five flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savory. Based on the traditional philosophy of balancing yin and yang, Chinese Five Spice complements fatty meats like pork belly, goose and older, large fatty chickens.

Quip of the Day:  I work with a Chinese guy called Kim and one time at a work function, we were having a drink, and I said to him, “Kim, do you ever get fed up with us Westerners saying that all Chinese people look the same?”  He replied, “Kim’s at the bar getting drinks, I’m his wife.”
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Entree #Dinner #PekingDuck #RoastDuck #TheSpiceHouse #5-Spice #HolidayRecipes # 2024Recipes #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                                   ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

How you doin’? Most families have a designated turkey-carver at Thanksgiving—and the knowledge and skill set often lives exclusively in that person’s head—that would be me. I was invited to one friend’s house for Thanksgiving asking me to be there at 10AM.  I soon realized I was invited over to cook Thanksgiving dinner including stuffing, sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie.
 
But I digress… passing on the secrets of creating a holiday dinner can feel like a well-deserved rite of passage. Picture you’re at the head of the table, knife in hand, and all eyes are on you as you make your first slice into that big, beautiful turkey.
 
But the truth is, anyone can carve a turkey. (Well, anyone who can safely handle a knife.) In my turkey-carving syllabus, I’ll walk you through the process step-by-step, so no one at the table will know you’re a newbie—by which we mean, they’ll be blown away by your deft knife handling skills. Even if you’ve carved a turkey before but are feeling a little rusty, this guide will help you brush up on your skills.
 
A few tips from the Perspectives’ Test Kitchen before you begin:

• Make sure your knife is nice and sharp. It’ll make the whole process much easier. It is safer to cut with a shape knife than a dull one.
• If the turkey is too hot to touch when you go to carve, let it cool a few minutes longer. It’s also okay to take breaks as you carve to keep your hands comfortable.
• Removing the legs and wings from the turkey requires a bit of muscle, but don’t panic. Just take it slow and keep carefully pulling and pressing as you slice downward (watch your fingers!). The legs and wings will come off — we promise.
• Don’t toss all of the remaining bits of the turkey carcass once you’re done carving! Instead, divide them into gallon freezer bags and stash them in the ole icebox so you can make stock for all your winter soups and stews.
• And finally, consider adorning your turkey platter with garnishes, like fresh herbs, cranberries, and orange slices. That’s not really a carving tip, but it will make you look super chef-y — and your expertly carved turkey all that more impressive.

                             Here’s How to Carve a Turkey: Step-by-Step
 
Tools: You’ll need a very sharp carving knife or chef’s knife and a steel for sharpening the knives.
 
Ingredients 
1 roasted turkey any size
 
Directions

• Remove the cooked turkey from the oven and let it rest on the counter for 20 minutes. The turkey will still be quite hot, so handle it with care when carving.
• Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board with grooves, a lip or a towel to catch the juices. Position the turkey with the breast facing you and the legs facing away from you.
• To remove the legs and thighs: Pull one leg away from the body of the turkey and place your knife on the crease between the leg and the body. While continuing to pull carefully, slice down behind the thigh and along the body of the turkey.
• When you hit the joint, firmly pull and press the thigh downward until it’s loosened from the body. You might have to muscle through it a bit. Slice through any remaining meat, following the contour of the body, to fully remove the leg and thigh without breaking it. Repeat with the other leg and thigh. Set both pieces aside.
• To remove the breasts: Find the center “Y” bone, which runs along the top of the turkey’s chest. Place the blade of your knife just to one side of the “Y” bone. Slice downward and toward you, creating a deep, clean cut. Keep your knife where it is and slice downward, following along the rib cage. This will remove the breast completely while keeping the skin intact. Repeat with the remaining breast and then set both half breasts aside.
• To remove the wings: Pull one of the wings away from the body of the turkey and towards you to loosen it. You might have to muscle through it a bit. Slice through the remaining meat, while pulling, to fully remove the wing. Repeat with the other wing. Save the wings and turkey carcass for making stock, if desired.
• Place one breast on a clean cutting board. Starting from the narrowest end of the breast, on the diagonal, slice into half-inch thick pieces, being careful to keep the skin intact. Transfer all of the slices to a warm serving platter. Repeat with the other breast.
• Place one of the legs and thighs on the cutting board. Find the crease between the leg and the thigh. Slice along the leg until you find the joint where the leg bone and thigh bone are connected. Carefully slice between them, separating the leg from the thigh. Repeat with the remaining leg and thigh. Place the legs on the platter.
• On the diagonal, slice the thigh meat into half-inch pieces, just like you did with the breasts. Place the slices on the platter.
• Serve warm with turkey gravy and all your favorite sides.

ChefSecret:  Another way to cook a turkey is the spatchcock method which makes  the juiciest, crispiest roast turkey cooked in a fraction of the time it usually takes to cook a whole turkey. If you've never tried it, spatchcocking is easier than you might think! By removing the backbone and flattening out the bird, you'll reduce cooking time and make carving a whole lot easier, too! Once you try it, you might never go back.

Quip of the Day:  Q. Did you hear about the turkey that plays baseball?  A. It covers first baste.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Entree #TurkeyCarving #HowToCarveATurkey #ThanksgivingRecipes #2024Recipes #HappyThanksgiving #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                                ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

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

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

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

Quip of the Day:  Q. What do you call a country song about Nashville’s famous hot chicken? A. A cluckin’ good tune!”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

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