How you doin’? Do you think of yourself as a burger aficionado? If you do, you know the secret of a great burger is the proper ratio of bread to meat. My favorite burger has the perfect balance—having the beef, condiments, and bun in all the right proportions. The people who develop products at McDonald’s, In & Out, Wendy’s know that a perfect burger must be fantastic in all its particulars! And they sell millions of them every day.
 
It starts with a great meat block—usually 80% lean ground beef. The 20% fat makes all the difference in a hot skillet allowing the burger patties to caramelize on the outside and still stay juicy on the inside (as long as you don’t flatten them with a spatula). Then comes the just the right amount of toppings! I like American cheese on my burger because it’s a creamy smooth and meltier than other cheeses. Then what are you going to do for condiments? Ketchup, mustard? Not on my watch! I make a tangy secret burger sauce (recipe below) to keep things moist and flavorful. I top it with a split piece of crisp, salty, smoky bacon. Some people would argue, you need your five-a-day for produce—that’s why I add well-chilled shredded lettuce and a very thin slice of tomato.
 
I like a nice soft bun, not too dense, not too doughy. You just want enough bun to hold everything together, but not so much that it dominates the burger. Likewise, you don’t want to have too much burger that overtakes and sogs out the bun. You want the burger and bun to be at peace with each other.  It should smoosh down a little and meld with the burger, cheese, and toppings, creating the perfect bite and burger.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  5 minutes
Yield:  4 burgers
 
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef (80/20)
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon peanut oil
8 slices cheese of your choice
4 soft burger buns
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
4 slices of tomato
4 slices cooked crisp bacon
Burger sauce (recipe below)
 
Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Make the burger sauce (recipe below) and set it aside.
2. Divide the ground beef into 8 burgers, roll them into balls, and season them liberally with salt and pepper. Do not overwork the meat or your burgers will be tough.
3. Heat a large cast-iron pan or griddle over medium-high until it’s hot, brush on the peanut oil, and then add the burger balls, pressing them down once with the back of a flat spatula.
4. Cook the burgers until they’re crispy, about 3 minutes, and then flip and cook the second side. Try to resist pressing down on the patties too much.
5. While burgers are cooking, lightly butter the buns and toast them in the oven until warmed through and lightly crispy, about 5 minutes.
6. Place a slice of cheese on each burger, and then stack patties, so you have 4 double-decker burgers. Allow the cheese to melt.
7. To assemble each burger: spread burger sauce on the bottom half of the bun, top with lettuce, burger patties, tomato slice and split a piece of bacon, placing both halves atop the burgers. Spread burger sauce on the top bun, set it on the burger, and you’re ready to go.

 
                                                      Not-So Secret Sauce
 
Ingredients
1-1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons roasted red pepper, rough chopped
2 tablespoons dill relish
6 shakes Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon liquid hickory smoke (Wright’s brand)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
 
Directions

1. In a food processor, combine all the sauce ingredients and pulse until incorporated but not puréed.
2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

 
ChefSecret: We’ve made our burgers double-decker because it’s fun, but this recipe works great with a slightly thicker single burger, too.
 
Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  Covid-19 quick and easy self-testing-- I tried this test and it truly works!

• Take a glass and pour a dram or two of your favorite whisky into it; then see if you can smell it. If you can, then you are halfway there.
• Then drink it. If you can taste it then it is reasonable to assume you are currently free of the virus because the loss of the sense of smell and taste are common symptoms.
• I tested myself 7- or 8-times last night and was virus free each and every time, thank goodness.
• I will have to test myself again today because I have developed a throbbing headache which can also be one of the symptoms.
  
• I'll report my results later.

-------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------
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.

#Entrees #Burger #DoubleBurger #Cheeseburger #SecretSauce #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                 ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021

How you doin’? There are so many important interchangeable parts to a classic Thanksgiving Day turkey dinner—and you don’t want to miss any of them. Just think, what would turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes be without a classic gravy made with the turkey giblets (neck, liver, heart, gizzard) already roasting and browning in the oven with the bird. Close your eyes as you read this, and you may even get a waft of the aroma from the turkey roasting in my imaginary oven. Giblet gravy, a gravy made with the choicest pieces of the bird, is considered the queen of gravies.
 
Turkeys were plentiful in jolly ole England before 1550. They arrived there having made their way to Europe on Spanish ships transporting them from the new world. The Pilgrims and other British colonists already had recipes for turkey before they landed in North America.
 
Back then, it was like shooting turkeys in a barrel--they would find flocks of up to 5,000 wild turkeys gathered by rivers and stream… a veritable feast for the starving colonists. In addition to boiling, frying, and baking them, roasting was one of the most common means of preparing turkey in colonial times.
 
Amelia Simmons’ recipe in American Cookery calls for stuffing the bird with bread stuffing, roasting, and basting it. In what may have set the precedent for the modern Thanksgiving Day dinner, Amelia instructs her reader to cook and serve the turkey with cranberry-sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, of course.
 
This is mom’s recipe for Giblet Gravy. It is very rich and delicious. I love it. I think it’s the best turkey gravy, but then that’s what I grew up eating at every Thanksgiving Day feast.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour
Yield: 12 4-ounce servings
 
Ingredients
4 ounces turkey giblets, uncooked
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1-quart cold water
1/3 cup turkey fat (or chicken fat or butter)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 quarts hot stock (from cooking giblets, plus turkey stock or drippings)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
 
Directions

1. In a medium pot, simmer the giblets, bay leaf, onion and water until the giblets are tender, approximately 1 hour.  When done, discard the onion and bay leaf.
2. Strain and reserve the broth.
3. Dice the giblets into 1/8-inch pieces or chop with a French knife.
4. Melt the turkey fat. Add flour and cook for 5 to 10 minutes to form a medium light-colored roux.
5. Add the stock to the roux, stirring with a wire whip.  Cook until smooth and glossy.
6. Add the salt and diced giblets.
7. Serve hot over turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes.

           
ChefSecret:  If planning to make stuffing and gravy using turkey giblets, you may need to ask your meat shop manager to toss in some additional giblets just to make sure you have enough for all you want to cook. Remember, you can never have enough gravy or stuffing.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  “Why did the turkey cross the road?  Because the turkey behind it didn’t know how to socially distance properly.”
-------------------------------------------
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. 
-------------------------------------------
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.

#ThanksgivingRecipe #Thanksgiving #Gravy #GibletGravy #TurkeyGravy #Sauces #HolidayRecipes #Holidays2020 #Thankful #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                  ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? Have you ever wondered why steaks taste so much better at The Palm, Maestro’s or Ruth’s Chris steak houses than they do off your own backyard grill? It’s the dab of butter that is placed on top that slowly melts adding a ton of flavor. It’s not just any butter but a compound butter and most likely Maître’d Butter.

What exactly are compound butters? Compound butters (beurre composé) are mixtures of butter and other good ingredients. They are used to enhance the flavor in various dishes, kind of like a sauce, but much easier. It is softened butter, whipped together with various sweet or savory ingredients. While the concept is simple, the potential flavor combinations are complex and endless.
 
You can pair baguettes, scones, rolls, pancakes, waffles or cornbread with sweet compound butters flavored with orange or lemon zest, maple syrup, honey or cinnamon. Savory compound butters can include garlic, shallots, parsley and lemon (Maître’d Butter) perfect for steaks or even ground lobster shells, butter and lemon zest in Lobster Butter as an enhancement for seafood.
 
Compound butters can be made at home or a limited number of flavors can be purchased commercially. Try making your own. A compound butter is made by just whipping additional elements, such as herbs, spices or aromatic liquids, into butter. The butter is then reformed, usually in plastic wrap or parchment paper, rolled and frozen until it is firm enough to be sliced. These butters can be melted on top of meats and vegetables, used as a spread or to finish various sauces.
 
Here are five recipes to get you started, but the combinations are endless and use the same technique. Be creative… think about your favorite flavor combinations and make your own flavor thrills with your own custom compound butters.
 
                                                       Maître’d Butter
 Ingredients
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
 
Directions

1. Pulse the fresh shallots, garlic, and parsley in food processor until fine.
2. Whip butter in mixer using whip attachment on high speed.
3. When butter is fluffy, turn speed down to low and add remaining ingredients, including the herbs.
4. Using either parchment paper or food film, roll the mixture into a cylinder 1 inch in diameter.
5. Freeze.
6. After frozen, cut as needed into 1/2-ounce portions.
7. Don’t forget to label and date.

 
How to use and serve

• Place a butter disk on top of cooked steak, chicken or fish
• Sauté shrimp in the butter
• Serve with grilled or boiled ears of corn
• Brush on grilled vegetables

 
                                              Cinnamon Maple Butter
 Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 
Directions

1. Whip butter in mixer using whip attachment on high speed.
2. When butter is fluffy, turn speed down to low and add remaining ingredients.
3. Using either parchment paper or food film, roll the mixture into a cylinder 1 inch in diameter.
4. Freeze.
5. After frozen, cut as needed into 1/2-ounce portions.
6. Don’t forget to label and date.

 
How to use and serve

• Spread it on toast
• Place a butter disk on top of pancakes or waffles
• Spread on cornbread
• Serve with baked sweet potatoes

 
                                                  Gorgonzola Sage Butter
 Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter
2 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (or bleu cheese)
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
 
Directions

1. Whip butter in mixer using whip attachment on high speed.
2. When butter is fluffy, turn speed down to low and add remaining ingredients.
3. Using either parchment paper or food film, roll mixture into a cylinder 1 inch in diameter.
4. Freeze.
5. After frozen, cut as needed into 1/2-ounce portions.
6. Don’t forget to label and date.

 
How to serve

• Place a butter disk on top of grilled steak, chicken or pork tenderloin
• Melt and brush on shrimp skewers
• Use in baked potatoes
• Spread on warm dinner rolls

 
                                                  Jalapeño Lime Butter
 Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded, seamed and minced very finely
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
 
Directions

1. Whip butter in mixer using whip attachment on high speed.
2. When butter is fluffy, turn speed down to low and add remaining ingredients.
3. Using either parchment paper or food film, roll mixture into a cylinder 1 inch in diameter.
4. Freeze.
5. After frozen, cut as needed into 1/2-ounce portions.
6. Label and date.

 
How to serve

• Brush on grilled or boiled ears of corn
• Place a butter disk on top of grilled or roasted meat, chicken, fish or shrimp
• Brush on grilled vegetables

 
                                                  Orange Honey Butter
 Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
 
Directions

1. Whip butter in mixer using whip attachment on high speed.
2. When butter is fluffy, turn speed down to low and add remaining ingredients.
3. Using either parchment paper or food film, roll mixture into a cylinder 1 inch in diameter.
4. Freeze.
5. After frozen, cut as needed into 1/2-ounce portions.
6. Label and date.

 
How to serve

• Spread on toast or cornbread
• Serve with warm scones
• Serve with baked sweet potatoes

ChefSecret:  This all sounds yummy, but I can’t eat dairy. What else can I use? The two best things to use are margarine (which is a one for one replacement for butter) or refined coconut oil, which softens easily and solidifies when refrigerated. It will add a coconut note to the compound flavor, but that can only be a good thing when you add complementary ingredients, such as curry powder, lime juice and cilantro.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: I’m so excited today!!! It’s time to take out the garbage.  What should I wear?
-------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------
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.

#Sauce #CookingBasics #CompoundButter #ThePalm #Maestros #RuthsChris R&D #FoodConsultant #ProductDevelopment #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? Let me introduce you Emily. Sweet Emily is my current basil plant—she replaced dear Vera who had gotten a bit seedy. You can usually find small fresh basil pots in many supermarket produce sections. 
 
I keep fresh basil on hand because I love the taste of fresh, sweet basil for sandwiches, salads and pesto. Now to some people pesto is an acquired taste and they prefer a good old-fashioned tomato or Alfredo sauce on their pasta instead. We found that blending a combination of pesto and marinara or Alfredo cheese sauce may be the perfect solution for those who are a bit timid with pesto alone.
 
Most Italian chefs make their pesto with pine nuts—I make mine with roasted almonds. You can save a bundle using windowsill-grown basil and almonds in place of pricier nuts. What you’ll love is how easy this no-cook recipe is easy to make—perfect to keep your kitchen cool during the summer months. For me, the perfect summer meal is stuffed pasta sautéed in brown butter sauce and topped with a little pesto, a small salad and some nice sourdough bread for sopping up the pesto or just spread the pesto directly on some freshly grilled garlic bread.
 
Pesto is easy to store in the refrigerator, just drizzle a little olive oil over the top to prevent it from oxidizing. I keep my pesto in a vacuum-pump container (very handy in the kitchen).
 
Prep time:  5 minutes—that’s it!
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese shreds
3/4 cup whole roasted almonds (skin on)
1/2 cup light olive oil, or more as needed
3 cloves garlic, peeled
 
Directions

1. Pulse the basil, Parmesan cheese, almonds, olive oil and garlic in a food processor to combine until blended.
2. Pour in more olive oil, with the processor running, until pesto is thick and smooth.

ChefSecret:  You can make pesto with a variety of other ingredients—walnut, cashews, macadamia nuts and spinach instead of sweet basil.
-------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------
To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe, be kind and always give thanks to our many first responders on the line who risk their lives for us. 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.

#Sauce #Pesto #Basil #Almonds #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                          ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020

                   (An Homage to Peter Luger Steak House Style Sauce-Brooklyn)

How you doin’? As I write this blog my mouth is watering for a slice of Peter Luger’s Porterhouse Steak. You may have heard of it or if you travel to NYC often you might have gone there at least once. I had a friend who made Luger’s a once-a-week visit to satisfy his inner carnivore (definitely not a place for vegetarians).  Due to the pandemic, the restaurant is currently closed for dine-in service, but they are making some items available for pick-up or delivery.
 
Peter Luger is still the one and only “monument to meat” in Brooklyn. Since 1887 they have been serving buttery 26-day house-aged, USDA Prime Porterhouse Steaks. And then there is the service—all I can say is, “it’s Brooklyn” and the servers are “Noo Yawkers” who speak “Brooklynese.”  Zagat defines the service, “… cantankerous career waiters in a “busy” “old-time” German beer hall setting.” This rough-and-tumble style only adds to the charm.

The prices are steep even by New York standards. Bring a bundle of cash ‘cause they don’t take credit (debit cards are accepted, and credit cards are accepted for online ordering). The best deal, if you just want to kick the tires a bit, is the Peter Luger lunch burger. They grind the USDA steak trimmings from their prized dry aged porterhouse to make a no-fills, lunch-only burger for under 15 bucks.
 
But as delicious as their beef is, I didn’t come here to talk about steaks—I want to talk about their sauce. Peter Luger Steak House Old Fashioned Sauce is an all-purpose condiment that is not only great on steak, but also as a salad dressing, on slabs of red ripe tomatoes and avocados, burgers, chicken and even a great base sauce for pizza. Like most things Luger, it is the best!
 
They began bottling and selling their sauce after customers begged for it. The taste is somewhere between cocktail sauce (spicy with a touch of horseradish) and traditional steak sauce. I started hacking it nearly 20-years ago. Another plus… the sauce is fat-free.
 
So, with great humility, I would like to share with you my hack on Peter Luger Steak House Old Fashioned Sauce.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  10 minutes
Cool time:  30 minutes
Yield:  24 ounces
 
Ingredients
12 ounces ketchup (I prefer Heinz)
4-3/4 ounces apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3.75 ounces Worcestershire Sauce (I prefer Lea & Perrins)
2 tablespoons freshly minced white onion
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh, finely-grated horseradish
 
Directions

1. Measure all ingredients first, then combine them in a medium saucepan.
2. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Cool, cover and refrigerate.

 
ChefSecret:  If you are running out of time, some supermarkets carry Peter Luger Sauce in the meat department—it is a bit pricey.

#Sauce #Steak #PeterLuger #Dressing #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19