The Cinco de Mayo Collection How you doin’? You may not have thought a whole lot about it, but tacos are a cool food. Now, I’m not talking about the Taco Bell style although I still go back to the “Bell” on occasion. I’m talking about marinated charred steak tacos folded up in homemade-style warm corn tortillas with a Mexican-style, homemade charred salsa. I decided to use Chef Roy Choi’s signature carne asada marinade, which makes the meat impressively flavorful and aromatic. It is a combination of spices and herbs—garlic, scallions, ancho chile powder, jalapeños, fresh cilantro, beer, kiwifruit, mirin and plenty of citrus flavors. It’s not a hot marinade, but it is full flavored and smoky—you can barely taste the heat. The steak tastes bright, fresh, tangy and is perfect for tacos. Making the marinade is no big deal, just take all the ingredients and buzz them together in your blender. The marinated steak chars up beautifully on the grill, and you can smell all the different ingredients of the marinade as it cooks. I like to take the steak and wrap a nice piece in a toasted corn tortilla with pickled onions, radishes, cilantro, lime, my Charred Salsa, hot sauce and maybe a little queso fresco—any favorite taco toppings will work, especially with a frosty cerveza on the side. Prep time: 10 minutes Marinade time: 1 hour minimum Cook time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients 6 to 8 large, peeled garlic cloves 1/4 large peeled yellow onion, chopped 3 thick scallions trimmed and roughly chopped into 2” pieces 1/4 cup ancho chile powder 2 jalapeño peppers, stem removed 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro 3/4 cup lager beer 1 orange—juice and grated zest 2 limes—juice and grated zest 1 kiwifruit, peeled 1/4 cup mirin Asian rice wine 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar 2 pounds skirt steak Olive oil, for brushing grill Corn tortillas Your favorite taco toppings, for serving Salsa (see recipe below) Directions
Charred Tomato Salsa Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Cool time: 30 minutes Yield: roughly 3 cups Ingredients 4 medium (about 1 pound) plum tomatoes 2 jalapeño peppers, stems, seeds and seams removed 2 garlic cloves 1/2 white onion, cut into 4 wedges 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon tequila Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Taco and tortilla chips, for serving Directions
Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Husbands are the best people to share secrets with. They’ll never tell anyone anything because they aren’t even listening.” ------------------------------------------- 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 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 #Beef #CarneAsada #Tacos #CincoDeMayo #Salsa #Tortillas #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021
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… from the California KitchenHow 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
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
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!
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 The 2020 Holidays Recipe CollectionHow 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
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 Cooking BasicsHow 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
How to use and serve
Cinnamon Maple Butter Ingredients 1 stick unsalted butter 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Directions
How to use and serve
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
How to serve
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
How to serve
Orange Honey Butter Ingredients 1 stick unsalted butter 1 tablespoon honey 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest Directions
How to serve
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
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 |
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