How you doin’? Super Bowl is just over two weeks away (Feb 13th). What are you planning on serving the hungry throngs that are all coming over to your house to watch the big game? Super Bowl just wouldn’t be Super Bowl without Buffalo Wings. I love my Buffalo wings, but I hate the mess and smell of frying wings in my kitchen. That smell seems to permeate the whole house for days. Here’s a better solution.
 
Slow Cooker Chicken Wings are the perfect solution! They are fall off the bone tender and loaded with real Anchor Bar flavor. Make it authentic and serve these luscious wings with carrot and celery sticks and cool ranch dressing studded with blue cheese crumbles.
 
A slow cooker (Crock Pot or Instant Pot—slow cook setting) is an easy and great way to cook chicken wings fresh or frozen! If you cook them from frozen, you will have to drain off some of the excess cooking liquid after cooking. Brush the wings with a little bit more sauce and give them a quick broil. After broiling, place the wings back in the slow cooker or on a warming tray to keep them warm.
 
I always have trouble not eating the whole batch, they are so deliciously tangy and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Don’t forget the ranch dip!
 
By the way, there is a difference between Buffalo sauce and hot sauce. Hot sauce is basically just hot peppers, salt and vinegar. Buffalo sauce is smoother than hot sauce, and richer in flavor. The butter creates a spicy and silky sauce that tastes restaurant quality at home. Store bought Buffalo sauce is usually made with oil, not butter. My homemade sauce is made with melted butter—that’s why it tastes so darn good! All you need to do is whisk 2 parts Franks Original Hot Sauce (not Franks Wing Saue) to one part melted butter (or margarine). What’s easier than that?
Toss your favorite wings in this spicy sauce, or use it to dip your veggies, fries, burgers, shrimp, you name it! Store it in an airtight glass container and refrigerate. It will last several weeks in the refrigerator.

Quick History of Buffalo Wings (named after the city, not the animal)
On a Friday night in 1964, Dominic Bellissimo was tending bar at the now famous Anchor Bar Restaurant in Buffalo, NY. Late that evening, a group of Dominic’s friends arrived at the bar with ravenous appetites. Dominic asked his mother, Teressa, to prepare something for his friends to eat.
Teressa had deep fried some wings and flavored them with a secret sauce she just made up. The wings were an instant hit and it didn’t take long for people to flock to the bar to experience this new taste sensation. From that evening on, Buffalo Wings became a regular part of the menu at the Anchor Bar. This phenomenon has spread across the globe.

Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  3 hours
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
Calories:  295 per serving
 
Ingredients 
4 to 5 pounds chicken wings (with drumettes, if desired), fresh or frozen
Buffalo Wing Sauce
1-1/2 cups Franks Original Hot Sauce, plus a little more for finishing
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

For Serving
A bunch of cut carrot sticks
A bunch of cut celery sticks
Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
Blue cheese crumbles to taste
Garnish with paprika and chopped chives
 
Directions

1. Combine the Buffalo wing sauce ingredients—Franks and melted butter; set aside.
2. Place wings in a 6-quart slow cooker (or Instant Pot) and cover with the prepared Buffalo wing sauce. Stir to combine.
3. Cook on HIGH for 2-1/2 TO 3 HOURS for FROZEN wings or on LOW for 3 HOURS for FRESH wings.
4. Once wings have reached 165°F, remove them from the slow cooker and place them on a foil lined sheet pan; discard the cooking liquid.
5. Preheat broiler to high. Brush with additional Buffalo sauce and broil until lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes per side.
6. Serve with celery, carrots, extra Buffalo sauce and Ranch dressing for dipping.

ChefSecret:  I always double up on the Buffalo Sauce so I have enough to use for topping and other dishes.

Quip of the Day:  “Which football player wears the biggest helmet on Super Bowl Sunday? The one with the biggest head.”
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Do you have a question or comment? 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. In this New Year, seek out the good in people and avoid conflict. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America.

#Entrees #InstantPot #SlowCooker #Snack #Lunch #Dinner #BuffaloChickenWings #BuffaloSauce #Chicken #Buffalo #SuperBowl #AnchorBar #FranksHotSauce #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                       ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

​How you doin’? What makes a cookie a crinkle? Those crackles on top with the powdered sugar in between, is why they’re called Crinkle Cookies. Since they are rolled in powdered sugar before baking the cracks form as the cookie balls puff and spread. These slightly stodgy lemony bombs are really tasty. The flavor is even stronger if you let them sit after baking them overnight!
 
Crinkle Cookies were invented by Helen Fredell in St. Paul, Minnesota in the early half of the 20th Century. At that time they were chocolate not lemon. In Betty Crocker's book, “Cooky Carnival,” the book talks about being served these cookies at Mrs. Fredell's home and begging for the recipe. Thanks Helen!
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Bake time:  12 to 14 minutes
Cool time:  30 minutes
Yield:  About 5 dozen cookies
 
Ingredients 
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup confectioners' sugar
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Line the sheet pans with a sheet parchment paper.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, butter, eggs lemon extract and lemon zest together in a bowl until smooth and creamy.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl.
5. Stir the flour mixture into butter mixture until dough is fully combined.
6. Pour the confectioners' sugar onto a large plate or shallow bowl.
7. Spoon the dough, 1-1/2 teaspoons per cookie, into the confectioners' sugar and roll to coat.
8. Arrange the coated dough on the sheet pans.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, about 12 to 14 minutes.
10. Cool cookies on the sheet pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

ChefSecret:  To make sure you get the “crinkles”, it's important that the baking powder is as fresh as it can be because this is what will ensure that the crinkles and cracks develop. To check if your baking powder is still active and fresh, heat a little bit of water in a small bowl. Sprinkle in baking powder and watch. If it sizzles, it's still active.

Quip of the Day: “Dear Lord, please don’t make eating Brussel sprouts part of the cure for Covid.”
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Do you have a question or comment? 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. In this New Year, seek out the good in people and avoid conflict. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America.

​#Baking #Cookies #LemonSugarCrinkles #Lemon #HelenFredell #BettyCrocker #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                        ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

​How you doin’?  Peanut Butter cookies have been an American favorite for years. Ever wonder who invented the peanut butter cookie? The Peanut Butter Cookie was invented in 1910, when George Washington Carver of Alabama's Tuskegee Institute published a peanut cookbook to promote peanut crops across the south.
 
In his cookbook entitled, How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption, Carver included several cookies recipes that called for chopped peanuts. Peanut butter was added to the cookies 20 years later along with the fork marks that are associated with this cookie. In 1932, the Schenectady Gazette published the first peanut butter cookie recipe that called for crisscrossed fork marks on the top. Today, a peanut butter cookie just wouldn't be quite right without this iconic decoration!
 
To set the record straight, the Aztecs invented peanut butter in the 14th century, but peanut butter cookies didn’t become an American favorite until the early 20th century.
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes
Bake time:  12 to 15 minutes
Yield:  48 cookies+
 
Ingredients 
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/4 cups smooth peanut butter,
1 cup vegetable shortening (I prefer Crisco)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 cup granola cereal (I prefer Quaker Simply Granola)
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰ F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a separate large bowl, using an electric mixer, combine the peanut butter, shortening, butter and vanilla.
4. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue beating until well combined.
6. Add the dry ingredients, 1/2 cup at a time, beating until dough is firm.
7. Fold in the granola cereal.
8. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
9. Use a tablespoon to make 1-inch balls of dough and place them 3 inches apart on a parchment-lined sheet pan. 
10. Use a fork to press down on each cookie twice, making a distinctive crisscross pattern.
11. Bake on the center rack oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. 
12. Allow to cool on the pan 5 to 10 minutes before transferring cookies to a cooling rack.
13. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.

ChefSecret:  Save the unbaked dough for another day. Scoop and bake the premade dough and have fresh-baked cookies in less than 20 minutes.

Quip of the Day: “Have you ever noticed that all the instruments searching for intelligent life are pointed away from earth?”
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Do you have a question or comment? 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. In this New Year, seek out the good in people and avoid conflict. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America.

#Baking #Cookies #Snacks #Peanuts #PeanutButter #PeanutButterGranola #NPB #NationalPeanutBoard #GeorgeWashingtonCarver #QuakerSimplyGranola #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

​                                             ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

How you doin’? Before we share today’s blog recipe (scroll down) with you there are a few things Joan and I would like to say, starting with Happy New Year!
 
As you can see in the headline, this is #400 in our Survival Guide blogs. We started these shortly after the outbreak of Covid-19 and the following “14-day lockdown.” Joan and I were getting phone calls and emails from family, friends and clients for recipes and cooking tips. Preparing 3 meals a day for a family was stretching their cooking talent resources. We it would be simple to provide recipes for a 2-week stint; yet here we are at #400.
 
In research conducted when Joan and I were the co-hosts of The Food Show on ABC, we found that the majority of meal-makers had a repertoire of only 5 entrees that they regularly cooked and at least one of those were repurposed restaurant leftovers. Our intention was to provide information on, healthful recipes that were easy and quick to prepare and would have good acceptance to the family.
 
I must admit I fell in love with three inexpensive, time saving cooking appliances—Instant Pot pressure cookers, sous vide wand and indoor grills. You will see that many recipes are made quick and easy using an Instant Pot.
 
Our recipes are test kitchen tested before publishing and are simplified wherever possible. Shortly after we started the blogs, we added information on the source, origins and history of the various recipes along with a Quip of the Day. I only elaborate to the extent that readers who were not in at the very beginning may not know how this all started.  All in all we have published over 500 recipes (some blogs have multiple recipes) and have enough copy to write a new cookbook for the next pandemic.
 
You might ask what has happened to Perspectives over the last 22 months? Our lease expired at our building that we have been in for the last 34 years and we chose not to renew it. We have moved to smaller offices and test kitchens. We have been working with our restaurant clients to help them navigate the world of home delivery and manage their staffs to to insure they can keep as many co-workers as possible. Our CPG clients have contracted with Perspectives to develop new products that meet today’s ever-changing consumer demands. Many of which include, Non-GMO, Organic, Vegan, Familiar Ingredients, No Artificial Colors, Flavor or Preservatives. Our test kitchen and food labs have been able to fulfill our clients’ needs.
 
Here in California, and Los Angeles in particular, Covid has decimated our restaurants, hotels, resorts, theme park, cruise ships and airline clients and we continue to work with all sectors to improve their business propositions. The pandemic has forever changed the foods we buy, eat and the delivery systems that get them to us and will continue to be a part of our lives long after Covid-19 is just a fading memory.
 
As we celebrate the new year, Joan and I, along with the Perspectives team, thank you for being a part of our blog family and we wish you the very best for a Joyous New Year. May 2022 be the best year ever! God bless!

                                      Cooking Lesson #400: Snappy Apple Snacks
                                                        ​                                                              Joan’s Healthy Recipes
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How you doin’? Let me explain the category caption. My partner, Joan, told me I had to add at least one healthy recipe per week as people are more conscientious of eating healthfully the first few weeks of the new year. Actually, that’s not a bad idea. So, when you see a recipe caption, Joan’s Healthy Recipes, give the credit or blame to Joan.
 
At Lawry’s Foods Sy (the food scientist) and I developed a snacking food that was crispy, a little sweet and full of cinnamon flavor. We had seen similar apple chips on a recent trip to Europe. Apple chips are a perfect substitute for popcorn, cashews and, unlike regular fried chips, you won’t feel gross after finishing the whole bag. While apple crisps, apple pies, and apple pie milkshakes are all great fall treats, this apple chips recipe does not contain butter or an abundance of sugar. It’s mostly naturally sweet from the apples… and it’s vegan!
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  3 hours
Yield:  4 servings
 
Ingredients 
2 tart apples
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoon sugar (or less as desired)
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 220°F.
2. Wash and thinly slice the apples.
3. Spread out the apple slices flat on a foil-lined baking sheet, being careful not to overlap them. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
4. Bake for 1 hour.
5. Flip the pieces over, bake for 1 more hour.
6. Shut the oven off and let the apple slices cool in the oven for 1 hour.

ChefSecret:  Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Quip of the Day:  “Never sing in the shower! Singing leads to dancing, dancing leads to slipping, and slipping leads to paramedics seeing you naked. So remember, don’t sing in the shower!”
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Do you have a question or comment? 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. In this New Year, seek out the good in people and avoid conflict. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America.

#Snacks #Apples #Lawrys #Resolutions #NYResolutions #HealthyEating #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                                 ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2022

How you doin’? We are just five days away from Christmas. Don't forget to set some cookies and milk (or brandy) out for the fat jolly guy. Here's a cookie recipe Santa will enjoy all the way to the North Pole.

​There are grocers and then there are real grocers. George Zallie and his family owned and operated several ShopRite supermarkets in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. His delis and bakeries were right out of the old school playbook. Every year he would invite a chef or a couple of bakers to vacation in the US and help translate Italian recipes for his stores. It was a great way to enrich his co-workers and offer his clientele new and exciting products.
 
Italian Almond Holiday Cookies are very chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside. The entire outside of the cookie is dredged in sliced almonds for a fantastic spiky look and an absolutely delicious flavor. This was one of George’s favorite cookies. R.I.P., George.
 
Prep time:  15 to 20 minutes
Bake time:  20 minutes
Yield:  3 dozen cookies
 
Ingredients 
4 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1 pound almond paste, softened
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cups raw sliced almonds (do not toast)
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350⁰F.
2. Grease or spray cookie sheets. You can also use a Silpat if you have one.
3. In a bowl of an electric mixer whip the egg whites with the granulated sugar until you have a firm meringue.
4. In a separate large bowl, use your hands (Italians always create with hands) to mix the almond paste, flour, almond flour, meringue, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until well blended. The mixture will be very sticky.
5. Place the sliced almonds into a small bowl.
6. Scoop out rounded teaspoonfuls of cookie dough and drop them into the almonds. Roll until completely coated.
7. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
8. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.
9. Cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

 
ChefSecret:  If your almond paste has gotten a too little hard, you might find it easier to mix it into the cookie dough if you grate it with a box grater. Also, using your hands will keep you from overmixing this cookie dough. Plus, it’s just more fun! I always use single use gloves for mixing.

 Quip of the Day: “It helps if you imagine the auto correct as a tiny elf in your phone who’s trying so hard to be helpful but is, in fact, quite drunk!”
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Do you have a question or comment? 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. Have a wonderful safe and healthy 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. 

#Baking #ItalianAlmondHolidayCookies #SlicedAlmonds #ZalliesShoprite #AlmondPaste #2021HolidaysRecipeCollection #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup

                                         ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021