Covid-19 Survival Guide #300: After The Pandemic... What Do We Do Now?

…from the desks of Joan and Ed

             
           How you doin’? Don’t panic—there is a recipe later in this edition!
 
For the newcomers to this “Survival Guide” blog, let me share the genesis of the idea. Shortly after everyone was told to stay at home just for a couple of weeks (we were on lock down as well), we knew that many of our friends, family and clients did not have a deep repertoire of cook-at-home recipes; certainly not enough for 2-3 meals per day every day! We thought we could stay in touch and provide a meal solution Survival Guide to help everyone through the lock-down. We thought, “okay, we’ll post a recipe a day for a couple of weeks—no big deal—and help people with their meal and shopping planning.” Guess it’s kind of fitting that the first edition was published on April Fool's Day… Little did we know that the world would be locked down for over a year.
 
So here we are on Survival Guide Lesson #300 now read by thousands of people all over the world. We are not a sponsored blog and do not receive remuneration for our efforts (don’t worry, we’re not asking for donations or sponsors). We do this because we are passionate about food and love to share our knowledge on recipes and the history and sources of our food.
 
Here in Los Angeles many of the pandemic restrictions are being relaxed as we reached the Yellow Tier. I’m not sure if our political leaders are following the science or their political polls. Regardless, personally I am thrilled that I can eat out in a restaurant and get my haircut. I was also pleased to hear that at long last some of our schools have reopened— albeit on some weird hybrid schedules, but open nonetheless— and welcoming to children once again.
 
Let’s face it—change is difficult for anyone of any age. It’s hard to embrace change, especially radical change. We like to think that children are more resilient, but after being confined to the house for a year hearing about this health crisis, they might be less able to return to normal than we think. It’s natural after being “cocooned” for so long that comfort levels in being with others will vary. It affects parents, children and even pets differently—suddenly, we may feel like we are all alone in a sea of unfamiliar un-masked faces.
 
The continued aftereffects on children may range from being held back a grade for a year, to problems with re-socializing, communication skills, and personal safety. But isn’t that how we all feel? Fortunately, we can all take some comfort in our meals and snacks. So, we must remember to feed everyone tasty healthful foods.
 
Joan and I found that a great release for us was our continued communication with everyone over the last year by way of this Survival Guide. While our people were furloughed, writing and testing recipes gave us purpose—that was important during this difficult time. We hope you found some pleasant diversion from your circumstances during the last year.
 
Recently, I received an email from Dana, one of our readers, who told me she just wanted to drop a quick note on the Survival Guide that she so looks forward to getting daily. “I was hurt on the job 5/20/2020 needing surgery, [I am} still recovering and [the] dailies from you are really appreciated. I can’t forget to mention the Covid Quips [are] great humor. Thank you again… Dana.”
 
The truth is we considered ending the blog as things begin to get back to normal and decided against it because of email like these. We will be moving from five posts a week to three. There may also be some format changes and a name changed if we can figure out to make the changes on our website without losing a year’s worth of archived posts, but the content will still be kitchen tested recipes, sharing our knowledge with a sense of humor. And you may still get an occasional non-political opinion. You can get enough political content from others—too many others!
 
As we have reminded you over the last many months--To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. God bless.
 
Okay, here’s the Survival Guide Cooking Lesson #300:
 
                                    Quick Key Lime Pie
                                                                                                                                       ... from the California Kitchen

What is a key lime, you ask? It is a smaller, seedier fruit with a higher acidity, stronger aroma and thinner rind than the standard Persian lime. It is prized for its characteristic flavor. The name comes from its association with the Florida Keys, where it is best known as the flavoring ingredient in Key lime pie.
 
To many mixologists, it is known as the bartender's lime, Omani lime, or Mexican lime, the last classified as a distinct specie with a thicker skin and darker green color.
 
It's generally accepted and common knowledge that the Key Lime Pie was invented in Key West, Florida, where the key limes needed to achieve its signature tart taste grow. However, it turns out that Key Lime Pie may not have been invented in Key West after all.
 
There has been an Annual Key Lime Festival in Key West over the July 4 weekend every year (except 2020, of course) since 2002. It is the celebration of Key Limes in foods, drinks and Floridian culture. At the end of each festival, attendees drink a bottle of tequila and use key limes as chasers.
 
You can start the celebration today by practicing with my Key Lime Pie recipe—it’s fast and fool-proof. It takes less than an hour to make, plus cooling and chilling time. It is the perfect tart great summertime dessert.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake Time:  30 minutes
Cool time:  2 hours
Chill time:  3 hours
Yield:  1 9-inch pie serves 5 to 6 people
 
Ingredients
For the pie crust
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 20 crackers)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
 
For the pie filling
1 tablespoon key lime zest
1/2 cup key lime juice (you can use regular limes if you can’t find key limes)
6 medium limes (10 key limes if you can find them) divide the juice and zest
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks
 
For the pie topping
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
 
Instructions
To make the crust

1. Heat the oven to 325°F.
2. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie plate (not deep-dish) with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and melted butter in a large bowl and stir until moist crumbs form. Transfer to the prepared pie pan and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the plate (but not over the rim).
4. Bake the crust until lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Leave the oven on.

To make the filling and bake

1. Finely grate 1 tablespoon zest from the limes into a large bowl, then halve the limes and squeeze the juice until you get ½ cup—you may not need all the limes.
2. Add the condensed milk and egg yolks and whisk until all the egg yolks have been incorporated and the zest is speckled throughout the mixture. 
3. Pour into the cooled crust.
4. Bake until the filling is set around the edges and the center wobbles slightly when touched; about 15 to 20 minutes. The filling will set up as it cools.
5. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, at least 2 hours.

To make the topping

1. In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream, sugar and sour cream with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or by hand, until medium peaks form; do not overbeat.
2. Pile the cream on top of the pie and swirl and swoosh with a spoon or rubber spatula.
3. Refrigerate the pie for at least 3 hours before serving.
4. Store the any leftover pie refrigerated for up to 3 days.

ChefSecret:  You can turn a Key Lime Pie into a Key Lime Bar by doubling the ingredients above.  Use quarter sized sheet pan instead of the pie plate, prepare and bake the crust and filling as above. To serve, cut into squares and top each with a large dollop of the cream mixture.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Over the past year when I listened to some of the ‘talking heads’ on television about the Coronavirus it seemed as if they had no more sense of direction than a bunch of firecrackers.”
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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 [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 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.

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                                          ©Perspectives/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2021