How you doin’? A lot of people think pie is just for holidays. I’m here to tell you pie is for every day. I consider pies—the way grandmother used to bake them—the quintessential American dessert for any time of year, but especially for the holidays. A slice of pie is so versatile it can be served with whipped cream, ice cream, creme anglaise or just naked, right out of the pie pan.
 
I think of pie as a food with a lid—a lid you can eat, with edible sides and base, too. When you think about it, the pie is a masterpiece of gastronomical engineering. Perhaps it should come as no surprise then, that 65% of Americans population eat a pie (sweet or savory) at least once a month. With fillings and pastry cases to suit all dietary needs, it’s a dish that can turn up on anyone’s plate and when you consider the history of the pie, it’s been on a long and fascinating historic journey.
 
The Ancient Egyptians were the first to invent a dish close to what we know today as a pie. They had a honey filling covered in a crusty cake made from oats, wheat, rye or barley. A recipe for chicken pie was discovered on a tablet carved prior to 2000 BC.
 
Later on, closer to the 5th Century BC, the Ancient Greeks were believed to invent pie pastry as it is mentioned in the plays of the writer Aristophanes and it was possible to work as a pastry chef in this era, a separate trade to a baker.
 
The Romans took the concept of pies even further. They would make a pastry of flour, oil and water to cover up meat, but this was intended to preserve the juices and flavors of the filling and was not intended to be eaten. A Roman cookbook from the 1st Century, called Apicius, mentions recipes that include pie cases. There is even one that we would recognize as a cheesecake, using pastry for a base, which has the interesting name--placenta.  With the Romans came roads, and thus their pies (and their recipes) eventually found their way around all parts of Europe.
 
The Oxford English Dictionary first records pastry as a word in use by the mid-14th Century and Medieval Latin included the word ‘pie’, meaning ‘meat or fish enclosed in pastry’ from around 1300.
 
In Britain, the first pyes had mainly meat fillings and, just as in Rome, the pastry cases were not necessarily for eating. They were to help food last longer on sea voyages, and also save space - having a hold stacked with pies was a far more sensible use of precious square feet than bringing a cook and dozens of livestock along for the journey.
 
By medieval times, cooks tried to outdo each other as pies became the centerpiece of exclusive banquets. Anything would be baked into them which would impress as the pastry lid was removed to reveal its unique fillings. Sometimes this would even include live actors reciting poetry (safely hidden inside after the baking process), or even a band of musicians… that must have been one rather larger pie!
 
Queen Elizabeth I’s reign will be remembered for such things as her defeat of the Spanish Armada and an age of literature which included William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.  Cherry pie was, allegedly, first served up to old Lizzy.
 
Pies were even becoming dramatic devices by this time. The William Shakespeare killed off two male characters in Titus Andronicus by having them baked into a pie as revenge for them attacking the title character's daughter. Titus then served the pie to his victims’ mother.
 
World exploration gathered pace and as people from England settled in America, so too did their pie recipes, evolving away from further British influences. Apple pie became a symbol of American life… the heavy American association dates back to the World War II when soldiers were asked why they were off to battle, they would often reply: “For mom and apple pie.”
 
Even today, pies continue to evolve as new cultures and trends affect the fillings we put inside them. Cases made from puff pastry, filo and short crusts are now popular and are just as important a part of the dish as what’s inside, no longer being treated as flour-based crockery. Butternut squash is now just as good a pie filling as a bit of Stilton or steak and ale.
 
With pastry now suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets, as well as the sweet crusts which enrobe the richest of dessert fillings, it seems the answer to ‘who ate all the pies’ is clearer than ever—it’s all of us.
 
As you may already know, pecans are native to North America, which is why it makes sense that the pecan pie was created here as well. There are some who believe that the pecan pie originated in New Orleans after it was settled by the French, although that doesn’t seem to be the most accepted accreditation. Early pecan recipes first appeared in Texas cookbooks in the 1870s and 1880s. The first recipe that resembled a pecan pie was published in St. Louis in 1898.
 
My pecan pie recipe has the hint of Old Kentucky Bourbon. You can use more or less of it as you desire. It has great upper notes of caramel and butter along with the toasty pecans and hints of brown sugar and vanilla. Along with the crust recipe below, I consider this my best of the best nut pie recipes and worthy of a blue ribbon!
 
Prep time:  15 minutes (plus crust time)
Bake time:  1 hour
Yield:  5 to 8 servings / 1 (9 inch) pie
 
Ingredients 
1 cup white corn syrup (Karo)
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon (or more to your taste)
3 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk (yolk is for the egg wash)
1 tablespoon warm water
1-1/2 cups whole pecans
1 recipe pie shell for two (2) 9-inch crust pies (see recipe below)
 
Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350⁰ F.
2. Combine the syrup, sugar, salt, melted butter, vanilla extract and bourbon.
3. Slightly beat the whole eggs and add to the sugar mixture. Beat well.
4. For the crust, whisk the single egg yolk with 1 tablespoon warm water.
5. Brush the bottom and sides of the crust with the egg wash.
6. Pour the pie filling mixture into the unbaked pie shell.
7. Sprinkle the pecans on top of the pie filling mixture.
8. Place the pie pan of a foil lined sheet pan to catch any sugary drips.
9. Bake 50 to 60 minutes.
10. Personally, I prefer a darker crust, but if the edges of the crust are getting too dark for your taste cover the edges of the crust with crust guards or aluminum foil.
11. When done, the center will be a bit jiggly but will firm up when cool.
12. Refrigerate any leftovers.

​ChefSecrets:  To make it a Chocolate Pecan Pie, add 1/4 cup of chocolate chips to the bottom of the crust before adding the pie filling.

                                            Sweet & Flaky Pie Crust
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes minimum
Yield:  2 single or 1 double (9-inch) pie crust
 
Ingredients 
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco) or lard (I prefer lard)
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
 
Directions

1. Cut the cold butter and shortening or lard into several small cubes.  Refrigerate the cubes while preparing the flour mixture.
2. Place a few ice cubes in a small measuring cup (1 cup) and fill with cold water. Stir and set aside.
3. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
4. Scatter half the cubes of butter and shortening over the surface of the flour and pulse 15 to 20 times until the mixture resembles cornmeal with pieces of butter no larger than pea size. 
5. Remove the lid of the food processor and sprinkle about 1/4 cup of ice water over the surface of the butter-flour mixture. Scatter the remaining butter cubes over the water-flour mixture. Pulse 4 times to combine.
6. Check to see if the dough is holding together by squeezing a bit in your hand; if it holds together and feels tacky, it's ready.  If it breaks apart easily, add a little more water, a tablespoon at a time as needed and pulse. The final dough should have large clumps of dough, small pebbles of butter and should hold together when pressed.
7. Turn the pie dough out onto a clean, floured work surface. Divide the dough into two piles (about 13 ounces each). Use the palm of your hand to quickly gather and press each mound into a thick disk.
8. Wrap the disks in food film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 days.
9. Unwrap 1 of the disks and place on a work surface dusted with flour. Sprinkle a rolling pin with flour. Working from the middle of the dough outwards, roll the dough into a round 12 to 13-inches in diameter (a few inches larger than your pie pan). Work the dough as little as possible.

If the dough cracks when you first start rolling, let it stand for a minute or two to warm slightly before rolling again. Use more flour if the dough starts to stick. Use a pastry scraper to lift the pastry from the work surface and make sure it's not sticking.

1. Sprinkle the top of the pie crust and your rolling pin with a little flour. Lay your rolling pin on one edge of the pie crust and begin gently rolling the pie crust over the rolling pin. When it's all rolled up, move it to the pie pan and gently unroll. Ease the pie crust into the corners of the pan.
2. Trim all but an inch or two of the pie dough from around the edge; use the trimmings to patch up any holes or tears.
3. Refrigerate the pie plate lined with dough for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the pie pan with crust from the refrigerator and fill it with the prepared filling.

​ChefSecret:  Lard is the secret to a light, flaky crust.

Quip of the Day:  “Pecan pie is like duct tape; it fixes everything that ails you.”
-------------------------------------------
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, 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 and/or American Red Cross. 

#ThanksgivingRecipes #Thanksgiving #Baking #PecanPie #BourbonPecanPie #Bourbon #Holidays2023 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                    ​©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? Joan is from Brown Deer, Wisconsin and I always tease her about some of the weird things and strange people that come from her home state. Don’t take my word, follow the news yourself and you won’t believe some of the stuff that comes out of that state. Sometimes I think she is the only sane person to come out of that environment… other times I’m not so sure.
 
Because everything is going so well around our country you would think that state legislatures would have enough on their calendars where they couldn’t be bothered to declare a state cheese, milk or a cocktail—but, oh no--in a spirited debate, Wisconsin lawmakers have taken steps to officially designate the Brandy Old Fashioned as the state’s official cocktail. Like they had nothing else to do. The bipartisan resolution sailed through the state Assembly on Thursday, November 9th marking a distinctive nod to Wisconsin’s unique take on this classic drink.
 
While this resolution falls short of the legal weight carried by most bills, its passage in the State Assembly could lend some official recognition to the Brandy Old Fashioned. However, to secure a spot alongside Wisconsin’s other official symbols, such as milk as the official beverage or corn as the official grain, a more comprehensive process involving the introduction of a bill, a public hearing and the governor’s signature is required. I’m glad they have so much time on their hands.
 
Only two states, Alabama and Virginia, have gone as far as designating an official state spirit—both choosing whiskey. Wisconsin’s deviation from the norm, favoring brandy in its old fashioned cocktail, adds a unique twist to the state’s cultural identity.
 
For the uninitiated or unknowing, a traditional old fashioned cocktail, found almost everywhere else in the world, typically features whiskey, like bourbon, mixed with sugar and bitters. In Wisconsin, however, brandy takes center stage, often combined with muddled cherries, orange slices, sugar, and bitters. Depending on personal tastes and preferences, the concoction may be topped with a variety of mixers, from lemon-lime soda to a sour mix or club soda.
 
As the legislature continues to cogitate and the resolution moves forward, it remains to be seen whether the Brandy Old Fashioned will officially join the ranks of Wisconsin’s cherished state symbols.
 
I’d love to hear your vote… give it a try and let me know what you think.
 
Ingredients 
1 orange slice
1 maraschino cherry
1 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice
1 sugar cube
4 to 6 shakes Angostura bitters
1-1/2 ounces brandy
Ice
Lemon-lime, Squirt grapefruit soda or 2-Cents Plain (seltzer water)
 
Directions

1. In an old fashioned glass, muddle an orange slice, cherry, cherry juice, sugar cube and bitters.
2. Add brandy and fill with ice.
3. Top with soda of choice. Enjoy!

ChefSecret:  Squirt is a caffeine-free, grapefruit-flavored, carbonated soft drink, created in 1938 in Phoenix, Arizona. Squirt competes primarily against The Coca-Cola Company's Fresca. I really like the refreshing flavor of this soft drink.

Quip of the Day:  I’m not old, just old fashioned.
--------------------------------------------------
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, 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 and/or American Red Cross.

#Cocktail #HappyHour #WisconsinStateCocktail #BrandyOldFashioned #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
                                                                                                     ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? Corn is my favorite vegetable. Anything made with corn goes to the top of my like file. Even yesterday I had a dinner of fried chicken (breaded in cornmeal) and cornmeal waffles. That’s a SoCal dinner feast in East LA.
 
It stands to reason that I also like cornbread and Old-fashioned Spoon Bread. Spoon Bread is like a Southern mashup of cornbread and Yorkshire pudding—it’s a bread so creamy, buttery, and moist that you need a spoon to serve it up…  Hence, the name. You may have also heard it referred to as corn casserole or corn pudding. My version has a cakier texture but is still super light, spongy, and utterly irresistible.
Like a lot of American fare, spoon bread has Native American origins, although the food histories are a bit conflicted. It’s said to have evolved from awendaw, a similar, pudding-like dish of hominy grits and cornmeal that shares its name with an area of the South Carolina Lowcountry once inhabited by the indigenous Sewee people. In fact, the first published version of the recipe appears in The Carolina Housewife by Sarah Rutledge, 1884.
Spoon bread has been a culinary mainstay of Virginia, Kentucky, and the Carolinas for years. Chefs and home cooks have created numerous variations on its corny theme with additions like cheese, chiles, and even chorizo. This recipe, however, is all about the corn. It calls for not only cornmeal, but also frozen corn and creamed corn—a trifecta of sweet, creamy goodness. The creamed corn also works wonders with both sour cream and a stick of butter to make the crumb as rich and airy as can be. It’s a delightful juxtaposition to the delicate vegetal crunch of the whole kernels.
Spoon bread is a great side dish for everyday or holiday dinners—especially when you’re craving an extra helping of comfort food during these difficult times. It’s the perfect side dish alongside fried chicken and collard greens… or Thanksgiving Turkey. Please trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  40 to 45 minutes
Reheat time:  30 minutes (whole pan)
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided, plus more for rubbing the baking dish
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 8-ounce can creamed corn
1-1/3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, beaten
 
Directions
1.    Preheat an oven to 375° F.
2.    Butter a 2-quart or 8 X 8-inch baking dish with butter.
3.    In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, kosher salt and baking powder. Set aside.
4.    In a large bowl, mix together 8 tablespoons of the melted unsalted butter, together with the creamed corn and the thawed corn kernels.
5.    Add the sour cream and eggs and mix until thoroughly combined.
6.    Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
7.    Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish.
8.    Bake until the top is golden brown, the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
9.    Cool for 5 minutes. Brush the spoon bread with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Store:  The spoon bread may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

ChefSecret:  Preparing Holiday dinner can be taxing with all that has to be prepared and come together at the same time. Spoon bread can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. You can reheat it by covering the baking dish with foil and slide it in a 300° oven until it’s warmed through, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Quip of the Day:  “I was watering the other day when a nice old man asked me for a little spoon. So, I gently lay him down and hugged him from behind.” Get it? Spooning!
 
-------------------------------------------
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, 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 and/or American Red Cross.

#ThanksgivingRecipes #Thanksgiving #Baking #SideDish #SpoonBread #CornBread #CreamedCorn #Holidays2023 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                                                          ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? Old fashioned is good; in fashion is better… and today, newfangled is best. There’s no question that mom’s pumpkin pie and other homemade holiday baked goodies are scrumdidlyumptious delicious. But we have to say, this easy pumpkin pie recipe goes far above and beyond all others. It only takes an hour and a half to make this mouthwatering holiday dessert just right.
 
Start with a mix of all the best ingredients, including milk chocolate chips for a chocolaty touch of something extra. This homemade pumpkin pie makes Thanksgiving and holiday dessert tables even more decadent. If you’re being honest, this pumpkin pie recipe may just become your new favorite— just don’t tell mom or Grammy!
 
Prep time:  30 Minutes
Bake time:  55 Minutes
Cool time:  1 hour (8 servings)

Ingredients 
1 packaged chocolate cookie crumb crust (about 6-ounces)
1 slightly beaten large egg yolk
1 slightly beaten large egg
1 can pure pumpkin (15-ounce)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14-ounces) (do not use evaporated milk)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, divided (I prefer Guittard)
1 can aerosol whipped cream
 
Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F.
2. Brush the bottom and side of the crust with egg yolk to seal it.
3. Place crust on sheet pan and bake 5 minutes.
4. Mix the remaining whole egg, pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl.
5. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of chocolate chips onto the crust.
6. Pour the pumpkin filling mixture over the chips.
7. Place the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips into a small microwave-safe bowl and Microwave at medium heat (50%) for 30 seconds; stir. If necessary. Microwave at medium for an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until the chips are melted and smooth when stirred. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
8. Drizzle melted chocolate over the pie in decorative pattern.
9. Bake on sheet pan for 50 to 55 minutes or a cake tester inserted into center of pie comes out clean.
10. Cool for 1 hour.
11. Serve slices topped with whipped cream.
12. Garnish with additional milk chocolate chips, if desired.
13. Cover with food film and refrigerate any leftover pie.

 
ChefSecret:  Do this recipe justice… Please, please use real whipped cream instead of that “whipped cool stuff.”
 
Quip of the Day: “There are three things that I've learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics and Granny’s Pumpkin Pie.”         ...Charlie Brown
-------------------------------------------
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, 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 and/or American Red Cross.
 
#ThanksgivingRecipes #Thanksgiving  #PumpkinPie #ChocolatePumpkinPie #ChocolateLacedPumpkinPie #Dessert Holidays2023 #BeThankful #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #RedCross #FeedingAmerica #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                                               ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023

How you doin’? I always thought that gin was an English invention. I was wrong… its origin is attributed to Franciscus Sylvius, a 17th-century professor of medicine at the University of Leiden in Holland, who distilled the juniper berry with spirits to produce an inexpensive medicine having the diuretic properties of juniper-berry oil.
 
Gin was declared contraband by the English and the government was forced to act. The 1736 Gin Act taxed retail sales at 20 shillings a gallon and made selling gin without a £50 annual license strictly illegal. But over the next seven years, only two licenses were taken out meaning reputable sellers were put out of business, and bootleggers thrived.
 
Most people get hit by this strong taste that lingers in their mouth when they drink gin. Some say it is too bitter and has a weird medicinal taste, which is usually if they taste a traditional, dry gin that will have a strong juniper aroma.
 
Today, gin is more popular than ever and there is no sign of it waning anytime soon. In the last decade, gin has seen a revival incomparable to any other spirit on the market. The "gin-aissance," as it is sometimes called, has led to a significant boom in gin making in the UK and the US featuring flavored spirits.

Ingredients 
1 small cluster mint leaves, divided
1-1/2 ounces of Tanqueray Rangpur Lime Gin
1/2 teaspoon cucumber bitters
6 ounces tonic
1 long cumber slice (see photo image) for garnish
 
Directions

1. Take a few of the mint leaves and push them along the inside of a glass for flavor; reserve the rest for garnish.
2. Build the gin and bitters over ice in a coupe glass.
3. Fill the glass with tonic
4. Artfully garnish with a long cucumber slice, mint sprig and a pinch of sea salt.

ChefSecret:  Option:  Garnish cocktail by placing a cucumber slice onto cocktail pick, pushing the slice into a wave.

Quip of the Day:  I just went on the Gin & Tonic Diet. I Already lost 3-days.
--------------------------------------------------
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, 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 and/or American Red Cross.

​#Cocktail #HappyHour #Gin #CucumberLimeTanquerayTonic #Tanqueray #Tonic #Cucumber #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
                                                                                ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023