How you doin’? What’s the perfect crowd pleasing dish for your Super Bowl party? Chili, of course!
 
Firehouse Beef & Bean Chili is always at the top of my list when the weather cools. But even when the weather warms, I can always go for a big bowl of chili. My recipe lets the slow cooker do most of the work. Today most Instant Cookers have a slow-mode button, so you don’t have to go out and buy another piece of kitchen equipment.
 
The slower the chili cooks, the heartier the chili is, and you can serve it so many different ways. Leftovers are never a problem, you can smother an omelet, ladle it on hot dogs or burgers, spoon it over baked potatoes or just pile it high in a bowl with toppings of you choosing.
 
I highly recommend browning the beef in a skillet along with the onions and garlic before adding the meat to your slow cooker. The browning process amps up the savory flavors in the chili and gives the spices a chance to bloom, enhancing their flavor. If you don’t have time or don’t want to mess up a clean skillet, you don’t have to. The beef will cook fine in the slow cooker, and it will be completely safe to eat. You’ll miss out on the flavor from browning the beef, onions, garlic, and spices because caramelizing them a bit adds a huge amount of flavor to the chili, and you’ll be disappointed if you skip the step.
 
If you want to get dinner ready before you leave for work, then set the slow cooker to low and let it simmer for 8 hours, and it will be perfect. When you walk in the door the aroma will knock your socks off. Or you start the chili in the afternoon, cook it on high heat, and have it ready in 3 to 4 hours. If you go with this method, stir the chili occasionally so it cooks evenly.
 
When it comes to additions for your chili, you can go completely crazy with   options — fried onion strings, minced raw white onions, Fritos, avocado, pimento cheese… even bacon!
 
If you have the time, make some crispy corn strips to top your chili. I included the recipe below. Once you make them from scratch, you’ll be glad you did. If you’re pressed for time, store-bought corn tortilla chips work just fine! Personally, I like classic chili toppings, like cheese, sour cream, and chives.
 
If you have leftover chili, you’re in luck! Chili is super versatile, and you can use it in so many ways.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  7 to 8 hours
Yield:  6 to 8 servings
 
Ingredients 
For the chili
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground beef (90/10)
1 cup diced white onion
6 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons mild chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup Stout Beer (I prefer Guinness) or beef stock
1 (4.5-ounce) can green chiles
2 (15-ounce) cans drained and rinsed kidney beans
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup corn chips (I prefer Fritos for the nutty flavor)
 
For the crispy tortillas strips garnish
4 corn tortillas, sliced into strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
 
For garnish
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheese
4 tablespoons green onion tops or chopped chives
 
Directions

1. In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once it is hot, add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the beef as it cooks, until beef is brown… 7 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the onions, garlic and spices and continue to cook for a few minutes to combine the flavors.
3. At the very end of browning, add the beer or stock and use the liquid to scrape up any stuck brown bits from the skillet.
4. Transfer all the skillet ingredients to a slow cooker along with green chiles, beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and corn chips.
5. Cover the chili and cook on HIGH for four hours, stirring occasionally, or set to LOW for 8 hours.
6. Season the chili with salt and pepper to taste once it has cooked.
7. Serve it in big bowls garnished with cheese, sour cream, chives and tortilla strips.
8. Chili keeps and reheats beautifully. Personally, I think that chili is actually better on day two or three. It keeps well in the fridge for four to five days and you can freeze it without a worry.

To make the crispy corn strips without frying them

1. Preheat an oven to 375⁰ F.
2. Slice the tortillas into strips and spread them out on a sheet pan.
3. Drizzle the strips with oil and spices and use your hands to mix together.
4. Spread out in an even layer and bake the strips for 5 to 6 minutes. Then stir strips to make sure they are cooking evenly. The ones around the edges will cook faster. Bake for 4-5 minutes and then remove from oven and cool. Tortilla strips will continue to get crispy as they cool.

ChefSecret:  If you would like to substitute chunky steak, you can. Use round steak cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Brown the steak in a skillet seasoned with salt and pepper, just like the ground beef, and then proceed with the recipe as written.

Quip of the Day:  Why hasn’t someone figured out how to slow-cook grapes? Eight-hours later you’d have a bottle of wine.
-------------------------------------------
Do you have a question or comment? 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. We have added a new search feature to make it easier to navigate through our blogs.
-------------------------------------------
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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Entrees #Chili #FirehouseBeef-BeanChili #SuperBowlChili #SuperBowlRecipe #SlowCooker #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                         ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? Are you a crunchy snack eater? I certainly am. I really don’t enjoy granola as a milk-soaked breakfast food. What I do like is munching on granola clumps while watching TV. It’s the combination of a not too sweet crunchy bite (lots of texture) that’s also a seemingly healthy snack food… the latter being a misnomer—it might not be that healthy at all. If you are like me, I have the perfect recipe for you. But first a little history.
 
With good intentions, Granola was invented in 1863 in Dansville, New York by Dr. James Caleb Jackson at the Jackson Sanitarium, a prominent health spa that operated into the early 20th century on the hillside overlooking Dansville. And then it all (both Jackson Sanitarium and granola) kind of disappeared.
 
The food and name were revived in the 1960s and fruits and nuts were added to it to make it more of a health food that was popular with the health and nature-oriented “hippie” movement. At the time, several people claim to have revived or re-invented granola. During Woodstock, a soon-to-be hippie icon known as Wavy Gravy, popularized granola as a means of feeding large numbers of people during the festival. Another major promoter was Layton Gentry, profiled in Time magazine as "Johnny Granola-Seed."
 
In 1964, Gentry sold the rights to a granola recipe using oats, which he claimed to have invented himself, to Sovex Natural Foods for $3,000. From there it was sold to a number of different companies. Here’s where it gets interesting.
 
In 1972, an executive at Pet Incorporated of St. Louis, Missouri, introduced Heartland Natural Cereal, the first major commercial granola. At almost the same time, the Quaker Oats Company introduced Quaker 100% Natural Granola. Quaker was threatened with legal action by Gentry, and they subsequently changed the name of their product to Harvest Crunch. Within a year, Kellogg's had introduced its "Country Morning" granola cereal and General Mills had introduced its "Nature Valley".
 
And then, there were granola bars. Granola bars have become popular as a snack. Granola bars consist of many of the same ingredients—with just a little more of the sticky stuff. Mix granola with honey or other sweetened syrup, pressed and baked into a bar shape, resulting in the production of a more convenient snack. Granola bars are the perfect individually packaged snack easy to carry in a purse, backpack or other bag for munchin’ later alligator (ode to the hippies). While passed off as a health food, they're basically cookies masquerading as healthy alternative to cookies.
 
And now here is my perfect clumpy granola snack recipe that may be a little healthier than a chocolate covered commercial granola bar.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Bake time:  20 to 30 minutes
Yield:  2-1/4 pounds+
 
Ingredients 
2 cups old fashioned oats
1-1/2 cups almonds, roasted or toasted, roughly chopped
1-1/2 cups sunflower seeds, hulled
1 cup unsweetened coconut, wide slice shredded
1/4 cup sesame seeds, white, hulled
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup canola oil
2-1/2 tablespoons whole cane sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Optional: Add 1/2 cup raisins
 
Directions

1. Preheat your convection oven to 300°F (325°F if a conventional oven). Measure out all the ingredients and have at hand.
2. Combine oats, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, unsweetened coconut, sesame seeds and wheat germ in a large bowl.
3. Combine honey, oil, whole cane sugar and cinnamon in a saucepan bringing it just to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar completely and fully incorporate the oil. Do not burn the sugar!
4. Mix wet ingredients into the oat mixture; coat the dry ingredients well. (See ChefSecret below)
5. Spread mixture onto sheet pans in a single layer to ensure the greatest exposure to the heat.
6. Bake in a convection oven at 300°F (325°F if a conventional oven) for about 10-15 minutes; check the color and dryness of the mixture.  Coconut should be browning but not burning.  If ready, use a large spatula (to minimize breaking the clumps apart) and turn the layer over to expose the underside of the mixture and bake for another 10-15 minutes.  The granola should be toasted brown in color (not burnt) and dry.
7. Let the mixture cool completely before packing or storing.  If bagged too soon, the granola will become soggy and lose crunchy texture.

ChefSecret:  It’s best to divide the dry ingredients into two bowls and coat each one with half the wet mixture; then recombine all ingredients together to ensure thorough coverage.

Quip of the Day:  Why did the granola switch to a low-fat diet? It wanted to be a ‘cereal’ killer!
-------------------------------------------
Do you have a question or comment? 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.
-------------------------------------------
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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.
 
#Snack #Baking #Granola #Almonds #Raisins #Craisins #CrunchySnack #Cinnamon #2025Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                          ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? I love frou-frou drinks… the more complex, the better. Of course, if you were to ask any of our bartenders, they would tell you a different story. To them the easiest cocktail to pour is scotch on the rocks. But consenting adults do not live with simple cocktails alone. Sometimes you must live a little dangerously and try one of my official frou-frou libations. Now, the one pictured may be a little over the top but my Fluffernutter Whisky Old Fashioned is one cocktail that just hits the spot.

Super Bowl is this weekend. What better time is there to celebrate with an indulgent, all-American fun cocktail enriched with a little peanut flavor?

Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail

Ingredients
2 ounces American bourbon
1/4 ounce peanut butter syrup (I prefer Monin brand)
1/4 ounce toasted marshmallow syrup (I prefer Monin brand)
2 dashes chocolate bitters
1 ounce marshmallow fluff
 
Directions

1. Fill an old-fashioned glass with one extra-large ice cube.
2. Pour all the ingredients into mixing glass with 2/3 ice in order listed.
3. Stir or shake vigorously to chill.
4. Strain into an old-fashioned glass.
5. Using a butter knife smear the marshmallow fluff over the top time of the glass and serve.

ChefSecret: Monin flavored syrups can be found in liquor stores and on Amazon.  Plan ahead to make sure you have the ingredients you need for this cocktail. You can also add some chopped peanuts to the marshmallow rim for added flavor and fun.
 
Quip of the Day:  I pointed to two old drunks across the bar from us and told my mate, "That'll be us in ten years." He said, "That's a mirror, ya silly bugger."
------------------------------------------
Do you have a question or comment? 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.
-------------------------------------------
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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Cocktail #Bourbon #Monin #PeanutButterSyrup #MarshmallowSyrup #MarshmallowFluff #OldFashionedCocktail #SuperBowlCocktail #Peanuts #NationalPeanutBoard #HappyHour2025  #Cheers #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  

                                                                          ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? This non-commitment dessert is made in a single 5-3/4 x 3 x 2-inch loaf pan and this is assembled into this beautiful dessert for two. It has a double layer of pecan praline that compliments the doubly good dark chocolate cake. It is finished off with two layers of sweetened whipped cream. It is everything you expect from a Louisiana Chocolate Pecan Praline Cake and it’s perfect for your Super Bowl Game Day party table.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Bake time:  25 minutes
Cooling time:  45 minutes
Yield:  2 good size servings
 
Ingredients 
For the praline layer
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons chopped pecans
 
For the cake batter
2 tablespoons shortening (I prefer Crisco)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 tablespoons cake flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cold coffee
1 tablespoon American bourbon (optional)
 
For the topping
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Garnish: chocolate curls and chopped candied pecans (optional)
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 325˚.
2. Line a 5-3/4x3x2-inch loaf pan with parchment; heavily coat with cooking spray.

To make the praline layer

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter; stir in the brown sugar and cream. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves and just until it starts to bubble. Pour into the prepared loaf pan. Top with pecans. Cover the pan and refrigerate.

To make the cake batter

1. In a small bowl, cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
3. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with cold coffee and bourbon. Beat just until combined.
4. Pour batter over the pecan praline.
5. Bake at 325° until a toothpick comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.
6. Cool completely in pan.

To make the topping

1. In a small bowl, beat the cream until it begins to thicken.
2. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract; beat until stiff peaks form.

To assemble the cake

1. Remove the cake from pan; split into two horizontal layers.
2. Place bottom cake layer, nut side up, on a serving plate. Spread with half of the topping. Top with remaining cake layer and more topping.
3. If desired, garnish with chocolate curls and chopped pecans.

ChefSecret:  Coffee is a perfect complement to chocolate when used sparingly. It brings depth to any dark chocolate dessert. In this recipe I use both coffee and bourbon. You can substitute either or both with cold water.

Quip of the Day: “I was just wondering; can vegetarians eat animal crackers?
-------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------
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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Baking #Dessert #ChocolateCake #PralineCake #LouisianaChocolatePecanPralineCake #Pecans #BigGameSweets #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                                  ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? My executive chef, Spencer, used to tell me the magical thing about Pad Thai is the way it layers flavor with texture. It’s bright, hot, nutty, salty, sweet, and full of umami, a perfectly balanced complexity that belies the stir-fry ease of the dish.
 
It’s also the rare dish that everyone agrees on—I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t love Pad Thai. For all those reasons, it’s a meal maker’s dream—it’s fun to make it for other folks because you always get more than 100% appreciation back on your cooking effort.
 
According to food histories, Pad Thai is based on the Chinese culinary tradition of stir fries. Kway teow is Chinese for rice noodles and pad is fried in Thai, so the name roughly translates to ‘Thai-style stir-fried noodles.’ It was either invented or introduced to Thailand in the 1930s, a pivotal time in the country’s politics, when its leaders were trying to both westernize and build national unity (Refer to the King & I Movie). Street vendors were encouraged to make Pad Thai as an expression of Thai cuisine, but also to help the country through an economically difficult time—rice noodles, stir fried veggies and very little protein add up to a satisfying yet inexpensive meal.
 
The dish takes the bulk of its flavor from a sauce made with tamarind paste, fish sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar. If you don’t have tamarind paste, you can replicate its signature sour-sweet flavor with pomegranate molasses and lime juice—as I’ve done here. The result is a close approximation to tradition: a tangy, umami-riffic sauce that clings to the noodles and the dish’s many other ingredients.
 
For protein, I use chicken. The chicken is nice and chewy and brings some fat to the dish. The chicken gets tossed into a wonderful jumble with the aromatics, chewy noodles, veggies—bean sprouts, shallots, and green onions—and that beautiful sauce. Add the crunchy peanuts and bright cilantro leaves, and you’re all set.
 
Pad Thai is a fantastic dinner. It’s also impressive for weekend lunches and, given the egg, I’d even fry up a big batch for brunch. It pairs well with deep, dark, chewy, roasty beers, like porters or stouts, or a glass of Fume or Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling.
 
Ingredients 
For the Pad Thai sauce
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (see ChefSecret)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
 
For the Pad Thai
4 ounces dry Pad Thai white rice noodles
3 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 chicken breast, sliced into ¼”-thick strips
6 ounces extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into ½ x ½ x 2” batons
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 large eggs
1 pinch salt
2 cups bean sprouts, plus more for garnish
4 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped, for garnish
1/3 cup cilantro, leaves only, for garnish
6 lime wedges, for garnish
Chili oil, for serving
 
Directions 
To make the Pad Thai sauce

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, fish sauce, pomegranate molasses, lime juice, soy sauce, water and white pepper. Set aside.

To make the Pad Thai noodles

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the pad Thai noodles in a large heatproof bowl and pour the hot water over the noodles, making sure they are submerged. Let sit until al dente, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir to loosen the noodles, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
4.  Add the chicken and extra-firm tofu strips, sprinkle with 2 pinches of kosher salt, and cook, tossing occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through; 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken and tofu to a plate.
6. Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon peanut oil in the skillet. Add the shallots and cook until softened; about 3 minutes.
7. Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant; about 30 seconds.
8. Push the shallot mixture to the side and reduce the heat to medium-low.
9. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the eggs and a pinch of salt.
10. Pour the eggs into the empty side of the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until scrambled and mostly cooked through; 1 to 2 minutes. Push the eggs to the side.
11. Add the noodles, chicken, tofu, bean sprouts, green onions and Pad Thai sauce. Increase the heat to high, toss to combine, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
12. Transfer the finished Pad Thai to a large warm serving dish.
13. Garnish with additional bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, cilantro leaves and lime wedges.
14. Drizzle with chili oil, if desired.

ChefSecret:  If you can find tamarind paste, use 4 tablespoons of that instead of the pomegranate molasses and lime juice mixture. For added heat and a little color, feel free to add slivers of red chile.

Quip of the Day:  I never knew tofu could be this good! Honestly it never o-curd to me.
-------------------------------------------
Do you have a question or comment?  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.
-------------------------------------------
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, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

#Entrees #PadThai #OrientalBangkok #RiceNoodles #Tamarind #Dinner #Brunch #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                      ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025