How you doin’? Soft drinks or flavored sodas gained in popularity in America in the late 1800s. The undeniable hero was Coca-Cola. Aside from being a damn good beverage it had many uses… cleaning toilet bowls and chrome bumpers, being two of its most iconic uses.
 
Coca-Cola Company has been based in Atlanta for years, so it makes good sense that this cake has become a true Southern classic. It’s also a beloved dessert at Disneyland California Pavilion since we added to the menu in the late 1980’s
 
There is no great alternative to a chocolate Coca-Cola cake because Coke and chocolate are a match made in cake heaven. The result is a moist and tender cake with rich cocoa flavors topped with a thin chocolate frosting. The Coke complements and deepens the chocolate flavor, and the carbonation in the soda acts as a leavening agent in the cake raising it to great heights. The shiny, crackly glaze, also flavored with another hit of Coke, is the perfect contrast to the fudgy, moist dark interior.
 
A couple of things to consider when making Coca-Cola Cake: only use natural cocoa (Hershey’s or Guittard) in this recipe, not Dutch-processed. Natural cocoa is more acidic than Dutch-processed and is needed to react with the baking soda to create the best rise.
 
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for an extra-decadent treat.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Bake time:  60 minutes
Yield:  12 servings / 1 (9x13-inch) cake
 
Ingredients 
For the cake
Nonstick cooking spray
1 (12-ounce) can Coca-Cola (not Zero or Diet)
2-sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup room temperature sour cream
2 large room temperature eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 
For the icing
1 (12-ounce) can Coca-Cola
1 stick (4 ounces) cubed unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
 
Directions
To make the cake

1. Preheat an oven to 350° F.
2. Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
3. To bloom the Coke and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, combine the Coke, butter and cocoa. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often to make sure it doesn’t boil over, until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well-combined, about 7 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
5. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
6. Pour the warm Coke mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until no dry streaks remain.
7. Whisk in the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until combined.
8. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, spreading it into an even layer. Bake the cake until the edges pull away from the sides of the pan and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 28 to 30 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the baking pan on a wire rack while preparing the frosting.

To make the icing

1. In a large saucepan, bring the Coke to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil, undisturbed, until the Coke has reduced to 1/3 cup, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the butter and cocoa to the reduced cola and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the butter is melted, and the cocoa is thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the powdered sugar and salt and whisk until smooth.
4. Immediately pour the frosting over the warm cake, spreading it into an even layer.
5. Let the frosted cake rest until cooled to room temperature and the frosting is fully set, about 2 hours.
6. Slice and serve.

ChefSecret: Spreading frosting over a hot cake may seem a bit unusual, but the heat allows it to spread easily over the cake’s surface and gives the frosting a shiny sheen. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Quip of the Day:  A man comes home from the grocery store with a 12 pack of Coca Cola and throws a can at his friend.
Friend: What the hell? What was that for?!
Man: Relax… it’s only a soft drink.
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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/perspectives-on-food.
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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 #Cake #RetroCocaColaCake #ChocolateCake #CocaCola #Guittard #Hershey #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                              ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? Let me be perfectly clear, I’ve got nothing against Guinness and shots of Jameson downed in honor of St. Patrick's Day, but I wanted to give you another option. This is a cocktail that was served at The Customs House Restaurant in honor of Casey’s Wake.
 
If you're celebrating at home and just don't feel like dosing your beer with green food coloring, how about trying my classic Irish whiskey cocktail? I think you'll really like this one.
 
I first stumbled across this classic drink at the Savoy Hotel and later in the Savoy  Cocktail Book, among others. But this proper cocktail goes all the back to the Roaring 20’s and Harry MacElhone's 1927 Barflies and Cocktails. In both of these books, in addition to Irish whiskey, the Irish Cocktail is made with maraschino cherry juice, orange curaçao and a touch of absinthe, plus a little Angostura bitters tossed in for good measure. So far it might sound a bit like a popular Genever cocktail called the Improved Holland Gin Cocktail, but here's the kicker: in addition to a twist, it's also garnished with an olive. Weird? Right!
 
Here's what to expect… orange and anise scented; this odd combination is actually quite tasty. At first, it's lightly tinged with citrus and malt, followed by a wave of anise and wormwood from the absinthe. The cocktail ends sweet and herbal with a touch of smoke and salt. It's a great pre-dinner drink, especially if you're serving salty snacks.
 
Prep time:  4 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients 
2 ounces Irish Whiskey
1/4 ounce absinthe
1/4 ounce Curaçao
1 barspoon/teaspoon maraschino cherry juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 lemon twist for garnish
1 martini olive for garnish
 
Directions

1. Add the Irish whiskey, absinthe, dry curaçao, maraschino cherry juice and Angostura bitters to a mixing glass.
2. Fill with ice and stir until well chilled, about 20 seconds.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass as picture above.
4. Garnish with the lemon twist and olive and serve.

ChefSecret:  I discovered the rich history behind Jameson Irish Whiskey, steeped in tradition since the 18th century. I made it our house Irish whiskey in all of our restaurants. You'll experience a unique blend of floral notes and a bold, fiery finish with every sip, that makes it a truly authentic Irish whiskey.

Quip of the Day:  Two Irishmen friends are drinking together at one of their homes. One friend takes out a bottle of Irish whiskey and asks the other, "Will you pour this bottle out on my grave if I die first?" His friend replies, "Do you mind if I pass it through my kidneys first?"
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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/perspectives-on-food.
-------------------------------------------
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 #TheIrishCocktail #IrishCocktail #JamesonWhiskey #AngosturaBitters #StPatricksDay #HappyHour2025 #Cheers #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                                     ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? Tomorrow is the start of the Jewish holiday of Purim, and Monday is St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s a dessert that works for both… an apple tartlet and a Purim hamantaschen. This super easy economical apple dessert is perfect for a quick finish to a meal. Sweet, crispy, moist and kid-friendly. It’s a bit on the ugly side but the taste more than makes up for that.
 


My Apple Duff Dessert is delicious, hot or cold and even great for lunch boxes. It can baked ahead of time and be popped into the oven when you take the dinner out. Serve it with ice cream, yoghurt or just plain naked. It really doesn’t get any easier than this Apple Duff Dessert.
Give it a try, it’s the easiest home baked apple pastry dessert you can make.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  15 to 20 minutes
Yield:  2 Apple Duffs
 
Ingredients 
1 crisp sour apple
5 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2-1/4 tablespoons raisins or sultanas
1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 sheet of puff pastry (I prefer Pepperidge Farms)
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons of water
2 small scoops of ice cream as a topping
 
Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 475° F.
2. Peel and core an apple.
3. Cut the apple in half around the middle.
4. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, raisins and butter.
5. Stuff the sugar mixture into the cored holes in the apples pressing in firmly.
6. Cut pastry sheets in half and place an apple half on each half of pastry.
7. Gather the edges of pastry up and squash the edges enclosing the apple.
8. Give the stuffed pastry a good squeeze all over to expel air and ensure a good seal.
9. Whisk the egg yolk and water to make an egg wash.
10. Brush the tops of the filled pastry with egg wash.
11. Bake 15-20 minutes in 475°F degree oven until crispy brown all over.
12. Serve with custard, cream, ice cream, yoghurt or just plain naked.

ChefSecret:  I prefer to use tart green apples… after all it is St. Patrick’s Day.

Quip of the Day:  What do you get when two leprechauns have a conversation? A lot of small talk.
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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/perspectives-on-food.
-------------------------------------------
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 #StPaddysDay #StPatricksDays #Purim #Apples #AppleDuff #PepperidgeFarms #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
                                                                                    ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? This is a fun, kid-friendly St. Patrick’s Day dinner idea. Paddy’s Shepherd's Pie Tater Tot Casserole is a hearty ground beef casserole and a delicious twist on classic Shepherd's Pie. For some reason foods made with Tots are always perfect for the children (of any age).
 
You probably have most of the ingredients in  your freezer, refrigerator and pantry—ground beef and frozen vegetables simmered in a richly seasoned beef broth base, topped with crispy golden brown tater tots, and then finished off with shredded cheddar cheese. It will be done in an hour from start to finish.  What could be simpler?
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  40 minutes
Yield:  8 servings

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
1 pound ground beef
1 cup finely diced white onion
2 tablespoons jarred minced garlic
2 cups frozen mixed peas and carrots
1/4 cup red wine
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons beef base (I prefer Better Than Bouillon)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt (less if you’re using a beef base with sodium)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 bag (32 oz) frozen tater tots
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 400℉.
2. Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet pan, over medium-high heat, crumble and cook the ground beef until it's no longer pink; about 6-8 minutes.
4. Add the finely diced onion and garlic cloves to the skillet and continue cooking, while stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent; about 5 minutes. Turn down the heat to prevent burning the onions.
5. Drain any excess fat/grease from the pan if needed.
6. Stir in the frozen peas and carrots, wine, water, beef base, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer just barely boiling.
7. Sprinkle the flour over top of everything and stir to combine and thicken.
8. Continue to cook, while stirring, for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste and to thicken the mixture.
9. Transfer the shepherd's pie mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.
10. Arrange the frozen tater tots in a single layer over the ground beef mixture, covering it completely with the tots.
11. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the tots.
12. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tots are golden brown, crispy and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
13. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
14. Adjust the amount of salt as needed depending on the salt content of the beef base. If you use regular beef base then you may find that the full 1 teaspoon is too much, so use less if needed or preferred. 

Store:  Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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ChefSecret:  If you don’t want to use the wine add an extra 1/4 cup of water.

Quip of the Day:  How old are leprechauns? Old enough to remember when rainbows were black and white.
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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/perspectives-on-food
-------------------------------------------
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.
#Entree #ShepherdsPie #TaterTotCasserole #StPatricksDay #BetterThanBouillion #StPaddysDay #PerspectivesOnFood #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
                                                                                 ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? We are gearing up for Saint Paddy’s Day with Irish Colcannon… a classic Irish dish that combines potatoes and kale into a hearty mash. It is a perfect partner for corned beef and cabbage, leg of lamb, and just about any savory meaty main dish you can think of.
 
The word “colcannon” is derived from the Irish word for white-headed cabbage, cál ceannann. You can use whatever greens you have on hand to add to the potatoes–cabbage, broccoli leaves, kale, sorrel, or watercress. The lesson here is that this recipe is as adaptable and frugal as it is delicious.
 
The key to making great colcannon is to start with perfectly boiled potatoes, all the better to soak up more butter and milk. Keep the potato chunks in large pieces, let them steam-dry in a colander once cooked, and add the butter to the spuds before the milk mixture for best results. The greens are sautéed and then milk, mustard powder and a bay leaf are added; this combo will make the mash creamy, savory, and irresistible.
 
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yield: 5 cups / 4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients 
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
3 cups coarsely chopped kale, or other greens (leaves only, tough ribs discarded)
4 medium green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts divided
1 dried or fresh bay leaf
1-1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
 
Directions

1. Peel and quarter the large Yukon Gold potatoes.
2. Place the cut potatoes into a large 4-quart pot.
3. Add salt and enough cold water to cover the potatoes by about 2 inches.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the largest pieces are tender (they will yield easily when pierced with a fork and break apart), about 12 minutes.
5. Drain in a colander set in the sink while you prepare the greens.
6. Set the pot aside, you will use it again.
7. Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a medium skillet over medium heat.
8. Add 3 cups coarsely chopped kale, white parts of the green onions, and 1 bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes.
9. Add the milk and dry mustard powder.
10. When the milk simmers, reduce the heat to low to keep it warm.
11. Return the drained potatoes to the reserved pot.
12. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons unsalted butter and the green parts of the green onions.
13. Mash with a potato masher until nearly smooth.
14. Add the kale-milk mixture to the pot, discarding the bay leaf.
15. Stir to combine. The mixture will look a bit too liquid at first but will thicken as the potato starch absorbs the moisture.
16. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
17. Serve Colcannon with boiled ham, Irish bacon, corned beef, Irish stew, or lamb chops for a hearty and flavorful true Irish meal. Colcannon is also a fine meal by itself with a pat of butter on top.

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ChefSecret:

• Dry potatoes make the best colcannon… Let the boiled potatoes stand in a colander for 5 minutes to let the steam dissipate and the potatoes dry. The thirstier the potatoes, the more butter you can add!
• Start with cold water… Make sure that you put the potatoes in cold water, they will cook through more evenly this way.
• Potatoes love salt… Potatoes can take lots of salt, so it’s key to salt the water and then add additional salt to taste after the dish is complete.
• Use the greens you have… In the true spirit of this Irish dish, use whatever greens you happen to have. My spuds are wearing green, are you?

Store and Re-Heat: Cool leftovers uncovered in the refrigerator until completely cold. Cover and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To re-heat, microwave in a microwave safe dish or cook in a non-stick skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, until hot.

Quip of the Day:  Why was the potato so stressed out? Because he knew he was in hot water and was going to get mashed.
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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/perspectives-on-food.
-------------------------------------------
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.

#SideDish #Entrees #IrishCuisine #Colcannon #Potatoes #Kale #Cabbage #YukonGoldPotatoes #PerspectivesOnFood #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                               ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? It’s the first Friday of Lent, and it’s Fish Fry Day! YAY! So, what’s the best cocktail to drink on Happy Hour Friday and Fish Fry Day? A big bottle of Corona or a margarita? What’s it going to be?
 
Let me save you from making a difficult decision of what to drink this Happy Hour. Instead of choosing between a Margarita or a Corona, you can have both, all mixed together in a blissful combination of tequila, triple sec, lime juice and Corona.
 
This Coronarita recipe is so easy to make. You simply take a classic Margarita cocktail and dunk an open 7 oz bottle of Corona beer (called a Coronita) into your glass before you drink it. This creates the wonderful sight of a bottle of Corona perched upside down in your schooner glass with the beer still inside of it. Instead of your glass overflowing when you place the bottle inside, the pressure holds the beer in and it only trickles out as you sip your cocktail. It’s either magic or science!
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield: 1 cocktail
 
Ingredients 
Glass rimming salt
2 ounces tequila
3/4 ounce triple sec
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce agave syrup (the secret ingredient)
Corona Beer / a mini 7 ounce Coronita bottle
2 lime wedges
 
Directions

1. Prepare the schooner glass by rimming with salt.
2. Add tequila, triple sec, lime juice and agave syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for 30 seconds.
3. Pour into the schooner glass and then tip an open Coronita bottle into the glass. Add a cocktail straw.
4. Garnish with squeezed lime wedges.

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ChefSecret:  A schooner glass is one of my pieces of bar ware—I love the feel of the heft in my hand. It’s the perfect glass to hold up to a bottle of Corona.

Quip of the Day:  Q. What’s a Margarita’s favorite type of music?  A. Salsa, of course!
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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/perspectives-on-food.

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 #Coronarita #Margarita #CoronaBeer #Coronita #SchoonerGlass #Tequila #TripleSec #Lent #HappyHour2025  #Cheers #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                                                ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? I have another Instant Pot challenge for you. You can assume (from prior writings), I love working with my Instant Pot and I love PIE! I am overly fond of any kind of pies. As a kid, I grew up on pies from Du-pars and Knott’s Berry Farm. Pies are so typically American—every region in the United States has their own style of pie.
 
Growing up I was addicted to Hostess brand fried fruit pies that are still sold in grocery and convenience stores today. You probably know the ones that sit at the end of the junk food aisle along with the mini donuts. They are made with apple, cherry, lemon and even chocolate pie fillings topped with a sweet, powdered sugar glaze. As cheap as they may be, they’re still tasty and satisfying—just peel back the wrapper and take a couple of bites.
 
Recently on an episode of Somewhere South (PBS), Vivian Howard introduced the pie customs of the South including hand pies. Vivian’s schtick is to dig deep into the lesser-known roots of Southern food, Southern cooking, Southern hospitality and Southern living. Very entertaining!
 
So, in the following recipe I created a marriage of “fried” apple hand pies and my Instant Pot. For this recipe you need to have the Instant Pot air fryer lid (or any other air fryer). You can use most any fillings of berry, cherry and more, but for this recipe I have selected a buttery apple-cinnamon mixture. These pies bake in less than 10 minutes in an air fryer. So last minute, hot apple hand pies are possible in just a few minutes before sitting down to an evening dinner. Quick and easy hand pies will be in the mouths of your family in minutes! That makes a good evening even better! 
 
Start with a premade supermarket pie crust. You can also use a canned apple pie filling, or you can follow my recipe below. If you don’t have the Instant Pot air fryer lid you can use any brand of air fryer. Your almost-from-scratch air fried apple hand pies will have a light and flaky crust and a delicious, sweet cinnamon apple filling.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Bake time:  15 minutes
Yield:  4 small hand pies
 
Ingredients 
For the filling
2 diced medium Granny Smith apples
4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water
1/2 (14 ounce) package pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie (you can use any store brand)
cooking spray
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
 
For the glaze
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon milk, or more as needed
1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 
Directions
To make the apple filling and assemble the pies

1. Combine the apples, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a non-stick skillet. Cook over medium heat until apples have softened, and the sugar starts to thicken; about 5 minutes.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch in cold water. Stir into the apple mixture and cook until it thickens, for about 1 minute.
3. Remove the apple pie filling from heat and set aside to cool while you prepare the crust.
4. Unroll the pie crust on a lightly floured surface and roll out slightly to smooth the surface of the dough.
5. Cut the dough into small rectangles so that two can fit in your air fryer at one time. Repeat with remaining crust until you have 8 equal rectangles, re-rolling some of the scraps of dough if needed.
6. Wet the outer edges of 4 rectangles with water and place some apple filling in the center about 1/2-inch from the edges. Roll out the remaining 4 rectangles so that they are slightly larger than the topped ones. Place these rectangles on top of the filling; crimp the edges with the tine of a fork to seal.
7. Cut 4 small slits into the tops of the pies.
8. Spray the basket of an air fryer with food release cooking spray. Brush the tops of 2 pies with vegetable oil. Using a spatula, transfer pies to the air fryer basket.
9. Insert basket and set the temperature to 385⁰F. Bake until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pies from the basket and repeat with the remaining 2 pies.

For the glaze

1. Mix the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Brush glaze on warm pies and allow it to set.
2. Serve pies warm or at room temperature.

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ChefSecret:  I prefer to use tart green apples, but any firm tart apple will do.

​Quip of the Day:  Q. Why is it so difficult to work at an apple pie factory?  A. Because they have such a high turnover rate.
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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/perspectives-on-food.
-------------------------------------------
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 #MexicanChocolateOatmeal #ChocolateOatmeal #Oats #Breakfast #B'fast #HotCereal #QuakerOats #PerspectivesOnFood #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 
 
                                                            ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? When you own your own chocolate company you get to “play” around with all sorts of recipes that use chocolate. Joan and I used to own the premium chocolate company, Choclatique, and we were always creating new concoctions with chocolate… so many, in fact, that I wrote the book on chocolate desserts… Choclatique--150 Simply Elegant Desserts.
 
As the Chocolate Doctor, I made a crushed cacao and salt coated prime rib, s’mores pizza, cocoa braised short ribs and Mexican Chocolate Oatmeal. Believe it or not they all tasted great!
 
My mother was of the generation that if you didn’t have a good hot meal to start off the day, it wouldn’t be a good day. There was no room for Tony the Tiger or Snap, Crackle or Pop in our house. My brother and I were destined to have a hot cereal breakfast every weekday morning. 
 
I was never that fond of hot cereal. I guess the Cream of Wheat was better than most, but hot gloppy oatmeal was the worst. I discovered in my preteen days that chocolate helps the oats go down. I started by spilling a little bit of my stronger than normal hot chocolate in the bowl of oatmeal and mixing it up really well to get the chocolate flavor.  Then I started to sneak in some chocolate chips that melted into the mix.  Then I graduated to this recipe to start everybody’s day in the pink or chocolate brown.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Yield:  2 servings
 
Ingredients 
1 cup old-fashioned oats (I prefer Quaker Oats)
2 cups milk, divided (you can use any kind of milk)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (salt enhances the flavor of chocolate)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (or honey)
1/4 cup grated dark chocolate, save a little for topping
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping of choice
 
Directions

1. Combine the oats and 1-1/2 cups of the milk in a saucepan and place over medium-low heat.  
2. Add the salt and cinnamon and stir to combine.
3. Cook for 15 minutes (stir to prevent burning) until the oats are creamy.
4. Remove the oats from the heat and immediately stir in the cocoa powder, sugar, chocolate and the last half cup of milk.  
5. Stir in the vanilla extract.
6. Top with the remaining grated chocolate.
7. Optional toppings—Sliced bananas, berries, nuts or marshmallows. ​

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ChefSecret:  You can accelerate the cooking time of the oats significantly by using 1- or 3-minute oats.  After all, it isn’t about the quality of the oats, but the quality of the chocolate. 

Quip of the Day:  The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nuns wrote a note and posted it on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching."

Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of fresh oatmeal raisin cookies. A child added a handwritten note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples."
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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/perspectives-on-food.
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