How you doin’? If nothing else the name of this cocktail should be enough to try it. This light and approachable vodka cocktail by Pete Vasconcellos, beverage director of Albert’s Bar, was originally created for sister bar, The Penrose, when it opened eight years ago. But the refreshing Itty Bitty Pretty, with its intriguing layers of flavor, became so popular that it was brought back several times, including for the opening menu at Albert’s Bar.
 
The secret is using Americano Bianco. After a liquor rep dropped off a bottle of Americano Bianco one of the bartenders started experimenting with the Italian aperitif that’s made from a base of Muscato with herbs, spices, and citrus. The mixologist added a half ounce and some basil to the classic Prohibition-era Bee’s Knees cocktail (gin, lemon, and honey syrup). A fellow bartender asked for vodka instead, it was perfect. As he poured the concoction into small cordial glasses for some patrons to sample, one woman remarked on the tiny size of the drinks, and the “Itty Bitty” was born.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield:  1 cocktail
 
Ingredients 
1-1⁄2 ounces Ketel One Vodka
1⁄2 ounce Americano Bianco chilled
1⁄2 ounce honey syrup (3 parts honey to 1 water by weight)
3⁄4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters
1 clean fresh basil leaf (garnish)
 
Directions

1. Pre-chill a coupe glass.
2. Shake all ingredients with ice.
3. Strain into chilled glass.
4. Garnish with basil leaf rested across the rim.

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ChefSecret:  Cocchi Americano Bianco is a quinine-flavored aperitif wine from  Italy's Piedmont region, known for its refreshing profile that includes botanicals like gentian and citrus. It has been produced since 1891 and is often enjoyed chilled with ice and a splash of soda.
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Quip of the Day:  I went on the vodka diet recently.  I lost three days in one week.
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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.

#Cocktail #IttyBittyPretty #Vodka #AmericanoBianco #AngosturaOrangeBitters #LemonJuice #HappyHour2025 #Cheers #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  
                                                                                ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? I don’t know about you, but I could eat a whole tray of delicious brownies.
 
These brownies never fail. They are easy to make and can be ready to serve in about an hour.
 
One legend about the creation of brownies is that of Bertha Palmer, a prominent Chicago socialite whose husband owned the Palmer House Hotel. In 1893, Palmer asked a pastry chef for a dessert suitable for ladies attending the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition. She requested a dessert that would be smaller than a piece of cake, and easily eaten from boxed lunches. The result was the Palmer House Brownie, made of chocolate with walnuts and an apricot glaze (not a chocolate frosting as we are used to today).
 
The Palmer House Hotel still serves this dessert to patrons made from the same recipe. The name was given to the dessert sometime after 1893, but was not used by cookbooks or journals at the time.
 
In 2021, the food science journalist and home cookery YouTuber Adam Ragusea conducted a series of experiments to discover why modern brownies tend to form a desirably glossy "skin" on their upper crust. In a video reporting his findings, Ragusea asserted that the "skin" was the result of making a batter of high viscosity, with low levels of moisture and sugar well-dissolved into the mixture.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Bake time:  25 to 30 minutes
Ready In:  about 1 hour
 
Ingredients 
For the brownies
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
 
For the frosting
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
 
Directions
To make the brownies

1. Preheat an oven to 350° F.
2. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.
3. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter.  Remove from heat, cool and stir in the sugar, eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
4. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.  Do not overbake.

To make frosting

1. Combine 3 tablespoons softened butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, honey, vanilla extract, and confectioners' sugar.
2. Stir until smooth.
3. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

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ChefSecret:  Just 1 tablespoon of honey in the frosting makes a big difference for creating a smooth texture.
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Quip of the Day:  I told my wife I was going to make brownies disappear. She said, “That’s not a magic trick. ” She knows me too well.
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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 #EdsBestBrownie #Brownies ##Dessert #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup  

                                                                ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025

How you doin’? I hate it when I go to a Mexican restaurant and order Tortilla Soup and it comes to the table thin, watery, greasy and pissy. That’s not what authentic Tortilla soup is supposed to taste like. The best Tortilla Soup is from one of the best known 5-star hotels in Los Angeles, The Hotel Bel-Air.
 
Long before Wolfgang Puck took over the foodservices at The Hotel Bel-Air, they had several signature dishes served in the Café. One of my favorites was the original Tortilla Soup. The executive director and our client shared the hotel’s original famous Tortilla Soup recipe with me.
 
Hotel Bel-Air is very popular with many famous and wealthy Hollywood celebrities as well as titans of business and world dignitaries, all who are attracted by the luxury and privacy of the hotel. Well-known and legendary guests including Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.
 
Aside from the beauty of the property the service and hospitality at The Restaurant are big draws and, of course, you couldn’t have al fresco lunch or dinner without enjoying a bowl of their famous Tortilla Soup.
 
After several hotel and restaurant renovations, the Tortilla Soup remained on the menu at The Restaurant with only slight changes to the original recipe. If you are so inclined, try the Original—follow the directions below.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  45 minutes
Yield:  5 10-ounce servings
 
Ingredients 
For the soup:
1/8 cup corn oil
5 corn tortillas (6”), chopped
1/8 cup fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
1/2 large fresh brown onion, pureed
1/2 tablespoon cumin
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicier)
9 ounces tomato puree
1/2 cup chicken base (I prefer Better Than Bouillon)
8 cups hot water
 
Ingredients & Setup for a single serving portion
1-1/4 cups prepared tortilla soup (from recipe above)
1/4 cup fried corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
3 tablespoons grilled chicken, julienne cut
1 tablespoon Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon avocado, peeled and cubed
1 fresh cilantro sprig
1 fresh lime wedge
 
Directions

1. In a saucepan, heat the corn oil and sauté 2-ounces of chopped tortillas with garlic and cilantro. 
2. Add the onions and bring to a hot sauté.
3. Add cumin, bay leaf, cayenne and tomato puree.
4. Combine chicken base and water to make a stock; add this chicken stock to the above ingredients. 
5. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Strain through a fine strainer and remove all large particles.
7. Add the remaining 3 ounces of chopped tortillas and puree with an immersion blender.
8. Ladle 10 ounces of hot soup into a heated soup bowl.
9. Garnish each bowl with fried tortilla strips, chicken pieces, cheese, avocado, cilantro and lime.
10. If your soup doesn’t look like mine, it isn’t the real thing.
11. Serve hot.

ChefSecret:  When making creamy smooth soups one indispensable tool is an immersion blender, also known as stick blender.  It is a kitchen blade grinder used to blend ingredients or purée food in the container in which they are being prepared. Prices for the home units range from $30 to $150.

Quip of the Day:  Q. What do tortillas use to stay in shape? A. A tortilla press!
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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, 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 #CocinaTortillaSoup #HotelBelAirRestaurant #TortillaSoup #Chicken #Avocado #Recipes2025 #URM #T2T #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #SamaritansPurse #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup 

                                                                            ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2025