Culinary Adventures with Camilla

For the first time since Riley started school, he didn't ask me to make carrot cake cupcakes for his class birthday treats. This year he requested zucchini cakes. 2 C shredded raw zucchini 3 eggs 1 C organic granulated sugar 1/2 C organic raw turbinado sugar 1/2 C chunky applesauce 1/2 C olive oil 2 C white whole wheat flour 2 t baking soda 2 t ground cinnamon 1/2 t ground cardamom 1 t ground nutmeg In a mixing bowl, place all of the ingredients and stir until just moistened. I finally got to use Rook No. 17's origami paper -> cupcake liner tutorial . It's been on my list for about two years now. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes at 350°, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out with very little or no crumbs clinging to it.

It's official...I am a contributing writer for Edible Monterey Bay , a magazine and blog that believes in sustainability and the fact that everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. They seek to inspire readers to get to know and support local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans. It's definitely my kinda publication. So, when Sarah Wood, the editor, asked me to head down to Ventana Inn & Spa to cover one of their events, I jumped at the chance. Literally. Jumped, wiggled, and danced. And there might have been a shout of glee in there as well. So, last weekend I attended their third pop-up event: a hike led by Big Sur Guides owner Stephen Copeland followed by a brunch at The Restaurant at Ventana. My photographs and article hit the blog this morning. Click here  to go to their site. A Culinary Adventure Down the Coast text and photographs by Camilla M. Mann A transporting hike and brunch at Big Sur’s Restaurant at Ve...

Platanos Asados Con Bocadillo y Queso Baked Plantains with Guava and Cheese click here for Erica's recipe While I dislike tossing food in the garbage, we all have kitchen failures. And I'll be the first to admit mine. So, I won't be posting a recipe for these here, but you can click on the link above for the original recipe. Once I actually do create an edible version of these stuffed plantains, I'll post the process. Promise! There are minor flops that can be fixed with just the right ingredient or reimaginging; then there are the major disasters that really can only be fixed by not tormenting the people you're feeding. That was the case with these plantains. These were supposed to be the final course of our Columbian feast, but the plantains I picked up were not ripe enough. And no matter how long you roast them, they aren't going to get any better. They did, actually, get soft enough to pierce with a fork, but there was no sweetness to th...

Chocolate en Leche de Coco Hot Chocolate in Coconut Milk The entire time I was making this, I kept thinking: now why didn't I think of this?!? Hot chocolate made with coconut milk. This is so simple, but tastes amazing. And it was the perfect way to end our Columbian feast. 3 C chipped dark chocolate 2 cans coconut milk 4 T raw sugar milk Place the coconut milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Add the chocolate and raw sugar, whisking until melted and incorporated. The mixture will be thick. Add milk to bring the drink to your preferred texture. Whisk till frothy. Serve hot.

Aguacate Relleno de Salmón Avocado Filled with Salmon click here for Erica's recipe Ingredients juice and zest from 1 lime 6 avocados 2 cups salmon, cooked and shredded 1/2 cup organic ketchup 1/2 cup organic mayonnaise freshly ground salt and pepper to taste chopped cilantro for garnish thinly sliced lemons for garnish Procedure Cut the avocados lengthwise, pop out the pit, and drizzle the lime juice over the avocados to prevent them from darkening. Mix the cooked salmon, ketchup, mayonnaise, and lime zest together in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste Fill the avocados with the salmon mixture. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro, top with a lemon slice, and serve immediately.

Looking for a quick dinner to throw together at the end of a busy holiday weekend - Happy Memorial Day! - I realized that I had all of the ingredients I needed for the  Food Matters Project  assignment this week. So, tonight, after picking up the boys from their friend's house, I came home and whipped up my version of Bittman's Beans 'N Greens Burrito. The recipe was selected by Jacqui of Good Things Grow .  Click here for what our week's hostess created in her kitchen. And to see what the other bloggers cooked and blogged, click here and look in the comments section. This was so simple, I almost loathe to call it a recipe. But maybe that's the beauty of it... I had a bunch of collard greens and zucchini in my High Ground Organics CSA box; I always have garlic; and I had a cans of organic red kidney beans and black beans in the cupboard. Done deal! In a large, flat-bottomed pan I browned minced garlic in a splash of olive oil. Then I ad...

I've never made, or even heard of, a clafoutis . But when I was searching for something to do with a jar of cherries, recipes for clafoutis kept popping up. Sounds like a sign. This dessert comes from the Limousin region of France and is traditionally made with black cherries; other variations are made with plums, prunes, apples, cranberries or blackberries, but those are called flaugnarde . And here's another interesting tidbit, for clafoutis purists, the cherries are baked with their pits intact. The pits, when heated, supposedly impart a unique flavor to the custard-like batter. My cherries were already pitted so...not traditional. Not surprising, right? Also, I skipped the almonds and subbed rum for amaretto. Camilla's Anise-Kissed Clafoutis adapted from Simply Recipes 2 C cherries, pitted 4 eggs 1-1/2 C raw turbinado sugar 3/4 C white whole wheat flour 1 C milk 2 T rum 2 t anise seeds powdered sugar for dusting Preheat the oven to 350F. Bu...

Two of my favorite things: a morning hike on a new trail and a fabulous feast complete with a cocktail. Add to that a crew of foodies assembled by Edible Monterey Bay and you have a perfect Saturday morning. The Manns hiking at Andrew Molera State Park on Mothers' Day 2011 Tomorrow morning, I will be heading down the coast to Ventana Inn and Spa, armed with a camera and a notepad for Edible Monterey Bay' s third pop-up supper club. The first pop-up was a sneak peak of Lokal in Carmel Valley; the second pop-up was a farm tour followed by Asian street food at Charlie Hong Kong in Santa Cruz. This will be a hike led by Stephen Copeland of Big Sur Guides followed by a pop-up brunch with Chef Truman Jones of Ventana Inn and Spa. And I'm thrilled that Sarah Wood, the editor of Edible Monterey Bay , asked me to attend and write about the event for their publication. There are still tickets for the event if you want to kick off your Memorial Day weekend with a hike and ...

Rugbrød is a Danish bread made with rye flour and whole rye grains. When one of my best friends sent me a care package from Denmark during the holidays, she included a ready-to-bake kit for Rugbrød . And I've been meaning to make it, but didn't feel like typing all of this [see below] into Google Translate...to see how to do it. So I tucked the box into my purse and brought it to arts night at the school for one of my other best friends, another Dane, to translate the instructions for me. It seemed pretty simple: add four and a half deciliters of water to the package. Shake for a minute. Let rise for 50 minutes. Bake in a 190 degree (centigrade) oven for one hour. So, I did the math and made that 2 C of lukewarm water and baked it in a 375 degree oven. And, lookie here! It's just like the package. We're having this for breakfast this morning with some homemade preserves. I don't normally bake out of packages, so this was an adventure. Mange tak ...

One of the treasures I picked up in Paso Robles during my Mothers' Day outing with Pia was a bottle of luscious, tart honey balsamic vinegar. For the past week, it's been sitting on my counter, waiting patiently for culinary inspiration to strike. When I received three purple kohlrabi in my High Ground Organics CSA box late last week, I shouted 'a-ha!' Tonight I finally got around to making a jar of quick-pickled kohlrabi. In a pint-size mason jar, I dissolved 1 T of sea salt in warm water. Then I piled the jar full of peeled, cubed kohlrabi. I filled half of the remaining space in the jar with olive oil and topped it off with the honey balsamic vinegar. Tighten the lid on the jar and give it a couple of shakes and swirls.  Apologies for not having more specific measurements, but it's not crucial for this kind of recipe. Kohlrabi can be eaten raw, so this quick pickling is more for adding flavor than preparing the root for consumption. Marinate these ...

Despite the dozens of things I have to get done before the school year is over, I had all of the ingredients I needed for the  Food Matters Project  assignment this week...and we have to eat, right?!? I may as well cook with a purpose. So, tonight, after a much needed stroll on the beach, I came home and whipped up my version of Bittman's Mexican-Style Fruit Salad with Grilled or Broiled Fish. The recipe was selected by Sarah of  Food and Fredrick .  Click here for what our week's hostess created in her kitchen. And to see what the other bloggers cooked and blogged, click here and look in the comments section. This was so simple, I almost loathe to call it a recipe. But maybe that's the beauty of it... Chicken, rubbed with minced garlic and sprinkled with fresh dill, freshly ground pink Himalaya salt and flower pepper, broiled in the oven. While the chicken cooks, make a fruit salsa: diced fresh mangoes; cubed, peeled kiwi; sliced strawberries...

As we move into summer vacation, the days grow longer, the fruits get sweeter, and Jake dusts off the charcoal grill...especially on Friday evenings when all we have to do is spend time together. No homework to do. No uniforms to iron. And no bedtimes to keep. Love it! Tonight I had some pork cutlets. Here's what I did. Every single person in the family devoured it and asked for seconds. That is an accomplishment. While the coals are burning down to the proper temperature, rub the pork with ground cumin, ground cinnamon, ground coriander, and freshly ground smoked sea salt. Then make a quick chutney. One thing I like to do is tie in flavors between dishes. Since I used ground coriander in the rub on the meat, I used fresh cilantro in the chutney because it's all the same plant. Why the different names? I have no idea. For the chutney... scallions rhubarb apricots raw sugar honey red wine Cook all of that in a large flat-bottomed pan until ...

Malfatti di Ricotta e Bietola. "Badly formed" dumplings with ricotta and chard. Also known as 'dinner'! These are so easy and pillowy soft. Traditionally they are made with spinach, but I had some chard from my High Ground Organics CSA, so I used that. 2 C whole milk ricotta 1/2 C feta cheese 3 T Italian parsley, chopped 2 C chard, thinly sliced 2 stems of green garlic, thinly sliced zest from 1 lemon 1 egg freshly ground pink Himalaya salt and flower pepper corn flour for dusting 1/2 C tomato puree juice from 1 lemon olive oil Saute the chard and green garlic together until wilted. Let cool. Spread the tomato puree in the bottom of a baking dish, add the lemon juice and a splash of olive oil. Blend till mixed and covering the bottom of the dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place all of the other ingredients - except the corn flour - in a large mixing bowl. Blend with a fork until everything is well incorporated. Place the corn flou...

Tina, the blogger behind Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor , is the hostess of this month's Food'N'Flix . Food'N'Flix was started by one of my favorite foodie bloggers Heather of girlichef.com : "We are just a bunch of FOODIES who like to watch movies that make our belly rumble and our mouth water and then head into the kitchen to cook or bake something inspired by what we watched." Tina's pick for May: "Sideways." Click here for her invitation to participate. Cheers! After seeing the movie, the first time around in 2004, when my husband and I found ourselves in Los Olivos during a birthday celebration weekend, we popped into the Los Olivos Café, one of the places where Jack, Miles, Stephanie and Maya ate. I decided to recreate one of the things we tried while we were there. The Café calls theirs a 'Chocolate Scream' and serves it with homemade ice cream and caramel sauce. I skipped the ice cream, but did whip ...