Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Here are the links to all the recipe posts...all together! Click on the titles to go to the post... Sweet Potato and Zucchini Latkes with Cardamom-Kissed Applesauce Matzo Ball Soup and Roasted Roots Chive Mashed Potatoes Roasted Duck with Fresh Cranberry-Clementine Relish and Boozy Cranberry Relish Beef Brisket with Roasted Grapes and Horseradish Gremolata Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pastrami Rye Pumpkin Pie Hazelnut Rugelach

Okay, this is another of the dishes that I completely neglected to photo-document. I was dutifully taking photos of the process...until I started to run out of time. I literally pulled the ducks - gorgeous mahogany ducks! - out of the oven 10 minutes before we were due to be at my parents' house for our feast. Yikes.  It was delicious...and the declared favorite of at least three dinner guests. But I have no finished photos. So sorry! I think that means that I will have to do this again. Soon. I promise. And I made a delicious glaze with the ripe Hachiya persimmons from a friend's tree. Thanks, Shiho!! Does the idea of roasting a whole duck intimidate you? Don't let it. This is so simple...it just takes time...and a little bit of patience. Here’s the basic technique: 4 hours at 300 degrees, glaze, then finish it at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Here's a more detailed how-to... Unwrap the bird and remove all of the giblets from the duck's cavity.  ...

This tasty variation on a Jewish favorite combines hazelnuts and coconut sugar instead of the traditional walnuts or raisins. My enthusiastic Kitchen Elf made these (almost) completely by himself! For the dough: 1 C butter, at room temperature 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature 2 C white whole wheat flour For the filling: 1 1/2 C hazelnuts 3/4 C organic coconut sugar ground cinnamon ground cardamom ground nutmeg splash of pure vanilla extract 4 T butter, melted and cooled For the topping: 1/4 C organic granulated sugar ground cinnamon 1 egg white, beaten To make the dough combine the butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add the flour and, with a spatula, mix until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.  Using floured hands, cut into 4 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a disk and wrap separately in waxed paper. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2...

1 4-pound beef brisket splash of olive oil 2 onions, peeled and diced 4  cloves garlic freshly ground sea salt freshly ground pepper 2  C red wine 1-1/2 C organic chicken broth 1 onion, peeled and diced 4  C organic, seedless red grapes 2-3 sprigs of fresh oregano 2-3 stems of fresh parsley 1 stem fresh rosemary 1/4  C olive oil or duck fat, if you have it 1/4  C white whole wheat flour Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a pan, cook 2 C of the onions and whole garlic in hot oil until onions are tender. Spoon the mixture into a roasting pan; I used a deep stoneware dish. Season brisket with salt and pepper; place brisket on onion mixture. Add wine and broth. Cover and roast for 2 hours. Remove cover and roast, uncovered, for another hour. Remove brisket from oven; stir in 1 C diced onions. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove the dish from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F....

Fab feasts aren't just about what's on the plate, though that is important. It's also about what's in your goblet. We started with a white wine blend from Oblivion Cellars in Paso Robles. Floral and citrus ascend tantalize your nose while tropical fruit notes splash the palate. It finishes crisp and clean with a hint of caramel. This was the perfect match for our Matzo Ball Soup and salad course. With our main dishes I poured the 2011 Bottlerock Cabernet from Smith and Hook. Bold aromas - of summer  berries, cola, and exotic cloves - r ise out of the glass. But, to me, the most memorable thing about this wine is its vibrant, robust, yet silky feel. It's lush and decadent.

2 delicata squash, cut into 1-inch piece 1 medium rutabaga, cut into 1-inch piece 4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 parsnips, cut into 1-inch pieces olive oil freshly ground sea salt freshly ground pepper 1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 C thinly sliced rainbow chard 4 eggs, beaten 1/4 C butter, melted 1 C matzoh meal 1 T chopped chives 8 C organic chicken broth fresh herbs, chopped Preheat oven to 350°F. Place squash, parsnips, rutabaga, and carrots on a large baking sheet and toss with oil and salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown and tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, put eggs, butter, salt and pepper into a bowl and blend well. Mix in matzoh meal and chives, then cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. In a large souppot, soften the leeks. Once they begin to caramelize, add in the chard and the roasted vegetables. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer. ...

2 C grated zucchini 1 C grated sweet potato 4 T olive oil freshly ground sea salt 2 large eggs 1/3 C white whole wheat flour 1 t baking powder In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in the flour and baking powder and stir together until well combined. Gently fold in the grated vegetables. In the medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. When oil is heated, drop in the batter by rounded tablespoonfuls. Flatten gently with a fork. Cook about two minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Flip and cook for another two minutes or until golden. Place on a plate and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. I served these with plain yogurt from Saint Benoit from Sonoma County and some cardamom-kissed applesauce. Cardamom-Kissed Applesauce 5 organic apples, peeled and cubed 1/2 C organic granulated sugar 1 C water 4 caviar limes (click to read about caviar limes from Good Land Organics ) 4 cardamom pods 2 cinnamon sticks Place all of the i...

Somehow I managed to put several dishes on the table yesterday without snapping a photo of them. Yikes. I guess I was busy getting people fed! These were delicious! No special proportions or procedures. Just use great ingredients... Yukon gold potatoes butter heavy cream freshly ground sea salt freshly ground pepper snipped chives Cube and boil the potatoes until they are tender. Drain and smash with butter and heavy cream until they are the consistency that you want. Season with salt and pepper. Fold in the chives. Serve hot.

This was a complete surprise to me, but this might have been my absolute favorite thing on our Thanksgiving table. It was fresh, potent, and the perfect flavor foil to my braised brisket. I have never actually bought fresh horseradish until this week. Have you? It looks like a stick! 1 C fresh parsley, chopped 2 t grated fresh horseradish zest from 1 lemon juice from 1 lemon 1 T olive oil freshly ground sea salt Mix all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving to make sure the flavors are well-combined.

This is a Thanksgivukkah variation on my Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts . 1 onion, diced 4 slices of pastrami, chopped 2 handfuls of fresh shitake mushrooms*, washed, dried, and thinly sliced Saute the onions begin to caramelize. Stir in the pastrami and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms soften. Toss that into the oven-roasted Brussels sprouts. Serve hot. *These shitake mushrooms are from Far West Fungi in Moss Landing. Love our local farmers!

To go with our Thanksgivukkah feast, R made a Rye Pumpkin Pie! Ingredients Crust 1-1/2 C white whole wheat flour 1/2 C dark rye flour 1 T caraway seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle 1/2 C powdered sugar 3/4 C butter Pie 2 C  pumpkin puree 1 C Hachiya persimmon puree 1 C heavy cream 3 eggs 1/3 cup ginger syrup 3 T organic brown sugar ground cinnamon ground cloves ground nutmeg pure vanilla extract Mix the flours, sugar and caraway seeds; rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in 1 teaspoon of water with a fork until the mixture forms a ball. Roll out between two pieces of parchment paper. Press gently into a pie pan. Chill in the freezer until ready to bake. Whisk all of that together and place in the crust. Bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour or until the filling is set. It will be firm to the touch and the crust will be lightly browned. Let it cool slightly befo...