Culinary Adventures with Camilla

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Beefy Boys Jerky . All opinions are my own. When I saw Beefy Boys Jerky's listing on the Local Harvest website, I was excited: local beef jerky. Yes!  Then, it turns out I know one of the guys involved in the business. Even better. I love supporting local. But I love supporting friends' businesses even more. So, I asked if I could taste the products and he gave me a nice sampling. After just a few bites, the Precise Kitchen Elf was convinced that he wanted to give bags of jerky to his teachers as part of their holiday baskets...along with a note thanking them for "beefing up his education." So, I placed an order almost immediately. And I did get the green light to share this SECRET LOCALS' ONLY deal with you... If you buy 24 bags, they have a deal for $150.00 including local delivery.  (That works out to $6.25/bag)  Get the special by calling 888-669-2010,  Mon-Fri 9am-5pm PST. You get to pick

I can make caramels. I am pretty darn good at making caramel sauce. That process I have perfected; maybe it's because it doesn't require a candy thermometer. But making caramel candies - wrapped in wax paper - that are a uniform size and the perfect texture...I'm not as good at that. Thankfully a foodie friend of mine suggested I go to the caramel tasting for a local business called Bread & Butter Caramels. The owner was unveiling her 2016 flavors. Though I never ever go out on Black Friday, I am happy to support Small Business Saturday. The Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf and I waited for a lull in the rain before heading out with shopping bags and an adventurous spirit. We walked into the hosting store and I recognized the business owner and confectioner behind Bread & Butter Caramels. Lauren Palminteri. Turns out that years and years ago, she took a summer school class I taught. She was in high school and I am pretty sure that was the first year that I taugh

When I saw the carnival squash in my CSA box, I knew I wanted to use them on our Thanksgiving table - even though I already had cauliflower and Brussels sprouts on the menu. So, I picked an easy preparation and added a compound miso butter to stick with my Asian-inspired theme. Ingredients 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise 2 to 3 organic carnival squash, deseeded and sliced into thick wedges olive oil 1/2 C butter, softened 1 T white miso paste (you can use red, but the flavor will be stronger and the butter darker) black sesame seeds for garnish, optional fresh cilantro for garnish, optional Procedure Heat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets (one for the carrots and one for the squash) with parchment paper or a silicone mat. In large mixing bowl, toss squash and olive oil together until well coated. Spread squash in even layer on baking sheet. Lay the carrots on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Place both trays in th

When your Thanksgiving pie - D's  Perfected Pecan Pie - needs to be à la mode, you turn to the experts. I sent to the boys downtown to Chef Ron Mendoza's Revival Ice + Cream shop. You can read our Tasting Notes from our first trip there last month...just after he opened. They selected Sweet Potato and Kelp + Caramel. Wow. So delicious. And so unique.

A couple of weekends ago, the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf made a {Gluten-Free} Brown Butter-Espresso Pecan Pie for a birthday dinner party. I asked him to reprise the dessert for our Thanksgiving feast. He promptly agreed, but said, "I have to make a change, though, to make it perfect." Okay. His change: the Precise Kitchen Elf said it needed more coffee flavor, so D doubled the espresso powder. Wow. Ingredients   makes one 9" pie Crust 1-1/4 C gluten-free flour 1-1/2 t organic granulated sugar 1/2 t vanilla salt 1/2 C butter (1 stick), cubed cold water Filling 8 ounces raw pecan halves 8 ounces Medjool dates, pitted and chopped 3 T brewed espresso 1/2 C butter (1 stick) 1 C packed organic light brown sugar 7/8 C bourbon maple syrup 1 T instant espresso powder 1-1/2 t vanilla salt 3 large eggs whipped cream or ice cream for serving (for our Thanksgiving feast, we picked two flavors from a new artisanal ice cream shop downtown:

Another of my veggie sides on our Thanksgiving table was this easy Brussels sprout salad. So easy, but so full of flavor with the crushed Szechuan pepper dressing. Szechuan peppers are not actually peppers. They are sometimes called Chinese coriander. A couple of things to note: they aren't spicy hot like other peppers. In fact they aren't chile peppers at all. They are the seed pods from the Chinese prickly ash bush. They are one of the five spices in Chinese Five Spice along with fennel seeds, star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. For this dish, you want to shred or thinly slice the Brussels sprout heads. I have, long ago, painstakingly peeled each leaf off the heads, but didn't have the patience for that this time. So, I sliced them on my mandolin. I think, too, you can actually purchase them already sliced. Do that if you're pressed for time! You'll have a delicious side dish on the table in no time flat. This recipe serves 12, but you can easily scale bac

If you've been reading my blog, for even a little while, you probably have the sense that I don't really adhere to any culinary traditions for holidays. I can't remember the last time we've had turkey on our Thanksgiving table.  This was the menu I created for Thanksgiving 2016...dishes with Asian flair. Yum.  Recipes and tasting notes will be posting shortly and be linked below. You'll just need to click on the dish title below. I. Cracked Crab with Lemongrass, Black Pepper, and Basil Grilled Octopus & Potatoes Salad Paired with Bonny Doon Vin Gris de Cigare II. Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crushed Szechuan Pepper Vinaigrette Charred Cauliflower with Tahini Carrots and Squash with Miso Butter Paired with Bonny Doon The Heart Has Its Rieslings III. Osso Buco with Orange-Ginger Gravy & Cranberry Gremolata Sticky Rice Stuffing with Shiitakes & Chestnuts Masala Lamb Shanks Paire

Welcome to Day Four of #CranberryWeek, hosted by Caroline's Cooking and A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures . We'll be sharing cranberry-inspired creations all week long in celebration of national cranberry day.  Search #CranberryWeek to keep up to date and follow the #CranberryWeek Pinterest board for more cranberry inspiration. But first, see all the other cranberry recipes being shared today: Apple-Ginger Cranberry Sauce from Palatable Pastime Broccoli Salad with Cranberries from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks Cranberry Blondies from Cindy's Recipes and Writings Cranberry Caipirinha from Caroline’s Cooking Cranberry Oat Smoothie from Sew You Think You Can Cook Graavilõhe from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Roasted Shallot Cranberry Chutney from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures Warm Cranberry Spread from Family Around The Table As I've been trying to offer savory cranberry recipes with an international bent, I decided to try my hand at a Scandina

Inspired by my bounty of fresh organic cranberries, I decided to whip up a gluten-free breakfast cake on this final day of our on-campus fund drive. It was a quick and easy. And I had a box of whole grain gluten-free pastry flour that I've been meaning to try.   Ingredients 2-3/4 C whole grain gluten-free pastry flour 2 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 3/4 C organic whole milk 1/2 C organic eggnog 10 T butter, melted 3 large eggs  1 C gluten-free granola 1 C fresh cranberries 1/2 t freshly ground nutmeg Procedure Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk in milk, eggnog, melted butter, and three eggs. Fold in granola, cranberries, and ground nutmeg. Spoon batter into a 9" square baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes - until  the cake is firm all the way to the center. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Welcome to Day Three of #CranberryWeek, hosted by Caroline's Cooking and A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures . We'll be sharing cranberry-inspired creations all week long in celebration of national cranberry day.  Search #CranberryWeek to keep up to date and follow the #CranberryWeek Pinterest board for more cranberry inspiration. But first, see all the other cranberry recipes being shared today: Braised Short Ribs with Hoisin-Cranberry Sauce and Asian Coleslaw from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cranberry & Cornbread Stuffed Pork Chops from Books n' Cooks Cranberry Borscht from Palatable Pastime Cranberry Glazed Pork Loin from Sew You Think You Can Cook Cranberry Lemon Curd Tart (No Bake, GF) from Caroline’s Cooking Cranberry London Broil from Cindy's Recipes and Writings Cranberry Mustard from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures Cranberry Smoothie from The Chef Next Door Cranberry Vanilla Bean Donuts from Hostess At Heart Grilled Brie with Cran

Welcome to Day Two of #CranberryWeek, hosted by Caroline's Cooking and A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures . We'll be sharing cranberry-inspired creations all week long in celebration of national cranberry day.  Search #CranberryWeek to keep up to date and follow the #CranberryWeek Pinterest board for more cranberry inspiration. But first, see all the other cranberry recipes being shared today: Baked Pork Chops with Cranberry Thyme Sauce from Hostess At Heart Cranberry Caipirinha from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures Cranberry Chicken Thokku from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Cranberry Cornbread Dressing from Sew You Think You Can Cook Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing from Cindy's Recipes and Writings Cranberry Oatmeal Sourdough Muffins from Cooking With Carlee Cranberry-Sage Breakfast Sausage from Palatable Pastime Jaegerschnitzel with Cranberry-Raspberry Sauce from Caroline’s Cooking Pumpkin Cranberry Bread from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks Determ