Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays or cook and bake together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day for #FoodieExtravaganza is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page  Foodie Extravaganza . We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our  Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board ! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out  HERE . This month, we're celebrating zucchini with Sue of  Palatable Pastime  leading the charge. She wrote: "National Zucchini Day - let's have some fun using this versatile vegetable in your favorite recipes. Note the actual holiday is on the 8th, the event is on the 1st." The Others Please visit the other Foodie Extravaganza posts... Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes from Jolene's Recipe Journal Double Chocolate Zucchini B...

Here we are at the final #KitchenMatrixCookingProject post for July. This month I picked the dishes with easy recipes to inspire some  al fresco  dinners. This week, I decided to celebrate with cocktails. Twelve different cocktail that Bittman suggests, actually. But time got away from me before we left for our annual camping trip and I didn't have a chance to whip up any cocktails. Crazy, right?! So, I'm going to share something a little different this week. But please check out the other cocktails from the Kitchen Matrix Cooking Project gals. Cheers! An InLinkz Link-up Every once in awhile you meet someone who is creativity incarnate. Almost twenty years ago, while I was in college, I met Jenn of Jennuine Blog , formerly Maker, Baker, Glitter Shaker. And a few years ago, I met Katie of Bar Cart Cocktail Co . I am constantly in awe of those beautiful gals and realize that what impresses me every time I taste or sip something of theirs: their delightf...

As I begin to prepare for August's French Winophiles' event - hosted by Martin of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog who has us focusing on Grower Champagne - I picked up a couple of bottles to test, taste, and pair. I know, I know: Life is rough for a food and wine blogger. So, if you know only one thing about champagne, it's probably that it has to come from Champagne, the region in France. Anything else is sparkling wine. Don't get me wrong, there's lots and lots of good sparkling wine from Prosecco to Cremant and beyond. But this post is about reading a Champagne label and there's actually quite a bit of information to be gleaned from them. Since I'm learning...I figured I'd share the knowledge with you. Here's how to read a Champagne label....  The appellation ‘Champagne’ must be clearly displayed. Yep. ...the brand of Champagne. This bottle was made by Louise Brison. ...the style of wine, as defined by level of sweetness or dosage...

When I first saw the email from HOME  about their 2-hour Pork & Pint Party, I scooped up two tickets immediately, thinking that it would be a great date afternoon for me and Jake. But as the event inched closer, a project deadline was looming for Jake and R, so I ended up taking my Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf with me instead. I think it worked out for the best anyway. Some kids have a favorite band or favorite musician. My kid has a favorite chef and it's Chef Brad! As we were driving up to Soquel, D wondered if the pig was going to be intact, meaning with a head and entrails in place. He said that he needed to mentally prepare for that, but I'll write more about that when I showcase Rancho Llano Seco , the ranch that provided the heritage pig for the class. D visibly relaxed when he saw that the pig did not have a head and entrails. He watched, entranced, as Chef Brad butchered the pig. We learned about the leaf lard...  and the coppa. ...