Culinary Adventures with Camilla

This month - and last - the  Cook the Books  group has been reading Midnight Chicken  by Ella Risbridger. Debra of  Eliot's Eats  is hosting. Read her invitation here . I am getting this in just under the wire. Phew. On the Page This is a poignant memoir that attests to the healing power of cooking and  was not at all what I expected. It’s a cookbook filled with life events, milestones, and highlights the importance of stability and comfort. This is Risbridger's life full of recipes to sooth a troubled soul.  When we meet Ella, she is depressed and suicidal. The recipes give her something to live for and were so inspiring. Before she even starts, she offers three things to remember: salt your pasta water; if in doubt, butter; and keep going! I tried several of her recipes including Tipsy Amaretto Squash Soup, Trashy Ginger Beer Chicken, and Needs Using Up Minestrone. But the recipe I am sharing for this post is something I've never attempted: challah. I bake sourdough multi

Today the Sunday Funday group is celebrating with a virtual birthday potluck for one of the group's organizers. Thanks to Stacy of  Food Lust People Love , Sue of  Palatable Pastime , Rebekah of  Making Miracles , and Wendy of  A Day in the Life on the Farm  for coordinating this low-stress group.  This week I am hosting and asked everyone to celebrate National Hot Chocolate Day. I wrote: "January 31st is National Hot Chocolate Day. Let's share our favorite versions of this delicious drink, recipes for any extra special touches (thinking homemade marshmallows!), or a food that has all of the trappings of hot chocolate (maybe chocolate cake with torched marshmallows on top). Okay, I clearly have marshmallows on the mind. Join me." Here's the line-up... 5 Minute Chilli Cinnamon Hot Chocolate from Sizzling Tastebuds Cheese in Your Hot Chocolate? Yep. Chocolate con Queso from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Chocolat Chaud - French Hot Chocolate from Food Lust

Today the Sunday Funday group is celebrating with a virtual birthday potluck for one of the group's organizers. Thanks to Stacy of  Food Lust People Love , Sue of  Palatable Pastime , Rebekah of  Making Miracles , and Wendy of  A Day in the Life on the Farm  for coordinating this low-stress group. This week it is Stacy's birthday and here's what we are all sharing... Bhagar Rice from The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen Borage Sparklers, Both Boozy and Not from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Burmese-style Bean Thread Noodle Salad from Food Lust People Love Cheeseburger Sliders with Homemade Slider Buns from Karen’s Kitchen Stories Eggless Gajar Halwa Cake /Carrot Halwa Cake from Sneha’s Recipe Four Cheese Ravioli Skillet from A Day in the Life on the Farm French Macarons from Amy’s Cooking Adventures Greek Feta Spread (Kopanisti) from Palatable Pastime Maple Panna Cotta With Roasted Figs from Mayuri’s Jikoni Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese from Making Miracles Tand

Well, today is the kick-off event for the 2022 #WorldWineTravel exploration of Australia and New Zealand. And I am hosting the January discussion of wines from Western Australia. You can read my invitation here . If you joining us early enough, feel free to jump in on our Twitter chat on Saturday, January 22nd at 8am Pacific time. Follow the hashtag #WorldWineTravel and be sure to add that to anything you tweet so we can see it. Here's the line-up... Cape Mentelle Two Vineyards Margaret River Shiraz and aTaste of Cast Iron Steak by Our Good Life Cool climate Happs Semillon from Margaret River by Avvinare Getting to Know Margaret River through Vasse Felix by Food Wine Click! Hooroo! Aussie Burgers with the Lot + Hope Estate 2015 The Ripper Shiraz by Culinary Adventures with Camilla Lamb and Lupin Kofte with a Vasse Felix Filius Cabernet by A Day in the Life on the Farm Make Your Own Pizza Night & Robert Oatley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon by Somm's Table Margaret

The Taste of Ginger: A Novel by Mansi Shah was another of the books that I read in the last quarter of 2021, but never posted about. I finally got around to making a dish inspired by it. On the Page This is another novel about an immigrant experience. In this case Preeti emigrated from India as a child and is largely Americanized with a white boyfriend and a disapproving family. She is also a successful attorney in Los Angeles. After a tragic accident befalls her pregnant sister-in-law while on vacation, Preeti finds herself back in India. I enjoyed the immersion into the Indian culture, though the taboos around the interactions between castes really made my stomach churn. This is a quote that sums up her familial interatctions, "My family was no different from every other Indian family we knew, and putting on the pretense of being a happy family was more important than actually being one." She contrasts her family with 'normal' families: "Who exactly do you thi

To kick off the French Winophiles' 2022 calendar, we are heading to Provençe with Jill of L’Occasion . If you are reading this early enough, feel free to jump in on our Twitter chat. We are live at 8am Pacific on Saturday, January 15th. Follow the hashtag #Winophiles; and be sure to add that to anything you tweet so we can see it. Here are the articles that the writers are sharing... A Red Wine from Provence? Yes, meet Bandol; a New Old Wine paired with a Slow Cooked Goulash from A Day in the Life on the Farm The Art of Miraval in Provence and a Lovely Drunken Seafood Stew from Our Good Life Bandol - A Provençal Red for the Winter Table from Food Wine Click! Embrace Rosé de Garde, Age-Worthy Provençal Wine here on L’Occasion Weekend Brunch Starts with Rosé from Coteaux d’Aix en Provence from Grape Experiences A Provençal Wine for Winter: Domaine La Suffrene Rouge on Avvinare Rosé all year with Côtes de Provence on Wining with Mel Pasta au Gratin + Ste. Venture

This month several of the #FoodNFlix bloggers are migrating over to a new group called #MoviesandMunchies. Amy of  Amy's Cooking Adventures  is leading the charge for our inaugural month. You can read Amy's invitation:  here . She asked us to watch  Ocean's Eleven . I have already shared A Salad for Saul ; I will write more about the movie when I round up all of my inspired recipes towards the end of the month. This recipe was inspired by the scene where Rusty Ryan (played by Brad Pitt) is teaching movie stars how to play poker. Holly Marie Combs, Topher Grace, Joshua Jackson, Barry Watson, and Shane West all appear as themselves. There are hilarious lines such as not being able to have three pairs in five card draw. But the ultimate ridiculous line was when Topher Grace lays down his hand and triumphantly declares, "Fellas! Fellas! Check this... all... red!" In case you aren't a poker player, a 'flush' is a strategy when all cards are the same suit,

 Welcome to the first event of 2022 for our #EattheWorld project, being spearheaded by Evelyne of  CulturEatz . Here's  her challenge .  This month, we are sharing Japanese recipes, here's the #EattheWorld line-up... Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Yoshinoya Beef Bowl (Gyudon)   A Day in the Life on the Farm: Japanese Rice   Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Kuri Kinton (Candied Chestnuts and Sweet Potatoes)  Cultureatz: Ramen Burger with Honey Teriyaki Sauce   Kitchen Frau: Chawanmushi (Steamed Savoury Egg Custard)   Sugarlovespices: Dorayaki with Chocolate Hazelnut Spread   Sneha’s Recipe: Vegetarian Omurice /Japanese Fried Rice Omelette  Pandemonium Noshery: Ginger Pork Stir Fry Other Culinary Cam Creations Looking back through my posts, we have shared several Japanese recipes before. You can go to my recipes for Sakana No Misoyaki (Grilled Miso-Marinated Fish), photographed above. Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelet), photographed above Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken), photo