Culinary Adventures with Camilla

If ever there was a cocktail that was no-fail, the Bloody Mary - and all its variations - would be it, for me. I don't think I've ever had a bad Bloody Mary; I mean, I've had some that are phenomenal and, obviously some are better than others. But it's pretty tough to screw up spiked spicy tomato juice, right? So when I saw a listing for a Bloody Mary event later in the year, I decided to see how else I could use those flavors that I love in something other than a drink. Don't get me wrong, I will use this event as an excuse to try my hand at making a Bloody Geisha (swapping in sake for vodka), a Brown Mary (whiskey instead of vodka), a Green Mary (using tomatillo juice instead of tomato), and so much more! But I started with a meatball variation because we had gone to a party and two of mine didn't get to try any of the meatballs I brought. I had some ground pork from my friends at  California Kurobuta Pork . You can read the article about Jack Kim...

When I was looking for a ramen cookbook, I flipped through several of them before purchasing this one -  Ramen: Japanese Noodles and Small Dishes  by Tove Nilsson.* I will say that cookbook appeal is very personal. Some readers might prefer beautiful photos where others desire a well-told story. I tend to like a mix of those. But what drew me to this book is that everything needed for a bowl of homemade ramen was included - from the broth to the toppings and even the noodles. Okay, so I didn't end up making my own ramen noodles. However, trust me, I have that on my to-do list now! But, with Nilsson's book as inspiration, I made a  Homemade Ramen Broth with pig trotters and chicken paws ; I pickled eggs in soy sauce; and I ended up with a delicious version of Nilsson's Tantanmen Ramen.  For this culinary creation I needed pig trotters, pork bones, and ground pork. Thankfully, I know a pig farmer; he and his Bacon Bus come to town once a month. You can re...

This recipe was created in conjunction with #BurgerMonth 2018.  Thanks to event sponsors for providing prizes for an awesome Grilling Prize Package.  Please follow along at #BurgerMonth to find over 100 fantastic burger recipes. May is Burger Month. So says our fearless leader, Kita at  Girl Carnivore . For the past few years, I've taken part in this burger-palooza that she calls #BurgerMonth. Every year she invites food bloggers to get wild and crazy with the burger creations. Done! In 2014, I shared a  Bulgogi-Spiced Burger with Homemade Kimchi . In 2015, I found inspiration in the sea and made a  hand-chopped salmon burger with cuttlefish buns . And last year, I went for an Indian-inspired burger and served a mixed lamb-beef patty:  Kheema Aloo Burger with Fresh Mango Chutney . Last year I served up a  Chile Relleno-Topped Chorizo Burger . So, I've shared creations making burgers with salmon, lamb, chorizo, and now pork [below]. But...