Culinary Adventures with Camilla

When I saw the bunch of dandelions in my  WE Cooperative  CSA box from  Fogline Farm , I decided to make dandelion pesto and smear it on a pizza crust. Dinner! When I plan ahead - way ahead - my favorite pizza crust is Mark Bittman's "No Work Mostly Whole Wheat Pizza Dough." This is the easiest pizza dough I have ever made! But it does require lots of lead time. The recipe suggests letting the dough ferment for six to twelve hours and that the longer you let it ferment, the more complex the flavor. 2 C whole wheat flour 1 C white flour 1/2 t active dry yeast 1 t fennel pollen 1 t pink Himalaya salt freshly ground pepper 2 T olive oil 1-1/2 C warm water Mix everything together in a large bowl. The texture will be a wet, sticky dough. Cover and let ferment for as long as you can - between six and twelve hours. At the end of that, use the dough as you would use any pizza dough. When I'm pressed for time, as I was tonight, this dough works fine. 1 ...

My friend Jenn brought me some roses from her garden this weekend. Gorgeous, organic roses. Inspired by Miche Bacher's Fig and Rose Cream Trifle recipe in her new cookbook  Cooking with Flowers: Sweet and Savory Recipes with Rose Petals, Lilacs, Lavender, and Other Edible Flowers ,  I made a rose-infused cream and layered it into a trifle with some fresh kiwi and rose petals. The cake is scented with saffron, elevating the entire dessert to an exotic, sensual treat. 1 C organic butter pinch of saffron 3/4 C milk 2 eggs 1-1/2 C organic granulated sugar 1-3/4 C white whole wheat 2 t baking powder splash of pure vanilla extract 6 fresh kiwis 3 C rose petal whipped cream rose petals for garnishing Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and saffron in a saucepan. Add the milk and let stand. In a large mixing bowl, blend the eggs and sugar until opaque and beginning to plump in volume. Stir in the flour and baking powder until completely combined. Pour ...

I don't know why I had this dish in my head. It's not as if I needed anything else to eat today after our La Balena adventure for lunch. But I really wanted to make it for Easter dinner. So, here we go... Pâte Brisée  (chilled) 2 C chard, chiffonade 1 T crushed garlic salmon filets sea salt flakes fennel pollen 1 egg, beaten In a large flat bottom pan, quickly saute the chard and crushed garlic until just barely wilted. Roll out your  Pâte Brisée  to the length of your salmon, plus 2 inches on each end. On a piece of parchment paper, lay your chard to the length that you need for your salmon. Lay the salmon, skin side up, on top of the chard. Gently fold the dough over to form an envelope - first the long side, then the ends. Press the seams together gently. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Roll the salmon so that the seam side is down. Then brush the top with an egg wash. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and fennel pollen. Bake in a 450 degree oven ...

I meant to make this as dessert when we had our Cooking Around the World: Malawi, Part I dinner, but we were all full. So, I opted to make this for breakfast today. Dessert for breakfast, you say?!? I know. But it has milk, orange juice, and bananas. Sounds breakfast-y to me. This is a classic dessert soup made with bananas that originates from Malawi, adapted by me because, as you know, I can't follow a recipe to save my life! Serves 4. 3 C organic whole milk juice from one orange 2 T honey 2 T cornstarch cinnamon and raw turbinado sugar for garnish 3 bananas In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, orange juice, honey, and cornstarch. As it heats, the soup will begin to thicken. Cook till desired thickness; ours was still pretty liquidy. Float slices of bananas in your soup and garnish with cinnamon and raw sugar. Well, this wraps our tabletop travel to Malawi. We tried Roasted Mbatata, Cabbage Ndiwo, and now this Banana Soup...

Dark chocolate truffles are my go-to for decadent deliciousness. Inspired by Rook No. 17's version , I whipped up these lovelies - bee pollen-infused truffles, dipped in dark chocolate, and dusted with granulated honey - of my own for our honey-themed picnic lunch. 12 oz high-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces 1/2 C heavy whipping cream 1 T bee pollen 1 T honey semisweet chocolate for dipping granulated honey for garnishing In a small, heavy saucepan bring the whipping cream and honey to a simmer. Place the chocolate in a separate bowl with bee pollen. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 3 minutes. Whisk till smooth. Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Roll teaspoon-sized balls in your hands as quickly as you can. Place truffles in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. In the meantime, melt chocolate over a double-boiler. Remove truffles from the fridge; using a skewer or for...

And the second beet disguise: Beet Sugar Cookies 2 C all-purpose flour 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 C butter 1 C organic raw sugar 1 large egg, lightly beaten 4 T shredded beets 2 T heavy whipping cream milk 1/2 t pure vanilla extract dash of ground cardamom dash of ground cinnamon dash of ground nutmeg dash of ground ginger Whisk together flour and baking powder.  Set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine butter and sugar on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add egg and beat on low speed for about a minute.  Then add the beets, one tablespoon at a time with mixer on medium speed, until desired color is reached; I used all four tablespoons! Add cream. vanilla, and spices and beat on medium speed until well combined.  Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate dough for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  ...

If you follow my blog with even a modicum of regularity, you'll know that I don't really leave well enough alone. Ever. So, for our Befana breakfast this year, I wanted to do a twist on last year's Couronne De L'Épiphanie (Spanish Epiphany Bread) - with raspberries and roses. I started with a brioche dough... Homemade Brioche adapted from the  Barefoot Contessa 1/2 C warm water 1 T active dry yeast 3 T organic granulated sugar 6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 4-1/2 C all-purpose flour 1 t sea salt 10 T butter, at room temperature splash of olive oil 1 egg mixed with 1 T water, for egg wash Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Let bloom for 5 minutes. Add the eggs and beat on medium speed until well mixed. With the mixer on low speed, add 2 C of the flour and the salt and mix for 5 minutes. With the mixer still on low, add the remainder of the flour and mix for 5 more minutes. Scrape the dough into a large oiled b...

I was in the mood for something rich and decadent. So I whipped up these lovelies. They are so easy...and so delicious! 10 oz high-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces 1/2 C heavy whipping cream pinch of fennel pollen 1 T sambuca unsweetened cocoa powder In a small, heavy saucepan bring the whipping cream to a simmer. Place the chocolate in a separate bowl with fennel pollen. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 3 minutes. Whisk till smooth. Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Roll half-teaspoon sized balls in your hands as quickly as you can. Roll in unsweetened cocoa. Added to Kate Martinelli's Valentine Linky Party (2/08/13).

This recipe fell under the Latin-fusion category of the cookbook. I made it for a Halloween party and was intrigued by the creaminess of the avocados and the pop of the jalepeno. Salsa de Aguacate y Tomatilla adapted from  Muy Bueno: Three Generations of Authentic Mexican Flavors by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, Veronica Gonzalez-Smith, and Evangelina Soza 10 tomatillos, husked and rinsed 1 jalepeno pepper 1 whole onion, peeled and quartered 3 avocados handful of cilantro 1 C water freshly ground salt to taste Roast the tomatillos, pepper, and onion in a 350 degree oven until the tomatillos are soft and the onion is wilted. In batches, blend the tomatillos, pepper, onion, and avocados in a blender with water. Season to taste with freshly ground salt. *Update 3/8/2013: Added to  Katherine Martinelli's Avocado Linky Party .*

The Grand Prize winning recipe for the We Olive 'Discover Cooking with California Olive Oil Cooking Contest' was Naylet LaRochelle's Lemon Olive Oil Poached Halibut. My mouth was watering just reading her recipe. No wonder she won! And since I have never poached in olive oil, I decided to give it a try. Naylet does hers on the stovetop, I read this article and decided to try poaching in the oven. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Lay your fish in an oven-proof baking dish. Fill pan with enough olive oil to mostly cover the filets. Cover with foil. Place in the oven for 25 minutes. Check for doneness. If the fish needs more time, return the dish to the oven. The fish is cooked when it is firm to the touch. I served these over a bed of whole wheat couscous. To finish: I topped them with pickled blueberries , fresh thyme leaves, a sprinkling of pink Himalaya salt, and a drizzle of We Olive's lemon olive oil. *Update 4/5/2013: added this to Katherine Mar...

Two years ago we attended our friends' 4th of July Chili Cook-Off...and my Chili al Diavolo was dubbed 'Grand Champ.' Since we missed last year's event, I'm not the defending champion this year, but I still wanted to make a chili that dazzles. This chili - Peck O' Peppers Chili - features beer-braised chunks of beef, caramelized onions and shallots, four different kinds of chilis, and a chili beer! Sadly, my plan to use buffalo meat got nixed by my 10-year-old. This took hours of simmering and thousands of chops, but it was well worth the effort. 1 pound of beef 1 pound of ground beef onions shallots 1 T minced garlic 1 bottle of beer (I used a summer wheat, with honey and orange, for this part) 1 bottle of Rogue's Chipotle Ale (1 pt+) 2 shots of espresso 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder 5 C pureed tomatoes paprika cumin sea salt 2 fresh poblano chilis 1 fresh Anaheim chili 3 fresh goldspike chilis 1 crushed tepin chili 1 fresh red ...

From Denmark, we traveled by tabletop to the tiny African nation of Djibouti, pronounced dja-booty. And, yes, my boys were giggling and dancing around the dining room, singing: "Shake dja-booty! Shake dja-booty!" Facing the narrowest point of the Persian Gulf, Djibouti lies in a strategic position and was, therefore, used as a landing point for trade vessels for many centuries. As a result, in addition to its native cuisine which is very similar to its neighbor Ethiopia, Djiboutienne cuisine had strong Arabic, Indian and British influences. The Portugese also brought the techniques of roasting and marinating foods to this country; Arabs introduced saffron, cinnamon, pomegranate juice and other spices to the country as well as various citrus, bell peppers, chiles, tomatoes and maize. I had some past-their-prime bananas and thought that Djiboutienne banana fritters would make a fantastic breakfast...along with some maize pudding. They did. We especially liked the nutme...

  Papas con Salsa de Aguacate Potatoes with Avocado Sauce click here for Erica's recipe 4 ripe avocados 1/2 C sour cream 2 T mayonnaise ground cumin fresh cilantro, chopped juice from 2 limes salt and pepper This was so good - and so easy! - that I've already repeated it for Riley's end of the year feast. Take one (photographed here): I used whole baby potatoes and roasted them whole, just drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt.  Take two: I used red potatoes, quartered them lengthwise and roasted them, again, just drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. For the sauce, just mash everything together with a potato masher until it's as smooth as you want. *Update 3/8/2013: Added to  Katherine Martinelli's Avocado Linky Party .*

Chili is something that my family loves, but we rarely ever make it the same way twice. We've made Chili Con Cacao , using raw cacao nibs; I doubled the meat (beef and buffalo), the beans, the peppers, and the cacao-derivatives with a Double-Double-Double Chili ; Pumpkin Chili and Pumpkin Cornbread made an appearance during one of my pumpkin-obsessed Octobers; and my Chili al Diavolo took the title of 'Grand Champion' at our friends' 4th of July chili cook-off. So, when we were planning Riley's 10th birthday camping trip to Half Moon Bay State Beach, I decided that a pot of steaming, gently-spiced chili was just the ticket to stave off the gloom that descends on California's central coast come June first. June gloom last year. June gloom this year. For his birthday camping trip last year, I made a pot of seafood chowder . One year I'd love for it to be warm enough to serve gazpacho! Here's the version of chili that I made for the crew of twenty, s...

Looking for a quick dinner to throw together at the end of a busy holiday weekend - Happy Memorial Day! - I realized that I had all of the ingredients I needed for the  Food Matters Project  assignment this week. So, tonight, after picking up the boys from their friend's house, I came home and whipped up my version of Bittman's Beans 'N Greens Burrito. The recipe was selected by Jacqui of Good Things Grow .  Click here for what our week's hostess created in her kitchen. And to see what the other bloggers cooked and blogged, click here and look in the comments section. This was so simple, I almost loathe to call it a recipe. But maybe that's the beauty of it... I had a bunch of collard greens and zucchini in my High Ground Organics CSA box; I always have garlic; and I had a cans of organic red kidney beans and black beans in the cupboard. Done deal! In a large, flat-bottomed pan I browned minced garlic in a splash of olive oil. Then I ad...

When I signed up to bring some treats to Riley's Mothers' Day Tea Party, I was vague: 'veggie tart' and 'veggie frittata.' I wasn't sure what veggies I would have in my fridge on cooking day. Tonight was the night. And I had Spring onions and fresh dill from my CSA box and some crimini mushrooms and cluster tomatoes. So here we go...we started with a flaky, buttery crust scented with fennel pollen... 2 C white whole wheat flour 1/2 C butter 1/2 C cold water 1 t fennel pollen Use a pastry cutter to blend the butter into the flour and fennel pollen. Add the cold water and mix lightly until it forms a ball. Roll the dough out and lay into a tart pan. Then I layered in lightly sauteed Spring onions, sliced mushrooms, and shredded asiago and mozzarella cheeses. Into the beaten eggs, I folded fresh dill and fresh parsley. Then I poured the egg mixture over the veggies and pressed halved tomatoes into the egg. Season with freshly ground pink H...