Culinary Adventures with Camilla

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the #MerlotMe event sponsors.  Complimentary wine was provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.  However, all opinions expressed here are my own. It's October. Do you know what that means? It's the time of year when bottles of Merlot start arriving at my door for #MerlotMe. The Wine Pairing Weekend  - #WinePW - crew has been participating in this online celebration of the Merlot grape for the past several years. So, once again, October's Wine Pairing Weekend collides with the event. Jeff of  Food Wine Click!  invited us to jump on the #MerlotMe bandwagon with him again this year.  Welcome to year seven! The MerlotMe  website  encourages wine lovers to "celebrate the greatness of Merlot throughout the month of October." So, we are. In addition, all of the #winePW bloggers were offered bottles of Merlot to try, taste, and pair for this event. Complimentary wine? You bet...

This month I am hosting the French Winophiles with an exploration of the wines from Anjou-Saumur. You can read my invitation  here . Not being very familiar with those wines, I tracked down several bottles to pour and pair. One of the bottles I found - Domaine Bourdin Chancelle Saumur Rosé 2017 - was supple with a nice balance between soft and fresh with a long finish. I'm having fun trying new-to-me wines. The vineyards of Domaine Chancelle - located in the village of Turquant, in the greater Saumur - have been in the family for five generations with Lydie and her husband, Thierry, taking over at the turn of the millennium. Lydie and Thierry are both passionate about the vines, their wine, and the domaine is run sustainably. I opted to play with the soft, silky side of the Rosé while bringing in the savory with a braised rabbit stew which I served with toasted baguette smeared with a seaweed compound butter. Silky, salty. It was delicious. Ingredients...

This month the Italian Food, Wine & Travel - #ItalianFWT - blogging group wraps up our last region of Italy: Liguria. Follow along the journey with my fellow #ItalianFWT bloggers.  You can also chat with us live this Saturday morning at 11am EST on Twitter at #ItalianFWT.  Hope to see you there! To Liguria Liguria lies, along the coast of the Ligurian Sea, between France to the west, Piedmont to the north, and Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany to the east. The narrow region is bordered by the sea, the Alps and the Apennines mountains. The #ItalianFWT Crew... Vino Travels  – Wine & Sunshine on the Italian Riviera Cooking Chat  – Ligurian Pesto Pasta with Wine Pairing Food Wine Click  – Trofie al Pesto with Cinque Terre DOC Girl's Gotta Drink  – A Cinque Terre Alternative? 5 Less Touristy Italian Riviera Destinations Rockin Red Blog  – Two Hours in Ligura with #ItalianFWT Avvinare – Liguria – Hometo a Host of Unsung Wines L'...

This week the Sunday Supper crew is sharing regional specialties. Thanks to Sue from  A Palatable Pastime  for the great theme! I love seeing recipes from my favorite bloggers all around the country...and the globe. Oh, before I forget - I'm on the central coast of California. So, I'm spoiled with fresh produce, great seafood, and terrific wine. All the Regional Specialties... Appetizers : Crispy Salmon Bites with Homemade Tartar Sauce by Pine Needles In My Salad Loaded Tex-Mex Chile con Queso by The Weekend Gourmet New England Style Stuffed Clams by Caroline’s Cooking Beverages: Brandy Old Fashioned by Curious Cuisiniere Wine Pairing Recommendations For #SundaySupper Regional Specialties by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog Breakfast: Breakfast Empanada Casserole by Simply Healthy Family Salads: Pittsburgh Steak Salad by Seduction in the Kitchen Homemade Ranch Dressing by My Imperfect Kitchen Tupelo Honey Key Lime Vinaigrette by Family Around the Ta...

Welcome to my first reveal with Group B's  Secret Recipe Club . I've been a part of the club for several years and took on hostess duties last month, but I still cooked with Group A in March. Now, I'm completely moved over to Group B. Hooray!  This month I was assigned to Smells Like Brownies , a blog written by Melissa. I love that she characterizes blogging as a journey...she's continually working to improve her skills as a food stylist, photographer, writer, and chef. Way to keep it real, gal. We all need to continue striving for improvement. Love it. And I really love that she has an entire series of posts about her CSA goodies . I considered her Warm Garlic Scape Vinaigrette , Carrot Chickpea Salad ,  Sweet and Salty Arugula Salad , and more. In the end, I settled on Artichokes and Hollandaise . Unlike Melissa, artichokes are a household staple. Maybe it has something to do with our proximity to California's artichoke capital. I was even honored as a ...

 Monterey County Weekly  May 3, 2012 edition   Hot off the presses...in this week's  Monterey County Weekly 's " 'Choke Artists : Wildly creative home artichoke recipes – from chips to cakes – and a peek at the passion behind them." And, guess what? I'm one of them. So proud! Food editor, Mark Anderson reports: Mom-blogger-office manager-and-seasonal-home-chef Camilla Mann found her pleasant obsession when she toured farms with her husband after his artwork gave the Castroville Artichoke Festival – which arrives May 19-20 – its flagship poster for 2010. 
 “I just love that it’s an edible flower,” she says. But no delicate little nasturtium here, she adds. “It’s so meaty, with such great texture.”
 Having learned to cook in Italy, she lent the artichokes to a mouthwatering white lasagna, then took the inspiration to everything from cardoon pies to savory cakes like her mini chocolate-artichoke bundts with silky chocolate sauce.
 “It’s similar to ...