Culinary Adventures with Camilla

When the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf and I were watching an episode from the second season of Mind of a Chef, we watched Chef April Bloomfield make lamb biriyani with Chef Stevie Parle. Here's a link to the  Venison Biriyani   on his website. We loved the presentation and decided to create our own version with a few minor changes: lamb is not a favorite with the boys just yet, so D swapped in beef; and rosewater is not a favorite with Jake, so we didn't rub his naan with any. Oh, and I don't have a biriyani pot; I used some mini bean pots from Le Creuset. Also I didn't have any edible gold leaf, so we swapped it out for edible silver glitter hearts.* A heartfelt thank you to Kitchen IQ who was an event sponsor for a recent online blogging event I coordinated.** I mentioned that my son tried to abscond with my spice grater that they had sent. So, they sent him one of his very own! He used the grater on the nutmeg and cinnamon in this recipe. Beef Biriyani ...

Ingredients 1 pound baby spinach, washed at least three times to remove the grit 1 medium onion, peeled and diced 1 medium tomato, diced 2 cups  homemade paneer , cubed 1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon fennel pollen 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric freshly ground salt freshly ground pepper lemon juice from 1 lemon Procedure In a large saucepan, add a splash of oil and toast the cumin seeds and fennel pollen. Once they are aromatic, add the onion and cook till translucent. Stir in the tomato and cook until softened and beginning to break down. Season with turmeric. Add the triple-washed spinach to the pan. One pound look like a lot, but it shrinks as it wilts. Remember not to overcook the spinach as it will go from that gorgeous bright green to a murky olive if cooked too long. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon and if you have an immersion hand blender, use that. I don't have one, so I use a traditional blender to puree t...

Rosewater adds an exotic kick to a fresh carrot salad, though it is a polarizing flavor. I find that people either adore rosewater or abhor it. I took a vote - of the Spice It Up! kiddos - and all but one or two of the kids really disliked it. Oh, well. At least they can say that they have tried it. •             1 t coriander seeds •             2 t black cumin seeds •             6 large carrots, coarsely grated (3 1/2 to 4 cups) •             1/2 C golden raisins •             1 T rosewater •             2 t fresh lemon juice •             4 t extra v...