Culinary Adventures with Camilla

During Fall Break, earlier this month, I did a lot of reading. Well, I read a lot all year long. But Fall Break afforded me full days of lounging and reading...between hikes and family dinners. One of the books I devoured was The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb.* On the Page At first I didn't really know what was meant by the gothic literature; then I realized that Edgar Allen Poe's books and stories practically invented the genre. Okay. I'm with it now. Though that still isn't really a genre that I read regularly. Brynn Wilder arrives in the tourist town of Wharton, on Lake Superior, to regroup and refresh after a year of taking care of her dying mother, the split from her longtime boyfriend, and being on sabbatical from teaching; she isn't sure that she wants to return to her old life at all. Her friend arranges her stay at a guesthouse with a motley cast of characters who are also in town for the season - Jason and Gil, a gay couple who have Alice, Jason...

Inspired by Chef Sean Brock's Low-County Boil episode during season two of Mind of a Chef , my Precise Kitchen Elf asked for a Valentines' version.  The Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf pointed out the recipe in Chef Brock's cookbook   Heritage and we used it as a jumping off point . I've included affiliate links at the bottom of this post for the cookbook as well as season two of  Mind of a Chef  on DVD. We're quite enamored with both. So, we rallied some friends who also celebrate the day with family - instead of a romantic date night - grabbed some seafood, and hit the beach. It was a beautiful afternoon. While the kids splashed around in the waves and played in the sand, the grown-ups drank beer and wine, chatted, and cooked. It was the perfect celebration of love and friendship. Ingredients comfortably fed 12 people 1 to 1-1/2 gallons water (adjust to fit pot) 8 C clam juice 2 C spice (we used a mixture of Old Bay and Zatarain's) + more for sprinkling...

Do you make stock with your poultry carcasses? I do! So, after I cleaned our bounty of crab , I decided to make a seafood stock with the shells. This recipe is flexible. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand. I had carrots, an onion, kale stems, and herbs. Just know that if you use too many greens, your stock will have a verdant hue. Ingredients crab remnants 1 onion, quartered 3 carrots + carrot greens 1 bunch kale stems handful of fresh herbs water Procedure Place all of the ingredients in a large soup pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Gently simmer the mixture on low for 10 to 12 hours, skimming off any foam as needed. Remove stockpot from heat and let cool for 1 hour. Strain stock and transfer to mason jars. I used this in a risotto and topped it with roasted lobster . Delicious.