Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Do you get chocolate in your stocking? When I found the Single Origin Chocolate Taster Kit at Mouth , I knew someone who would love it. Whether he'd share it, or not, was undetermined. But he did, in fact, decide to share. So, last night, after dinner, he unwrapped the chocolates and we tasted, savored, and commented. Just a quick note about "single origin chocolate." The term is pretty self-explanatory and it's a simple idea. Single. Origin. It’s chocolate produced from one variety of cacao that's harvested in one region. Think about terroir in wine. Same idea. Cacao, like grapes, is a plant whose flavor profiles are affected by the characteristics of the soil, the climate, and more. And, just like wine, many terms used to describe single-origin chocolate will be familiar to wine lovers. Think earthy, floral, herbal and berry. What we tried... Ritual Chocolate 's Madagascar Bar. It's a 75% cacao, harvested in 2014. This was from the batch numbe...

For those who knew me pre-kids - and definitely pre-blogging - this is not news. For the rest of you, this might come as a surprise given, well, given all of these posts: Strega-Spiked Saffron Truffles , Brandy-Earl Grey Chocolate Cake , Sinfully Delicious Chocolate Pudding , and Spiced Chocolate Risotto . Plus I've hosted Chocolate + Brandy Pairings on the beach for friends; I've made Homemade Snickers for my friend's birthday. And I even did an entire chocolate-infused picnic for friends between their Willy Wonka performances. For that lunch, I served Roasted Parsnips and White Chocolate Soup , Chocolate Crostini, Roasted Chicken with a Chocolate-Balsamic Vinegar Glaze , and some assorted boutique chocolate bars for a sweet ending. But, here's my 'secret'.  Before I got pregnant with Riley, I didn't eat chocolate .   I didn't like the taste. I didn't like the smell. I just plain didn't like it. What a difference twelve yea...

I was craving something sweet tonight after reading Belle's post about her creme brulee. Since I still haven't unpacked my torch yet from the move, and in the vein of my chocolate class, I opted to make a brownie sundae. 1 C butter, melted 2 C organic granulated sugar 4 large eggs 1 1/4 C cocoa powder 1 t baking powder 1 T unsulphered molasses 1 t ground ginger 1/2 t ground ancho chili 1/2 t ground cinnamon 1/2 t ground nutmeg 1 1/2 C white whole wheat flour 2 T raw, organic cacao nibs Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ pan for thick brownies; I opted to split the batter into two pans to make thinner brownies. Place melted butter in a large mixing bowl, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Add 4 eggs into the bowl and beat in cocoa, spices, baking powder, and spices till smooth. Add the flour and nibs, stirring until just moistened. Spoon the batter into lightly greased pans. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick ins...

I've used cocoa powder in my chili recipes for a long time. Check out my Chili al Diavolo that won "Grand Champion" at a friend's 4th of July cook-off a couple of years ago. But today I added some raw organic cacao nibs for some added flavor, nutrition, and culinary intrigue. It was delicious! 1 pound of 96/4 ground beef 3 C cooked black beans 2 strips of bacon splash of olive oil 1 large can of crushed tomatoes paprika cumin ancho chili sea salt unsulphered molasses soy sauce red wine 1/4 C raw, organic cacao nibs Sauté bacon in a splash of olive oil till cooked, but not crispy. Add ground beef and cook through completely. Season with paprika, cumin, ancho chili, smoked sea salt and add in the black beans. Sitr in tomatoes, molasses, soy sauce, red wine, and cacao nibs. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheese. Garnish with a few more nibs.

 Remember that scene from Shrek ... "You know what else everybody likes? Parfaits. Parfaits are delicious. You never go up to somebody and say 'Hey you wanna go get some parfait?' They ain't gonna say 'Hell, no, I don't like no parfait.'" Donkey is right on the money with that sentiment. Seriously who doesn’t like a parfait? Layer after layer of deliciousness? I mean, c’mon. Well, we love parfaits. I served this parfait with our applesauce-cacao nib muffins this morning. plain organic Greek yogurt honey raspberries cacao nibs

The cacao nibs - touted as "chocolate at its wildest and healthiest" - add an intriguing bite to these muffins. Love it. 2 C white whole wheat flour 2 t baking powder 1-1/2 t baking soda 1 t ground cardamom 1 t ground ginger dash of ancho chili powder 4 eggs 1-1/2 C organic raw sugar 1 C unsweetened applesauce 1/2 C olive oil 1/4 C organic raw cacao nib Preheat oven to 350. Whisk all wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in cacao nibs. Fold in dry ingredients until just moistened. Scrape batter into cupcake liners and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

When my two pounds of organic cacao nibs arrived yesterday, I began to search for unique ways to use them. I stumbled across a recipe for a shallot-beer marmalade , brain-child of former Chez Panisse pastry chef David Lebovitz. And, thus, begins my culinary adventures with cacao. Of course I can't leave well-enough alone and had to do my usual tweaking. He uses prunes which I will happily skip. And I'll add what Dylan calls "those salty little beans." 8 large shallots, peeled and sliced 2 T olive oil big pinch of smoked sea salt a few turns of freshly-cracked black pepper 1/2 C beer (I used a Mission St. Brown Ale) 1/2 C organic granulated sugar 2 T unsulphered molasses 3 T balsamic vinegar 8 calimyrna figs, destemmed and quartered 2 T capers 1 heaping T organic raw cacao nibs In a medium-sized heavy-duty skillet or saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the shallots over moderate heat with a pinch of salt and pepper, stirring frequently, until they’re soft and wil...

One of the reasons that I teach elective classes at the boys' school is that it keeps me learning. In seeking to create a fun, educational trimester for a dozen little kids, I get to read, research, and explore on my own beforehand. When I was first teaching, I picked subjects that I knew well; I didn't have to step too far out of my comfort zone to teach a trimester of Italian language and culture, ocean conservation, or silk-painting. Then the boys began requesting things. After we visited the King Tut exhibit at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, Riley asked if I could teach a class about Egyptology; and because Dylan loves all Australian animals, he talked me into teaching an Outback Adventure class. I didn't know much about either of those subjects, but I do now and we had a blast while we all learned! This time around, I wanted to teach a class about chocolate. Being an International School, one of the requirements for the elective proposals is that there be som...