Culinary Adventures with Camilla

  This is the October #TheCakeSliceBakers event and, since I have skipped a couple of months, I'll recap what we are all about... In this group, we are given a selection of three cake recipes. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th - never before - we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes! Follow our  Facebook ,  Instagram , and  Pinterest   pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the links below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details. The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called  The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends . This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but wan...

I am still fairly new to the baking group called Bundt Bakers, but I am already enamored with the bloggers and their creative baked goodies. #BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our  Pinterest board . We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our  home page . Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm is hosting February's Bundt Bakers group. When I read her prompt - "Share a Bundt that you made to show your Valentine(s) how much you love them" - I immediately thought of a Persian Love Cake. I have made Persian Love Cake before. It's a fragrant rose-scented cake flavored with ground cardamom and almond flour. And it's topped with crushed pistachios and candied rose petals. So, I  decided to adapt that into a ...

Though still fairly new to the group, I asked to host the January 2021 event for the Bundt Bakers blogging group. Stacy agreed. So, I picked m y theme. A Little Bit of Nostalgia: Bundts with Flavors from Your Childhood. And I prompted the bloggers: "Do you have a favorite flavor combination that makes you remember your childhood fondly? Such as the orange-cream combination of the 50-50 bars from the ice cream truck? Or your beloved peanut butter and jelly in your lunchbox. Create a bundt with those flavors and share it with the group to kick off 2021's Bundt Bakers." #BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board . We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page Here are the nostalgic bundt ca...

Remember, I'm following the Whole30 this month? Click to read my post about that: I can do anything for a month .  Before I kicked off my Whole30, I had planned to make the mini crab cakes from The Unexpected Cajun Kitchen : Classic Cuisine with a Twist of Farm-to-Table Freshness by Leigh Ann Chatagnier.* But the weekend got away from me and I was left with the ingredients, the idea, and - now - some restrictions. Still, I was determined to have crab cakes.  I made them for breakfast with some major adaptations. Since I wasn't sure about my Cajun seasoning blend, I just tossed in some spices and hoped for the best. It was delicious! Ingredients 1 pound crab meat 1 egg 1/2 C almond meal 1/4 C chopped pecans (I added these in for the crunch of breadcrumbs, leave them out if you wish) 1/2 t fresh thyme, chopped 1 t fresh chives, chopped 1 T fresh parsley, chopped + more for garnish 1/2 t smoked paprika pinch of cayenne pepper freshly grou...

Kimchi pancakes, or  kimchijeon , are crispy, chewy, and full of the spicy goodness of homemade kimchi. I usually fry up small cakes and thought they would be perfect for a #TripleSBites appetizer. They were! Even better - I was able to use products from three of our event sponsors. Just for fun...here are the (purported) aphrodisiac qualities of this appetizer... Chili peppers : The capsaicin in chili peppers heats up the body, increases blood flow, and causes the brain to release endorphins, which are feel-good chemicals. Many cultures throughout history have claimed peppers as an aphrodisiac.  Ginger : Like chili peppers, ginger increases circulation and body temperature. Legend has it that famous French courtesan Madame du Barry provided ginger to all of her lovers to increase their desire and improve their pleasure. Note: the kimchi - here's my  Syrena's Seduction Kimchi  -  takes three or four days, so definitely begin this recipe at least...

When I saw #peterbsbrewsandbitescontest - a cooking contest to create an appetizer using one of their brews - announced on Peter B's Facebook page , I   was instantly inspired. I wanted to create a dish showcasing my favorite Peter B's brew: Legend of Laguna IPA. I am definitely not a hop-head; I am typcially not a fan of IPAs. But the first time I tasted the Legend of Laguna IPA, in a tasting flight, I was enamored. It was my favorite of the six for sure. I went back to try it a second time and had the same reaction: I love the citrusy, everygreeny taste! It's bright without being too bitter. I'm definitely a fan. So, to play on those orange and pine flavors, I created some carnitas-topped polenta cakes made with citrus juice and pine honey. If you're local, here's a link to all the places you can purchase bottles , and the brew pub also has growlers & growlettes to go! Here we go...what I made for #peterbsbrewsandbitescontest... N...

Along with the Devil's Food Cake layers, I made a buttermilk cake for the Darth Gaber cake. This made one 9"x13" rectangle and an 11" round. Ingredients 2-3/4 C white whole wheat flour 1/2 t baking soda 2 stick butter, softened 2 C organic granulated sugar 1 t organic hazelnut extract 1 t organic chocolate extract 4 large eggs 1 C buttermilk Procedure Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your baking pans by lining them with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar. When light and fluffy, mix in the buttermilk, extracts, and eggs. Fold in the flour and baking soda until well-combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until firm to the touch. Cool completely on wire racks.

I know the Darth Vader cake looked awesome, but it also tasted great! We refrained from telling the kids it was organic and whole wheat! Here are the parts...click on the name to go to the recipe post. Devil's Food Cake Buttermilk Cake Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake Simple Chocolate Frosting Chocolate Marshmallow Fondant

When one of my best friends asked us if we'd make a Darth Vader-themed birthday dessert for her soon-to-be-five-year-old, I said, "No problem." I should have said: "Your kid is worth all the martial stress that will ensue from a project such as this!" And he is. Suffice it to say: I am pretty fast and loose with my cooking; my husband insists from straight edges. So, I should stick to the baking and let Jake do all the cake architecture. Mental note for next time!         All done!