Culinary Adventures with Camilla

 Welcome to the first event of 2022 for our #EattheWorld project, being spearheaded by Evelyne of  CulturEatz . Here's  her challenge .  This month, we are sharing Japanese recipes, here's the #EattheWorld line-up... Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Yoshinoya Beef Bowl (Gyudon)   A Day in the Life on the Farm: Japanese Rice   Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Kuri Kinton (Candied Chestnuts and Sweet Potatoes)  Cultureatz: Ramen Burger with Honey Teriyaki Sauce   Kitchen Frau: Chawanmushi (Steamed Savoury Egg Custard)   Sugarlovespices: Dorayaki with Chocolate Hazelnut Spread   Sneha’s Recipe: Vegetarian Omurice /Japanese Fried Rice Omelette  Pandemonium Noshery: Ginger Pork Stir Fry Other Culinary Cam Creations Looking back through my posts, we have shared several Japanese recipes before. You can go to my recipes for Sakana No Misoyaki (Grilled Miso-Marinated Fish), photographed above. Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelet), photographed ...

   This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Quail & Olive . Complimentary product was provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links. However, all opinions expressed here are my own.   Kuri kinton (栗きんとん) literary translates to 'chestnut gold mash' and symbolizes wealth. Including it as  part of a New Year meal is said to ensure good luck and prosperity for the coming year. You can see it in the platter above, between the shrimp and the lotus rootlets. First you have to cook and candy the chestnuts. Thankfully I was still able to find some at the market; and I like to roast them in the oven. Super simple. Also, while the original version calls for mirin, which is a Japanese sweet-savory rice cooking wine, I like using the  Winter Ambrosia Vinegar   from The Quail & Olive.* First, I'm a huge proponent of using what you have in your kitchen; but, second, I find the vinegar has similar sweet and savory qualities since i...

At the beginning of the month, I shared my process for roasting chestnuts . Then I read in a book that mentioned roasted chestnuts sprinkled with red wine and knew I wanted to give it a try. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Back in 2014, I read  A Thousand Days in Venice  by Marlena De Blasi* for Cook the Books. Had I re-read my blogpost about that book -  Fiori Di Zucca Al Forno  - I might not have picked up  A Thousand Days in Tuscany  by the same author. Seriously. My reservations of the former were not exactly matched in the latter, but I was similarly underwhelmed. "First, there was nostalgia - for the country I love and consider my home away from home...and for the food. There's something simple, elegant, and distinctive about Italian food. Her descriptions of the market made me utterly homesick...". Check. Well, in this book it wasn't so much the markets as it was the food she was learning to cook. "Second, there was indifference to th...

I know I had had roasted chestnuts before I lived in Italy. I mean, it's part of one of my favorite Christmas carols: The Christmas Song by Mel Tormé. ... Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at your nose Yuletide carols being sung by a choir And folks dressed up like Eskimos Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe Help to make the season bright Tiny little tots with their eyes all aglow Will find it hard to sleep tonight They know that Santa's on his way He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh And ev'ry mother's child is gonna spy To see if reindeer really know how to fly ... And I have a recollection of peeling and eating them with my grandmother when I was a child. But the memory is hazy and I don't really remember if it was with my mom's mom or my dad's mom. I do know, however, that it wasn't until I lived in Italy that I ate them regularly. I remember walking by those corner ...

Okay, let's start with this: this isn't really a foodie book. It's a creepy, well-written thriller that kept me up at night and had me checking the doors and windows before going to bed. And, last week, I raced to finish it because I knew Jake was going to be out of town and I didn't want to sleep alone after reading it. So, I finished it on Thursday night...before he left on Friday. Phew. What book? you ask! The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup.* On the Page This is definitely not my usual genre of choice, but just as I'll read or watch anything that's set in Italy, I have a soft spot in my heart for Copenhagen, well, Denmark anyway. This is a photo from our last day in Copenhagen, in January of this year, before we flew home after spending the holidays with friends who live there. This book mirrors the atmosphere in the photo: dark, wet, dreary, and cold. Copenhagen is being terrorized by a serial killer, one who tortures then amputat...

Today we are celebrating National Coffee Cake Day with the Festive Foodies under the guidance of my friend Wendy at  A Day in the Life on the Farm . This event has been a series of mishaps for me. First, I missed the deadline to enter a title, but Wendy let me slide; I picked a strawberry coffee cake. Then, I had some strawberry-eating gremlins in my house...I might need to put a sticky note on things in the fridge: Do NOT eat!! And I was pressed for time as R is out of town for a robotics competition and I'm prepping for us to join him on Friday. Thankfully I had some steamed, peeled chestnuts in the pantry and I always have nuts in the house. 'Nutty Coffee Cake' it is! Phew... This nutty cake has a cookie-like crumble topping and lots of rich flavor. It's easy to make and tastes delicious the second day. Yes, I did serve it for breakfast with unsweetened coffee whipped cream. Don't judge! Before we get to my offering, here are... All the Coffee ...

  This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the sponsors of #FabulousFallBounty. I received complimentary product for the purpose of review and recipe development, but all opinions are honest and they are my own.  This page may contain affiliate links. Here we are at the second day of our celebration of #FabulousFallBounty. You can read more about the event:  here . And, once again, many thanks to our event sponsors:  Silpat   for a handy silicone mat;  Le Creuset  for a lovely serving platter; and  Melissa's Produce  for providing the bloggers with a beautiful box of goodies, including the acorn squash and peeled, steamed chestnuts I used here. Autumn means lots of hearty soups to stave off the cold, damp weather. And, inspired by the acorn squash and prepared chestnuts I received from Melissa's Produce, I decided to make a comforting, filling soup. Because I used rice as a thickener, this is gluten-free...and,...

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the sponsors of #FabulousFallBounty. I received complimentary product for the purpose of review and recipe development, but all opinions are honest and they are my own.  This page may contain affiliate links. Welcome to the first day of our celebration of #FabulousFallBounty. You can read more about the event: here . And, once again, many thanks to our event sponsors:  Silpat   for a handy silicone mat;  Le Creuset  for a lovely serving platter; and  Melissa's Produce  for providing the bloggers with a beautiful box of goodies. I utilize the latter two in creating this recipe. The Creations An InLinkz Link-up Celery Root-Chestnut Mash with Herbed Beets With the use of Melissa's Peeled & Steamed Baby Beets and Peeled & Steamed Chestnuts, this sidedish was a snap to make. Ingredients Mash 1 celery root, peeled and cubed (approximately 3 C) water 1...