Culinary Adventures with Camilla

from amazon.com This month the  Pass the Cookbook  crew - under the leadership of Kita, the culinary force behind  Pass the Sushi  - is cooking Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for the Food .  This post contains an amazon affiliate link at the bottom - for the book. Our three choices this month were for skirt steak, Tres Amigos, and eggplant parmesan. I opted for the second one! Sort of. I have to be honest, I am not good at translating two dimensions (words) into three dimensions (real-life). So, I cannot even imagine what this dish was supposed to look like! Sorry. I'm thinking some kind of rosette: a scallop wrapped in petals of salmon and halibut. In any case, I say that I 'sort of' made it because I skipped the halibut completely and used some fresh gravlax as the salmon part. And, as for my name - Seafood Kisses 'n' Hugs - I thought the scallops looked liked 'O's and I formed the gravlax into 'X's. Love...xoxo...get it? ...

Tonight I made a delicious Lemon-Herb Compound Butter and used it atop Roasted Cod Filets . But, after we devoured all the fish, my boys were still hungry. So, I decided to use it on some pan-fried haloumi. It was a hit! Halloumi, or haloumi, cheese originated in Cyprus during the Medieval Byzantine period. Traditionally, haloumi was wrapped with mint leaves to preserve it; today it's often packaged with pieces of mint leaves on the cheese's surface. It's similar to mozzarella but it has a higher than normal melting point, so it's perfect for frying or grilling. Cypriots eat the cheese with watermelon during summer months. Ingredients bread, sliced haloumi, sliced olive oil Lemon-Herb Compound Butter Procedure In a medium skillet, heat a splash of olive oil. Lay slices of haloumi in the pan and cook for 30 to 45 seconds on each side, or until a golden-brown crust appears. Flip over and pan-fry on the other side. To serve, place a slice of griddl...

I was trying to think of a dish, or two, that would complement my Lemon-Herb Compound Butter . I settled, first, on fish...because I had some cod filets in my fridge. Ingredients serves 4 4 cod filets 2 spring onions 6 to 8 baby Dutch yellow potatoes (or whatever you have on hand) juice from 1 lemon 2 T fresh dill, roughly chopped olive oil 4 thin slices of  Lemon-Herb Compound Butter Procedure Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Wash and dry your potatoes. Slice them thinly and toss with olive oil. Lay them in the bottom of a baking dish and roast them for 16 to 18 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, trim the ends off the spring onions and slice them thinly lengthwise. Lay the onions on top of the potatoes. Place the cod filets on top of the onions. Sprinkle them with fresh dill, then drizzle them with the lemon juice and a splash of olive oil. Roast them for another 16 to 18 minutes. The fish is done when it is firm to the touch. Be careful not t...

I've made compound butters before, but, apparently I've never blogged it. This is definitely a recipe to have in your repertoire; it's easy and adds a delicious sophistication to dishes. Just make sure you use a good quality butter. I like Plugra. This is incredibly flexible. Use whatever herbs you have. Use garlic instead onions, if you like. Be creative! I used this on top of roasted fish tonight. Stay tuned for that recipe... Ingredients 8 oz butter, slightly softened 1 spring onion, diced zest from 1 organic lemon  1 T fresh dill, chopped 1 T fresh cilantro, chopped Procedure In a small mixing bowl, combine ingredients, mix until smooth. Press the blended butter back into a rectangle shape, wrap in parchment paper, and refrigerate until solid again. You can also form cylinders or simply use it soft.