Culinary Adventures with Camilla

  One thing I have always wanted to instill in my kids: lifelong learning. I strive to lead by example because there is always so much to learn! This month I learned that what I have always called 'Fresh Spring Rolls' is more often called 'Summer Rolls.' And what I have always called 'Kimbap' is...well, not. You'll see the summer roll recipe soon. But for today, let's talk about kimbap. I have always made my version with a vinegar-seasoned rice, akin to sushi rice, just swapping out the fishy fillings for vegetables, eggs, and sliced beef. That seemed to make sense to me. However, kimbap has an entirely different rice base. Whoops! Instead of a vinegar-seasoned rice, kimbap is made with rice simply seasoned with sesame oil and salt. But as we really like the tang of vinegar, I made a hybrid version of the seasoned rice with vinegar and sesame oil for this. Ingredients  serves 8 4 cups short grain rice (sushi rice) 4 cups water plus more for soaking 1/3 c...

I have long been a fan of Lidia Bastianich since I stumbled across her cooking show on PBS when we lived in Oklahoma in the early 2000s. So, when a friend lent me a copy of  My American Dream: A Life of Love, Family, and Food by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich* , I was thrilled to dig in. On the Page I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, reading it late into the evenings after the boys went to sleep and early in the morning before I had to get up and make breakfasts and lunches for the family. I had not idea that she was one of the ethnic Italians who was stuck behind the iron curtain in Yugoslavia. Or that she and her family escaped and lived in a refugee camp for two years before the United States began accepting refugee applications. Eventually, they immigrated to New York before settling in New Jersey. Hers is truly the American dream; from coming to America not speaking the language to helming a veritable restaurant empire, Lidia illustrates the values of family, hard ...

In January, Wendy of  A Day in the Life on the Farm  kicked off her new group: Soup Saturday Swappers. This month Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures is hosting. And she wrote: "The kids are back in school, so it's time for quick dinner options!" Yes, yes, yes. Whenever I can get home from picking up the boys and have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes, I'm a happy gal. They can get started on homework while I head to the kitchen. Quick dinner options are the best! Thanks for the inspiration, Amy. The Quick Dinner Soup Swap An InLinkz Link-up Stracciatella alla Romana This is essentially Roman egg drop soup. It can be tossed together in however long it takes your stock to boil. Since I always have quarts of homemade stock in my fridge, this makes a weekly appearance in our dinner bowls. While I prefer homemade stock so that I can control the salt, it works just as well with whatever stock you have in your pantry. The cheese and eggs...

This year, Wendy of  A Day in the Life on the Farm  kicked off her new group: Soup Saturday Swappers. And this month P. of  The Saucy Southerner   asked us to share some recipes for chilled soups. They are such a great summer dinner. I'm grateful to have a few more recipes to try. When I started thinking about chilled soups, all the usual suspects popped into my mind. I've made  Chilled Pea Shooters , Rabarbersuppe Med Vin (Danish Rhubarb Wine Soup), White Gazpacho , and at least half a dozen different versions of fruit and veggie gazpachos made with peaches , olallieberries , watermelon , cucumbers , Yes, clearly, I'm a gazpacho fanatic. But I didn't want to make a gazpacho as there will be so many from which to choose with the group this month. I decided to go with Salmorejo Cordobés, gazpacho's richer, deeper cousin. This was something that a friend from Spain taught me last year. With its hard-boiled eggs and salty ham topping, it's more of a dinn...

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...

Everyone should have a good quick drop biscuit in their culinary wheelhouse. I typically do rolled biscuits, but when I saw a photo of a biscuit with an egg surprise inside, I decided to give it a try. And I added in fresh thyme and bacon for good measure! Ingredients  makes 6 1/2 C (1 stick) cold butter, cubed 1-1/2 C flour 2 t baking powder 1 t salt 3/4 C cold buttermilk 6 hardboiled eggs, peeled 1/3 C bacon, cooked and crumbled with 1 T bacon fat reserved Procedure Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Toss butter cubes into the flour mix. Use your fingers to rub butter into the flour. Pour in buttermilk, bacon fat, and bacon crumbles. Stir with a fork until it just comes together into a slightly sticky dough. Using a tablespoon scoop, mound walnut-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Press a hardboiled egg into the center...

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...

We love shortbread. I love that it's shippable to friend and family far away. And it's so easy - and flexible - to make. The kids who were in my Spice it Up! class still talk about the Sage Shortbread ; I sent Matcha-Black Sesame Shortbread to my #FBCookieSwap recipients in 2013;  but I think my favorite has been the Salted Fennel Pollen Shortbread .  I realized that I have never made a chocolate shortbread. I had to fix that after our Chocolate Tour in The City yesterday afternoon. I added in raw cacao nibs and some instant espresso for even more decadence. Ingredients 10 T butter 1/2 C organic granulated sugar + some for rolling 2 t pure chocolate extract 1 T honey 1 T instant espresso powder 2 T raw cacao nibs 1 egg, beaten 1-1/2 C white whole wheat flour 1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder Procedure Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Stir in honey and espresso powder until well combined. Beat in the egg, then carefull...

Moving Day! Well, it's a local move, so there are going to be lots of moving days. But today I'm not running off to work, so I whipped up a batch of scones to bolster the troops while we pack, load, and unload...all day today. Ingredients 2 ½ C flour (I refrained from using whole wheat) ½ C organic granulated sugar + some for sprinkling ½ t baking soda 1 t baking powder 8 T cold butter, cut into small pieces 1 C heavy organic cream 1 egg 1/2 C candied Buddha's Hand citron Procedure Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Using a pastry cutter, blend the butter into the dry ingredients until the dough resembles pea-sized chunks. Add the cream, egg, and candied Buddha's Hand citron, using a spatula to form a ball. Transfer to a baking stone or parchment-lined sheet and gently press into a disc. Cut the disc into wedges and pull them apart, gently. Drizzle a tablespoon ...

Ackk! I never realized that was still sitting in my drafts folder. Sorry. Last month I hosted a 10-day blogging event for which Maple Leaf Farms Duck  and  Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices *  were sponsors. While I made this during that event, I haven't had the chance to share the recipe until now. Feel free to use whatever ground meat and herbs that you have. Ingredients 1 pound ground duck (I used  Maple Leaf Farms Duck ) 1 leek, trimmed and diced 1 T minced garlic (I used  Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices ) splash of olive oil 1/2 C organic chicken stock 2 C cooked rice 1 T basil (I used Gourmet Garden) 1 t oregano (I used Gourmet Garden) 1 beaten egg 1 C shredded parmesan cheese, divided 6 to 8 peppers, depends on the size of the peppers Procedure In a large, flat-bottom pan, saute the leeks and garlic in a splash of olive oil until they soften and begin to caramelize. Add in the ground duck and cook completely. ...