Culinary Adventures with Camilla

After last month's assignment of Friendsgiving  - that I couldn't get through - I was not excited about the pick for this month's Food'n'Flix . Holiday movies can either go very wrong or very right for me. But after I read Eliot's Eats' invitation for The Family Stone  -  and after my kids made me watch Home Alone and Home Alone 2 -  I eagerly started streaming this month's Food'N'Flix pick online.  You still have half a month to join the fun, if you're inclined. Spoiler alert: this landed in the 'love' holiday movie category for me. I will happily add this to my annual watch list! On the Screen The Family Stone  invites you in to the eponymous family's holiday gathering. Adult children Amy (Rachel McAdams), Everett (Dermot Mulroney), Ben (Luke Wilson), Susannah (Elizabeth Reaser), and Thad (Tyrone Giordano) come home to celebrate Christmas with their parents Sybil (Diane Keaton) and Kelly (Craig T. Nelson). Okay, with that line-u...

I will be hosting this book - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows* - for my #LitHappensBookClub in July as well as the movie for July's Food'N'Flix. However, I thought I'd share the recipe that the book inspired me to make: the eponymous Potato Peel Pie. On the Page Typically I read the book before I watch the movie, but I did the reverse in this case. In fact, I think I watched the movie two or, even, three times before I picked up the novel. Synopsis: Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a complete stranger Dawsey Adams, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a compelling correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, discovering their tastes in books, and seeing the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, Ashton sets sail for Guernsey and her life is forever altered...in a lovely...

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BrunchWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #Brunchweek recipes. All opinions are mine alone. Welcome to the first day of #BrunchWeek 2019! What a line-up of bloggers, recipes, sponsors, and prizes we have for you. Take a look at my introductory post for the event . And a quick shout-out of gratitude to our fearless leaders: Terri of  Love and Confections  and Christie of  A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures ! Monday's #BrunchWeek Line-Up BrunchWeek Beverages Blueberry Lemonade from Family Around The Table  Easy Smoothie Shooters  from The Nifty Foodie  Fresh Squeezed Blackberry Lemonade from Cooking With Carlee  Guava Mimosas from Seduction in the Kitchen  Guava Moscow Mule from Love and Confections  Lightening Lavender Margarita from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures  Mango Mimosa from April Golightly  Rum Punch for Brun...

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays or cook and bake together with the same ingredient or theme each month. Posting day for #FoodieExtravaganza is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page  Foodie Extravaganza . We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our  Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board ! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out  HERE . This month, we're celebrating zucchini with Sue of  Palatable Pastime  leading the charge. She wrote: "National Zucchini Day - let's have some fun using this versatile vegetable in your favorite recipes. Note the actual holiday is on the 8th, the event is on the 1st." The Others Please visit the other Foodie Extravaganza posts... Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes from Jolene's Recipe Journal Double Chocolate Zucchini B...

This week the boys have been at the beach for surf camp. Not sure if they are actually surfing...the water has been pretty flat and glassy. I've heard a lot about skim-boarding, splashing around, and one of their teachers' dogs. But they've been there, getting sand between their toes and salt water up their noses, so it's all good. photo from the Wahine Project facebook page Can you spot my boys?!? On this last day, they are joining forces with the girls' tribe (yes, that's what they call it) for an end-of-the-week potluck and smoothie party. Fun! With our last name, we were assigned "protein." So, I whipped up two frittate to share. Spinach-Chard-Feta Frittata 1 C chard, chiffonaded and blanched 2 C spinach, chiffonaded and blanched freshly ground sea salt freshly ground pepper 8 eggs splash of milk 1/2 C crumbled feta 1/2 C grated parmesan Zucchini-Carrot-Gouda Frittata 2 C sliced zucchini 2 C carrots, sliced into co...

Frittate are not new to our table. In fact, I make it at least once a week for a quick protein that uses whatever vegetables I have in the fridge. But this version - kuku sabzi - is made exotic with aromas of roasted nuts and heady rose petals. I still had a few fresh petals from our candied rose petals project. Thanks, Belle, again for the bounty from your rosebushes! Ingredients olive oil 1/2 C pistachios (traditionally walnuts are used) 2 t rose petals (dried is fine, I used fresh) 1 T minced garlic 2 C fresh herbs (I used dill and parsley) 2 C baby greens 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped freshly ground salt freshly ground pepper 9 eggs Procedure Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter your baking dish. In a large skillet heat a splash of olive oil. Add in the pistachios, garlic, and rose petals. Heat, gently, until the petals wilt and the nuts are softened. Stir in the scallions and season with salt and pepper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs ...

Frittata, in Italy, is usually a Sunday dinner kinda thing  that uses up all the leftovers from the week. So, for Dylan's ' May the Forks Be With You' birthday brunch , I decided to use up some of our High Ground Organics goods for a veggie-heavy frittata. 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 C collard greens, chiffonaded and blanched 6 carrots, sliced into thin coins 2 T fresh herbs, I used a mixture of basil and parsley freshly ground sea salt freshly ground pepper 8 eggs splash of milk 1/2 C crumbled feta Butter your baking dish and layer in your veggies. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with eggs beaten with milk. Sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. Uncover and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Cut into small squares and serve warm or cold. My Millennium Fal-corn Salsa was just my   Roasted Tomato-Corn Salsa .

Frittata, in Italy, is usually a Sunday dinner kinda thing  that uses up all the leftovers from the week. And since it's almost CSA delivery day again, I whipped up a veggie frittata for a post fossil-hunting picnic. 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced 2 C collard greens, chiffonaded and blanched 6 carrots, sliced into thin coins 1 zucchini or yellow summer squash, julienned 2 T fresh basil freshly ground sea salt freshly ground pepper 8 eggs splash of milk 1/2 C shredded parmesan Butter your baking dish and layer in your veggies. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with eggs beaten with milk. Sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes. Uncover and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Cut into squares and serve warm or cold.

*Full Disclosure: I received a complimentary, advance copy of this book -  Cooking with Flowers  by Miche Baker  -  from the publishers for the purpose of reviewing it. All opinions are my own.* The beginning of my fascination with flowers. At the Keukenhof Garden. 1976. In another lifetime, I worked as a florist. I loved that job. I created beautiful arrangements, my clothes smelled like flowers, and I never had any empty vases in my house. These days, I only push petals on special occasions but I still love anything to do with flowers. So, when Eric at  Quirk Books  asked me if I would be interested in previewing and reviewing  Cooking with Flowers  by Miche Baker of  Mali B Sweets , I couldn't say 'yes' fast enough. As soon as it arrived, excitement washed over me as I giddily tore open the envelope. I thumbed through the pages, enthralled by the dizzying array of Miche's recipes and entranced by photographs by Miuna Jun...

Frittate (plural of frittata)  are a great way to use up vegetables. Sunday was always the day, in Italy, to use up the veggies that were leftover from the week. Sometimes it was a minestrone. But more often than not I made a vegetable frittata . This is fast, easy and portable; it makes a great snack after a hike or a nice, protein-filled lunchbox goodie. And it's just as good cold as it is warm. Use whatever veggies you have on hand. Here's what I did tonight for tomorrow's lunchboxes...with some delicious greens from my WE Cooperative CSA box from  Fogline Farm  in Soquel. 1 leek, trimmed and diced 5 strips of applewood smoked bacon, cut into 3" pieces 1 bunch of kale, rinsed and chiffonaded splash of olive oil 7-8 eggs (this was for a 9"x13" pan, adjust your eggs to fit your pan) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large, flat-bottom pan, heat a splash of olive oil and caramelize the leeks. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rend...

Frittata, in Italy, is usually a Sunday dinner kinda thing that uses up all the leftovers from the week. But I love it as an easy appetizer for parties. So, for the Pair of Pumpkins baby shower yesterday, I whipped up a roasted pumpkin frittata. I started with some savory roasted pumpkin slices and the baby Spring onions from my High Ground Organics CSA box last week. Butter your baking dish and lay in your veggies. Top with eggs beaten with milk. And bake in a 350 degree oven until the center is firm, usually about an hour. To serve: slice, top with chopped herbs (I used a combination of mint, cilantro, and parsley), freshly ground sea salt and pepper. And for a truly lavish appetizer, drizzle a little bit of black truffle oil over the entire tray.

Here we are on part two of cooking for Riley's Mothers' Day Tea Party: veggie frittata. I wasn't sure what veggies I would have in my fridge on cooking day. And I had Spring onions and kale from my CSA box and leftover turnips that I had roasted with beets. I lightly sauteed the onions and kale and layered all of that in a buttered baking dish, topped it with some shredded parmesan cheese.  I poured in beaten eggs and seasoned it with freshly ground pink Himalaya salt and flower pepper. Bake in a 350 degree oven till the egg is set, approximately 45 minutes. Slice when cool.

It's time for the March Secret Recipe Club  reveal... What's the Secret Recipe Club? It's a group started by Amanda of Amanda's Cookin' . Each month, every participant is assigned to someone else's blog from which they pick a recipe - or two - to make and post, but it's all a secret until the big day. Today's the day. I always love a kitchen challenge and some culinary adventure. This month I was assigned  Eat Little Eat Big  by Susie whose blog celebrates good, healthy everyday food. I was inspired by her mini-quiche recipe  and fully embraced her invitation to "adapt to whatever you have on hand." Done. Frittata (an Italian crustless quiche) is on my usual breakfast and brunch rotation, but I have never thought to put them in individual muffin liners to avoid buttering the baking dish. In this case I spooned eggs, beaten with a splash of milk, into the paper liners. Then I dropped roughly a tablespoon's worth of ham, a teaspoon...