Culinary Adventures with Camilla

  This is the summer of homemade cooking adventures. Well, homemade cooking adventures are  pretty typical of our household. But this summer I am being more deliberate about what I am cooking with R and D. I decided that I wanted to make homemade pasta with them this week. Here's how the conversation went... C: This is a skill you should have, boysies. D: Seriously, Mom. We can buy a bag of pasta at Trader Joe's for a dollar. C: Well, you should make it at least once. R: Exactly once. They were still good sports, rolled up their sleeves, and washed their hands. A quick note: I initially called this 'penne' but my friend who is from Italy and owns a local Italian restaurant saw my photos and said it was 'garganelli.'  I pulled our my encyclopaedia of pasta and learned the differences between penne and garganelli. While both are tube-shaped with diagonal ends, penne is extruded and garganelli is rolled; that difference results in no seam for the former and a...

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nuts.com.  Complimentary product was provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.  However, all opinions expressed here are my own. I found myself reading, taking notes, but not heading to the kitchen to post any inspired recipes for the entire final quarter of 2021. But I'm catching up now. So, let's start with  Mothertrucker: Finding Joy on the Loneliest Road in America  by Amy Butcher. On the Page In this poignant, heart-wrenching memoir, essayist Amy Butcher narrates her unlikely adventure on the loneliest road in America with this country's lone female ice trucker. The late Joy 'Mothertrucker' Wiebe was effervescent and inspiring. Through Butcher's recounting, we see her exploration and conversations with Joy about issues including Indigenous rights, religious beliefs, hypocrisy, and even environmental challenges. I read this book in just two sittings. A word of warning: if you are tri...

 This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of authors  Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen  and publisher St. Martin's Press.  I received a complimentary book for the purpose of review, but all opinions are honest and they are my own. No additional compensation for this post was provided; this page may contain affiliate links. This week I am excited to be taking part in a virtual book release party for  You Are Not Alone  by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen* hosted by The Book Club Cookbook. The hardcover book was released last year, but it coming out in paperback this week. I received an advance copy to enjoy and be inspired into the kitchen to create a dish. You can see  the party page ! You may also search for the hashtag #YouAreNotAloneParty on social media to find the posts. But to make it easy, I'm also linking to my fellow bloggers'; I will add their direct posts once everyone is live. Please take a look... The  #YouAr...

  This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with the February #ItalianFWT event. Wine samples were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links. I was thrilled to be able to receive wine samples from Val d’Oca* for February's Italian Food Wine Travel bloggers event. Unfo rtunately, I didn't receive this wine in time to pour it and pair it for the #ItalianFWT event, on Saturday, February 1st, when we focused on quality wines from Italian cooperative cellars. So, I promised my contact that I would post after the fact and share on all my social media channels. Here we go... Val d’Oca, under the cooperative Cantina Produttori di Valdobbiadene, is one of the oldest producers of Prosecco. They make their Prosecco from Glera grapes that are cultivated in the hills of Valdobbiadene. I have always loved saying that word. It's so lyrical and rhythmic. This bottle - Val d’Oca Prosecco Millesimato - is a vintage-dated sparkling wine ...

While I don't find using cuttlefish ink that bizarre, the boys decided we should cook with cuttlefish ink for my Bizarre Foods SEM because "other kids might not have ever tried it." Okay. That makes sense. Ingredients  makes 2 to 3 servings 1 C flour (I used a blend with semolina, bread flour, and all-purpose flour) 1 egg water, as needed 2 t cuttlefish ink Procedure Spoon the pasta flour blend into a large mixing bowl and make a hollow in the center, like a volcano. Spoon the cuttlefish ink into the crater of the flour volcano. Use a fork to begin incorporating the flour. Making a whisking motion with your fork, starting in the middle and blending in the flour from the bottom moving upwards. If your dough is too wet, add a small amount of flour; if your dough is too dry and crumbly, add water 1 t at a time. Turn the dough onto a lightly dusted board and knead for 5 minutes until the dough is elastic and smooth. Roll out as thinl...