Culinary Adventures with Camilla

May 10, 2013 - This hearty, exotic salad was inspired by the Thai Orchid Beef Salad recipe in  Cooking with Flowers: Sweet and Savory Recipes with Rose Petals, Lilacs, Lavender, and Other Edible Flowers  by Miche Bacher of  Mali B Sweets . I made several adaptations. I didn't have any beef in my fridge, but I had a few salmon filets. So, I went with those. I lined the plates with Little Gems lettuce leaves. It almost looks like the picture...the dendrobium orchids are ridiculously photogenic. salmon filets for as many people as you are serving 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced splash of olive oil soy sauce Little Gems lettuce leaves 1/2 C fresh, chopped cilantro 3 chives, chopped 6-8 dendrobium orchids Dressing: 3 T fermented fish sauce 3 T Meyer lemon juice 1 T organic honey 1/2 t Thai chili paste Saute the onions in a large, flat bottom pan that will be able to accommodate all of your salmon. Once the onions are softened, but not browned, la...

It's my turn to host  The Food Matters Project  once again. This dish - inspired by Mark Bittman's Stir-fried Fennel with Grapefruit and Shrimp - is pulling triple duty as my Food Matters post, a post for #BrunchWeek, and a wrap-up of my adventures in cooking with flowers for the book review I did for Quirk Books of Cooking with Flowers  by Miche Baker of  Mali B Sweets . Well, my review was done, but I still had flowers to use. So, the orchid-addition is more gratuitous than anything else, but they are pretty and they do actually taste good. Still, they won't make or break this stir-fry; feel free to skip them. I also added dandelion greens because I had them leftover from my CSA box from Fogline Farm . I never miss the chance to add a handful of nutrient-rich greens to our food. Another quick note, whenever I buy seafood - which is multiple times per week - I try to be diligent about making sustainable choices. Here's what the Seafood Watch told me about sh...

I'm so excited to be kicking off #BrunchWeek with this gorgeous, delicious dish - inspired by Mark Bittman's Stir-fried Fennel with Grapefruit and Shrimp. This dish comes together quickly, looks gorgeous, and tastes fantastic. It'd be a wonderful addition to any Mothers' Day brunch array or a summer picnic because it's just as good chilled as it is fresh out of the pan. It is pulling triple duty as a post for #BrunchWeek,   my Food Matters post , and a wrap-up of my adventures in cooking with flowers for the  book review I did for Quirk Books  of  Cooking with Flowers  by Miche Baker of  Mali B Sweets . Well, my review was done, but I still had flowers to use. So, the orchid-addition is more gratuitous than anything else, but they are pretty and they  do  actually taste good. Still, they won't make or break this stir-fry; feel free to skip them. I also added dandelion greens because I had them leftover from my CSA box from  F...

*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...

This hearty, exotic salad was inspired by the Thai Orchid Beef Salad recipe in  Cooking with Flowers: Sweet and Savory Recipes with Rose Petals, Lilacs, Lavender, and Other Edible Flowers  by Miche Bacher of  Mali B Sweets . I made several adaptations. I didn't have any beef in my fridge, but I had a few salmon filets. So, I went with those. I lined the plates with Little Gems lettuce leaves. It almost looks like the picture...the dendrobium orchids are ridiculously photogenic. salmon filets for as many people as you are serving 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced splash of olive oil soy sauce Little Gems lettuce leaves 1/2 C fresh, chopped cilantro 3 chives, chopped 6-8 dendrobium orchids Dressing: 3 T fermented fish sauce 3 T Meyer lemon juice 1 T organic honey 1/2 t Thai chili paste Saute the onions in a large, flat bottom pan that will be able to accommodate all of your salmon. Once the onions are softened, but not browned, lay your salmon filets ...