Culinary Adventures with Camilla

2 C shredded purple cabbage 1 onion, trimmed and thinly sliced 1/2 C mayonnaise 1/4 C pear vinegar 1 T maple syrup freshly ground sea salt freshly ground pepper 1/2 t celery seeds Caramelize the onion in a pat of butter, cooking until translucent with caramel-colored edges. In a large mixing bowl, place the cabbage. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together to form a smooth dressing. Toss the dressing into the salad. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Before serving my Licorice-y Seafood Stew for dinner, I served a minty fennel slaw as the opening course. Happy National Licorice Day! 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced 1/2 C shredded parmesan cheese 2 T fresh chopped mint splash of olive oil splash of pear vinegar freshly ground sea salt freshly ground pepper fennel pollen Place the fennel and cheese in a large mixing bowl. Toss to coast with the olive oil and vinegar. Let sit for, at least, 15 minutes. Before serving, season with salt and pepper. Spoon slaw into a lettuce leaf and garnish with a pinch of fennel pollen.

Back in September, Jake, Pia, Brian, Jenn, Mike, and I went to Edible Monterey Bay's pop-up dinner at La Crème . While many of the flavor combinations that Chef Jon created were unforgettable, one stood out in my mind and has inspired me to experiment: bacon jam. You read that correctly - salty, smoky bacon + sticky, sweet jam. I started with David Leite's version , then tweaked to make this... 1 pound applewood smoked bacon 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and finely diced 2 t crushed garlic 3/4 C espresso 1/2 C pear vinegar 1/2 C raw turbinado sugar 1/4 C wildflower honey 1/4 C unsulphered molasses Place the bacon in a large, flat-bottom pan and begin to render the fat. Add in the fennel and garlic and cook until softened. Add in the sugar, then pour in the liquids, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until all of the liquid has been absorbed. The jam will be dark, caramelized, and delicious. I plan to use this to adorn...