Culinary Adventures with Camilla

I finally cracked the code. My Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf eats eggs, but I often see remnants on his plate and it baffles me. He says he doesn't like the yolk in a hard-boiled egg; "it makes me choke." He says he likes scrambled eggs; "but it has to be a certain texture - not too hard and not too soft." But I found the kind of egg he'll devour...and practically lick the plate. He loves poached eggs. It only took me 10 years, but I figured it out. So, I'm sharing how to poach an egg. Just in case you have never done it. It's easy and delicious. First: freshness matters. Fresh eggs work best for poaching. Their whites hold together better than aged eggs. Thankfully we have friends with hens and there are always egg vendors at our year-round farmers' markets. Ingredients eggs water Procedure Fill a saucepan with 3 to 4 inches of water. Bring water to a boil, then lower the heat until the water is at a simmer. Crack eggs into the ...

When we came home one evening, we found a bag full of voluptuous, gorgeous quince. it took me a few emails and text messages, but I finally figured out that the Novak gals were my quince fairies. Thanks, girls! Most quince goodness begins with poached quince... Poached Quince Ingredients 4 C water 1/2 C organic granulated sugar juice from 1 organic lemon 1 cinnamon stick 3-1/2 to 4 C quince, peeled and sliced Procedure Combine all of the ingredients in a medium or large saucepan. Bring to a boil, dissolving the sugar. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 60 to 75 minutes until the quince is tender and has turned a delicate shade of salmon pink. Drain and reserve poaching liquid. Remove cinnamon stick.

The Grand Prize winning recipe for the We Olive 'Discover Cooking with California Olive Oil Cooking Contest' was Naylet LaRochelle's Lemon Olive Oil Poached Halibut. My mouth was watering just reading her recipe. No wonder she won! And since I have never poached in olive oil, I decided to give it a try. Naylet does hers on the stovetop, I read this article and decided to try poaching in the oven. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Lay your fish in an oven-proof baking dish. Fill pan with enough olive oil to mostly cover the filets. Cover with foil. Place in the oven for 25 minutes. Check for doneness. If the fish needs more time, return the dish to the oven. The fish is cooked when it is firm to the touch. I served these over a bed of whole wheat couscous. To finish: I topped them with pickled blueberries , fresh thyme leaves, a sprinkling of pink Himalaya salt, and a drizzle of We Olive's lemon olive oil. *Update 4/5/2013: added this to Katherine Mar...