Culinary Adventures with Camilla

For my first event post, I published  Love is Dizzying, But Romance Is All About Balance , with a little help from by one of the event sponsors -  UncommonGoods . To go along with my Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake with Rose Peppercorn Salted Cream, that I published in the  UncommonGoods  post, I served tiny mugs of hot chocolate made with Pacari Chocolate .* Andean Rose Geranium Hot Chocolate  with Whipped Coconut Cream Ingredients  serves 4 Hot Chocolate 4 C milk (I made mine dairy-free with my  homemade hazelnut milk ) 1-1/2 C dark chocolate, chopped into pieces 1/2 C Andean Rose Geranium chocolate, chopped into pieces 2-3 T honey, depending on your taste 1 vanilla bean pinch salt (I used a rose peppercorn salt from UncommonGoods) Optional to make it 21+: 1 ounce brandy or tequila Whipped Coconut Cream 1 can coconut milk (must be a full fat version) 1/2 C organic powdered sugar Procedure Whipp...

I like bubbles. And, despite three decades of avoiding anything pink, I really embrace anything in the the girly hue. It probably has something to do with being a permanent resident of Testosterone Land. I am totally outnumbered. All. Of. The. Time. So, when I saw this sparkling rosé, I bought a bottle. I should have picked up two bottles! Hailing from the Cote d’Azur region of Provence, this can't bear the name Champagne, but it has all the drama and elegance of a great bottle of sparkling wine. I already mentioned that it's pink. But it's not a timid hue. It's rich, vibrant, and beautiful.  The visual appeal is easily matched on the nose. I got strawberries and roses. Then you taste it and you're in bubbly bliss. Made from France's three most famous rosé grapes - Syrah, Cinsault, and Grenache - it has a perfect balance on the palate. My favorite part: it's refreshing but not too sweet.

Though I'm not a girl who insists on chocolates and roses for Valentines' - or anytime really - I do love a good truffle. Last year one of my best friends and I took a Truffle-Making Class with the über-talented Jenn of Rook No. 17   who I am fortunate enough to know outside of the blogosphere! So, when I received some complimentary samples of rose crystals from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals , when I ordered some edible flowers from them, I knew that I wanted to use the crystals to garnish some Valentine truffles. I also received hibiscus, cilantro, basil, fennel, and mint. You'll be seeing those on other dishes soon. Rosewater Truffles with Rose Crystals makes approximately 30 truffles Ingredients 1-1/2 C 72% cacao chocolate, chopped 1 C heavy cream 1 T butter, softened 1 T rosewater rose crystals (click here ) Procedure Place chopped chocolate and rosewater in a large mixing bowl.  In a medium saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Pour ...

2 T olive oil 2 t minced garlic 2 3/4- to 1-pound lamb shanks white whole wheat flour for dredging 2 1/2 C dry red wine 2 1/2 C organic chicken broth 1 1/2 T fresh tomato sauce 1 T fennel seeds 1 t porcini salt dash of ground ginger dash of ground nutmeg Heat 1 T olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until brown. Coat lamb shanks with flour. Heat remaining 1 T olive oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add lamb shanks to skillet and cook until brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer lamb shanks to plate. Add 1 cup dry red wine to same skillet and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Pour into Dutch oven with garlic. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups red wine, chicken broth, tomato sauce, and bay leaves to dutch oven. Bring to boil. Add lamb shanks, turning to coat with liquid. Simmer for one hour. Add in the fennel seeds, porcini salt, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg. ...

For December's Edible Flower Friday, I decided on roses - or, rather, rosewater. I am not a big fan of cut roses. It would be fair to say that I despise rose bouquets. Roses on bushes, I love, especially those small, potent Cecil Brunner roses; cut roses with ferns and baby's breath, are not beloved and my husband knows it. But that is another story. I do, however, adore cooking with rosewater. It adds a little botanical intrigue to recipes and, really, doesn't actually taste like roses. Here are a few recipes from my blog... Muhammar   (Bahrainian Sweet Rice) This sweet, sticky rice seemed an odd pairing with spicy fish on our tabletop travel to Bahrain. But it was actually quite delicious. Couronne De L'Épiphanie (Spanish Epiphany Bread) Last January we ended our Feast of Befana with this Spanish Epiphany Bread.  I made this tomato jam for a Moroccan-flavored birthday party for Jake a few years back.  And probably our favorite combination...