Culinary Adventures with Camilla

As we inch towards the final quarter of the  Foodie Reads 2016 Challenge , I cracked the cover on a copy of  Not My Mother's Kitchen: Rediscovering Italian-American Cooking Through Stories and Recipes  by Rob Chirico.* I received an advance reader's copy through a giveaway and was excited to dig in. On the Page I have to be honest - I had a hard time finishing this book. When I was given the choice of books from the giveaway, I immediately chose this one because it involved Italian food. How could I not devour the book? I lived in Italy. I learned to cook in Italy. I'll read just about anything set in Italy and anything that includes Italian fare. Well, there were two reasons that reading the book was agonizing for me. First, his tone bordered on disdainful towards his mother's lack of culinary skills. The first line of the introduction read, "My mother was an assassin." He continued, "Left to her own devices she laid waste to spaghetti, hamburge...

I am notorious for never making the same thing twice. So, during a dinner party during the holidays a few close friends were talking about some of our dinner party highlights over the years and one dish bubbled to the top as the most unforgettable  dish I've ever made. Then it turned into a challenge: "We know that you never make the same thing twice - that you can't make the same things twice - but even if you made the seafood pie and it was only half as good as the first one, it would still be the best dish you've ever made." Seriously? Wow. A challenge, an insult, and a compliment all at the same time. Gotta love friends who tell the truth. Here's the Seasfood B'stilla v.2010 when I made it for Jake's 35th birthday... So, I promised that I would re-do the seafood pie during 2015. At. Some. Point. That gave me through December 2015 to make it. But, not one to procrastinate on my cooking obligations, I opted to get it done in the beginning...

It's salmon season!!! My family could eat salmon everyday. In fact, as soon as we finished dinner last night, Riley asked if we could have it again today. Yep. We needed something to go along with our Roasted Asparagus with Vanilla-Lavender Aioli . I went with a roasted salmon with flavors that complemented the veggies. So easy! Ingredients  serves 4 1-2 pounds wild salmon, skin removed olive oil freshly ground salt freshly ground pepper 2 t  Herbes de Provençe (lavender, fennel seeds, savory, and tarragon) juice from 1 lemon Procedure Preheat oven to 400-degrees Fahrenheit. Place salmon pieces on baking dish lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 10 minutes. Lightly crush the salt, pepper, and  Herbes de Provençe  together with a mortar and pestle...or just crush it between your fingers. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the spices on top. Drizzle with more olive oil i...

When Sarah, the editor of Edible Monterey Bay , commissioned me to cover an abalone cooking class, I had no idea how much I would have to invoke some superhero skills. I had to juggle a notepad, a camera, and a knife because I needed to (1) photograph, (2) take notes, (3) interview, (4) shuck, pound, and cook my abalone! But, I did it. And it was fabulous. I even got a "Wow! Nice job." from the chef on my presentation, garnishing my dish with sea lettuce, oyster leaves, and sea grass. We even got to take home an abalone. Without a sousvide contraption of my own, I made due with a double boiler and whipped up a late snack for my love. I didn't have any of the sea greens; I garnished the dish with fresh tarragon. After I tucked the boys into bed and came back downstairs, it was gone. I guess he liked it! 2 T diced onions 1/2 C fresh corn 1/4 C freshly shelled tiger eye beans 1 bay leaf 1 C chicken stock abalone* butter 1/2 t minced garlic fresh tarragon fre...

Unlike our esteemed event hostess for the month, Heather of girlichef , I am not a movie buff. My husband and I hardly ever escape to the theatre for a date. 'Dinner and a movie' is tough to justify when you're paying a sitter by the hour and most movies don't need to be seen on the big screen anyway. We usually opt out of the movie part and just languish around a table, eating, drinking, and remembering why we like each other. Case in point: while we were in port during a cruise with my parents, they kept the boys and we stole away for Alaska beers and reindeer pizza. And by the time movies make it to DVD or netflix, I usually only have my eyes on the screen for 50 to 75% of the time; it's challenging to watch a movie when you're reading a book or making jewelry at the same time! So, when I do sit down to watch a movie, with undivided attention, there's usually a purpose. Once a month, I watch one for Food'N'Flix , with a notepad in hand, to d...

We have to miss the birthday party for my favorite 3-year-old. So, we decided to throw him a brunch on our own for the 4th of July. Here's what we served. Quite a feast! Click on the titles for recipes. Riley's Spaghetti and Meatballs (Red + White + Blue) Fresh Blueberry Brioche  (Blue + White) and Strawberry-Jam Swirled Brioche Loaf (Red + White) Red, White, and Bleu Coleslaw (Red + White + Blue) Caprese con Blu (Red + White + Blue)  Jenn's Homemade Sodas (Red + White + Blue) Jenn had the kids muddle blueberries into sour cherry syrup and limemade. Then they topped it off with sparkling water. For the tall people...we mixed a striped champagne cocktail - sour cherry syrup, limemade, and bubbly! Pia's Fruit Salad...Yummy, Yummy! (Red + White + Blue) Layers of fresh raspberries, fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, and cinnamon whipped cream. Happy 3rd birthday, Gabe. We love you!!!

This is so easy, it's almost embarrassing to call it a recipe. But since one of my friends wanted to make this after she tried mine, I figured I'd write it down for her. It was delicious; I will definitely be making this again, too! To go with the red, white, and blue theme of the brunch, I went with a red, white, and bleu sidedish... 2 small heads of cabbage, sliced thinly 1 red bell pepper, diced 4 strips of applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled 1/4 C crumbled bleu cheese 1/4 C organic granulated sugar 1 C mayonnaise 1/2 C honey balsamic vinegar (you can use any vinegar that you have) freshly ground sea salt and flower pepper fresh tarragon leaves In a large mixing bowl, place the cabbage, red pepper, bacon, and fresh tarragon leaves. In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients - minus the bleu cheese - together to form a smooth dressing. Toss the dressing into the salad. Gently fold in the bleu cheese. Chill for at least 30 minutes before se...

You know how In'N'Out has 'Animal-Style'? Well, we have Mac-N-Cheese, Camilla-Style. Despite what one of my friends said about me becoming a mom and cooking out of "the blue box", I can proudly say that my kids do not eat that kind of macaroni and cheese. My version is a family favorite, so that's what I whipped up for dinner to celebrate the end of a successful school year. Onward and upward to 3rd and 5th grades. Wow. At least I have all summer to practice that: 3rd and 5th grades. 3rd and 5th grades. 3rd and 5th grades. How did that happen? First, some clarifications... Mine may or may not actually contain any mac (aroni), or elbow pasta; last night, it didn't. Instead I had a package of trottole , spinners. Mine is not orange. I use whatever cheese I have on hand. Last night it included: ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. So, it was mostly white-hued. Mine is not plain.  Last night I tossed in some silky, sauteed fennel slices...

I decided to go all green when I cooked my Lotus Foods organic jade pearl rice . So while the rice steamed in one pot, I sauteed minced garlic, slices of fennel, zucchini coins, and chopped bok choy in a splash of olive oil. When the rice was cooked, I gently incorporated it into my green veggies and seasoned it all with minced fresh dill and fresh tarragon. What a tasty - and green! - sidedish. And because I was always taught to have a minimum of three colors on a plate, I served this with chicken sausages, bright purple kimchi, and roasted golden beets.

With some leftover pumpkin puree in my fridge and some potatoes from my High Ground Organics CSA box, I decided to make a pumpkin-potato gnocchi for dinner. Most people roll their gnocchi dough into a thick straw and cut the gnocchi; in Italy I was taught to hand-form them, so mine look less uniform. For this batch I used 2 C of pumpkin puree and about 6 small potatoes. Scrub potatoes then towel-dry. Roll them in olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and roast in a 350 degree oven until they are fork-tender. Let cool slightly. I leave the skin on the potatoes, but feel free to peel yours if you don't want the added texture. Using a potato masher, begin to smash the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Mash the pumpkin into the potato mixture and keep mashing. Add two pats of butter, one beaten egg, and mash until smooth. Then mix in flour, slowly, until you get a medium (not stiff, but not too sticky either) dough. Usually I add about 3/4 C by the time I'm done. Usi...