Culinary Adventures with Camilla

With only fifteen minutes left before guests were due to arrive, I realized - in horror - that though I had bottles and bottles and more bottles of alcohol for the dinner party, I had nothing to offer the designated drivers of the group.  No sparkling water, no juice.  Nothing.  Nada.  Zip.  So, I whipped up a pitcher of pomegranate lemonade.  The secret to homemade lemonade is to make a simple syrup first.  That way the sugar is dissolved and not grainy in your drink. The ratio is 1: 1: 1.  1 C sugar, 1 C water, and 1 C freshly squeezed lemon juice for the base.  I used raw sugar for this batch which resulted in a slightly darker syrup.  Put the sugar and water into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat till the sugar is completely dissolved.  Pour into a mixing pitcher.  Add 1 C freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Then add water to taste, usually another 5-6 C of water.  Drop 2 T of pomegranate seeds into the pit...

I figured that a super easy amuse-bouche offering would be caviar.  Strictly speaking, though, the term 'caviar' can only be used to refer to unfertilized sturgeon roe, just as 'champagne' can only be used to refer to sparkling wine that actually hails from Champagne, France.  So, I guess it would be more accurate to say that I served salmon roe.  Bright, round orange orbs of salty goodness.  Easiest recipe ever: twist (open the jar) and scoop (onto the spoon)!  There were a few spoons left at the end of the evening.  And when I picked up the boys from the babysitter's house and walked in the door, Dylan bolted straight for the table.  Before I could stop him - or warn him - he popped the spoon in his mouth.  It must not have been what he was expecting because he spat the roe right onto the floor.  I told him it was just a larger version of that the tobiko (flying fish roe) that he likes on the outside of his California rolls....

During my amuse bouche menu planning, I had grand plans to make Oeufs Mimosa (Deviled Quail Eggs).  So I located the eggs at a local Asian market and boiled them, thinking that I would whip out the eggs and make them on the spot during the party.  Well, let's just say that I had more going on that I anticipated in getting all the food out of the kitchen and onto the table.  I ended up having two friends peel the eggs and served them simply with a roll in pink Himalaya salt.  Delicious, one-bite, but definitely not what I had planned.  Still, I think I would serve them again exactly the same way!

Liquore Strega (saffron liqueur), chocolate, espresso, and anise-infused cream...this mousse is a chocolate lovers' dream: rich, decadent, and a perfect addition to my amuse-bouche menu.  INGREDIENTS: 1 ½ pounds semisweet or bittersweet dark chocolate ½ C espresso ½ C Liquore Strega* 4 egg yolks 1 C anise-infused heavy cream** ¼ C sugar 8 egg whites pinch of pink Himalaya salt PROCEDURE: Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler or bain marie over low heat. Stir in the espresso and liqueur. Cool to room temperature. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time.Whip the cream until thick. Gradually add the sugar until stiff peaks form.Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the cream.Fold the egg white-whipped cream mixture into the chocolate mixture. Pour into individual serving glasses and refrigerate for – at least – 2 hours before serving. *If you do not have any Liquore Strega - it is available through BevMo! - Sambuca or Gallian...

Liquore Strega , Witches' Brew, is an Italian herbal liqueur whose bright golden hue comes from the presence of saffron in its formulation.  I remember when I first saw the sunny bottle on a shelf at a bar in Rome.  The bartender let me taste it and when I asked what was in it, he answered: "T ante cose, ma il colore viene da il zafferano ." [Many things, but its color comes from saffron.]  Saffron, mint, fennel, and almost seventy other herbs are blended together to make this liqueur.  I was immediately smitten. It will appear in my chocolate mousse and in my cioppino for tomorrow's dinner party.  Recipes to follow.

A couple of weeks ago I made some Coco-Ginger MOffins (mochi + muffin = MOffin).  Since it was such a hit, I made a variation this morning: ChocoCoco MOffins.  I think the addition of the unsweetened cocoa powder dried out the batter, so I added another egg to the mix. 4 eggs 1/2 C canola oil 2 cups milk 1/2 C organic granulated sugar 1 T baking powder 4 T unsweetened cocoa powder 2 t ground ginger powder 1 box of rice flour young coconut in a jar Mix the eggs and oil. Then mix everything else except for young coconut. Pour half the batter into muffin cup, add about teaspoon of young coconut, top it off with more batter. Bake for about 30 minutes at 375˚F till the top of the MOffin is slightly browned and firm to the touch.

Okay, now that we're just a few days out from our dinner party - remember my plans for out-of-this-world amuse-bouche ?!? - the mayhem and arguments about food and food presentation have commenced.  Yes, that is what my husband and I actually argue about. I opted for an amuse-bouche menu because there is something intriguing - and challenging - to me about creating a flavorful mouthful. Amuse-bouche. An amusing mouthful. One mouthful. Only one bite. And I love the way amuse-bouche are served: minature cups and bowls, artistically twisted silverware. It's a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth. So, here's the debate.  A deviled egg half...is that one bite or two bites? Since Jake and I were at an impasse, I did what I normally do to get a multitude of opinions.  I posted my question on facebook.  Gotta love the immediacy of that kind of interaction. One of my friends from Canada wanted to know if I meant American eggs or Canadian eggs.  I...