Culinary Adventures with Camilla

What a fun appetizer...and a chance to let the boys - all three of them - play with their food. This is the Andorran version of bruschetta except instead of a rustic, chunky mixture of tomatoes and garlic atop toasted bread, this version looks spare in ingredients. But the flavor is unbelievable. In fact, both little boys wanted more tomato because the garlic was overpowering. I used an Italian ciabatta, sliced, toasted, and served with a crushed clove of garlic and a wedge or tomato. Each person rubbed the toast to their liking. I forgot to offer olive oil to drizzle and salt and pepper to taste. Whoops. Here's the recipe I started with from Sasha at Global Table Adventure's Andorran stop .

Just as hot chocolate and whipped cream go hand-in-hand here, in Andorra and the Catalan-region of Spain, you can't have xocolata espanyola without xurros. These were so easy to make and Dylan loved getting to shake them to coat them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Dough 2 Tablespoons organic granulated sugar 1/3 cup butter 1 cup water 1 cup white whole wheat flour 2 eggs Coating 1/2 cup organic granulated sugar 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking stone with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, and butter Bring to a boil and boil for 10. Remove from heat and add flour, beating with large wooden spoon until well blended. Add in beaten eggs and stir into flour mixture until completely incorporated. Typically you would spoon the dough into pastry bag with large star tip and squeeze dough onto baking sheet in 4-inch strips, leaving space for each churro to expand. I didn't have a pastry bag, so w...

This is a dark hot chocolate made in Andorra and the Catalan-region of Spain. Made with melted dark chocolate, milk, flour and cinnamon. It's a delicious, thick treat that requires the presence of xurros ! 2 C shards of dark chocolate 2 C milk 1 T white whole wheat flour (the original recipe called for corn flour) 1 T organic granulated sugar 1 t ground cinnamon (I added this) Heat the milk till it just begins to steam. Add all the other ingredients. Whisk continuously until the chocolate is melted and the drink begins to thicken. Serve in small cups as this is a very rich drink. I used espresso cups.

A good friend told me that I wasn't doing the boys any favors by teaching them that whatever they "order" for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, they get. So, I have actively been teaching them how to cook. They won't need to find girlfriends and wives to cater to their fearless palates; they'll be able to cook for themselves and their true loves. What it means for this adventure, though, is bickering. "Mom, Riley helped you with Albania. I get to help with Algeria. Otherwise, it's not fair!" Fine. Wash your hands and get an apron. We're on to country number three of our Cooking Around the World adventure . And Dylan is my sous-chef tonight. So, here we go. We're moving from the Western Balkans to North Africa. Dinner tonight was made up of a trio of savory dishes from ALGERIA, the third country on the list. Country: Algeria The cuisine of Algeria is a mix of various influences - from Berber to Arabic to French to Jewish. Most cooking is ...

There seems to be as many recipes for Algerian couscous as there are Algerian cooks. I took bits and pieces from several recipes, adapting to what vegetables I had and the time I had. Since I didn't have time to roast the cauliflower, I opted to sear and caramelize it. Delicious! Wash and chop the cauliflower into large bite-sized pieces. Melt butter in a large flat-bottom pan. Sprinkle in ground cumin, freshly ground sea salt and flower pepper. Add the cauliflower and cook till seared and nicely caramelized. Meanwhile cook the couscous. Bring 2 C water, a splash of olive oil, and a pinch of saffron threads to a boil. Add 2 C whole wheat couscous. Cover with a lid and remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Gently stir in cauliflower, diced tomatoes, and sliced almonds. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Serve hot.

Contrary to what you would think, there are no peaches in this recipe; these are meatballs, covered in mashed potatoes, rolled in batter, and cooked till the outside is golden and "fuzzy," hence the name. This recipe has multiple steps but the resulting flavors are definitely worth it. And it helps that I have an exuberant kitchen elf to lend a hand. Step One: Making the White Sauce splash of olive oil one onion, diced freshly ground sea salt and flower pepper to taste 1 t ground cinnamon 2 C cooked chickpeas 4 C water Heat oil in flat-bottom pan, onion, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and chickpeas. Sauté over low heat for 5 minutes. Add water, bring to boil and cook for 30 minutes. Use a potato masher to smash the garbanzo beans. Cook for another 15-20 minutes. While the garbanzo sauce is cooking, make the meatballs. Step Two: Making the Meatballs 1 lb 96/4 organic grass-fed beef freshly ground sea salt and flower peppers 1 T dried oregano 1 egg, beaten Combine all meat...

We are on a roll. The kids are as excited about this project as I am and, on the way to school the morning after our Afghani dinner, inquired eagerly, "Mommy, what's our next country?" So, we're on to country number two: Albania. In case you are just joining us, I was inspired - by Sasha of Global Table Adventure  - to cook and eat our way through 195 countries. She researches, blogs, cooks, and blogs again about one country per week; I am not going to be that scheduled. A few here, a few there. But we will do it all. And my goal is to finish by the end of the year. So, here we go. Për të ngrënë bukë. That's Albanian for "going to eat a meal." Dinner tonight was made up of savory and sweet dishes from ALBANIA , the second country on the list. Click here for my CATWWC (Cooking Around the World with Camilla) launch post . Country: Albania Albanian cuisine reflects a mixture of influences from the Turkish, Balkan, and Mediterranean European cui...