Culinary Adventures with Camilla

On rare occasion when I have an excess of berries - any kind of berries - I make a quick sauce that is a fabulous companion to ice cream or on top of cheese. Last night I had some fresh blueberries, so I put them in a sauce pan with organic sugar, water, and some leftover wine. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer till the sauce begins to thicken. Remember: it will continue to thicken as it cools, so don't cook it too long or you'll have jam...which isn't a bad thing either, you just can't pour it on top of ice cream!

This wasn't a new concoction for the Carnivore Club dinner last night, but it is always a favorite and a great addition to any grill meal. It's so easy to make; I always have a jar of lavender salt on hand. Place dried lavender and Himalayan pink sea salt in a mortar and crush slightly with a pestle. Rub the mixture on a Frenched rack of lamb and let sit for at least 10 minutes before grilling. Once cooked, slice the rack into separate pieces - with the bone like a lollipop stick - and serve.

I was intrigued by a recipe that called for 'porcini' powder and looked, unsuccessfully, for a jar of it on several diffent spice racks. Then I realized I could make the powder by grinding dried porcinis. It was simple...and added a nice, earthy flavor to a dry rubbed chicken. Minced shallots, porcini powder, sea salt, ground pink pepper. Rub the mixture on the meat at least 10 minutes before grilling.

Jenn and Mike donated a four pound piece of flat iron to the Carnivore Club cause. Since flat iron is beef shoulder, I decided to try a variation of Epaule d'Agneau Frottée au Romarin, Anchois et Zeste de Citron. Quick and easy... In a bowl, I combined all, finely chopped - 10 filets of anchovy; 1 sprig of fresh rosemary; 1 organic lemon, both zest and juice; 5 cloves garlic; and a dash of salt. Rub the mixture on the meat at least 10 minutes before grilling.

Instead of an internationally-themed dinner for this month's experiment, I decided to put Jake to work and called this dinner: The Carnivore Club. We tried four different dry rubs on four different cuts of meat. It was delicious. Espresso-Chocolate-Salt Filet Mignon...a nice cut of meat in a dry rub of finely ground, dark roasted coffee, Himalayan pink sea salt, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Rub the mixture on the meat at least 10 minutes before grilling.

INGREDIENTS · 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate · ¼ cup espresso and amaretto · 10 tablespoons butter · ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar · 6 large eggs, separated · ¼ teaspoon salt · 2 cups almonds, toasted and finely ground PREPARATION Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease and dust a 9-inch springform pan with unsweetened cocoa powder. Line the bottom with parchment. In the top of a double boiler or in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and coffee. With an electric mixer and a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until ivory colored. Add the egg yolks, two at a time. Continue to beat until the mixture is light and airy. Fold in the cooled melted chocolate. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with the salt until they form stiff peaks. With the beater running, add two tablespoons sugar and beat until glossy. Fold the ground almonds into the whites. Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg white mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Place in the oven and

My Chili al Diavolo was deemed ‘Grand Champion’ today at the Erickson’s 4th of July Chili Cook-Off. And it was a tough field with lots and lots of great pots of chili. What an honor! It takes hours of simmering and thousands of chops, but it is well worth the effort. INGREDIENTS 1 pound of beef 1 pound of ground buffalo onions garlic 1 bottle of beer (chose a pale one for this part) 1 bottle of Young’s Double Chocolate Stout (16.9 fl. oz) 2 shots of espresso 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder 1 large can of diced tomatoes 1 large can of crushed tomatoes paprika cumin sea salt 2 fresh poblano chilis 2 fresh Anaheim chilis 2 fresh goldspike chilis 2 cans of black beans agave syrup, to taste PROCEDURE Thinly slice the onions and crush the garlic. Sauté in olive oil till they start to soften. Add beef, thinly sliced, and braise in pale beer for three hours. Drain off any excess liquid and reserve the beef in a separate bowl. Brown the ground buffalo meat with more onions a

A good friend and a great cook has created an online recipe box on her blog: Rook No. 17 . Check them out! I've posted some of my recipes. I'd love to see yours.