Extra Blogger Love for The Bitchin' Kitchin'

Every now and then, somehow, there are some bloggers whose Secret Recipe Club partners flake out and don't cook or post. It's a horrible feeling to be left out, so when that happens, the group organizers put a call out for some quick cooking. I was happy to step-in today and help make sure that the gal behind The Bitchin' Kitchin' was no longer an orphan.

Turns out that Ellie wasn't an orphan after all...and I didn't need to post. But since my dish was already on the table and photographed, I'm posting anyway and giving her some extra blogger love.

As I didn't have a month to peruse and explore her website, I looked for something that I could whip up for dinner with what I know I have in my kitchen already. I knew that I had a beets left from my High Ground Organics CSA box, so I settled on her Roasted Beet Salad. She used beets and feta over arugula; I switched out the cheese to Il Forteto's Pecorino Brillo di Vino, a sheep's milk cheese whose rind is soaked in chianti. Oh, yes! It is as good as it sounds.

roasted beets

shaved pecorino brillo di vino

arugula
fresh thyme
fresh parsley
fig balsamic vinegar
olive oil

Layer the ingredients on the salad plate. Drizzle with the vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground pepper. My husband actually said, "This is the best salad you've ever made!"

When I have more time, I will definitely be making a version of her Pineapple Sangria.

Hot Chocolate Agasajo-Style {Spice It Up!}

photo by D For my Spice It Up! kiddos this week, I was looking for an exotic drink to serve while we learned about saffron. I found a recipe from food historian Maricel Presilla that mimicked traditional Spanish hot chocolate from the 17th century where it was served at lavish receptions called agasajos . When I teach, I don't always get to shoot photos. Thankfully, D grabbed my camera and snapped a few. Ingredients serves 14-16 1 gallon organic whole milk 3 T dried rosebuds - or 2 t rosewater 2 t saffron threads, lightly crushed 3 T ground cinnamon 3 whole tepin chiles, crushed 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise 1 C organic granulated sugar 1 lb. bittersweet chocolate Procedure In a large soup pot that can hold a gallon plus, combine milk, dried rosebuds (or rosewater, if you are using that), saffron threads, ground cinnamon, chiles, vanilla beans, and sugar and warm over medium heat till it steams. Whisk to dissolve sugar, then lower heat an...

A Cheese Board Anchored on a Trio of Italian Cheeses + A Pinot Nero from Alto Adige #ItalianFWT on CulinaryCam.Com

I am in the process of migrating over to my new domain. Come on over to read " A Cheese Board Anchored on a Trio of Italian Cheeses + A Pinot Nero from Alto Adige " for December's #ItalianFWT.

Frozen Art Gourmet Ice Cream

As we headed inland from the coast, I cringed as the temperature gauge in the car for outside temp climbed into the triple digits. Ugh. I'm a rather wimpy central coastal Californian who begins to wilt when it's 70 degrees outside. Thank goodness for air conditioning and a planned ice cream stop. When I parked the car outside Frozen Art Gourmet Ice Cream in Santa Rosa, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. We knew that we still had to get to the campsite...and set up our tents in the heat. But we were going to enjoy the cool, sweet treats from Frozen Art first! Michoacana ice creameries are the equivalent of Starbucks in Mexico; they're ubiquitous. Purists, however, claim that operating a true Michoacana ice cream shop require ties to Tocumbo. It's estimated that almost ninety percent of the Tocumban population is currently employed in the ice cream business from making ice cream itself to making equipment. But the real art of Tocumban ice creams: imaginat...

Culinary Adventures with Camilla

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