Culinary Adventures with Camilla

As we ended Day 16 of our shelter-in-place order, I rummaged through my cabinets for inspiration to bake cookies. I came across two bags of Pinole Azul from Rancho Gordo , which is a ground, spiced blue corn flour used to make Atole. I decided that it could substitute for ground nuts since I didn't have any. If you don't have any Pinole Azul, feel free to use masa harina in its place. Just add in some extra cinnamon. I also found a jar of Blackberry Lemon Summer Jam from Happy Girl Kitchen Co . What I love about thumbprint cookies is their flexibility. You can use any kind of jam or jelly; and you can get that added texture with anything from ground nuts to a coarser grind of flour. Be creative. It's the perfect #ShelterinPlace recipe that allows you to rummage through your cabinets and still make a delicious cookie! Ingredients  makes approximately 30 cookies 3/4 C butter, at room temperature 3/4 C organic granulated sugar 2 eggs 2 C flour 1/2 C Pinole ...

With our shelter-in-place order in full force, I've streamed quite a few shows in recent days. I never watch this much television. But in just a few days, I watched all six episodes of the Netflix series Restaurants on the Edge . The premise is simple: A restaurateur (Nick Liberato), a chef ( Dennis Prescott), and an interior designer (Karin Bohn) travel the world to rehab restaurants that have great views but lousy food. Once you watch more than two episodes - and there are only six! - you see the formula. But it doesn't make the show any less appealing. I was intrigued by the ways in which Prescott embraced the local food traditions and helped (re)infuse the restaurants with their cultural roots. Each episode made my mouth water, reminded me of food memories, and put a place on my travel list. Malta The trio traveled to  Marsaxlokk,  Malta where Justin Haber, Maltese footballer and goalkeeper, has a failing seafood restaurant. I loved how Prescott visited the...

One thing I will say about this shelter-in-place order: I sure am digging deep into my cabinets and using up ingredients that I didn't even remember that I had! In any case, Jake requested fish tacos for our 20th anniversary dinner last night. So, I went to a local fish market - we are allowed to go out for groceries! - and picked up petrale sole and rockfish. Then I had the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf make a fresh salsa; and the Precise Kitchen Elf cranked out some homemade corn tortillas with a bag of masa that I had in the cupboard and the rabbit stock I had simmering on the stove from when I made Kouneli Stifado (Greek Rabbit Stew).   Ingredients makes about twenty 4" tortillas 3 C masa harina 2-1/4 C warm liquid (you can use water or stock) 1 t freshly ground salt 1 T olive oil corn meal for rolling oil for cooking Also needed: waxed paper or parchment paper, tortilla press (if you don't have a press, you can use a rolling pin...it just w...