Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Did you know that today is National Hot Dog Day? I didn't. But we couldn't resist. Bánh Mì Dogs My favorite podcast is FoodStuff. And Anney and Lauren got frank about hot dogs; you can hear that  here , but I'll give you a few snippets. Let's start with a definition: "A hot dog is a tube of fine-ground meat, usually beef or beef and pork, seasoned with stuff like coriander, mustard seed, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, paprika, garlic, sugar, and salt. Usually cured. Sometimes smoked. ...Savory, salty, spiced...it's simply a type of pre-cooked sausage." Frankfurter or wiener or wienie are other names for them, too. As far as the meat goes, all-beef, beef and pork, turkey, and caribou have all been turned into hot dogs. Anything goes. The average American consumes 60 hot dogs. I find that stunning. I have maybe two a year. Many Americans believe there is a "proper hot dog" and everyone else is wrong. "Ketchup is 'unacceptable...

We love picnics! So, when I saw that Ellen of Family Around the Table was hosting a Festive Foodies event to celebrate National Picnic Day, I was excited to participate and get some new ideas for Summer and Spring meals al fresco . Sometimes our picnics are as easy as jarred tapenades, sliced breads, cheese, and fruits. Sometimes I'll prep salads or chilled soups. We picnic in parks, on the beach, wherever we happen to be. And, on special occasions, we'll even hike in a bottle of bubbly or wine. Wine bottles are heavier than you would think; my husband groans when he sees me packing one. For this #NationalPicnicDay event, I wanted to share our favorite sandwich: Bánh Mì. But on the afternoon I was packing these up, this is what it looked like outside! Darn it. So, we picnicked at our dining room table instead. I promised the boys we'd re-do these on another day, when the sun was shining. But before I get to my recipe, here are the picnicke...

This week Cynthia of  Feeding Big  asked us share some back-to-school recipes. Since my kids aren't sandwich lovers, I try to get creative. Love these Other Ideas Cinnamon Pecan Bars   by Family Around the Table Gingered Shrimp and Veggie Bowl  by A Day In The Life on The Farm Ham and Cheese Rolls  by Cooking With Carlee Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crackers  by Caroline’s Cooking Our Kinda Sandwich Bánh mì  is a Vietnamese term for all kinds of bread, derived from  bánh  (bread) and  mì  (wheat). But, more often than not, it refers to the baguette which was introduced by the French during its colonial period. But when we say it, we're usually referring to the Vietnamese sandwiches that my boys adore. These sandwiches combine French ingredients such as baguettes, pâté, and mayonnaise with native Vietnamese ingredients such as cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots, and daikon. Though my boys are decidedly not sand...

Bánh mì  is a Vietnamese term for all kinds of bread, derived from bánh (bread) and mì (wheat). But, more often than not, it refers to the baguette which was introduced by the French during its colonial period. But when we say it, we're usually referring to the Vietnamese sandwiches that my boys adore. These sandwiches combine French ingredients such as baguettes, pâté, and mayonnaise with native Vietnamese ingredients such as cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrots, and daikon. "Mom, can you make bánh mì for my birthday party?" Sure can.  And I love that it's not even a question in my mind that the kids he invited will eat it! "And can you make them with meatballs?" Okay. R had invited some of his closest friends to join us at the Mt. Madonna Range for a very belated birthday celebration; his birthday was in June. Then we planned to come back home for a lunch.  Bánh mì  could be done mostly ahead of time, so it was the perfect po...