Culinary Adventures with Camilla

When my mom asked me to bring a soup and a vegetable for her international Christmas eve dinner, I told her I'd make a chestnut soup. What country is that from? Ummm...Italy. Really? Well, that's where I first saw what a chestnut looks like fresh off the tree - seemingly inpenetrable balls of threatening brown spikes which then reveals the shiny, still ridiculously difficult to crack inner shell. It's where I became enamoured with the Italian sweet Marron Glace (candied chestnuts). The bags of chestnut flour I buy, when I can find them, are imported from Italy. Yes, really. In a large soup pot I caramelized diced onions, shallots, and celery with fresh rosemary. When they started to caramelize, I added roasted and peeled chestnuts - thank goodness for Trader Joe's vacuum packed ones! - and cooked them for about ten minutes, stirring constantly. Then I topped all of that with organic chicken broth and added sliced brown crimini mushrooms and fresh bay leaves, bringin...

When friends invited us over for dinner, I offered to bring a salad or dessert. "Dessert," she said. So I set out to make something tasty and fresh. This drew moans of delight. Mission accomplished. Tart crust 2 C white whole wheat flour 1/2 C powdered sugar pinch of salt 3/4 C butter Mix the flour, sugar and salt; rub in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in 1 teaspoon of water with a fork until the mixture forms a ball. Roll out between two pieces of parchment paper. Press gently into a tart pan. Prick crust with a fork to prevent bubbling. Bake for 20 minutes at 350, or until a light golden brown.   Frangipane 1 C ground almonds 1/4 C organic granulated sugar 1/4 C powdered sugar 2/3 C melted butter 1 large egg Mix everything together to form a paste. Once the tart crust is cooked, spread a layer of frangipane over the bottom. Quarter the figs and arrange them in concentric circles to cover the frangipane. Sprinkle with sugar an...

When I first made this, I was afraid to call it 'kimchi' despite assurances from my Korean friends that there is no such thing as a single kimchi recipe. But after creating two fermented cabbage converts, I'm feeling a little bit more sure of my kimchi-making self. My husband typically steers clear of kimchi , but when I served mine, he had a second helping and a third! And another self-professed cabbage-phobic actually enjoyed it as well. Since I had used purple cabbage in my last batch, the kimchi took on a bright amethyst hue that, according to previously mentioned cabbage-phobic friend, should only belong to an OtterPop. So, I'm making another batch of kimchi , this time with only green cabbage from my High Ground Organics CSA box. 1/2 C Hawaiian red alaea sea salt enough warm water to submerge all the cabbage 1 head of cabbage 1 T minced garlic 1/2 C Korean chili paste 1/2 C white balsamic vinegar 3 T honey In a very large mixing bowl dissolve the sa...

With some leftover pumpkin puree in my fridge and some potatoes from my High Ground Organics CSA box, I decided to make a pumpkin-potato gnocchi for dinner. Most people roll their gnocchi dough into a thick straw and cut the gnocchi; in Italy I was taught to hand-form them, so mine look less uniform. For this batch I used 2 C of pumpkin puree and about 6 small potatoes. Scrub potatoes then towel-dry. Roll them in olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and roast in a 350 degree oven until they are fork-tender. Let cool slightly. I leave the skin on the potatoes, but feel free to peel yours if you don't want the added texture. Using a potato masher, begin to smash the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Mash the pumpkin into the potato mixture and keep mashing. Add two pats of butter, one beaten egg, and mash until smooth. Then mix in flour, slowly, until you get a medium (not stiff, but not too sticky either) dough. Usually I add about 3/4 C by the time I'm done. Usi...

I dare not call this kimchi for fear of offending my Korean friends. Let's just call it 'kimchi-style.' I've received several heads of cabbage in my CSA box over the past couple of weeks and was looking for something new to do with them. Last week I made a purple cabbage coleslaw. Tonight I decided to try a fermented cabbage. I started with a kimchi recipe by Gabi Moskowitz , the BrokeAss Gourmet...and immediately made some adjustments based on what I had in my cupboard. I haven't actually gotten to the final stages, or the enjoyment part, but I'll keep you posted on the results. 1/2 C Hawaiian red alaea sea salt enough warm water to submerge all the cabbage 1-1/2 heads cabbage (I used 1 whole green and 1/2 purple) 1 T minced garlic 1/2 C Korean chili paste 1/2 C white balsamic vinegar 3 T honey In a very large mixing bowl dissolve the salt in warm water. Submerge the cabbage into the salt water and weigh it down with a plate, so it stays submerged. ...

Despite my tirade about national food holidays, I decided that I would participate in celebrating National Lobster Day today. But not having the amount of money in my food budget for four pounds of lobster meat, I opted for langostino - squat lobster - and whipped up a lobster bisque and a lobster pot pie. I paired those with a bottle of 2005 Carmel Chardonnay. Thanks for the wine, Greg. To make my life even easier, I started with the same filling or base for both dishes. And thanks to Belle and Randy for the bounty from their garden I had some delicious, fresh fennel to add to it all. fennel, sliced leeks, sliced garlic, minced 2 pounds langostino, cooked and peeled (or lobster meat) carrots sliced butter flour clam juice chicken stock milk fresh oregano fresh thyme sea salt organic heavy cream I cooked the fennel, leek, and garlic in a large soup pot till softened and beginning to brown. Then I added the cooked langostino tails and carrots. In a separate pot I...

Even though our weather is not cooperating, i.e. , it does not feel very summery, I have been whipping up some quick, less-than-six-ingredient summer salads for dinner. Last night I rubbed some lamb steaks with sea salt and fresh oregano, so I mirrored those flavors in our salad. chopped heirloom tomatoes chopped Persian cucumbers crumbled feta cheese sea salt fresh oregano olive oil Chop. Toss. Devour.

In this mayhem that is the last week of school, I put some time into making salads that I could toss between slices of bread or on crackers for the small ones and scoop on top of greens for the tall ones throughout the week. This is a super easy, but super tasty chicken salad. Boiled or roasted chicken, chopped fennel, chopped dried cranberries pecans, chopped minced garlic mayonaise stone ground mustard pink Himalaya salt fresh oregano splash of olive oil Use within two days.

The boys came up with the menu for Mothers' Day, but I'm cooking. How is that fair? Riley wanted ham and cheese quiche, so I tonight I made this... Crust 2 C white whole wheat flour 3/4 C butter pinch of pink Himalaya salt 1 T cold water Preheat oven to 350. Place flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Rub in butter till the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in water until the mixture forms a ball. Press the dough into individual springform pans and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Place diced ham and gouda into the crust, top with beaten egg, and bake till firm, about 30 minutes. Once cooled, remove from springform pan.

10 oz high-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces 1/2 C heavy whipping cream 1/2 t fennel pollen unsweetened cocoa and bee pollen* for rolling In a small, heavy saucepan bring the whipping cream to a simmer. Place the chocolate in a separate bowl with fennel pollen. Pour the cream over the chococlate. Let stand for 3 minutes. Whisk till smooth. Allow to cool, then place in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Roll half-teaspoon sized balls in your hands as quickly as you can. Roll in unsweetened cocoa and dip the top into bee pollen. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate overnight before serving. *Note: about the bee pollen...I ordered mine from the Monterey Bay Spice Company. [ Click here for their link.] But I believe the Vitamin Shoppe carries it. I haven't checked WholeFoods, but it shouldn't be too tough to find.

It doesn't take much to make rhubarb shine - just some butter, sugar, and my ridiculously easy tart crust . Once the tart crust is baked, spoon in this filling. 4 C sliced rhubarb 1 C organic granulated sugar 2 T butter, thinly sliced 2 T white whole wheat flour Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 45 minutes. Let cool.

Gazpacho is a chilled tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the Andalusia, the southern region of Spain.  It is also consumed in neighboring Portugal where it is called gaspacho . I decided it was the perfect canvas to use the green garlic from my CSA box. tomatoes cucumbers green garlic garlic green leeks olive oil cumin paprika ancho chili powder splash of red wine sun-dried tomatoes crème fraîche fresh peas In a large sauce pan, s auté sliced green garlic, leeks, and minced garlic in a splash of olive oil. When they begin to soften and brown, add a splash of red wine and season with ground spices. Simmer till completely softened.  Then, in batches, blend the garlic mixture with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers.  Let cool completely. Serve with a few sliced sun-dried tomatoes, crème fraîche, and fresh peas. *Update 3/1/2013: Linking this post up to Katherine Martinelli's Garlic Linky .*

Chef Adrienne Saldivar-Meier was one of only 50 chefs and food specialists nationwide to be invited to the White House this past year to cook for the first lady as part of a new campaign that pairs chefs with schools to teach children about nutrition and healthy eating.  Saldivar-Meier makes food that's healthy by replacing everyday food choices with healthier ingredients. She has visited hundreds of schools as the star of the Healthy Eating Lifestyle Principles Program, and is affecting the lives of many at-risk youth through her work with the new Drummond Culinary Academy at Rancho Cielo.  Representing the lettuce capital of the world, Chef Adrienne's slogan "Lettuce Be The Change" is also the title of her new book that she has co-written with the Drummond Culinary Academy students in response to the White House plea to change how we eat as a nation.  AND...Chef Adrienne was our speaker last night at the gala fundraising dinner for the International School of Monter...

I love savory pies for brunch.  And every pie needs to start with a flaky, buttery crust. Here's the crust I use for all of my savory recipes... 5 T cold water 1/2 C butter 2 1/2 C flour 1/2 t salt Mix the salt and flour together with a whisk. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender until you have a coarse, nearly uniform mixture. Make a well in the center and add the ice water. Mix with a fork until it comes together into a dough ball. Knead a few times, only until the dough is smooth. Extra kneading will make the crust tough instead of crumbly. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough to about 1/8 inch thick and form the crust - or just press the crust into your pan. Prebake the crust for 20 minutes before filling and baking it. For the filling, I cooked the bacon; I sauteed onions and chopped beet greens in butter till slightly softened; and I quickly cooked sliced brown mushrooms till they were barely softened. Spoon the beet greens, onions...