Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Wanting a magical mouthful that showcased the sweet tomatoes from Belle's garden, I decided to whip up a Tuscan salad that features fresh tomatoes and day-old bread: panzanella . There are probably as many versions of panzanella as there are Italian cooks; because the recipe is so simple, the secret to a tasty panzanella is fresh, flavorful ingredients...whatever you put in it. fresh tomatoes, cubed hearty day-old bread, cubed (I used some leftover double chocolate stout dark rye bread ) garlic, minced olive oil smoked sea salt fresh basil, finely chopped fresh oregano ciliegia mozzarella balsamic vinegar In a large flat bottom pan, lightly brown the garlic in a splash of olive oil. Add the cubed bread and stir the bread continuously so that it doesn't burn. Cook till the bread is toasted but not crouton-hard. In the meantime, place the tomatoes and mozzarella in a large mixing bowl. Once the bread is done, add it to the bowl. Season with sea salt. Splash with olive oil a...

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...

Treats for Riley's birthday celebration at school. This is my solution for kids in the class who are gluten-free and nut-free: flourless chocolate cupcakes. 12 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped 1 C butter, cubed 1 C raw sugar 6 eggs 1 C unsweetened cocoa powder 1 T organic whipping cream 1 T honey 1/4 t pure vanilla extract Preheat oven to 375°F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners. Place chocolate and butter in a bowl over a medium saucepan of water. Over medium low heat, stirring often, melt chocolate with butter until completely blended. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in whipping cream, honey, and vanilla extract. Sift cocoa into bowl and stir until just blended. Pour batter into prepared hollows and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cupcakes have risen and top has formed a thin crust. The cupcakes should be just firm in the center when done. When cooled...

Our "Dinner from the Deep" for Riley's camping trip included this seafood chowder that was a hit! I made it the night before, packed it in ice for our trek down the coast, then reheated it on a camping stove and served it with crackers. 1 C cubed pancetta 1 C diced onions an assortment of potatoes (purple, Yukon gold, and new red) carrots 1 lb cleaned squid 1 lb scallops 1 lb cleaned and deveined shrimp 1 lb lump crab 1 C roasted corn cut off the cob butter flour 2 C clam juice milk fresh oregano fresh thyme pink Himalaya salt In a large soup kettle or stockpot, cook pancetta and onions over medium heat. Add potatoes and carrots and cook till beginning to caramelize. Add the seafood. Cook for 10 minutes or until scallops and squid are opaque and shrimp turn pink. In another pot make a roux with the butter and flour. Add the clam juice to make a thick sauce. Transfer the sauce to the larger pot. Stir in milk and cook till desired thickness. Season with f...

While the boys wanted ham and cheese quiche for their Mothers' Day picnic - "with no vegetables, please" - I wanted something with veggies. 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 a tart pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Place diced ham, sauteed spinach and caramelized onions into the crust, top with beaten egg, sprinkle with shaved grana padana and bake till firm, about 30 minutes. Once cooled, remove from tart pan.

Inspired by the delicious offerings at Ramekins Culinary Institute last night at Obe and Andi's wedding, I whipped up some pizzas of my own for dinner tonight. My quick and easy crust has white whole wheat flour, chestnut flour, and oat flour, but use whatever flours you have on hand. Similarly, use whatever toppings you have. Tonight I used salami, pepperoni, ham, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese for the boys' pizzas. 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 1 T organic granulated sugar 1 C warm water 1 C white whole wheat flour 1 C chestnut flour 1/2 C oat flour 2 T olive oil 1 t pink Himalaya salt Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza stone dusted with flour. Spread with desired topp...

Due to waaay too much vino on Friday night, I am getting a late start on blogging about the food I served that evening. We celebrated Jake's 36th birthday with 'A Fungi Feast for My Fun Guy.'  First up: a triple mushroom pâté. I served this with raisin-rosemary crackers from Trader Joe's. I started with a recipe from Gourmet magazine from 1997 and tweaked a bit to come up with this version. It's a pretty involved recipe, but it's well worth the effort. 1 1/2 C chicken stock 2 C chopped shitake mushroom 2 C chopped trumpet mushroom 2 C chopped crimini mushroom 1 stick butter 2 minced shallots 4 minced garlic cloves 1/4 cup wine 1 C organic heavy cream 4 large eggs 1/4 cup ground almond meal 1/4 C chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 t chopped fresh thyme 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs 1-1/2 T fresh lemon juice 2 t pink Himalaya salt 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper Butter loaf pan, then line bottom and sides with parchment paper and butter pape...

With the warm weather we're having today, mushroom-barley soup didn't sound very appealing. So I changed direction and went for a cold mushroom-barley salad, using the shitake mushrooms from my CSA box. shitake mushrooms napa cabbage spinach soy sauce sake olive oil garlic cooked barley furikake * I washed, dried, and sliced the shitake mushrooms. Then I sa utéed them in a bit of olive oil with thin slices of napa cabbage, whole baby spinach, and minced garlic. When they began to soften and stick to the pan, I deglazed the pan with a splash of soy sauce and a splash of sake.  Toss with cooked barley, more olive oil, add soy sauce to taste. Chill. Sprinkle with furikake and serve. * furikake is a Japanese seasoning made up of tasted sesame seeds and bits of dried seaweed.

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...

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 sauteed sliced leeks and dinosaur kale in butter till slightly softened.  Spoon the leeks and kale into the prebaked crust, top with crumbled feta cheese, beaten egg, and rough-chopped fresh dill.  Sprinkle with pink Himalaya salt, c...

This is 'hot' as in 'spicy' and an oh-so-easy dinner.  I rubbed a pork tenderloin with 2 T of minced garlic, 2 T unsweetened cocoa, 1 T ground ancho chili, and a bit of pink Himalaya salt.  Drizzle it with olive oil.  Roast in the oven till the pork is firm to the touch - about an hour in a 350 degree oven. I served this with a red quinoa pilaf and a broccoli and shitake mushroom saute.

I was going to make the chili that won me the title of  'Grand Champion' at the Erickson's 4th of July party last year: my Chili al Diavolo , but I didn't have three hours to braise the meat or overnight to let the flavors develop.  So, I adjusted the recipe to have more flavor upfront versus needing to steep.  Still, this will be tasty tomorrow if I have any leftovers.  I'm calling it Double-Double-Double Chili because it has - two kinds of meat, two kinds of chilis, and two kinds of beans. INGREDIENTS 1 pound of beef 1 pound of ground buffalo onions garlic 1 bottle of beer 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 goldspike chilis 1 can of black beans 1 can of white cannellini beans molasses PROCEDURE Thinly slice the onions and crush the garlic. Sauté in olive oil till they start to soften. Brown the ground buffalo meat and gro...

With one large beet in my fridge and a beet-themed dinner in the future, I decided to make a beet-asiago 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 1 large beet and about 10 small Yukon gold potatoes. Scrub the beet and 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. Rub the skin from the beet. I leave the skin on the potatoes, but feel free to peel yours if you don't want the texture. Using a potato masher, begin to smash the potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Shred the beets into the potato mixture and keep mashing. Add two pats of butter, one beaten egg, and mash until smooth. Stir in 1 C of shaved asiago. 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 ...