Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Today I'm hosting the Festive Foodies as we celebrate National Beer Day. Though I typically uncork wine as a food pairing, I do love a good beer. And I, especially, loved the challenge of coming up with a recipe that included beer. First, please take a look at what my fellow foodie bloggers posted for the celebration The Line-Up Beer Battered Onion Rings with Spicy Dipping Sauce by Cindy's Recipes and Writings Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs by Everyday Eileen Beer Brats with Caramelized Onions by Amy's Cooking Adventures Hatch Pepper Beer Chili by Palatable Pastime Mexican Beer Chili by A Day in the Life on the Farm Stoverij + Our Favorite Belgian Beer by Culinary Adventures with Camilla Our Favorite Belgian Beer Over the past few years, I have been lucky enough to meet and interview Fabrice Rondia, a Belgian transplant here on California's central coast and the owner of Belgian Pacific. Most recently I visited him at the beginning of the su...

I guess I should have said that the Belarusian dinner was actually last night. Dylan was my kitchen elf tonight for our Cooking Around the World adventure, transporting us to Belgium with a dinner that made everyone moan and, literally, slurp the broth from the plates. Couth we were not, but full and happy, yes! En laat het smaken. Almost every collection of Belgian recipes had a version of moules et frites (mussels and fries). But I had just made French fries for our Bangladeshi breakfast. So we made moules et pommes a la liegeoise instead . Moules were amazing! A-mah-zing. Everyone asked for second helpings even though mussels are not a family favorite. And instead of the traditional frites (French fries) usually served with the mussels, I opted to make Pommes a la Liegeoise . These were the perfect companion to the mussels. We ended the meal with some Belgian-beer battered apple rings. 1 beer + 2 C white whole wheat flour + peeled and cored apple rings = dessert....

The strong flavors of this dish - Pommes a la Liegeoise (Beligan potatoes with Juniper Butter) - were a wonderful companion to my moules (Belgian wine-steamed mussels). 1 potato per person you're serving 4 medium-sized baking potatoes (about ½ pound each) thoroughly scrubbed 2 sliced leeks 10 whole juniper berries, bruised with the flat of a cleaver or large knife 2 T strained fresh lemon juice 1 t smoked sea salt, freshly ground 1/2 t flower pepper, freshly ground crème fraîche Bake the potatoes as you normally would. In a saucepan, melt a pat of butter with a splash of olive oil. Saute the leek until they begin to soften. Add the juniper berries and continue to cook until the white of the leeks are transparent. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Cut a cross in the top of the potatoes and press on the sides to open up the potato. Spoon in a dollop of crème fraîche then scoop a generous amount of the leeks on top.

Everyone asked for seconds of this dish and, typcially, we are not big fans of mussels. And while these are normally accompanied by frites (French fries), I opted to serve them with pommes a la liegeoise  (potatoes with juniper butter). What strong, fabulous flavors! Another culinary hit on our cooking around the world adventure.  In a pat of butter, Dylan softened diced onions, garlic, and shallots, then added fresh thyme, fresh oregano, and fresh basil. Then he stirred in the mussels, poured in some white wine, and stirred and steamed until the mussels were all opened. To finish the dish, he spooned in crème fraîche and served the mussels in their broth.