Culinary Adventures with Camilla

This month the Movies and Munchies group is watching  Encanto , hosted by Amy of   Amy's Cooking Adventures . You can read her invitation  here . And thought I finished this recipe early in the month, I forgot to post it before we went on vacation and here I am on the last day of the month. Ugh. Sorry, Amy. On the Screen Encanto takes place in the mountains of Columbia where the Madrigal family lives in an enchanted house. Each of the Madrigal children and grandchildren have been blessed with a special, magical gift...except Mirabel: Mirabel's mother, Julietta, heals with her cooking, especially her arepas con queso ; Mirabel's sister Luisa can lift an astounding amount of weight (think donkeys!); and her other sister Isabela creates beautiful flowers everywhere she goes. Tia Pepa controls the weather with her emotions and cousin Dolores has super hearing. While Abuela Alma doesn't have any magical powers herself, it was her miracle that saved her and her triplets - Jul...

It's hard to believe that the first quarter of 2020 is almost over. Welcome to our March #EattheWorld project, being spearheaded by Evelyne of  CulturEatz . Here's  her challenge . This month she said, "Snowstorm and winter relief! Bring the tropics to your kitchens as we explore Fiji on a plate! Join us on March 10th, 2020 at 10 am with a recipe." Before I get to my post, please take a look at the offerings... A Day in the Life on the Farm:  Kokoda Amy’s Cooking Adventures:  Fijian Creamy Lentil Soup (Dhal)   Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Fijian Food for a Crowd: Curry, Pulao, and Cassava Cake  CulturEatz:  Kokoda, a Fijian Coconut Milk Ceviche   Dinner By Dennis:  Palusami   Kitchen Frau:  Spiced Sweet Potato and Banana Salad   Making Miracles:  Lolo Buns   Palatable Pastime:  Pawpaw Curry with Lolo   Pandemonium Noshery:  Fijian Banana Cake with Dates and Coconut   ...

We kicked off our 'F' countries - in this cooking around the world adventure of ours - with an easy Friday foray into Fijian cooking. Fiji is comprised of 300 mountainous islands populated with a multi-cultural society formed by people from Polynesia, India, Melanesia, China and several European countries. And the complex cuisine of Fiji reflects the culinary influence of different cultures. The Dutch introduced the local population to the sea cucumbers. The British brought cattle and some exotic fruits from Africa and the Americas. Indian cuisine developed in this country because of the Indian slaves that the British brought here to work on the sugar plantations. Present day Fiji cuisine is a great mixture of Polynesian, Indian, Melanesian, Chinese and Western cuisine. Some of the most used ingredients in Fiji cuisine are yam, breadfruit, cassava, taro root ( dalo ) and leaves ( rourou ). Beef, poultry, pork and seafood are an integral part of Fijian food.   Shri...