Culinary Adventures with Camilla

When Jake and I ducked over the Crema for yet another 40th birthday celebration for me, this weekend, we started off with 'Avocado and Ham.' Such a basic name for a dish that is beyond basic. It's multi-dimensional, elegant and so, so tasty! Here's Chef Jon Moser's creation that inspired me to give it a try on my own... avocado, peeled and pitted diced prosciutto prosciutto, crisped in a pan till it can stand up cilantro, chopped Meyer lemon juice olive oil freshly ground sea salt freshly ground pepper lettuce for garnish (I used red leaf Little Gems from my CSA box) Arrange the lettuce on your serving plate. Place the avocado on top of the lettuce. If you need to slice a bit off the bottom to make it sit flat, do that. Fill the hollow with diced prosciutto. Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, and cilantro. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Place the crisped prosciutto in the hollow, upright, if you can. Thanks, Chef Jon for the inspiration. T...

When I write that I will never pass up an opportunity to be wined and dined at La Crème , that is no exaggeration. There are two reasons why: Chef Jon Moser and Tamie Aceves. An unforgettable dining experience is about the atmosphere, sure. And Tamie nails that every time. Last night was no different - ivory silks, scarlet napkins, voluptuous vases filled with fragrant red roses and delicate wax flowers adorned the cozy tables set for two. But hers is not the kind of decor that feels stuffy or pretentious. Votive candles in jam jars cast starry patterns on the table. You feel right at home, well, a more elegant version of your home. It's certainly about the food and the wine. Chef Jon creates masterful, elegant combinations of flavors and mouthfeel. And while the selected wines stand on their own, when paired with Jon's creations, they sing. Opera-style, misty eyes-inducing amazing. But when those two - what's on the table and what's around the table - are aligned...

I am not one to celebrate Valentines' Day, typically. I firmly believe that love and romance belong front and center all the time. Why is February 14th designated as a day for people to show their sweethearts that they are adored? What about the other 364 days?!? I would rather get a bunch of handpicked wildflowers on a random day in January than a dozen red roses on a day when florists mark up beyond the usual 300% markup on flowers anyway. Okay, I know that I sound unapologetically unromantic. Sorry.  But when Tamie Aceves, owner of La Crème , asked me to come, bring Jake, enjoy and photograph La Crème's Valentines' Day Wine Pairing Dinner, I couldn't type 'yes' fast enough. I was actually just drafting a blogpost yesterday about how I'm rethinking my stance on Valentines'. In any case: any event planned by Tamie + dinner cooked by Chef Jon Moser* and his team + wine = a winner in my book!! So, this is what Jake and I will be feasting on ...

Last night we celebrated Brian's 40th birthday with a surprise party at La Crème in Pacific Grove. Though he suspected something was up - and claims to know that he knew I was lying about it - Pia managed to keep the scale of the bash under wraps. Brian had no idea friends from near and far would be in attendance to celebrate the start of his fourth decade. Once again, Chef Jon Moser and La Crème owner Tamie Aceves whipped up some culinary magic. Here's what was served...   Scallop Crudo An über-fresh scallop was perched atop a poached garnet yam with a dot of lemon salsa and fresh mint. I think I ate half a dozen of these myself! Tarte Flambée I wondered why this appetizer was called a flambée since it was obviously not flambéed. So I did some reading. A Tarte Flambée, from the Alsace region in France, is a "pie baked in the flames." Chef Jon's version was smeared with an herb fromage blanc mixed with caramelized onio...