Culinary Adventures with Camilla

For the most part, we eat pretty healthily. But, if I had to name a bad habit I have, it would definitely be snacking. I love grabbing a handful of chips or popcorn. So, to stave off those cravings, I try to keep nuts in the house instead. I saw these and decided to give them a try: Sacha Inchi. Sacha Inchi ― also known as 'sacha peanut' or 'mountain peanut' ― is native to South America and Southeast Asia. The jar we have lists its origins as Southeast Asia. I have seen them at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, so they are beginning to be "main stream." From the drawings and photographs I've seen, it resembles a giant star anise or star fruit. What we're eating are the seeds. It boasts the full inventory of essential amino acids and over fifteen times the Omega-3 content of salmon. And ounce for ounce, compared to almonds which are usually our nut of choice, Sacha Inchi has more grams of protein. The seeds we have are lighted toasted and l...

I came across an intriguing recipe last night that called for "boiled cider" and the recipe included a link to purchase the boiled cider - at $13 for the bottle and $6 for shipping. First, I didn't know what boiled cider was; second, I was pretty sure I could make it myself for less than $19! I did some reading and realized that boiled cider was nothing more than apple cider reduced to a thick syrup. So easy!! Done. And it smelled amazing the entire time it was simmering. It smelled like fall! Ingredients 1 gallon fresh apple cider Procedure Pour cider into a heavy pot; I used my Dutch oven. Bring the cider to a boil. Reduce the heat and keep at slightly more than a simmer until the gallon of liquid is reduced to about 2 C. It took me 4 hours. Pour into a sterilized jar and refrigerate once cool. It should keep refrigerated for several months! You will see this in some Halloween treats I'm making next week.

There are not many fruits that are new to me. And I actually have had these before. But this time, I was curious as to what I'm eating. "It's a kiwi berry," I said as we dug in. So, it's a baby kiwi?!? "That doesn't actually make sense, does it? Because a big unripe kiwi is hard and astringent. These are tiny and sweet. They must not be the same fruit. Good thinking." We did some digging. It turns out that kiwi berries are related to kiwi fruit, but they are different. They have green skin and are about the size of a large grape. Other facts: They have no fuzz; they thrive in cold climates, growing in Siberia, Northern China, and Korea; and they are high in vitamin C. I picked up a pint at Whole Foods. I'll have to keep an eye out for more of them. They are delicious!

When D and I were at Whole Foods this evening getting spices for his school project (click to read about that: here ), I came across a container of Pichuberries. Since I had never seen those before, I put it on our shopping cart immediately. Meet the pichuberry! What is a pichuberry? It's a Peruvian fruit known as aguaymanto or Inca berry. It looks like a small, golden tomatillo; it's about the size of a large marble. R's assessment: it tastes like a mix between a star fruit and a tomato. He's right. From my reading...the pichuberry has almost 20 times the vitamin C as an orange and could be known as an anti-diabetic fruit. They reduce sugar levels in the blood and stimulating hormones that secrete insulin in diabetic patients. We will definitely be buying these again. They were tasty!

When we were at Whole Foods this afternoon, R saw this... But, unlike most people who would walk by something that looked as unfriendly as that, he asked if we could get it. "Please, Mommy. I've never seen this!" Okay, I'm always game to try something new. Here's what it looked like when he sliced into it. We scooped it out with spoons and ate it as is. It tasted like a cucumber. Turns out, it's also called a 'horned cucumber' as well as jelly melon, hedged gourd, melano, and blowfish fruit. The Verdict: its otherworldly appearance was cool. But it was difficult to eat (we spit out the seeds!), the meat wasn't plentiful, and it didn't taste particularly exotic. So, its won't be in our shopping cart again anytime soon.