Culinary Adventures with Camilla

I can't even begin to explain how much it made my little foodie heart soar with pride when my best friend's son looked at the dinner I was serving and declared, "Bone hole! I love bone hole!" He was referring to my osso buco ...and I am grateful that he knows what that means. Funny story: when the boys went on their cruise with my parents in back in 2014, the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf would call us daily and tell us what he had for dinner. "Today I had pheasant." "For dinner I had caviar." Everyday it was something fantastic sounding that made my mouth water. One night, he announced, incredulously, "Mom, I ordered  osso buco  and it didn't come with the bone. Can you believe it?!?" Nonna shared that D actually asked their waiter about the missing bone, explaining that  osso buco  literally means 'hole in the bone.' The waiter shrugged his shoulders and leaned down to whisper to D -  You're right...it should hav...

Funny story: when the boys went on their cruise with my parents in October, D would call us and tell us what he had for dinner. "Today I had pheasant." "For dinner I had caviar." Everyday it was something fantastic sounding that made my mouth water. One night, he announced, incredulously, "Mom, I ordered osso buco and it didn't come with the bone. Can you believe it?!?" Nonna shared that D actually asked their waiter about the missing bone, explaining that osso buco literally means 'hole in the bone.' The waiter shrugged his shoulders and leaned down to whisper to D -  You're right...it should have the bone. Needless to say, the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf has been requesting real osso buco  for a month now. I finally got around to making some. I had some venison shanks in the freezer and this weekend was it. Ingredients  serves 4 four osso buco -cut venison shanks* flour for dredging 3 T butter 2 T olive oil 1 onion, pee...

I am so rarely in front of the camera. But my Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf grabbed my camera as I was heading to the table to serve the Osso Buco. And I told him I'd use the photo. I've made osso buco a handful of times, including Jamie Oliver's Ossobuco with Bean Ragout  and a lamb osso buco , but I was inspired to do osso buco this year for Thanksgiving because, well, I am anti-turkey. Sorry...I know that's almost un-American. Osso buco , literally means, hole in the bone. So have your butcher cut the shanks into 1" to 2" lengths that have the bone - and marrow - showing. I was so excited to finally get to use my brand-new Dutch oven. So, so happy. Ingredients serves 6 six 2" osso buco-cut beef shanks flour for dredging 3 T butter 2 T olive oil 2 leeks, cleaned, trimmed, and chopped 3 carrots, chopped 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped 6 C organic chicken stock (it should come about 2/3 of the way up the sides of th...

As one of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day Ambassadors ( I'm the Monterey #FRD2014 rep! ) I will be sent a copy of his latest cookbook - to cook from and write about. I can't wait. I do have to laugh though, because its title is  Comfort Food . And, according to a good friend:  I only make uncomfortable food . Oh, well. I can learn! To celebrate launch day - today - I'm sharing one of the recipes. Here's Jamie Oliver's Ossobuco alla Milanese recipe from his new cookbook, Comfort Food. And here's my adaptation. I typically don't eat veal, so I went to our local butcher for some lamb shanks sliced into an osso buco-style cut; but they had just sold their last shanks. Darn. But then I noticed the "never tethered...free to roam" on the veal package and decided to go for it. I added in shelling beans to make a ragout and served it over wild rice instead of risotto. Also, I used lots of different herbs in my gremolata instead of just pa...