Culinary Adventures with Camilla

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Selefina spices. Complimentary product was provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links. However, all opinions expressed here are my own. Years ago I attended two mole-making classes at a local shop. And, while I am grateful to know how to make mole, I don't do it that often. But when a contact from  Selefina * asked me if I would like to sample their new line, I looked through the website and decided to give it a whirl with their products. Selefina is new venture from the people behind Adagio Teas. They have used their experience in global sourcing and making connections to find high quality spices and seasonings. And by purchasing in bulk and using their own brand for labels, costs are kept lower for the consumer. It's a win-win and, from what I've tried, the products are amazing. Stay tuned for more posts, but this recipe uses several of their items, including three different dried chiles, hence ...

We are no longer doing our dairy-free experiment. Thank goodness! While Jake was trying it out, I did discover that making homemade nut milk is so easy and much better than store bought nut milk; I also realized that I can give up any food except for cheese.  There is no good dairy-free substitute for cheese. Sorry, vegan friends. Your soy, nut, et al cheeses are awful. Trust me, I spent a lot of money, trying every single brand during Jake's one month experiment. Awful, I tell you. If I had to give up dairy for allergy reasons, I would survive. Somehow. But I would be unhappy. Since dairy-free was just an experiment, the day it ended, I ran to the Cheese Shop and bought five different kinds of cheese! Still, I do play with baking dairy-free. This morning, I made dairy-free pumpkin muffins. Here's how the conversation at our breakfast table went this morning... R: What's for breakfast, Mommy? C: Pumpkin muffins, figs, and kale smoothies. R: Hooray, M...

Welcome to  #PumpkinWeek  day 5! Last day. Hosted by Terri from  Love and Confections , nineteen bloggers will be sharing nearly seventy pumpkin-filled recipes over the course of the week. Be sure to come back every day to see all the delicious creations - from muffins to cakes, cocktails, breakfast baked goods, savory pastas and stews, and gluten-free recipes, too. You can also find these great recipes and more on  Love and Confections' #PumpkinWeek Pinterest Board ! #PumpkinWeek day 5 recipes: Gluten Free Pumpkin Brownies  from Gluten Free Crumbley No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfait from {i love} my disorganized life Pumpkin Bread from My Catholic Kitchen Pumpkin Cake with Salted Caramel Icing from The Redhead Baker Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse from Recipes Food and Cooking Pumpkin Chicken Pot Pie from A Day in the Life on the Farm Pumpkin Focaccia Bread from Making Miracles Pumpkin Fudge from Feeding Big and more Pumpkin Magic Custard C...

I have read about savory granola, but never made it myself. I've made sweet granola tons of times - Coconut Lychee Granola was one of my favorites! - and had some rolled oats leftover from my Mushroom Ginger Oat Congee so I decided to give a savory version a try. Thanks to some prepped herbs from Gourmet Garden Herbs & Spices * , an intriguing sauce from Not Ketchup , and hops from a friend's garden, this was delicious, unique, and not too difficult. You'll see this on a salad, instead of croutons, for my dinner party this weekend: A New Year, a menu inspired by seeds, sprouts, and buds. Ingredients 2 C rolled oats 1 C raw shelled pistachios ½ C raw pumpkin seeds ½ C raw sunflower seeds ½ C raw pecans ¼ cup raw sesame seeds 1 T fennel seeds 1 T white sesame seeds 1 T black sesame seeds 1 t chia seeds 3 hops blossoms, dried and pulled apart 1 t  freshly ground salt ½ t freshly ground pepper 1 large egg white, beaten ¼ C olive oil 1 T gin...

Determined to make a 'comfort food' to prove to my husband and my friends that I can, I attempted to whip up some mac'n'cheese for lunch. But my penchant for making 'uncomfortable' food won out and I tossed in 1 cup of roasted pumpkin puree , 2 of crisp baby asparagus, and some smoked paprika for good measure! Cook the pasta according to the package directions, until  al dente . Make a basic  beciamela  (white) sauce - I used 1 C whipping cream and 1-1/2 C milk. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the pasta, beciamela sauce, 1 C shredded parmesan, 1 C shredded mozzarella, 1 C pumpkin, and 2 C blanched asparagus. Season with smoked paprika and freshly ground pink Himalaya salt to taste. Turn the mixture into a baking dish. Top with more shaved parmesan and raw pumpkin seeds. Bake in a 350 degree oven until bubbly and golden, approximately 30 minutes.

For the Pair of Pumpkins baby shower , I was trying to come up with a way to incorporate pumpkins into the salad. Then I figured it out: make the salad dressing with pumpkin oil and top the whole thing with pumpkin seeds! Salad = artisanal greens, sliced persimmons, pomegranate seeds, capers, pumpkin seeds Dressing = pumpkin oil, fig balsamic vinegar, olive oil, chopped herbs (I used mint, cilantro, and parsley), freshly ground sea salt and pepper Pumpkin oil is a rich, deep green oil. It's heavy, though, so I used it as a flavoring and topped the dressing off with a Persian lime olive oil. If you know nothing else about vinaigrettes, remember this: the magic ratio of oil to vinegar is 3 to 1. As long as you know that, you won't need to consult a vinaigrette recipe ever again. Just remember three parts oil to one part vinegar and you'll be all right. If you get them backwards and do three parts vinegar to one part oil, your puckered mouth will ensure you don...