Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Back in 2011 we took the  Chocolate Walking Tour of San Francisco . Our tour guide Michelangelo had given us other suggestions of must-try chocolate places that weren't included in the itinerary and one of the spots was  Dandelion Chocolate . We came across their stand in the Ferry Building, but that location didn't serve the cacao pulp smoothie. So, we went to their shop in the Mission District the following year, and it's been on our 'to-return- list for years. When I was planning my Bay Area adventure with the Precise Kitchen Elf after his internship ended, at the beginning of this month, he only had two requests: bookstores and chocolate tastings. Done. So, after we completed three of the San Francisco stairway hikes, we headed over to Dandelion. R ordered a chocolate cannelé. And after my successful foray into cannelé-making , he's asked me to try to recreate it. Hmmm...I'll consider it. The cacao fruit smoothie and chocolate panna cotta...

I don't really remember how this book ended up on my to-read pile. It's not a book club pick; I don't remember a friend recommending it. In any case, after pulling weeds in my yard, I sat down with Natalie Tan's Book of Luck & Fortune by Roselle Lim.* Then I stayed in bed the following morning to finish it. It was the perfect weekend read. On the Page If you believe in the existence of ghosts and their ability to appear to certain people...and if you believe in the magical, healing powers of food, you will enjoy this book. I do. And I did! Set in San Francisco's Chinatown, Natalie Tan has been estranged from her mother for seven years when a neighbor calls with the news that her mother has died. But she already knew from a premonition. With a heavy heart, Natalie heads back to San Francisco. The reader follows Natalie through her recognition that she wants to reopen the restaurant that her grandmother ran, to reinvigorate the neighborhood bus...

This month the Wine Pairing Weekend bloggers - on the invitation from Wendy of  A Day in the Life on the Farm  - are focusing on their Thanksgiving table. You can read Wendy's invitation: here . If you're reading this early enough, join us on Twitter on Saturday, November 11at at 8am Pacific time. Just follow the hashtag #WinePW and jump in whenever you wish. Here's what the crew posted this month... Culinary Adventures with Camilla is Celebrating an American Holiday with Two Bay Area Darlings: Cowgirl Creamery + Donkey & Goat Winery. Wine Predator enjoyed American Wine, American Meal: Duck with Napa's Duckhorn Merlot . L'Occasion is sharing 5 American Wines for Thanksgiving . Cooking Chat will be sharing Roast Turkey Breast with Cranberry Merlot Sauce . A Day in the Life on the Farm will be discussing Holiday Leftovers; Mediterranean Chili with an American Wine . Pull that Cork is Celebrating Thanksgiving and Mercer Wine Estates . I chuckled when ...

In January, Wendy of  A Day in the Life on the Farm  kicked off her new group: Soup Saturday Swappers. This month Ashley of  Cheese Curd in Paradise  is hosting. And she wrote: "Share a recipe unique to your state, city, or even your neighborhood!" I am SO excited about this as it is definitely turning to soup season. And I love having new recipes, especially if they are regional and meaningful to my fellow blogging friends! Thanks for the inspiration, Ashley. The Regional Soup Pot An InLinkz Link-up San Francisco Besides Rome, San Francisco is my favorite city. Here I am with my Love, years ago, on a weekend get-away with some friends. We usually hit the City every December to celebrate our younger son's birthday (he's a Christmas baby). San Francisco is close enough for us (just a 2 hour drive without traffic) to be accessible for a quick day trip, but it's also just far enough to be special. And Jake and I just spent the wee...

We rarely will eat at a museum cafeteria. I mean, really, the word cafeteria gives me nightmares. My college dorm cafeteria scarred me for life. But, after I read an article about the food court at the de Young and the Cal Academy of Sciences, I planned for us to grab a bit there before we headed to the Legion of Honor. I'm so glad we did. The food was great! And I never say no to a mid-day bloody mary and ceviche. The presentation was beautiful. The freshness was apparent. And the flavors were incredible. I ordered the seafood ceviche which came in an enormous portion with crisp chips.  You know chips are my guilty pleasure...and I love seeing tentacles in my ceviche. Not everyone uses them, but it makes my little foodie heart flutter. Jake's posole was delicious and impressive. He said, "You have to figure out how to make this." I have made that . "Nope. You have to make it like this." Fine. And we ended with a straw...

I was fortunate enough to land some tickets to the Museum of Ice Cream in San Francisco - but, just two tickets. And, as luck would have it, the boys were in Hawaii with my parents during our assigned time slot. So, Jake and I headed up to the City after work and made an overnight date of it...starting at the Museum of Ice Cream. This photo pretty much sums our experience: I was much more amused than he was...and there was a whole lot of pink goin' on. Yes, I did ask him to wear a pink shirt. He, grudgingly, humored me. And, I'm pretty sure he regretted matching the walls. In. Every. Single. Room. If you have tickets to any of the museums - this one, the one in Los Angeles, or the one in New York - you might want to stop reading right now. I don't want to influence your opinion of the experience. If you have been, I'd love to know what you thought.   Let me start with this: I'm glad I went...because I'll never have to wonder if I misse...