Culinary Adventures with Camilla

It's time for October's  Improv Cooking Challenge  hosted by Lesa of  Edesia's Notebook . I don't know where the weeks are going. The idea of this challenge: we are assigned two ingredients and are tasked to create a recipe with those two things. October's assigned ingredients are actually colors. In  the spirit of Halloween, we're making things that are: orange and black. When I was at a farmers' market this weekend, I saw a pile of peaches called 'Last Tango.' I knew those would be the last peaches I would see till next summer. So, I decided to use them in my orange and black dish. I opted to make one of my favorite Thai dishes using forbidden rice. Note this is  not  a traditional Khao Neeo Mamuang ; it's my own fast and loose interpretation with the last of summer peaches instead of not-local mangoes. I love the nuttiness of the forbidden rice...and I love that name! Plus, it  is  delicious! Ingredients 2 C Forbidden rice* 2 C...

This is  not  a traditional Thai  Khao Neeo Mamuang ; it's my own fast and loose interpretation with seasonal peaches instead of not-local mangoes. I love the nuttiness of the forbidden rice...and I love that name! Plus, it  is  delicious! Ingredients 2 C Forbidden rice 2 C coconut cream 2 C water 1/2 C organic granulated sugar 1 t pure vanilla extract 4 T coconut flakes, toasted ripe peaches, sliced for serving Procedure Place all of the ingredients - except for the coconut flakes and the peaches - in a large saucepan that has a lid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and let steam until the rice is tender. If the rice is not cooked, but all the liquid has evaporated, add in more water. Once the rice is cooked, fold in the coconut flakes. Spoon it out on individual plates and top with sliced peaches.

It is a rare day that Jake makes a request for food; he usually just eats whatever I make. But when he looked at the mango in our fruit bowl and asked, "Do you have any rice? The white, sticky kind?" I followed his gaze and commented, "You want mango sticky rice, don't you?!" Yes! Okay. This is not a traditional Thai  Khao Neeo Mamuang ; it's my own fast and loose interpretation. But it is delicious! 2 C Kuhuho Rose rice 2 C coconut cream 2 C milk 1/2 C organic granulated sugar 1 t pure vanilla extract 1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced Place all of the ingredients - except for the mango - in a large saucepan that has a lid. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and let steam until the rice is tender. If the rice is not cooked, but all the liquid has evaporated, add in more milk. Once the rice is cooked, spoon it out on individual plates and top with mango.

Click here to read the funny exchange I had with my mom about making suman ; she doesn't. Well, I can now say, "I do make suman!" And it was fairly easy. The only thing that stalled me was that I forgot to soak the rice, so I couldn't make these last night. Step One : Soak 3 C kuhuho rose rice (or any sticky rice) in warm water for at least 6 hours. I soaked mine overnight. Step Two : Drain and cook the rice in 3 C coconut milk until soft and sticky. Stir in 1 C young coconut. For some reason, the jar I bought at the Filipino store was translated as "gelatinous mutant coconut." Yuck...on the name. Yum...on the taste. Step Three : Let the rice cool and cut your thawed banana leaves into 4" pieces and 6" pieces. Once the rice is cool, place rice in the center of the 4" piece, folding in the sides and rolling the leaf tightly to form a roll. It's okay if the leaf splits a little bit; you'll be double-rolling it in the ...