Culinary Adventures with Camilla

This post is sponsored  by Adagio Teas .  I received complimentary product for the purpose of review . All opinions are mine alone.   I received a care package from my contact at  Adagio Teas ,* and was excited to receive a limited release herbal tea called Bella Luna Blue . Only available during a blue moon, this is on their website right now; it will not be available again until August 2023. I'll talk more about it, but the color is stunning and the flavor is beguiling. Bella Luna Blue This is a blend of lemongrass, blueberry flavor, and blue butterfly pea flowers. It's that latter ingredient that gives this tisane its brilliant blue hue. Blue butterfly pea flower is not only brightly colored, but it changes color when pH changes. You can see that in this post: Color-Changing Nam Dok Anchan (Butterfly Pea Flower Lemonade) ; and it always makes me feel a little bit like a culinary magician or a kitchen witch! I toyed with different recipe ideas for this herbal tea a...

I am already having a crazy week; it's Spring fund drive time. Enough said. But I get to be around these kids and their enthusiasm and love of their school is infectious. Still I am determined to stick to my schedule of traveling by tabletop to at least one country per week with our Cooking Around the World Adventure . So, here we go to Tuvalu. from ontheworldmap.com Some Facts... Tuvalu is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Australia and Hawaii. Its closest neighbors are Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa and Fiji. Comprised of three reef islands and six true atolls, Tuvalu has a total land are of less than 10 square miles! The small island of Nanumea played a significant role in the World War II when it served as the bomber base for the Allied Forces defending the Pacific basin. 'Tuvalu', the name, refers to the country’s eight traditionally inhabited islands though there are nine islands that make up the country. For ...

This is one of D's favorite desserts; apparently he makes it at my parents' house. I've made it a few times it's definitely a spoonful of childhood for me. And it's relatively easy. It just takes time because it has to soak for a minimum of 12 hours. Ingredients 1/2 C pearl tapioca (we use a medium size) 2 C whole milk 2 C coconut milk 1 T pure vanilla extract 1 C organic granulated sugar 1/2 t sea salt 3 eggs Procedure Place the tapioca in a medium bowl, covered with - at least - 1" of cold water. Allow the tapioca to soak for at least 12 hours. When ready to cook, use a strainer to drain off the water and set the soaked pearls aside. In a large saucepan, combine the milks, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Set aside. Place the eggs in a large bowl and whisk until they are combined. Whisk until the egg mixture is a pale yellow color, approximately two minutes. Set aside. Place the saucepan over low heat and bring to a sim...

With my Mushroom-Honningkage Tart in the garbage, Riley said he wanted to make dessert last night. His pick: homemade tapioca. I can't say that I've ever made tapioca, but Riley has - at my parents' house - and was confident. And because he is the Precise Kitchen Elf , I just left the kitchen and let him go at it. Here's what he did... 1/3 C small pearl tapioca (we had Bob's Red Mill) 3/4 C cool water 2-1/4 C organic whole milk pinch of fleur de sel 1/2 C organic granulated sugar, divided in half 2 eggs, separated 1/2 t pure vanilla extract Soak tapioca pearls in cool water for at least 30 minutes in medium saucepan. We ended up soaking for abot 45 minutes because I had to run to the store for eggs. Do not drain. Add milk, fleur de sel, 1/4 C sugar and beaten egg yolks to the tapioca pearls and stir over medium heat until it boils. Simmer over very low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. You'll see the pearls turn clear and the...

I am exercising my right to a pass tonight with a sigh of relief and a "been there!" for our Brazilian stop in our cooking around the world adventure. Back in the summer of 2010, I made a Brazilian feast. Here's what I served... Acarajé click the name of the original recipe post Fried bean dumplings with shrimp and hot peppers Fried bean dumplings with shrimp and hot peppers Sagú verdaderiro Tapioca pearls in red wine We toasted with   Caipirinha . Enjoy my tabletop travels. Join me in whipping up a dish or two. If you do cook something from If If you cook a recipe from one of these countries, I'd love to hear about it. Feel free to comment on the posts themselves or email me at constantmotioncamilla at gmail dot com. This Knight of the Global Table Adventure is signing off for now. We're traveling to Brunei next.