If there’s one thing about February that always delights me- it’s that camellias are in bloom, chocolate is on the menu or in a heart shaped box and love seems to be in the crisp cool air. This year, the red camellias are showing out, a bumper crop of ruffled blooms, and this tickles me because they’ve taken their own sweet time about getting to a point of consistent blooms- the shrub was chosen for it’s double ruffled petite blossoms- in honor of my mother in law- who I loved with all of my heart- who was petite, beautiful and …well, it just seemed fitting to plant a camellia to honor her life with our state flower, the Camellia.
Valentine’s seems to be an oddly conflicting holiday. Oh yes, it’s supposed to be all about flowers and chocolate and romance, yet it’s often a disappointing holiday, even with all of the gift ideas, hearts and beautiful sentimental cards- disappointment often stands in the shadows. Still. Love itself comes in many forms- romantic love, yet also love of family, love of friends and yes, love of place. Other than my own home- there is possibly no place on this earth that I love more than a beautiful historic hotel in Point Clear, Alabama which combines all kinds of love… camellias bloom profusely and a certain form of chocolate stole my heart many years ago.
The Grand Hotel is her name. Close by is Mobile Bay and a quaint town called Fairhope; just down the road is a beautiful small town named Magnolia Springs…now if fair hope, beautiful sunsets, camellias, magnolias and a grand old lady doesn’t give you a clear point of view… I don’t know what possibly could. The pace is slower, Afternoon Tea is served every afternoon, the grounds are filled with huge live oaks that have long gray beards of Spanish moss- under their spreading branches- camellias, azaleas and all manner of distinctly southern plants bloom in profusion around a mossy lagoon. I have visited there during every season of the year, yet February is the time of year I’ve probably enjoyed most- in the lower coastal south- it might get chilly but never so cold as to discourage the camellias or the guests. I’ve been there in formal dress several times in February- it seemed to me, the most glamorous place anyone could be!
Yet, my best memories of the Grand, are of the ones when my children were young and truly learned the exquisite art of dining and dressing for the occasion at a champagne brunch with live music playing softly- tunes like ‘Stars fell on Alabama’ or the more lively- ‘The Alabama Jubilee’. And if there is ever a place on earth for ‘jubilee’ it’s on the shores of Mobile Bay where that amazing phenomenon happens when it’s least expected!
The first time I ever tasted- Flourless Chocolate Cake was at the Grand Hotel, and I recall thinking- ‘What an elegant dessert! Surely, someone could have come up with a more decadent name!’ Somehow, over the years- I was given their recipe for this decadent chocolate dessert. For years, I’ve thought I couldn’t recreate it- and the truth is? Without the backdrop of the Grand Hotel it would no doubt ever taste the same. So! I took the recipe and tweaked it to make the recipe my own – and while our camellia’s are blooming their fool heads off? I decide to try my hand at making it and decorating it with those festive red blooms! So, it was only appropriate to name it- Camellia’s Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake. It’s way easier to make it than I’d ever have thought- and decorated with red camellias grown right here at the cottage- it was downright gorgeous and…well, it took me back… Here’s how you make it-
Camellia’s Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake…
A dense rich dark chocolate cake, made with baking chocolate and cocoa, a mere 1 cup of sugar, no flour at all, and- to deepen the flavor- espresso powder is added. A small slice garnished with whipped cream is an elegant dessert.
- 2 Sticks Butter (Cut in pieces- plus more for pan)
- 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (More for dusting pan)
- 2 Teaspoons Instant espresso or coffee granules
- 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
- 8 Ounces Unsweetened Baking Chocolate (Chopped )
- 5 Large Eggs
- 1 Cup Granular Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar (As needed for dusting)
- Whipped Cream
- Fresh Mint Leaf, Berries or flowers (For garnish)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9 inch springform pan (or a 9 inch cake pan lined completely with parchment paper) Butter pan and dust with cocoa powder. Set aside. In a heavy medium saucepan, melt butter on medium low heat, add baking chocolate pieces and carefully stir until melted. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together large eggs, add granulated sugar, espresso powder and cocoa powder until fully combined. Carefully incorporate melted chocolate and butter until th batter is blended well. Pour batter into prepared pan lightly smooth batter. Bake at 350 degrees on center rack until puffed and set, approximately 35 minutes. Allow cake to cool for a full hour in the pan. If needed run a knife around sides of pan (if a baking pan is used, lift out of pan and fold down parchment ) unmold cake on serving platter. (Cake may be wrapped well after cooling and stored for up to 2 days before serving.) When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar, add whipped cream and garnish as desired. This is a very rich dense cake, small slices are preferable. 12-16 slices.
And while we’re talking Camellias, Chocolate and Love… here’s a few ideas to make Valentine’s special:
- Give or plant a camellia shrub, a special rose even a gardenia to honor a loved one or to beautify your landscape.
- Bake a special dessert, cookies or a cake to give to friends and loved ones.
- And, since the Grand Hotel has a spa that has been named one of the best in the country- why not make Spa Water for yourself and loved ones- decorated with rose petals?
- Or give a spa certificate to a loved one, a friend or even treat yourself to a manicure or pedicure? Maybe find some seasonal flowers (like Camellias) and give a bouquet?
I know. I know. We tend to think of Valentine’s Day as just for couples in love…. I’ve come to believe- love, the sweetest kind is love that’s spread around a bit… so my best idea this year- Determine in the next few days to find folks who could use a hug or a bit of extra love and care- make a card, send a goofy text, write a note, give a call or just visit for a while? Sometimes the best thing of all is to say-
. Love y’all, Camellia
*All photographs are obviously mine. *The photograph of that gorgeous sunset was taken by me at the Marriott Grand Hotel several years ago- I’ve been reassured the sunsets are still glorious! *Choose flowers to decorate food or water that are organically grown or that you know the source. *The dark chocolate flourless cake can be made ahead two days before it’s served- so you’ll have plenty of time to make it this week!
Health and Beauty tip: Tea Tree Oil is an amazing oil for skin treatments and comes from the same family as the Camellia. And did you know? Dark Chocolate has been known to soothe a cough more readily than hot tea or chicken soup? Of course, that a bite of dark chocolate that slowly melts in your mouth! And, if the weather permits at all- the best health advice I can give you this week- is to try to spend 15-20 minutes outside everyday- it lifts the spirits and fresh air is a total body treatment!
We seem to have had a bumper crop in most of the things we’ve planted in the garden this year… I love to plant some basil to use in cooking, to dry and I’ve even been known to cut a big bunch and put in a vase just to enjoy the fragrance. This year, while vacationing in Virginia- we went to a restaurant on the York River- fittingly called Riverwalk Restaurant. Though it was terribly warm for most of the trip, on this particular night- with the breeze coming off the river out on a patio, it was pleasantly cool. We watched a tall ship taking it’s own sweet time sailing by and could hear the sounds of a festival getting geared up. The restaurant was busy, our server brought our orders of iced tea and water… and to our surprise she also presented us with a platter brushed with Pesto and a whole loaf of fresh bread- our table of five finished it off quickly and it was one thing I knew I’d want to try to recreate later.
I had all of the ingredients I thought I’d need…lots of basil, garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil and …oops! no pine nuts or even walnuts. I literally put a Southern Spin on the Pesto. If I do say so myself, it turned out very well- I substituted Pecans. (Okay for all you non- southerners, please don’t say PEE-Cans… nope, that’s not how to pronounce it! For goodness sake who would even want to eat something that sounds so dreadful? Slow down now… here’s how you say it… Pah- cahn. Don’t even think of making a long E sound!) Alright let me get right down to how you can make Pesto with a Southern Spin!
One reason I love making pesto is that it is a recipe that isn’t precise! Spin the basil leaves until they are a rough chop, add one or two or three garlic cloves- I used one large clove and one small. Add a pinch or two of salt and spin again. Add 1- 1 1/2 cups of grated parmesan cheese. Spin again. Add at least 1 cup of chopped pecans- I added 1 and 1/4 cup. Spin again.
Now remove the spout cover of the food processor and pour in enough good olive oil to make a paste, then add about 1/4 cup more! Pour Pesto in a sealed container and chill unless you plan to use it right away. It seems to keep fresh in the refrigerator for a good while.
I brushed a long platter with a generous amount of Pecan Pesto and topped it with a loaf of fresh baked bread (Now that is the important part- make or better yet, make it easy on yourself and do like I did- buy frozen bread dough and bake it yourself! It really does make a difference!)
The presentation is lovely and just like the pesto and fresh bread in Yorktown- this too was a hit! For an appetizer, an accompaniment with a platter or Italian sliced meats, cheese and assorted fresh fruits and vegetables, you know one of charcuterie boards- Pecan Pesto would be beautiful alongside one of those and…of course it’s great alongside a spaghetti supper or as an addition to a spread of tailgate food even if it’s at home! Southern Pecan Pesto is a new Cottage favorite. Okay- if you have pine nuts or walnuts- that would be great too! Here are few Annabelle Hydrangeas from down near the York River- quite a beautiful spot! 
It might come as a surprise that the Appalachian Region is apple growing country. Settlers from Scotch Irish descent brought apple seeds with them to grow in the new land… with the help of Cherokee Indians apples became widely grown. With temperatures dipping into the 20s and highs in the 80s – the plateaus produce apples from late July on into late fall. Some heirloom varieties grown in the Appalachians are still considered excellent. My home county is at the tail end of the Appalachians and almost all old home places had at least one or two apple trees, it was encouraged as a way to make property more valuable and of course as an extra food source! The uses for apples is legion, from-
Here’s how you make-
Anyone who has ever seen the Blessing of the Fleet, especially a fleet of Shrimp Boats has seen a very moving sight. Folks in the Coastal Southern States have relied on Big Hearted Gulf Shrimp as a wonderful part of our economy, so of course we love the ever versatile shrimp, our own if possible! In secluded Bon Secour Bay, Shrimp Boats still haul in beautiful shrimp from the Gulf waters of Alabama- the very translation of Bon Secour is French for good help, assistance or comfort. I can attest shrimp is a good comfort food! The best way to buy shrimp- is right off the boat, wrapped with ice and butcher paper; since fresh shrimp freezes very well- most is frozen right away, as soon as possible off the boat or even frozen on shrimp boats!
Of course, in all of my southern cookbooks- there are always renditions of famous southern Shrimp Cocktail sauces. Truthfully, I just want these sauces to be simple- Red Chili Sauce (a thick ketchup- Heinz® is my favorite), lots of fresh lemon juice and as much horseradish as I think folks can stand… I personally want Cocktail Sauce to make my eyes water- it’s tears of happiness! There are many ways to prepare Bighearted Gulf Shrimp…however, the best of all may be – ‘straight off the boat’ or as near as possible- quickly boiled with a bag of Old Bay® or Zatarain’s® shrimp and crab boil (a bag of dried spices- the fragrance makes the whole house smell good!) add a couple of big fresh lemons cut in half and plopped in the water! ‘ Peel and Eat Gulf Shrimp’ is bighearted enough to be eaten with drawn butter and lemon and of course spicy Cocktail Sauce.
Now that your appetite for Bighearted Gulf Shrimp is whetted… I’ll leave you with an old standby here at Camellia’s Cottage- now, it’s served with rice- so get that cooked before you start- it’s so quick and easy…when the shrimp’s done, you’ll be ready to serve it with the rice! Spicy Shrimp doesn’t call for fancy ingredients and I’m still not sure why it works, yet it’s almost no fail. So here goes…
* This beautiful sunset was taken from the Grand Hotel, an historic hotel which is operated by Marriott® See how beautiful it is? the whole area is sheer coastal beauty…Fairhope, Point Clear, Magnolia Springs and Mobile Bay!
Biscuits and Cornbread are iconic Southern quick breads- made from scratch in a short period of time. Both lend themselves to wonderful variations. Drop Biscuits may have been the easiest of homemade breads, but cracklings added to cornbread- well, it’s from a time not all that many can recall, yet- Cracklin’ Cornbread was and is considered a delicacy.
Today, if you go to San Antonio, Texas, make sure to go to the Guenther House on the grounds of the Pioneer Baking Company. The house is a restored treasure and the food- oh my! the food is wonderful- a must see and do in San Antonio! An American treasure, where you will find more than just his baking mix- there are waffle and gravy mixes that are wonderful too! Get there early, there’s always a line! Breakfast there is a real treat- just one of their light fluffy biscuits buttered with pepper jelly is divine. If you can’t go there, be sure and try their products!
Cracklin’ Cornbread may disappear if we don’t keep making lard in this country and saving the bits from the bottom of the rendering pots! I know folks who recall hog killings- and the big black iron pots in which lard was rendered from the fat and pork skins, tended mainly by the womenfolk, while the men were handling the larger portions- like hams, shoulders or sides of bacon.
Camellia's Cottage 