courtesy of Eaterwire:

A press release circulated today announcing San Francisco-based Foodbuzz has beaten FoodNetwork.com and Allrecipes as the #1 online food property. It has just passed 11 million users and 4,000 food blog partners.

Yay Foodbuzz, congratulations!!!

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C is for Chocolate Chip Cookie

Heaven help me, this is in the other room. Just a few yards away.

Close enough that the aroma in here is strong. But that picture needs to be the same when Ray gets home.

It's important to always have cookies in this house, storebought or homemade. They are the easiest sweet treat to grab on the way through the kitchen, the perfect dessert to stash in a lunchbox, and ideal for presentation to unexpected guests. I'm too neurotic for many unexpected guests, but I do need to cover the lunchbox and the drive-by snacker that I live with.

When we run out of packaged ones (Pepperidge Farm Milanos and Strawberry Veronas, Oreos, and Chips Ahoy are lunchbox favorites) and I don't want to buy more, I bring out the unsalted butter and eggs to sit on the counter for a couple hours.

A few puffs of flour and a sink of baking utensils later, and I have a kitchen that smells divine and a test to my iron will. Yes I am a lady with a baby, but dammit I still try to stick to my "dessert on weekends only" rule!

The problem is that it's Monday and these cookies may not make it that long.

And like I said I'm a lady with a baby and nobody's watching- I don't know if I could stop at just one! For posterity, I made 24 cookies, there should be 24 cookies here!

These chocolate chip cookies are so very easy, chewy in texture and well-studded with a mixture of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips. I'm not fancy with the shaping of my drop cookies- that's part of their beauty, just drop in a ball on the sheet and let the oven shape the rest.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes about 24 large cookies

2 cups plus 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbs) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips (or one or the other)

Adjust the oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions, and heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until smooth and well blended. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat the egg, yolk, and vanilla into the butter-sugar mixture until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the dry ingredients slowly at low speed until just combined, scraping down the sides again. Add the chips and let the mixer turn twice before turning off and stirring by hand the rest of the way to blend in the chips.

With two big tablespoons, drop largish balls of dough onto the lined baking sheets, twelve per sheet. [I usually make smaller cookies but today I was going big. To make them smaller, use teaspoons.]

Bake, switching the baking sheet positions halfway through, for 20 minutes until just golden brown. Let cool for 3-5 minutes before moving the parchment paper to cooling racks. When completely cool, peel the cookies from the parchment paper.

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Paprikash

In less than four months I will be someone's mommy. It's an exciting thought.

A seriously daunting one too.

It will be my job to teach, guide, support, and mold this little person into someone good, kind, smart, and curious. Not on my own; children are raised by a village and all this weight doesn't just fall on my shoulders. But parenting will be my primary concern and I'll wear the badge of stay-at-home mom proudly. Teaching my kids in the kitchen will be very important to me. Lessons in teamwork, kindness, care, culture, and history can be taught over the stove and oven.

Being pregnant, there are lots of discomforts- fatigue, back soreness, indigestion, shrinking wardrobe, etc. But food. Food is very important. I look forward to each meal with great anticipation, planning and preparing with more furvor and focus. I'm trying new foods, but also revisiting old ones.

Food memories are really important to me. They bring me back to a place and time like nothing else can, reminding me of how new things are great, but old ones can be greater. Recently I'm thinking more about recipes from my grandmothers and replicated by my Mom. Now it's my turn to document, create, and share them with my own family.

This recipe comes from my Mom's paternal grandmother. They were Croatian but lived in Hungary; she taught my grandma this recipe when she married my grandpa.

Grandma Irene was special as a young woman and as a grandmother. She looks like a movie star in the black and white wedding photo that sits on my mantel. She was loved by all, referred to as 'Mommy' by her seven adult children which I love.

She died in a car crash when I was 6 so my memories are limited to her outstretched arms when we arrived for a visit, and working in the kitchen in an apron with a dish towel over one shoulder. My Mom had chicken paprikash growing up, and she made it for us countless times. The sweet paprika and sour cream are common to Hungarian cuisine. It's an easy, one pot meal; the sour cream sauce may remind you of beef stroganoff. I'm not a fan of that dish but I love this one.

Our version has a twist added in our house- served with rice instead of the traditional noodles. My Greek father prefers rice as a side dish, and so do I. Rice is actually a better match because it soaks up the yummy sauce in a way that pasta can't, but you can do what you like.

My own change is using brown rice instead of white. In my experience, men have a harder time wrapping their brain around it, so I've learned to cook brown rice with a bit more water and for a longer time. The rice gets softer and loses its chewy edge, making it more palatable for picky eaters. And I don't forget to salt it, this is also key.

Serve this meal with a big salad, dressed in olive oil and red wine vinegar, and some chopped fresh dill- an herb used in lots of Hungarian cooking.

Chicken Paprikash

serves 6

3 lbs bone-in chicken thighs and legs, skin removed
1 large yellow onion
2 1/2 Tbs sweet paprika
1 Tbs flour
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper
3/4 cup light sour cream

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, brown chicken in 2-3 batches for about 4 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, chop a large onion.


And try not to cry too much.


Saute the onion slowly over low heat until soft, then add the paprika and the flour. The onion will be pretty red, that's what you want. Return the chicken to the pot and add the water to moisten, as well as salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.

When the meat is cooked through, remove it and skim as much as you can from the sauce. A light simmer will help the fat move to the edges which makes this a little easier. I'm not great at getting it all, but I do my best and don't worry about it.

Add the sour cream to the sauce and whisk well until combined. Return the chicken to the pot and stir well, adjusting seasonings as needed.

Serve over rice for our way, wide noodles if you want to be traditional. It's better with rice, trust me.

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Grilled Veg Two Ways

Let's talk about vegetables. Grilled ones.

Lightly charred, smoky, soft, succulent morsels of carmelized, nutritious veggies. Who needs steak when you have a portobello fresh from the grates? Grilling is the summer form of winter roasting, when the idea of opening a 400 degree hot box is close to suicide.

The hardest part is walking outside to turn on the gas. And trying not to cut myself while I prepare the vegetables. I do that a lot. If you can muster these two things you'll be pleased with the results. I've watched veggie converts take place right before my eyes. Ray has learned to love lots of veggies when they're prepared this way.

I like to grab an armload of vegetables at the beginning of the week and grill them as I go. Portobellos, bell peppers, and zucchini are some of my favorites and are perfect for the grill method.

This week I doubled this recipe and did the same thing twice: Once for lunch in salad bowl form, and again for dinner with pasta.

Grilled Vegetables

1 giant portobello mushroom, sliced thick

1 red bell pepper,

1 yellow bell pepper,

1 orange bell pepper- innards removed and sliced thick

2 zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise in four pieces each

salt

garlic olive oil

Put all the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and add salt and a glug of garlic olive oil. Toss with tongs.

Heat the grill to medium-high, about 375 degrees. Place vegetables in a single layer directly on the grates. Close the lid and let cook for a few minutes. It's not exact, just ballpark it. Check the veggies and when they have nice grill marks, turn them with tongs and cook covered for another several minutes. When the veggies are a bit charred and soft, remove and let cool for a few minutes. The zucchini and mushrooms should cook a wee bit faster than the bell peppers; just remove them first and leave the peppers on a bit longer.

For the pasta, sliced the vegetables in thin strips and add to a large bowl. Julienne 2 tablespoons of fresh basil and add to the vegetables. Meanwhile, cook fettucine or other noodles to al dente. Add drained pasta to the vegetables and drizzle with a bit more garlic olive oil to moisten. Add some fresh goat cheese and toss.

Garnish each plate with a bit more goat cheese.

~ OR ~

Use the grilled vegetables for this delicious lunch bowl.

Roughly chop slightly cooled vegetables into bite-sized pieces and throw in a bowl. Chop two hard-boiled eggs- one whole egg, one egg white- and add to the bowl. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and bon appetit!

. . . . It was gone before the camera made it out. Hungry pregnant girl is no match for food blog photography.

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Slush

It's unseasonably cold here for summer. Bay Area microclimates can mean 15 degree differences in a short distance, but the chill here is not the norm. San Francisco is notorious for its chilly summers, but outside the Fog City it should be hot. San Mateo can be windy year-round, but I'm not accustomed to digging for long sleeves in August.

Being six months pregnant, I'm not complaining at all. I have a lower tolerance for the heat, so the cool air feels like a personal gift to me. It's still nice out- sunny everyday with some warmth with it- but I'm not sweating as I sit.
Luckily the low temps don't mean we're deprived of California's fresh summer produce that comes with the season. We're still gorging on corn, zucchini, cherries, peaches, tomatoes, strawberries, basil . . .


And watermelon. Its appeal occurred to me in the last few years; we had it as kids but I'd reach for berries or stone fruit instead. Now I love its mild sweet flavor and watery texture. Right now that extra water is helpful with hydration as well as the nutrition it provides- vitamins C, A, B6, and B1, potassium and magnesium. About 50 calories in a cup makes it a low calorie snack option too.

For a fun snack with some balance, I puree the fruit with some plain yogurt, ice, vanilla, and some xantham gum for thickness. That latter turns a smooth drink into a spoonable bowl. Topped with a little garnish. You have to have a bit of garnish on something in a bowl. It's quick to make; it actually takes longer to clean up the food processor. Which may be the one downer to this snack.


Watermelon Slush

1 cup watermelon
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
4 ice cubes
splash of vanilla
1 tsp xantham gum

Whirl all ingredients in food processor or blender until smooth and slightly thick. Pour into a bowl and top as you please. I like two teaspoons of granola.

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Obsessing Over Corn

Corn season has arrived, and boy is it good!

8 ears of sweet sweet sweet corn for $2?! Um, yes please!


When I buy fresh corn, I prefer to eat it raw, sliced straight from the cob. It's crunchy and fresh, in no need of any cooking. I'll save that for frozen corn out of season. Lately I've been whipping up this salad that I can't get enough of. I typically buy 2-3 ears of corn at a time since there's only two of us. But at the rate I'm consuming this dish I might go for that full 8 next week.

Fresh Corn Salad

2 ears of corn, kernels sliced from the cob
2 Tbs red onion, minced
3 Tbs fresh basil, minced
2 Tbs feta cheese, finely crumbled
a tiny drizzle of olive oil
salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix together well. This dish keeps nicely in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

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Yummy Bowl

Don't know how else to describe this serendipitous smorgasbord of leftovers

Yummy Bowl = any combination of fresh or leftover dishes thrown together for one delicious meal

Clockwise from top left:

indoor grilled zuchinni and summer squash;

scoop of leftover basil-dijon chicken salad;

2 Spanish olives;

3 butter pickles;

spoonful of spicy tuna-egg salad;

leftover fresh corn salad with red onion, basil, and feta

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11-Minute Pancake and Eggs

I love making breakfast from scratch every morning, and it can be possible with a little organization and a bit of practice.

One of my favorites is a single large pancake with egg whites. Pancakes are very easy to make but when you are pressed for time, a good quality mix makes it really possible.

They make a weekday breakfast feel pretty special.

Not sure it can be done? Well, here we go.

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8:12 AM- Starting breakfast

Place a small nonstick skillet and a flat pan on the stove and turn on the burners to preheat. I turn them to medium and can lower them later if they are too hot.

Usually I keep liquid egg whites to make this faster, but I'm out today so I'll use regular eggs. Just a few more seconds of time to crack two in a bowl, discarding the yolks.

Cut a wedge from an apple and remove the peel (it doesn't soften as well as in oatmeal); I keep an apple in a bag in the fridge specifically for this purpose.

Chop into small dice and add to a bowl.

[Like I said, pancakes from scratch really are easy. But when pressed for time, a good mix is the best. Most mixes are not good in my opinion, either from flavor or nutritional value. I love Kodiak Cakes, for the nutrition facts and taste.

From the 1/3 cup portion, I get 7 grams of protein, 15% of the day's calcium, and 130 calories.

It's whole grain and available at my local Safeway. It can also be purchased online in bulk (and cheaper) from Amazon.]

Measure 1/3 cup of mix and add it to the apple.

To mix the batter, add 1/3 cup water (equal parts).

Those are the directions; I like to add a few drops more for a thinner batter that spreads. That's trial and error and personal preference.

Now mix with a whisk to combine the mix, water, and apple.

Ok, we're pan ready. Clock check: it's 8:17 AM. Doing good.

::

Check the heat on the flat pan; lower a little if necessary.

Spray the pan with a bit of canola spray and add the batter.

This batter has less fat than regular pancakes, so bubbles appear earlier. For from scratch pancakes this is an indicator of flip time, but in this case look at the sides of the pancake instead. When they start to appear solid, it's time to flip. For now, let it be.

Spray the skillet with the canola spray and pour in the eggs.

They should bubble and sizzle right away.

When the bottom of the pancake is browned, time to flip.

That looks perfect.

Now, flips the eggs.

I like to add a little sprinkle of grated cheese to the eggs now. Cause it's yummy. Just a little.

A minute or two more and both are done.

Plated:

My garnishes of choice today are a big blob of boysenberry preserves and a small blob of dark chocolate peanut butter. I also like a bit of butta and cinnamon sugar. Mmmm.

No time to sit and eat? Both reheat really well, just place in a travel container and warm when you're ready to eat. The jam and pb will get nice and hot too- delish!

Time Check: 8:23 AM. 11 minutes from start to finish!

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Puddin for Breakfast

If you're like me, you're a creature of habit who sticks to a few favorite breakfasts every morning. Oatmeal or egg whites and a pancake are my current faves on alternate days. This is an improvement- there was a time when it was oatmeal every single day.

Those of you that are more adventurous, who eat something different every morning, I tip my hat to you. I know what I like and I want what I like, and it doesn't often vary.

But sometimes even I need something a little different.

I am a huge fan of Bethenny Frankel, the natural food chef and reality TV star of Bethenny Getting Married? and the Real Housewives of NYC. Her dry and sometimes prickly humor appeals to me, and I see my own sarcasm in hers. She's also not shy of sharing gory details, and neither am I (when I think they wouldn't be abhorrent). Anyway, my interest in her drew me to peruse her website and, among other things, the recipes listed there. In the breakfast section is something she calls "Healthy Brown Rice Breakfast," using cooked brown rice and other spices, fruit, and milk for the morning meal. I liked the idea; I've had quinoa and polenta at breakfast, but had yet to try brown rice.

I wanted to take it a step or two further to simplify the process and make it more like rice pudding. We like rice pudding around here, and this is a much healthier version without white rice and the added sugar. The following day, I topped my rice with more soymilk, some peanut butter, and the last of a batch of Suite Apple Granola.

This technique- cooking in water then adding the milk and spices later- yields a lighter mixture than traditional rice pudding, but you're not missing out on anything. To make it more dessert-like, substitute 1/2 cup soymilk for the water while cooking, or add extra at the end along with some sugar. I left mine unsweetened and portioned it so each serving can be sweetened to taste. You could leave it plain one day, add brown sugar the next, maple syrup the following day.

Brown Rice Pudding

serves 4

2 cups water

1 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed thoroughly

1 cup vanilla soymilk (or regular milk)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

In a small heavy-bottomed pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the brown rice, return to a boil, then adjust heat to medium low and cover. Simmer for about 40 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice is fluffy. Stir occasionally to redistribute the water.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the soymilk, dried cranberries, cinnamon, and vanilla and stir thoroughly. Most of the liquid should absorb.

Place in the fridge or pre-portion into four containers before storage. When ready to eat, add additional soymilk and reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds to one minute to soften. Stir in brown sugar or maple syrup, and other toppings of choice like chopped nuts, nut butter, or fresh fruit.

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