It's well known that paprika is the famous spice of Hungary. What I think most people don't realize is that the red powder is made from ripened peppers also called paprika. The word paprika means pepper in Hungarian, and I don't mean peppercorns, but rather the fruit or vegetable, depending on how you look at it. Hungarian sweet peppers are typically pale yellow to pale green in color when they are fresh. They can be eaten raw or cooked into many recipes. But when they ripen to bright red, they are dried and ground into the fine red powder known as paprika or what I like to call Hungarian gold.
Hungarian paprika (pronounced puh-pri-ka) is available in sweet, hot, and everything in between, with eight varieties altogether. Sweet paprika has a deeper red color whereas hot paprika is more rusty in color. The signature dish most famous for using paprika is chicken paprikash, a stew of chicken with an onion sauce richly colored and flavored with paprika. I grew up on paprikás csirke, as it is known in Hungarian. It is my comfort food, and that's exactly what it is for so many Hungarians and Hungarian-Americans. I consider it my favorite home-cooked dish. And, of course, no recipe rivals my mother's.
Most people look at an artichoke and think: "What do I do with this?"
But artichokes only look intimidating, they're actually easy to prepare
once you know how. Originally from the Mediterranean, artichokes have a
history that dates back to Roman times. There are countless cultivated
varieties, especially in Italy, where artichokes are enjoyed in many
different preparations including raw salads, stuffed and baked, steamed,
grilled, etc. In the States we have just two varieties: the large globe
and small baby. The simplest way to prepare artichokes is steaming. Not
only is it easy to do, the method also retains the subtle flavors that
make artichokes so revered.
Slowly, we are all starting to lead a gluten free life. Finding snacks and savories, without gluten is a conscious effort. And, it’s really not that hard. Gluten free pretzels dipped in 
When it's incredibly hot outside, like it has been this month,
standing by a hot stove is not something anyone wants to do. Grilling
outside is another option, but when it's too hot to even do that, what
do you do? Why not make a no-cook recipe, like a chilled soup? The
cooling qualities of a cold soup are perfect on days where you need a
refreshing respite from the sweltering heat. And there's no better way
to achieve that than with a cold soup.
I'm channeling cookout weather! If I continue to make side dishes perfect for a weekend barbecue, maybe mother nature will play along. While we have had a few scattered 80-degree days, the rain and clouds keep inserting themselves into the mix. Let's face it, the weather in the Pacific Northwest is really not summer-like until July, but I can always hope and continue to eat like the season has arrived.