Because no one should go without brownies

Earlier this year, we had one of those heart-stopping parent moments.

After eating a big bowl of shrimp fried rice from our favorite Chinese restaurant, our son, Davis, had what turned out to be an allergic reaction.

We naively thought at first he was a.) choking on a piece of fortune cookie and that's why he was having trouble breathing or b.) put a small Playmobil piece in his mouth and was choking even though he was past the phase of putting small things in his mouth.

After a harrowing few minutes at home before rushing him down the hill to the Georgetown Hospital Emergency Room, we learned he was having an allergic reaction to ... something.

Long story short, after seeing an allergist a few days later, we learned our son is allergic to tree nuts and shrimp. We came away with a slew of Epi Pens and a plan of action in case the worst happened.

I don't like to think about the worst, but in this case, you have to. Ugh!

The allergist suspects there was a trace of tree nuts (specifically cashew) in the pan where his shrimp fried rice was cooked. The doctor also thinks that testing positive for a shrimp allergy may be a false positive. However, we are playing it safe for the next year until Davis is tested again and avoiding shrimp.

Our food world has changed a bit since Davis was diagnosed with his allergies but it's not insurmountable. Reading labels has become a regular part of my food shopping looking for the warning words of, 'this product was processed in a factory that processes tree nuts.' Or, reminding servers at restaurants that Davis' steak can't be cooked on the same grill where they cooked shrimp.  Usually, he likes to remind them himself. He also won't take food from anyone without saying, "My mom needs to read the label first to make sure it's okay for me."

Pre-food allergy discovery, Davis used to love the brownies I made from the Ghirardelli brownie mix sold in a box (and sold in bulk at Costco so you could really binge on chocolate deliciousness!). I make most things from scratch but the Ghirardelli boxed brownie mix was SO amazing that I never bothered to make brownies from scratch. Some days, I would make a box just for fun and spend the afternoon eating the brownies and then putting them in the trash trying to keep myself away from them.

And then, I would be tempted to eat them out of the trash. So, I would resort to covering them with dish soap (a la Miranda and the chocolate cake in that Sex in the City episode) so I wouldn't eat them out of the trash. They were THAT good. Trust me.

This weekend, Davis said he really missed brownies. Since the beloved Ghirardelli boxed mix is not tree nut allergy-friendly, I set out to recreate the goodness.

Because no one should go without brownies.

It would just be cruel, right? And Lord knows, we don't go without chocolate or food we love in this house!

It turns out, Ghirardelli has the recipe for their brownies on their website to make them from scratch. Most importantly, their semi-sweet chocolate baking chips are safe for Davis. Thank goodness!

You guys, these brownies are AMAZING.

I am sorry for the use of caps but the brownies are so good that caps is warranted.  I took a bite of the new brownies, tentatively, after they came out of the oven and prepared for disappointment.

Instead, it took all my self-control not to eat the whole 8x8 pan right then and there. Well, that and the fact we were heading to the pool one last time before summer ended, aided my self-control.

But, back to the little man, Davis. He took a bite of brownie and declared it better than the 'old ones that were made in a factory where tree nuts were processed.'

Success!

Even if Davis does grow out of his tree nut allergy (which the allergist says is possible), I will never go back to boxed brownie mix.  And he emphasized he doesn't want to go back, either.

This recipe is a tiny bit more work but trust me, it's worth it.

So, indulge. And put the dish soap away and enjoy whatever is left after your guests leave.

Homemade Ghirardelli Brownies

Ingredients

• ¹/₂ cup Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips 
• 4 ounces Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips
• ¹/₂ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• ³/₄ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¹/₄ teaspoon baking powder
• ³/₈ teaspoon salt 

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
• Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan. 
• Chop the 4 ounces of semi sweet chocolate bars into 1" pieces. In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, melt the 4 ounces of Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. 
• Remove the pan from the heat and let cool to room temperature. 
• Stir the brown sugar and vanilla into the chocolate mixture. 
• Add the eggs and mix well. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Slowly fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, mixing well until blended. 
• Stir in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into 2-inch squares.

Recipe adapted from Ghirardelli Classic Brownie recipe

A salsa to end the summer

And just like that, summer is over.

Can you believe it? I feel like I was just sitting by the pool all pasty white on Memorial Day weekend wishing for a tan.

But what a great summer it was.  It was a summer I will remember as one full of firsts for my son (who turned 4 years old in July) including learning to swim and go off the diving board by himself, going to day camp and loving it.

I'll also remember it for the wonderful vacation to Colorado that my little family of three shared.  It was a trip filled with delicious food (of course) and adventure including a white water rafting trip that took us through Class 3 rapids on the Colorado River. It was exhilarating for my adult self and even more so for my son who enjoyed every minute! He was so brave and loved the adventure.

At the end of the rafting trip, we were treated to a fresh taco lunch that included a salsa bar. That is where we encountered black bean and pineapple salsa for the first time. We were ravenous after over two hours on the water and as we settled in the grass to enjoy lunch, Davis and I both commented that we loved the salsa.

I spent most of this weekend cooking after being reunited with my kitchen after being gone for a good portion of August. One of the best parts of returning from vacation is attempting to re-create any amazing food we enjoyed on the trip.

First up to try to re-create: black bean and pineapple salsa.

It's so easy to make, very refreshing and great with tortilla chips or used as a light topping for tacos or fish. 

I pretty much could eat it by the spoonful.

My advice in making this is to take time to chop the pineapple, onion and jalapeno into very finely diced pieces so that they blend nicely with the black beans.  Somehow, it tastes better when everything is the same size in the salsa so that one ingredient doesn't overwhelm the other in your mouth. Also, like most salsa, the longer this sits and marinates, the flavors become even more vibrant and meld together nicely.

This salsa was part of our farewell to summer on this Labor Day and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did today.

Black Bean and Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pineapple
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (likely juice of one whole lime)
• Coarse salt (to taste

Directions

• In a medium bowl, combine the black beans, pineapple, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro and lime juice. Season with coarse salt.

Recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food, March 2011