I apologize. I missed last weekend’s ED post.
I have not been very active online lately. I just have a lot on my mind and I haven’t really had the energy to write a lucid post, especially a sensitive and emotional one like my Weekend ED series.
So this post will be a bit of a rushed one. But I have to write this post because guess who is back?!!
Mimi! My BFF food buddy! I haven’t seen her for about 5 months since she went abroad to study at London, but I feel like it’s 5 years, not months. I’ve been pestering her to go to church with me, and this Sunday, I had my chance.
But we went hiking at Griffith Park first:
I’ve never been here. I’ve been wanting to hike up this little hill for so long, and now that I finally have a car and a hiking buddy, I leapt at the chance to visit it, and also “trick” Mimi into going to church with me afterwards.
I love hiking but not the kinds where you have to climb with your hands and knees. I also don’t like hikes that are like 13 miles long. Who wants to wander about in nature for that long? Give me my asphalt and 7-Elevens.
That’s why Griffith Park is perfect. It’s just like 3 miles, it’s not too dreadfully steep but a good mix of even and slightly huffy slopes.
Having a restroom on the way is always a good thing too. I’ve got a bladder the size of a penny. And of course Mimi and I fueled up on too much coffee beforehand (I only got 3 hours of sleep).
You get such an amazing view up on top. You see the whole of Los Angeles and also the famous Hollywood sign.
The only complaints I have is the smell of horse manure (though I actually kind of find that stink pleasant) and the lack of shade.
And of course, it was super awesome to catch up with Mimi again!! Missed the girl! We actually went to a really adorable tea house on Saturday with Daina, but more on that on another post.
After our hike, we stopped by Smart & Final since we had an hour to spare before church service started. Perfect, because I’m part of this group called Social Fabric #SFSmarties, and I was asked to shop at Smart & Final this week to feature a recipe using their store’s chunk cheese.
Dude, you don’t have to ask me to shop at Smart & Final. I love grocery shopping and Smart & Final is just one of my favorite stores.
How can you not like shopping at a place with great prices and selections? Smart & Final is where I go for things I like to buy in bigger quantities, just not as big as size as the bulk Costco offers.
But I discovered that I’ve been cheated. Apparently not all Smart & Final stores are the same. The one I’ve been frequenting before isn’t as great as the other ones I visit now that I have a car.
For example, the store at Hollywood has a much better cheese section. It’s got gouda and edam and manchego cheese and all that jazz. And also a whole range of Laughing Cow cheeses:
Mimi was most excited by their collection of sugar-free Torani Syrup, which she will use on her protein shakes and what-not:
I’m not a smoothie fan like Mimi is, but the choices here was pretty damn fantastic. Mimi bought 3 big-ass bottles.
But my primary purpose for that trip was my cheese.
Cheese is probably my favorite section at a grocery store. I judge a grocery store’s quality by its cheese selections. Only Kraft singles and imitation mozzarella? Ew. Daiya cheese and gluten-free rice cheese? Eek!
Smart & Final has a fair amount of cheese varieties, ranging from imitation cheese to gourmet fancy ones. But again, every store seems to be different. I’m sticking to the stores at Hollywood.
By the way, my brain is kind of frazzled these days. I’m lacking the patience to cook or even imagine something creative and elaborate. I must be getting old and losing brain cells. No, it’s true. You’ll see soon enough.
Since I’ve been craving cornbread, I decided to make a cheesy cornbread with my cheese. I followed my favorite cornbread recipe in the whole world, a recipe by Mark Bittman, but with a couple adaptations.
Cheesy Chives Cornbread
- 4 tablespoon oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup-ish chopped chives
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour oil into a baking pan, preferably a 8×8 or 9×9 inch one.
Mix eggs and milk in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, mix together cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
Pour the egg-milk mixture into the dry ingredients, stir. Mix in chives and cheddar cheese, but reserve a small handful of the cheddar cheese.
Carefully lift the oiled pan out of the hot oven. The oil might sputter, so be careful. Once it exploded in my hands. Don’t worry, that won’t happen to you. Hopefully.
Pour the batter into the pan, sprinkle remaining cheese over, and then bake for another 30 minutes at 375 degrees, or until done. Take out of oven and let cool.
Now here’s where I made a freaking boo-boo. I FORGOT THE BAKING POWDER!! Waaaah!!
I realized that when I sliced into the cornbread and realized that it was much denser than I expected.
Boo hoo hoo. So sad. I can’t believe I wasted good cheese on this golden brick!
Actually, it wasn’t too bad. It was still entirely edible, and I still ate it. It was just more like a pancake…almost like a Korean chives pancake, actually. So I dried my tears and ate up with chopsticks and kimchi. 
Yeah, don’t let the fork fool you. I never use forks for meals. Always chopsticks. I’m a good little Asian. Who eats too much cheese and hates white rice. Speaking of chopsticks…Apparently China buys wooden chopsticks from a hicky town called Americus in Georgia…Huh?! Wacky!
Anyway. Don’t forget the baking powder if you ever get to make this, but if you do forget, it’s still perfectly yummy. I pan-fried the remaining cornbread on a skillet the next day. I’m munching on it right now, in fact.
So as you can see, my weekend was fabbity fab fab: old friends, a hike, a marvelous Hollywood view, shopping at Smart & Final, church, and lots and lots of cheese.
This is the cheesiest way to end a cheesy post.
Question of the Day: What’s a perfect Sunday for you? What’s your favorite section at the grocery store?
****Disclaimer: This project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #collectivebias.
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{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
I love your meetup pics with Mimi and your hair is getting so long, thick, and beautiful!!! love it!
I recently posted about a cheesy taco casserole recipe I came up with. Not vegan and I think you’d LOVE it!
And I just got and posted about my new mac. Girl. Im in love. I also bought VM Ware and a software license for Windows which was like a $300 project so windows live writer better be worth it. haha. I havent cracked the seal on the software yet but plan to b/c i know how you love it!
How come you don’t like rice? I mean, it’s Asia’s staple food!
My mum always question me that when I push away the bowl of rice she shoves toward me.
Hmm, guess we’re both weird little Asians
Because it’s mush!! It doesn’t have texture. I like brown rice though, the nutty kind. Or if the white rice is fried to a crisp, then that’s good too.
We’re bad Asians!
I love the way your cheesy cornbread looks! – Very delicious & wholesome.
A perfect Sunday would be one where I can spend time with my loved ones – family & friends, without getting into scrapes or awkward situations about food. A day where I can really let go of all fears and insecurities and just truly enjoy their company; a day where I can find inner peace; a day where good thoughts fill my head – that would be a perfect Sunday.
My favourite section at the grocery store? I think it would be the fruits and vegetables section – the multitude of colours is very pleasing to the eye! Fruits that are kept fresh are most appealing.
Mmmm, look at that aisle of cheese! YUM
Cheesy Sunday sounds delightful!!
I’d say the produce and beverage section are my two favorite spots in a grocery store. I love foreign (to me) grocery stores too. When I’m in another country, I always rush to the first grocery store. Who cares about the Eiffel Tower, show me to the nearest market!
I only got American cheese growing up so I didn’t think much of it until I met my American husband. He tough me about gouda, goat, havarti, sharp cheddar….Whole Foods has taught me the rest!
Okay.. I decided that I’m going to start commenting on your posts instead of just lurking. LOL.
You are so creative with your recipes.
That Smart & Final looks amazing and completely different from the one on Vermont! Wow. I wish there were some decent grocery stores by USC :\ And that corn bread looks delicious even if you forgot the baking powder.
I know! We need to petition for a Trader Joes nearby school.
That cheesy cornbread looks fantastic Sophia! I always know that you’ll include a lot of delicious melted cheese in your recipes too
I totally love the cheese section too … and especially love the specialty cheese shop near my house. I go there all the time.
A perfect Sunday would include brunch with friends, and an afternoon visiting and mingling by a pool, followed by an evening BBQ outside with family.
I used to read about Griffith park on The Actor’s Diet a lot, not much anymore. Anyways, sounds like a great place to hike. Would most definitely love to check it out when I visit. I always forget ingredients when I cook. I either remember half way through or after I’ve taken like 10 shots of the dish. My fave section at the grocery store would have to be the seafood section or ice cream section. Crap, now I want ice cream. Haha.
A perfect Sunday…? Hm! A perfect *any* day is one in which I don’t have to get up early, I get a walk and other exercise, I have good food and good friends, and some kind of engaging activity that I look forward to… that could be baking, or a good book, or just something shiny and new (I’m like a Magpie that way…)…
PS: my interview *did* go as badly as I’d feared—boo! Glad yours went well, in spite of yourself!
Mmm, cornbread… oh, and don’t worry, i make huge boo boos when baking all the time, like forgetting to add the sugar… doh!
I just brought Kraft Singles today, haha. In my defense, they were the cheapest package of cheese they had at Albertsons
Ps.You look gorgeous in purple / Yay for pretty Mimi being back!
Meet up?!!
Awww, it must be so nice to have your BFF home. I studied in London for 3 months and loved the experience but missed my friends and family so much.
Welcome back, Mimi!! Looks like you girls had a great time — the views of LA are gorgeous! And I love the look of that cornbread, chives and cheese are such a perfect pairing!
Hahaha I feel exactly the same way about hiking! I need a little retail stimulation after about mile 2, myself
LOVE the cornbread recipe…gotta make that sucker soon!!!
Hmm, my favorite grocery store section is the produce section. I could drop so much money on fruit & veg!
Yum, send me some cheesy cornbread this way!
I definitely judge a grocery store by it’s yogurt selection- anyone who has obscure brands, more than four Greek yogurt brands (and especially many of the rare flavors) usually gets on my A-List!
Oh and ps I totally have a penny-sized bladder as well, the worst is when I’m on an airplane and they take FOREVER to turn off the seatbelt sign!
dense, fluffy, doesn’t matter to me – I just love cornbread.
especially cheesy cornbread!
waaa, i eat all my food with chopsticks too, and i’m mexican, wtf. i semi-agree with you on the rice, white rice is only worthwhile if doused liberally with soy sauce, or made into onigiri, or spiced up in some other way. though i find that if you cook it in your rice cooker with plenty of salt and a little butter or sesame oil, it’s pretty darn good as-is.
i think that i am pretty much the only person who really doesn’t like cheese in general. i like parmesan and asiago, and i can deal with mozzarella on a pizza (but to me pizza = sauce delivery device and the less cheese the better) and all other cheeses just leave me cold. i admit to liking kraft macaroni and cheese though… and one single brand of soy cheese that is nearly impossible to find.
my favorite sections of the grocery store are definitely the produce section (free samples of fresh-squeezed juice!) and, um, the candy section. because candy is awesome.
I agree with what you said about white rice. That’s why I don’t judge sushi rice, or fried rice. If there is enough flavor, then it’s ok.
AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!! How can you not like cheese?! Have you tried fresh mozzarella before? That is absolutely gorgeous.
Candy IS awesome. I forgot to mention that I love the bakery section, too.
i have tried a multitude of cheeses, because everyone else in my family LOVES cheese. but the only cheese i buy regularly is cottage cheese (because cottage cheese + fruit = awesomeness ALWAYS). for some reason the sharp quality of most cheeses really turns me off. fresh mozzarella is pretty darn good, but still i consider it to be a means of delivering more tomato sauce goodness into my maw than as something to be enjoyed as-is.
i am always mesmerized by the candy section! as an artist, i am always fascinated by the packaging/label designs/product presentations; and in my grocery store, the candy section is (strangely) attached to the bulk/organic section, which means cheap + vegetarian and therefore means XTREME JESSI LOVIN, because i am a total miser, lol. the bakery section doesn’t do much for me, because i am much more apt to bake something myself than i am to buy something prebaked, though our local-only grocery chain (wegmans) makes FANTASTIC chocolate and vanilla cakes, as well as a mean sweet southern-style cornbread that incorporates big chunks of fresh corn. as a corn addict, that can only mean total deliciousness. but since their magazine has supplied me with the recipe to their cakes, cornbread, and delish lemon squares, i can always make it myself for cheapZ.
which reminds me that i need to make a pear crostata– my mother’s school recently began a “healthy snacking” campaign furnished by wegmans that supplies fresh and high quality fruits and veggies daily for students around 11.00 in the morning for a snack, and she often brings home the leftovers. this week we were graced with an overabundance of pears, so baking must soon commence!
i love grocery shopping too!! i love the cheese on the cornbread!
I have two “secret” ingredients for corn bread. Honey for sweet and cheese for savory!
Mmmm…makes me want to make up a huge pot of chili!
Yay for Mimi being back! I didn’t realize she was away, but I did kind of wonder why you guys stopped hanging out.
I judge a store by it’s cheese section also! And by it’s spice section. Those are the two things I really care about in life. Dried fruit is pretty key also.
I actually really love dense carbalicious cheesy foods…so I’d probably love this without the baking powder!
I love love love cheese. Love it. I used to despise it I am not sure what I was thinking! I am getting so envious of all these hikes you are taking. The views are amazing. Soak it in girl!
Griffith Park is my favorite!! Love it there!
Cheesy cornbread?! I’m all over that! Yum!
My hands down fave part of the grocery store is the baking area, closely followed by cheese and fruit. <3
what a lovely day and a fun shopping trip. the cornbread looks wonderful to me!
happy reunion with Mimi! so fun the hike and go to groceries store with another foodie!
I love produce area to buy and cooking/condiments section to browse around!
Sophia, don’t forget you work a lot rigt now! No wonder that you don’t have the mind for writing something like a weekend ED post, I actually admire that you update your blog so regularly at all!
Ah, friends and how they’re missed … Good to have them back.
The overlook from the park looks awesome! I can not wait to join you on west coast!!
It must feel wonderful to have your BFF (foodie) back – enjoy the summer dining out and cooking !!
The park looks so nice! I love how you can see the hollywood sign.
I love me some cheesy cornbread! My friend makes a great one with pickled jalapenos
Ooooh that looks just like the Whole Foods cornbread I love so dearly – looks like it turned out just fine without the baking powder.
Hmm, now you’ve made me crave chive pancakes…yumm. And yes, must be eaten with chopsticks!
Nice photographs from Griffith Park!
Awww, it’s so good to see Mimi’s pretty face on your blog again! The cornbread you made sounds so good, and I so would have eaten it without baking powder too! It happens to the best of us. I don’t think I’ve forgotten an ingredient in baking (at least not for years), but I’ve sure had other catastrophes happen, like a potato exploding all over my cake batter when I was baking them at the same time, and pie filling spilling and burning all over the bottom of my oven. Or picking up a pan out of the oven WITHOUT OVEN MITTS. Can you beat that? lol
LOL! That happened to me once too…I picked up a pan with my bare hands. I think I was too eager to dig in!
Now, that sounded like a lovely day! I miss hiking – we’d have to drive a while out of Manila to find any kind of walking trails. And I won’t even get started on how I miss stores like Smart & Final (or Costco even). But the one thing I can do is keep up with our Sunday tradition of waking up late and having a big breakfast of (eggs & ham for him, pancakes for me!). Thanks for sharing your recent Sunday.
It’s sounds (and looks) like you had a lovely time hiking. It’s one of my favourite exercises…especially when there is a view like that at the end!
My favourite grocery store section? Why are you making me choose???? I think the yogurt aisle. ( And then the cheese aisle.
)
“Give me my asphalt and 7-Elevens” Hehe, love it
Also, why does the park smell like horse manure? Clearly, I’ve never been there 
I’ve heard a bunch about Smart & Final, but I’ve not yet been lucky enough to go to one. I also judge a grocery store by its cheese (and milk) – glad to see this one makes the cut!
I totally understand about not having the energy to write a lucid post – no apologies needed for being less active online! Just do what you want to do
Have a wonderful rest of your week, Sophia!
The park smells like horse manure because there are trails for horseback riding. It’s a pretty big park.
You have a wonderful week too, dear Jessie!
I will definitely try this cheesy chive cornbread idea. I am lazy, though, so I will add it to a cornbread mix, probably Marie Callendar’s…
I love that you admit that you made a mistake on the recipe and what you did to compensate. That makes you real. And I’m all about that! #KeepItReal ♥
And now I want to go to Griffith Park…haven’t been since I was a kid…
I love hiking and have actually been hiking with the teenager!
Love that Mimi is back!!!
I’ve never made cornbread, but cornbread with lots of cheese sounds great. And forgetting a key ingredient is totally something I would do. That’s why I’m not a baker – mistakes are just so much more noticeable than in cooking…
Definitely sounds like the perfect Sunday! I think cheese should be required when making cornbread. Sorry it didn’t turn out perfect, but it looks super yummy!