Running not only keeps me in shape but it clears my mind more than anything else.  It untangles the clutter.  A quick three-mile run makes all the difference whenever I feel I have hit a wall or I am desperately lost.  Running calms me down and keeps me in focus.  Whenever I run, it’s just me, my rhythm, and my thoughts without any distractions.  I got so hooked on long-distance running after my first race that I promised myself I would run at least one race every year, either half or full, for as long as my knees could take the pounding.

Lately, however, I seem to have lost the fire for running.  I blame it on so many things, like the stubborn holiday weight that has unwelcomely overstayed.   And then there’s the sad fact that there are simply not enough hours in the day to do everything I need and wish to do.  Running always gets banished to the end of my long laundry list of tasks everyday.  Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day, Canadian marathon runner Peter Maher says.  It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?’ Sadly, I’ve been wimping out.

Last weekend, I faced the same haunting question yet again.  It was the weekend of the San Francisco Marathon.  I signed up for the half marathon in January, back when I still had lofty running goals for the New Year.  I had been vacillating between running the race and copping out.  Should I run or shouldn’t I?  It would be my sixth straight race in the city if I did choose to run.  Was I going to be a wimp or was I going to be strong?

So there I was at Golden Gate Park on a typical gray San Francisco morning.  I anxiously lined up next to thousands of other runners, young and old alike, and waited for my wave to run.  I had an awkward start but eventually found my rhythm.  In long-distance running, it’s all about keeping pace.

Everything around me felt familiar.  The Eucalyptus trees in the Park.  The rolling hills in the Haight.  The old cranes in the Dogpatch.  The orange cones and the cheering crowds that lined the course.  I counted down the miles one by one.  The last mile felt longest, as always.  Before long, the festive string of blue balloons at the finish line along the Embarcadero greeted me for the sixth time.  I never felt so welcomed.  I never felt so strong.

Pancakes are our tradition after finishing a race.  For this year’s celebratory cakes, Dennis made Cook’s Illustrated’s Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes but instead of lemons he used the last batch of calamansi from our garden.   Souring the milk with calamansi or lemon adds a wonderful layer of flavor to the corncakes.  Buttermilk can also be used in place of milk and citrus.  When fresh blueberries are not in season, Cook’s Illustrated suggests using frozen blueberries.  Rinse the frozen berries under cool water in a strainer until the water runs clear, then spread them on a plate lined with a paper towel to dry so that they do not bleed when cooked in the cakes.  The color and texture of these pancakes are simply brilliant.  Make sure you indulge in plenty of butter.  But remember, if you don’t wimp out in butter, you shouldn’t wimp out in burning them off either!

Calamansi Cornmeal Blueberry Pancakes Recipe
Recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, makes sixteen 4-inch pancakes, 4 to 6 servings

1 tablespoon calamansi juice
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon grated calamansi zest
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal (preferably stone ground)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, rinsed and dried

In medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together calamansi juice, milk and zest. Set aside to thicken while preparing other ingredients. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk egg and melted butter into milk mixture until combined. Make well in center of dry ingredients in bowl. Add milk mixture. Whisk very gently until just combined. A few lumps should remain. Do not overmix.

Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon oil. Brush to coat skillet bottom evenly. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto 3 spots on skillet. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon blueberries over each pancake. Cook pancakes for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until large bubbles begin to appear. Using thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until golden brown on second side. Serve immediately. Repeat with remaining batter, using remaining vegetable oil only if necessary.

I love the Embarcadero for so many reasons.  I love running down the waterfront with the Bay Bridge as the dramatic backdrop.  I start my morning runs in the Dogpatch, work my way toward the ballpark, trace the Embarcadero toward Pier 39 , turn around and run back home.  On days when I feel particularly strong, I continue past the Wharf and run as far as I can, sometimes reaching as far as Crissy Field in the Marina, or even the Golden Gate Bridge!

If I’m not running, I’m walking.  I love taking lunchtime walks to the Ferry Building on bright, sunny days, ending up in one of the benches right above the Larkspur Ferry Terminal with a Boccalone muffaletta sandwich, a bottle of water and Michael Chabon.  I love early evening walks along the water, too.  Dressed comfortably in warm fleece, I wait for the day to end, staring at the golden shiny Oakland buildings across the Bay and admiring the gorgeous dusk sky studded with Bay Bridge lights.

If I’m not walking, I’m shopping.  I love spending early Saturday mornings at the Ferry Plaza farmers’ market, shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables, and then rewarding myself for waking up early with a couple of dark chocolate covered cherry rugelachs from Noe Valley Bakery & Bread Company.

If I’m not shopping, I’m eating.  The food choices along the Embarcadero are endless but I particularly love the haute street cuisine at the Ferry Plaza on Thursday afternoons.  Every Thursday, the farmers’ market hosts an elite group of street food purveyors whose ingredients are mainly sourced from the market’s local farms and vendors. The street food market is the perfect middle-of-the-week, something-to-look-forward-to treat.

As we continue the countdown to Jun-Blog’s first year, I am featuring a couple of my favorites from the Thursday farmers’ market, a bowl of ramen noodles from Richie Nakano of Hapa Ramen and kalbi short rib tacos from Dennis Lee of Namu.  Hapa Ramen’s fried chicken ramen bowl with sous vide egg is topnotch.  Nakano’s handmade noodles are wonderfully chewy and his four-day broth is amazingly flavorful.  The best way to enjoy Hapa Ramen is to lift the bowl and slurp away.  It is truly comfort food in a bowl, perfect for a cool summer San Francisco day.

And Namu’s Korean tacos are outstanding as well.  Delicious chopped kalbi short ribs on top of seasoned rice with daikon and kimchee salsa, kimchee remoulade, and housemade teriyaki are all folded into strips of nori and garnished with sesame seeds and green onions.  The mix of flavors are as vibrant as the colors of this Korean-Californian taco reinvention.

Food this good is reason enough to keep coming back to the Embarcadero.  Plus I need to run and burn off those irresistible Arlequin maple bacon beignets.

This year, I’m starting my own tradition. I’m gathering 12 round shaped sweet treats to welcome the New Year!  These are my San Francisco favorites culled from past blogs plus teasers for future posts.  It’s definitely not a comprehensive list since I can only cram twelve.  And I guess, that’s what the New Year is for, a whole new year to try new tasty treats!  Send me a note and let me know what’s on your list.

And by the way, I define round shaped very loosely here.  It can be spherical or circular in shape or served in a spherical or circular container.

Fried Dough.

1. Dynamo Donut’s maple glazed bacon apple doughnut. “The saltiness of the little chunks of crispy bacon complements the sweetness of the maple glaze very well, which makes the maple glazed bacon apple an instant favorite.”

2. I Preferiti di Boriana’s bomboloni. Italian doughnuts filled with chocolate ganash and tossed in sugar. Pure bomboloni bliss.

Street Sweets

3. Creme Brulee Cart’s Cap’n Crunch Creme Brulee. “But as he sprinkled colorful Cap’n Crunch pieces on my cup, for some reason, I got so excited. I knew I was in for a sweet treat!”

4. Wholesome Bakery’s Sweet Potato Pie. Healthy baby sweet potato pies that actually taste great.  The sweetness of the sweet potato shines.

I Scream for Ice Cream

5. Bi-Rite Salted Caramel Ice Cream. “One of the best things in life is real good ice cream. And Bi-Rite Creamery’s artisanal ice cream is beyond good.”

6. Humphry Slocombe’s Ice Cream. Yes, you read it right: salt-n-peppa ice cream. Crazy, one-of-a-kind and out-of-this-world, yummy flavors are what makes Humphry Slocombe truly special.

Cupcake Heaven

7. Kara’s Cupcakes. “A pink box full of Kara’s pumpkin spice cupcake, moist carrot cupcake, and banana cupcake with caramel filling, all topped with Kara’s silky smooth cream cheese frosting, makes me extremely crazy, stupid happy.”

8. Baked’s Red Velvet Cupcake. This small bakeshop in Potrero Hill is a real neighborhood find with baked treats like cookies, peanut brittle, and delightful red velvet cupcakes.

Filipino Finds

9. House of Silvanas Bakeshop’s Ube Silvanas. “They are best enjoyed frozen. The crunchy wafers and the yummy buttercream just delightfully melt in your mouth.”

10. Hilda’s Hopia. Hilda’s Filipino favorite bean filled pastry is flaky, buttery and sweet.

Breakfast Bites

11. Dottie’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes. “The neighborhood may be dicey and the wait may be long but breakfast at Dottie’s is always a treat. The food is simply scrumptious.”

12. Tartine’s Bread Pudding with Apples. There are so many tasty treats to try at Tartine (and a lot of alliterations, too); from delicious croissants and tarts to amazing bread pudding.