The Foodbuzz Blogger Festival begins in San Francisco tonight, and it's looking to be a full weekend of food, fun, and furious networking with fellow food bloggers from all over the country.

I'll be busy at events throughout the weekend, including a big awards dinner on Saturday night where my personal website, Food Wishes, has been nominated for "Best Video Blog." For those of you that don't know, Foodbuzz is sort of like a Facebook for food bloggers.

In case you want to follow along, I'll be tweeting live from the event, as well as taking lots of photos (and maybe even a little video). Stay tuned for updates, and have a fantastic weekend!

I just posted a recipe for some dense, dark, and dangerously addictive chocolate cookies. They feature a dose of black pepper and cayenne, which to many may seem like an odd addition, but one taste and you'll understand there's a method to this madness.

Just like adding a little of salt to desserts makes them taste even sweeter and more delicious, the addition of cayenne and pepper in this cookie really makes the chocolate even more chocolaty. The cookies aren't really "spicy," but you can definitely tell there's a certain something wonderful is happening. Give them a try and see for yourself!

Photo (c) John Mitzewich

This summer I tasted a wonderful slice of fresh yellowtail served by Iron Chef, Masaharu Morimoto. It was seared rare and coated with some type of peppery, aromatic rub. I asked the notoriously taciturn chef how it was made, to which he answered, "pastrami." Chatty he's not.

I really liked it, and it got me thinking about what else could benefit from a coating of this aromatic spice blend. Chicken wings seemed like a natural candidate, so I thought I'd do a little experimenting. The results were quite enjoyable, and I've just posted the recipe here.

The only problem with pastrami-rubbed chicken wings is the first bite. If your palette is set for "rich, smoky, beef brisket pastrami," you may be disappointed. No chicken wing will ever taste like real pastrami, however, I think the traditional pastrami spices do make a great wing seasoning. Enjoy!

Photo (c) John Mitzewich 3

This country ham and split pea soup is one of my favorite cool weather recipes. More than just an easy recipe, it's a delicious and inexpensive way to serve a large group. It's one of those thick, comforting soups that satisfies to the bone.

Speaking of bones, split pea soup is traditionally made using a leftover ham bone. The problem with this is that you may go years between ham bones. Why wait that long to taste this great soup? Go buy some ham and get cooking. Enjoy!

Photo © John Mitzewich