Best of 2010

2010 was a busy and stressful year for me. I got married in the spring & adopted a beagle puppy, dealt with too much drama from friends & family this summer, and spend a lot of time focusing on work this fall (though, it was the best semester I've had at school). I also taught many cooking classes at Kitchen Conservatory.

Cooking remains our favorite thing to do together...when we have time to do so, that is. Jerad started a new job at the beginning of the summer and another new one in the fall. We each have two jobs, so we don't see each other very much. It's created a rocky start to our marriage, but we've manage to prevail. Hopefully, 2011 will be a little easier--and happier--for us.

In terms of blogging, I posted less than in the past few years. In fact, this is only my 45th post this year. For the most part, though, I still tried at least one new recipe a week. It seemed like when I did cook something new, I didn't really want to take pictures (I'm just not very good at it) and I certainly didn't have time to devote to blogging like I wanted to. Nevertheless, we enjoyed many delicious meals at home & tried several new dishes...including roasted rabbit, salt-baked snapper, & grilled beef heart.

Here are some of my favorite recipes from the past year 

(in no particular order):

Homemade Biscuits - I finally made biscuits that weren't flat & crunchy!

Tomato Tarte Tatin - This was a staple of our summer diet, especially since we'd planted tomatoes in the backyard this year.

Porchetta di Testa - The infamous pig face! I still can't believe we pulled this off successfully.

French Onion Dip - Revolutionized my chip & dip fetish.

Berry Popsicles - To satisfy another fetish...

Pig Roast Wedding Reception - It was the year of the pig for us.

Peanut Butter & Bacon Truffles - Wedding cake be damned! This was our most popular reception dessert.

Braised Lamb - We started buying more meat from locals at the farmers markets.

Paella - I have so much fun cooking with my friend Steph! We also made soft pretzels.

Wild Duck Ragu - The best duck recipe I've tried yet. Unfortunately, it was bad hunting this fall, so I didn't get to make this again.

Bittersweet Chocolate Tart with Pretzel Crust - Chocolate & pretzels, what's not to like?

Tacos & More Tacos - Tacos!

Venison Burgers & Wellington - The perks of marrying a hunter...free food!

Pho - I ate my first pho, then I made my first pho. I'm now addicted.

Pork Rillettes - The best camping food ever!

Pressed Cuban Burgers - Inspired by the awesome lunch we had at Mesa Grill in Vegas.

What were the best dishes you made in 2010?

Homemade Biscuits

I first attempted homemade biscuits in junior high school.  We must have been given an assignment to make biscuits at home, because I remember pulling the hard, dense discs from the oven & my dad teasing me about how horrible they were.

That episode was so scarring that I didn't try to make biscuits again until last January. While those biscuits were crispy & buttery, they were still pretty dense. I wanted something flakier and fluffier.

Last week, I decided to finally try homemade biscuits again. I figured that since I've mastered pie crust and am more confident with doughs in general, biscuits would be no big deal. I was wrong. I rolled out the dough too thin (though, the recipe I was following said to roll it out to 1/4 inch thick), and the biscuits didn't really rise. They were flat and crispy, like biscuit cookies.

Lemon Ginger Drops & Other Christmas Cookies

This week was holiday spirit week at school. I got called a scrooge twice in the past week couple of weeks...despite my having worn reindeer antlers all day on Wednesday. 

So, in an effort to reduce my apparent grinchiness, I actually bought an ugly Christmas sweater to wear to school yesterday. I hit the jackpot of tacky Xmas attire at Macy's...70% off! But, I couldn't decide which hideousness to buy...the black cardigan with a beaded tree & Santa, the black tee with sequined snowflakes & fuzzy reindeer, or the red shirt with a black & gold ornament pattern and black beading? I decided to go with the cardigan, as it was the best bargain...normally $56, on sale for $13. Who in their RIGHT MIND is paying $56 for this thing? 

Instead of recognizing the gaudiness of my outfit, which was a far cry from my usual black or tan pants and various neutral-colored turtlenecks, some students actually complimented me on my new sweater. No one seemed to realize the irony of my bedazzledom. They must have seriously thought that I was finally in the Christmas spirit. Not likely, kids.

Thanksgiving 2010

I had a brilliant idea this morning...to sneak off & spend the next 5 days alone in a swanky hotel, drinking champagne, ordering room service, and catching up on sleep. That way, I could avoid this entire holiday weekend...and get some much needed rest, relaxation, and quiet time.

While I love Thanksgiving dinner, I'm just not looking forward to cleaning the house for our overnight guests, doing all the grocery shopping tonight & cooking the entire meal by myself on Thursday (as my husband will be busy working and/or duck hunting the next few days). I'm sure it will all work out in the long run, but I am feeling anxious and overwhelmed by how much I have to do in the next couple of days.

Still, I'm not one to selfishly abandon my family on a holiday. So, I'll suck it up and make the best of it. This Thanksgiving, I'll remember to appreciate the family & friends who are joining us for dinner (and not focus on the heart-breaking dysfunction of those who are not), to celebrate the one-year anniversary of our engagement (and 8 wonderful months of marriage), & to recognize all that I have to be truly thankful for.

Chili Cookoff: Carolina Pulled Pork Chili

In my former life, some friends of mine had a big chili cookoff at their house every year in which they pitted their friends' culinary skills against one another. So, this year I decided to steal their idea...and see just how talented my foodie friends are.

I invited people to bring their best chili recipe in a crock pot. I set all the pots on the dining room table (connected with extension cords & power strips). Each pot was numbered & given a stack of corresponding numbered tasting cups. After everyone tasted the chilies, they were given 3 beans with which to vote for their favorite dish(es) by putting beans in numbered cups set up along the fireplace mantle.

There was one rule for the night: No white chili. This wasn't a best chicken-and-bean soup cookoff.

The Set-Up

My friends came through and produced some really good food. All 13 of the chilies earned votes. There was many different variations, of course. Some used beef; others used pork. I think Ashby tried to sway my vote by adding bacon to his. One featured corn; another featured hominy. A few were very spicy (Simon!). Overall, they were all good!