Happy New Year 2012! (New Years dinner + Top 10 posts of 2011)

#10: Copper River Salmon

I have always loved salmon, but after trying Copper River Salmon, it’s hard for me to go back to the bland, overcooked, farm-raised salmon that is so prevalent in grocery stores these days. This salmon has TONS of flavor, and tastes fantastic on the grill (or any other way, in fact!). I partnered with the Copper River Salmon organization in Alaska this summer. It was a great way to try many different types of Copper River Salmon (King, Coho, Sockeye). My favorite is King, which, unfortunately, is only available fresh for about a month and  is also quite expensive!)

#9: Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce with Bacon

This is one of my classic go-to recipes when I’m at home during the winter with no fresh produce. It makes great use of canned tomatoes, vodka, and cream (which I often have lying around since I like to make ice cream!). As long as you have some great quality pasta (ideally fresh, but good dried pasta is also fine), you’ve got a winner of a dish.

#8: Chinese New Year Recipes

Mustard Greens	Sauteed Chinese Watercress
Spicy Pork with Sour String Beans	Chinese Chives and 5-Spice Tofu

Chinese New Year is a HUGE holiday in Asia. People take vacation for weeks and travel back to their hometowns to visit family. Of course, the holiday is filled with lots of food. This post essentially provided a nice, graphical interface (filled with pictures) of all the Chinese recipes on this site. I eventually moved it over to the Chinese food gallery so that all could access the recipes more easily.

#7: Jean Philippe Patisserie

Last year in Las Vegas I saw the most amazing cakes at Jean Philippe Patisserie inside the Bellagio. This bakery also boasts the largest chocolate fountain in the world! Come check out this post to see other fantastic cakes and also pictures of that crazy fountain.


#6: Sushi Kanesaka

I’m always ruined for sushi when I come back to the States after some extended time in Japan. The sushi in Japan is incredible and still so much better than anything I’ve had in the US (and I’ve had some pretty good sushi here!).  Sushi Kanesaka was one of the more interesting omakases that we had in Japan, complete with exotic offerings like fish sperm sac! Of course, there were also many, many delicious courses, my favorite of all being the slightly grilled tuna cheek.

#5: My Favorite Date Restaurants

I’ve had dates in many, many restaurants (Bryan and I eat out a lot). Here are some of my favorite places that do a good job of combining excellent food, great service, and a really nice ambiance.

#4: Sous Vide Chicken with Pesto

I got a sous vide machine last fall and have been experimenting with it ever since. I’ve used it most for steak, actually, though most meats taste pretty amazing when cooked sous vide. Chicken is one of those meats that turns out plump, juicy, and ever so soft (never dry!) when cooked sous vide.

#3: Oven Roasted Golden Beets


I love beets, and I’m surprised it took me so long to realize that beets aren’t just deep purple! These diced golden beets caramelize beautifully and taste even better than roasted whole beets (which essentially just steam in the oven). Definitely give them a try if you’ve never had them before!

#2: Homemade Oreos (TKO’s)


Oreos are one of my favorite cookies and Bouchon is one of my favorite bakeries. So, it’s no surprise that the Thomas Keller Oreo (aka “TKO”) is one of my all time favorite bakery items at Bouchon. I was thrilled to find a recipe for these, and I can attest that these are fantastic. I still like the Bouchon ones better (I guess I’m still not that skilled of a baker). However, these are great when I’m getting that itch for a TKO and don’t feel like traveling to NYC to get one!

#1: Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cookies


I love my Tiny Urban Kitchen stamp! I made these cookies for an annual Boston-based blogger cookie swap last year. It’s a simple shortbread recipe but the addition of Meyer lemons adds a gorgeous floral note that I love. These are great as gifts because they pack and store easily!

That’s it! It’s been a crazy year filled with lots of travel (Las Vegas, Napa Valley, Tokyo, London, Greece, and NYC), moving to a new house, arrival of my sister’s new baby, celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary, and serving and fundraising for the Boston Rescue Mission.

Here’s to an awesome 2012!

Happy New Year!