Full Gastronomic Tilt

As entertaining as it is to read all of the Best of 2009 lists, I didn’t really feel up to the task of creating one. Then Sara Mead’s post over at the IFA inspired me. Brief, reflective, perfect.

I started this blog in 2009, which I still feel was a crazy thing to do. But it has been a lot of fun (thanks, guys!), and I’m keeping it going in 2010. I’m taking the spring off from grad school and want to use the free time to do more in-depth posts, perhaps with a bit of research and footwork thrown in for good measure. We’ll see.

For me, 2009 was the year of two simple ingredients I had never cooked with before, and are now staples in my pantry: quinoa and risotto. Relatively quick-cooking and with endless variations, I’m glad to have them both in my repertoire.

2009 was the year I cozied up to the humble egg, after discovering some of the best-tasting eggs in the world. I made buttery fried eggs, deviled eggs, omelets and perfectly fluffy scrambled eggs at every opportunity.

2009 was the year I went from 4 cookbooks to 17, heaven help me.

2009 was the year this dairy lover started doing some vegan cooking and surprised even herself.

2009 was the year I realized that ponzu, dijon mustard and coconut milk qualify as staples in my book.

2009 was the year I picked up a DSLR and started learning about photography, with a little help from my friends.

The best meal of 2009? The stellar, seemingly endless, sustainable sushi dinner at Bamboo in Portland, Oregon with nine friends.

Some of the best things I cooked never made it into the blog - pad thai and gai tom kha among them. And chilaquiles from Almost Meatless, which are easy and oh my gosh delicious.

Baking is still a secondary craft for me. I baked bread a total of twice and need to do it more. Made at least three failed batches of muffins, but my quick breads were tasty and reliable. I made scones and discovered I have a talent for it. My favorite cookies are still Heidi’s triple-ginger, followed closely by my white chocolate cherry oatmeal.

As far as drinks go, I’m lucky to have several amateur mixologist friends, because I am no bartender. If I had to choose a favorite drink from this year, I’d stick to that 2006 Folie a Deux Cabernet Sauvignon. Yum.

For New Year’s Eve, I made my first multi-course dinner for friends. Simple, delicious dishes: my spinach-artichoke dip (will share soon!), a salad with sliced pear, gorganzola, dried cranberries and toasted pecans, smitten kitchen’s mushroom bourguignon, and sorbet for dessert. It was terrific, hitchless and a milestone for me.

2010 will be a year in which I stretch. Short ribs are on my list, as are crepes. Puff pastry and phyllo dough. More yeast-raised doughs. More buttermilk. I will go back to Cucina 24. I will try Nepalese food and continue to lobby the gods for a pho place in Asheville.

And one more thing - I’m going to figure out how to change that banner up at the top.

How exciting.