The Best of What I Cooked in 2021
Surviving a Pandemic the Best Way I Know How
WHAT. A. YEAR. Am I right?
Like many folks, 2021 was a struggle for me on many fronts. I moved, changed jobs, and learned so much about myself — setting boundaries, prioritizing my well-being, and showing more grace to myself and others (starting with doing an annual recipe wrap up instead of trying to do this monthly).
Luckily, as part of the move, I got a bigger kitchen, and had the space (both physical and mental) to experiment more in the kitchen. So without further ado, here are some of my favorite things I cooked this year, along with recipe links where applicable.
For some reason, I like to try something new for Christmas dinner. Last year, it was cassoulet, and this year, it was beef wellington. Now, I’m not necessarily going to suggest that you try beef wellington for the first time for an important event. But, while there are many steps, none of them are particularly difficult. I decided to go with the Cooks Illustrated recipe and method, which uses pate brisee instead of puff pastry (an extra step, but a bit less finicky and a bit more crispy).
One of my goals for this year was to eat more beans, because I don’t particularly love the texture of them, but I know they’re good for me. However, I do like chickpeas. This NY Times recipe has similar flavors to butter chicken, and it is extremely easy and tasty.
I love braising meats when it gets colder outside. It’s hearty and makes the whole house smell delicious. This one-two punch comes from Chef John from the Food Wishes YouTube channel. His hard cider-braised pork shoulder is excellent on its own, but serving it on top of spaetzle makes it a true home run.
My friends Jasmine and John invited me to a foraging class where I found some beautiful Maitake (aka hen of the woods) mushrooms. I knew I wanted to do something special with them, so I pulled some of my homemade pappardelle from the freezer to make this pasta dish. No recipe; I was just winging it. I seared the mushrooms in a combo of butter and duck fat, and then I sauteed garlic, shallots, and thyme. Deglazed with white wine, and added some cream. Then, I added the pasta with a little bit of the pasta water. Topped the whole dish with chives, parm, and some hen of the woods that I crisped up in my air fryer.
If you know me, you know that I love chicken! My favorite piece to eat is a wing (fried, of course), but my favorite to cook are chicken thighs. This Green Goddess Sheet Pan Chicken from the Savor and Sage blog is the perfect weeknight meal because it is ridiculously flavorful and super easy.
You can make delicious doughnuts in the air fryer. I repeat, you can make delicious doughnuts in the air fryer. Most doughnut air fryer recipes simply have you repurpose refrigerated canned biscuits — which taste like biscuits with glaze on them. This version from Plated Cravings is completely from scratch. They’re a little more work, but they also actually taste like doughnuts.
One more air fryer recipe for the road. As I mentioned above, I love fried chicken wings and this version is juicy and unbelievably crispy. No recipe, but I tossed these wings in a mixture of kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and adobo. Then, a thin layer of corn starch. I cooked them in the air fryer on 400 degrees for 20–25 minutes, shaking the basket every five minutes until golden brown. You can use any seasonings you like, but if you enjoy fried chicken wings, then you have to try this method.
As a born-and-raised southerner, I have a soft place in my heart for a good biscuit. And, I have a tried-and-true buttermilk biscuit recipe. But these, from Top Chef Winner Mei Lin, are at another level. Lin grates frozen butter and cheese into her dry ingredients, creates layers by rolling out the dough and folding it several times, and then pops the dough in the freezer before cutting (into squares!) and baking. It’s basically foolproof. Lin walks through the process in her IG stories, and you can get a head start by checking out this article from Kiera Wright-Ruiz in Kitchn.
I didn’t slouch on my baking this year. This black and white pound cake from Sohla El-Waylly is topped with a delicious streusel that adds such great texture and flavor to an already incredibly tasty dessert. I took a tip from the reviewers and cut the amount of streusel in half and it was still more than enough. El-Wayllyl also has an in-depth pound cake guide to help troubleshoot some common issues that can make your cake dry or overly dense.
I love, love, love cinnamon rolls. My husband does not. That’s why this small batch cinnamon roll recipe from Simply Lakita is perfect for whenever I need a few, but not a whole pan’s worth.
When I saw this Washington Post recipe from Joe Yonan on Twitter, I knew I had to try it. Blend toasted almonds in vegetable stock to make a creamy broth. Pour it over some cheese ravioli and top with blanched asparagus, scallions, almonds, and grated parm. It is spring time in a bowl.
There is so much pasta on this list, but man, do I love pasta! I’m winding down this wrap up with a dish from Yottam Ottolenghi. It’s handcut saffron pappardelle with shallots caramelized with chipotle and topped with pickled jalapenos. The ricotta provides some much-needed relief, but this dish is hot (in more ways than one). It’s a day-long project, but the combination of flavors is hard to beat.
Did you cook anything delicious this year? I’d love to hear about it.
