Farewell to The Minimalist - Bittman's top 25

I came late to the Mark Bittman party - I only discovered him a couple of years ago through his column in the food section of the New York Times, The Minimalist. But I fell instantly in love with him - his personality, his cooking, his simple approach to cooking, and his down-to-earth desire to help everyone learn to cook, well, everything.

This past week he posted his last column for The Minimalist and listed his top 25 dishes (I don't know how he could have chosen, that sounds impossible to me!) I was shocked to realize I had only made one of them and it wasn't even his recipe - No Knead Bread from Jim Leahy. Still, I wanted to mark the occasion of his 13 year column run and so this post.

Thankfully, his food writing career is not over - he'll still be making contributions to the New York Times, although through the Opinion department, writing more about food, its politics, and the shifting culture of it all. Also, he will have a show on the Food Channel, which I am very excited about! His "Spain, On the Road Again" for PBS (along with Gwyneth Paltrow, Mario Batali and Claudia Bassols) was inspiring and entertaining, at least when he and Claudia were talking, eating and sampling, so I trust his new show will be loads of fun as well.

He started out working for America's Test Kitchen (now Cooks' Illustrated) and has written several cookbooks (and this list doesn't even include them all). He's be doing this for 30 plus years, and bless his heart, wants to give us more. That's passion!

Have you got a favorite Bittman recipe, moment or dish that you has a special place in your heart? I'd love to hear about any and all stories. Love that man!

Hugs!