Welcome to 2011 and a Look Back at 2010

When I was a child, one of my favorite things to do before Christmas (which is what we celebrated) was to watch the "claymation" special of Rudolph's Shiny New Year. It just made my season, and I watched it up until I left home for college (yup, 18 years old and watching claymation!) It was one of those yearly events that makes me remember my childhood with great fondness. It is the reason why December is still one of my favorite times of the year regardless of its religious significance in my life.

I like to think everyone's new year begins shiny, and with that in mind, remember the goodies of the past 12 months as inspiration for the next.

So picture me raising a glass of bubbly to you all and wishing you joy, love, good food and great times with loved ones in 2011!

Top 10 posts of 2010 (as selected by my readers, according to Google Analytics)

10. Mediterranean Style Chick Pea and Kale Soup
A hearty bean soup, that ages well. It's a great way to use up veggies but also makes it easy to try out kale if you are just beginning to dip your toe into that pool.

9. Cream Chicken and Mushrooms over Biscuits
This looks decadent but it is really great comfort food. All the effort goes into making the biscuits, so make it one night when you have leftover chicken (rotisserie from the store works great!)

8. Shredded Purple Turnip Salad
If you are venturing out into your local farmers market, ask around for purple turnips - not purple topped, but purple (they look pink) ones. They are sweeter than their more common cousins and you do not have to cook them to enjoy their goodness!

7. Italian Quick Pickles
I was happily surprised that this post was so popular - I guess I am not the only sour-aholic out there! Preserving food in any way is always fun, rather like a successful science experiment. Bring the kids into the mix, their enthusiasm may surpass yours!

6. Asian Salad with Mandarin Oranges
Sweet citrus goes so well with Asian flavors, and there are so many lesser known citrus fruits out there. Explore and find new combinations!

5. Corn and Jicama Salad
Jicama is one of those ingredients (it is a root which makes it a vegetable but kind of simulates fruit with its crunchy sweetness) that I wish more people would discover. Kids especially would love to eat this edible tuber and it introduces adventure into eating.

4. Bacon, Kale, Blue Cheese Pasta Al Forno
Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Pasta, baked into gooey submission. No wonder this post was the fourth most viewed. Oh, right, there is some green vegetable in there so you don't feel too guilty!

3. Spinach Scaciatta
This truly is the love of my life foodwise (tied only with pizza). How can you beat garlickly spinach, cheese and sausage wrapped in pizza dough? That is an impossible task!

2. Coriander Chutney
This is probably my favorite condiment of all times (sometimes homemade aioli or harissa overshadow it, but not for long). Cilantro is my favorite herb, so it is no surprise then that this chutney is at the top of my list.

And finally, the most viewed post is....

1. Garlic Lovers Pasta
This isn't even my own recipe, but one widely made throughout the Minnesota Food Co-op world. But I suppose there is a reason that so many co-op delis sell it - it really is that good. What is so surprising is the creamy sauce that isn't heavy or thick. The secret is buttermilk and lemon juice mixed with the mayonnaise - it is the perfect balance to the loads of garlic.

Thanks for reading folks, I appreciate every view, every comment, and look forward to spending more time with you all as we cook and eat our way into the new decade!

Hugs!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Dill and Caraway

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that people buy but don't always know what to do it. Growing up in a German-Scandinavian home we ate plenty of cauliflower, mostly steamed and sometimes with a cream sauce. I even love it raw dipped in creamy dressings. It wasn't until much later in life that I discovered the deliciousness that is roasted cauliflower. Now I make it all the time and snack on it hot or cold. When I have some leftovers, this is a great and quick soup that soothes and fills your belly with goodness.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

Casseroles - they are almost a dirty word in today's cook's repertoire. Conjuring images of grey, creamy, overly heavy dishes from the '70s when everything was packaged and a "casserole" was a pantry dish in the worst way. Welcome to the 21st century where casseroles are one pot, comfort food meals.

This particular dish was inspired by my need to create a healthy meal for the steam table in the Just Food Deli. When I asked my Minnesota friends what kind of casseroles they still loved to eat, everyone told me Chicken and Wild Rice. There's a reason it was an unanimous choice; the nutty, earthy flavor of wild rice compliments chicken and the traditional mire poix makes a perfect dish.

Double Salmon Dip - Smoked and Poached - Season's Eatings

 Merry Christmas, Happy Belated Winter Solstice and Early Welcome to 2011!

This dish was a gift - literally - from Stacy of Stacy & Brian's Adventures in Life. Both Stacy and I participated in a fun blog event called Season's Eatings, created and organized by Katie of Thyme for Cooking. We each signed up to send a regional ingredient from where we live to some other blogger. I sent dried chipotle peppers to Christina of Mele Cotte in Georgia and I received smoked salmon from Stacy in Oregon. Such fun!

I decided to make this dip since it had been languishing in my "to do" file for some time and figured it would be great for the Christmas Eve Smorgasbord that is my family tradition. It was quite a hit, thanks Stacy!

Maple Rosemary Glazed Walnuts

When I was researching some recipes to add to Co-opportunity's Holiday Guide I came across this recipe at Pinch My Salt. It caught my eye because of the interesting mix of ingredients - maple syrup, rosemary and walnuts - not your ordinary candied nut dish. I usually trust Nicole's cooking so I gave it a try.

Whoa, this is really spectacular! It's got the savory goodness of walnuts and the herb-y, resin-y scent of rosemary plus caramelized maple syrup. Oh my!

I usually find candied nuts too sweet for my taste, but the additional salt plus the rosemary offset the sweet of the maple syrup. With the added bonus that you can make it in 5 minutes (and they will cool almost as fast) this is the perfect snack to throw together when unexpected guests pop over. It has gourmet written all over it but it is simplicity at its best!

Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms

Reading food blogs is dangerous. D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S, I tell you, chaos making!

Just when I think I've got it all under control, dishes mapped out for this crazy time of year, no missed days, I read someone's blog post and all that great planning goes flying away like a reindeer over the rooftops.

I admit I should have known better. I should have immediately clicked the window closed when I saw the luscious picture of browned mushrooms. But I'm weak, and feeble, particularly at this time of year when it comes to mushrooms. And when I read that this recipe mimicked the sauce used for escargots (garlic, butter, parsley and lemon, oh my!) I knew I was a goner. So I bought some cremini mushrooms (thrilled to see so many tiny little caps!) and made this delicious recipe. Thank heavens, I mean, too bad my roommate wasn't around to help eat it!