I do something similar to this on my Instagram story where I post photos of the best food I ate in each month of the year. But, I have way too many dishes to include from 2021, which is why it’s being relegated to its own newsletter.
Go-to recipes I made multiple times in 2021:
Moroccan apricot chicken with cous cous
One of the first newsletters I ever wrote was about this Moroccan apricot tagine. I have cooked it at least 6 or 7 times this year. It is a surprisingly easy, flavor-packed weeknight meal.Grossy Pelosi’s vodka sawce
Who doesn’t love Grossy Pelosi! His vodka sawce is truly delicious. Emily and I had a phase where we made this once a week for a month or two, even making it with handmade pasta for Valentine’s Day.NYT chicken zucchini meatballs with feta
An old coworker of mine recommended this recipe and I am forever indebted to her for that. I’ve made it probably 6 times this year, which really came in handy when I came home to Portland and had to use up the abundance of zucchini my mom had growing in the backyard.David Tamarkin’s apple dutch baby from Cook90
This recipe carried over from 2019, but I just can’t stop making it. I’ve cooked this for breakfast at least 20 times in the last few years and it has really withstood the test of time.
Recipes I made for the first time this year and loved:
NYT chewy earl grey sugar cookies
I can’t wait to make these again and just know they will become a staple in my go-to cookie recipe rolodex. They are the perfect texture: soft in the middle and crispy on the outside with a strong tea flavor that packs a punch.Food52 autumn vegetable tian
Y’all are probably so sick of me talking about this dish all the damn time but it was so yummy. Served with rotisserie chicken for dinner or heated up with a scrambled egg on top for leftovers the next morning, I know that this will be in heavy rotation for years to come.Ovenly rosemary currant scones
While it’s not my first Ovenly rodeo, I did make the rosemary currant scones for the first time this year. I’m proud of myself and in awe of the recipe because they taste exactly like the scones from the actual bakery! I know that I’ll use it as a base scone recipe, swapping out the rosemary and currants for chocolate chunks or nuts.Butter chicken
I really crossed off a bucket list item with this one! Making Indian butter chicken was much easier than I thought. It was so delicious, a meal that everyone in my family keeps asking for again. I could totally see this being the new Sunday stew.
Ingredients I used a ton:
White beans
White beans have been having a moment for a while, but I really embraced them this year and constantly gravitated toward them at the grocery store. I’ve cooked a few stews with them, and indulged in brothy beans at various restaurants.Smoked salmon
Normally I’m a budget shopper when it comes to groceries, but the pandemic definitely took it’s toll on my mental health and I found myself indulging in more special items at the store. Sometimes a good meal was the only thing I had to look forward to during another drab day alone in my apartment, and smoked salmon was the luxurious cure I never knew I needed. I’m glad I splurged on my weekly(ish) $12 smoked fish habit.
Best restaurants:
Fan Fan doughnuts
I got sick of artisan doughnut discourse REAL fast after living in Portland during the 2013 doughnut boom. But Fan Fan in Brooklyn, NY is the real deal. Luckily, I let Emily talk me into getting about 8 doughnuts the last time we went, so now I know all the must-order flavors (which, if you’re wondering, are mango lassi, guava cheese, and hibiscus).Måurice
Måurice is my favorite restaurant of all-time, ever, in the whole world. Everything is delicious, from the smørrebrød to the fika to the soup. I feel invigorated, warm, and comfortably full when I leave this cozy Portland restaurant.Sugarpine Drive-In
This place will definitely be a new summer favorite of mine. I cannot get over how delicious the ice cream sundae I had there was: vanilla soft serve topped with blueberry lavender sauce and chunks of pinenut honeycomb. The perfect treat after a long day of berry picking or hiking in Portland’s Hood River region.Court St. Grocers
This is a favorite from, like, 2017 that has become perhaps my only personality trait. Raise your hand if I introduced you to Court St. Grocers and you became obsessed!! I don’t know what makes these sandwiches so damn good, but they’re the best I’ve ever had in NYC and beyond. You can’t go wrong with the Clean Turkey or the Jawn.Cafe Altro Paradiso
I revisited this swanky Italian spot in Manhattan for the second time this year and slurped down every bite of my meal yet again. It’s the perfect restaurant for a special occasion, a fancy date, or an after work drink and dessert. I always order the arancini, a cocktail, and whatever pasta sounds good that night.Tusk
I did not forget how good this place was and had been anxiously awaiting my return in 2021 once I got to Portland. Every single thing we ordered was fantastic: the hummus and pita, the saucy cauliflower and broccoli, and a berbere spiced kafta with whipped feta. Worth every penny, a scrumptious meal I’ll never forget.Food carts
Think NYC hot dog carts, times 20, but fenced in with tons of seating, and each cart is serving a different cuisine for under $10 a meal… and you’ve got a typical Portland food cart pod. There are a few of these near my house, and it’s not lost on me how lucky I am to be able to have everything from Thai to poke to BBQ to fish and chips at my fingertips when it’s lunchtime and I’m too lazy to cook and don’t want to spend $20+ on delivery.
What I sipped on:
Boba
Honestly, it was really the year of the boba for me. The two things I missed in 2020 being cooped up in my apartment the whole year were the lack of pastries and boba in my neighborhood. Once I got vaccinated and broke free in 2021, I spiraled into a boba frenzy, which didn’t help when I moved to Portland and had multiple boba spots at my disposal within less than 10 minutes. My favorite spots in Portland are Tiki Tea, Tea Chai Té (a classic), Tea & Tea (very cheap and convenient), and Matcha Cafe Maiko. In NYC, I tended to frequent the now-closed Boba Guys, Gong Cha, and Vivi.
Describe to me in detail the best things you ate and drank this year, thanks!
I agree with everything you said. In addition, This was the year of iced chai for me!!! Also I had my first enchilada and loved it! I also got into Milk stouts and my favorite restaurant this year was court street (I know you said it but it deserves to be said twice) by far! I think I tried a lot of foods this year and for that, I am proud. <3
Discovered Yonder fried chicken and biscuits with sorghum butter, it's right next to my work and never went there until this summer