While many people still feel like we are in the pit of despair, my year went from despair to hope. This is because my children are back in school. I still don't quite have the words to describe how having my children home for a year affected me, and I believe that it will take many years for words to come through. Nevertheless, my cooking life has expanded.
This year - and mostly the second half of 2021 (again, "school") I accomplished:
* Cooked from and reviewed the following cookbooks:
Eat better, Feel better, Giada De Laurentiis
The New York Times Cooking - No-Recipe Recipes, Sam Sifton
Come on Over: 111 Recipes for the Family that Cooks, Laughs, and Eats Together, Jeff Mauro
* Continued to cook from the following cookbooks that I own. The ones I reach for the most were:
Keepers and The Dinner Plan by Kathy Brennon and Caroline Campion
SkinnyTaste, One and Done by Gina Homolka
Dinner: A Love Story and Dinner: The Playbook, by Jenny Rosenstratch. Still have not completed these books, and will work on it this year!
* Purchased the following cookbooks: I try to only purchase books I REALLY want, and I usually will take them out of the library before I buy.
1. The Weekday Vegetarian, Jenny Rosenstrach - Cannot wait to dig in. Have already cooked through her Dinner: A Love Story and about half of Celebrations and Dinner: The Playbook.
2. Ready, Set, Cook, Dawn Perry - Maybe not worth the purchase. TBD in depth after a few more recipes. I was lured in by the fact that Perry was a recipe developer for Real Simple. GREAT for a beginner cook. I have only cooked her slow roasted chicken and coffee cake. The coffee cake will be made again and again.
3. 365 Days of Soup - encouraged to by this one by Paula Forbes in her Stained Page News. Which soup matches your birthday? Hope to make more soups as the years go by!
4. The New Basics (used) - Always wanted to own this classic and found it last week at a furniture consignment store.
* Subscribed to the following cooking e-"newsletters":
Dinner a Love Story, Jenny Rosenstrach, Cookbook Author
Stained Page News, Paula Forbes, Professional Cookbook Editor
The Department of Salad (unpaid still), Emily Nunn, Food Journalist and Author
The Wine Curmudgeon - great, inexpensive wine recommendations. Love Jeff!
Southern Living Magazine - Not electronic, but still love their recipes!
The New York Times Cooking website
* Continued to try different recipe of the following meals in order to find my family's "favorite" recipe.
Chicken Pot Pie: SkinnyTaste's is still the front runner (though this link is not the exact one in her book)
Sloppy Joe's: Sam Sifton's is still the front runner. But this pork sloppy joe from Real Simple was great too: Pork Sloppy Joes.
Breaded Chicken Cutlets: Practice makes perfect! But I found Giada's Chicken Breast with Gluten-Free breadcrumbs and Rice Flour to really shine! Also, the Ritz Cracker Chicken from the NYTimes was stunning!
Turkey Burgers - always ready to a healthy alternative to our favorite Reid's. My favorite is the New York Times Turkey Burger.
Pork Tenderloin - Siri Daly's Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Cider was made more than twice this year to much acclaim.
Pizza Dough - This is not really working for me. I still have not found a clear winner.
Turkey Chili: Smitten Kitchen's one the taste test. Kids devoured it. Dinner: A Love Story's still a top choice though.
* Other observations from 2021:
1. Leftovers appear more than in previous years. Continuing goals of less waste and better ingredients have made leftovers easier to swallow.
2. Ground pork appeared on our table more. Loved the pork meatballs, and pork with tofu in Keepers.
3. Kids ate tofu - they especially liked Julia Turshen's Sesame Rice with Tofu and Quickles and Peanut Sauce and the pork with tofu (see above).
4. Consistency is hard. I wanted to make Chicken and Rice every other week (so as to find the BEST Chicken and Rice recipe), but life gets in the way, and I have too many self-imposed requirements and recipe goals.
*How I did on my 2121 cooking resolutions?
1) Continue the search for good dairy free recipes.: Actually, I returned to eating a bit too much dairy, and will make this another resolution for 2022.
2) Continue to try different recipes for meatloaf/meatballs and chicken pot pie. CHECK!
3) My husband wants me to make gazpacho. CHECK!
4) Make this NY Times pizza dough. First, I have to buy the flour. CHECK!
* Cooking Resolutions for 2022:
1) Continue to research dairy-free recipes and food choices. Perhaps try nutritional yeast.
2) Incorporate more greens in dinner. Aim for 3 nights a week.
3) Try and limit food waste.
4) Finish cooking through Keepers/Dinner Plan/Dinner: A Love Story/Dinner: The Playbook (only recipes that appeal, of course).
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