Happy New Year! As we slowly ease into 2007, recover from the holiday season and draw up virtuous resolutions we’ll promptly forget so we can unearth them in December and have a good laugh, let us take a moment to bid a fond farewell to 2006 (where do years go when they’re over?) and reflect upon the good things it has brought. Here’s my Best of list:
Most Inspiring Cookbook: Rose Bakery’s Breakfast, Lunch, Tea. Contenders: Mes Recettes pour votre ménage and The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating.
Favorite Fancy Meal in Paris: Lunch in the gardens of Le Bristol. Contender: Dinner at Le Sensing.
Favorite Fancy Meal Elsewhere: Dinner at Cordeillan-Bages, where Thierry Marx officiates. Contender: How could I not mention El Bulli in Roses, Spain?
Favorite Simple Meal in Paris: a côte de boeuf pour deux with garlic potatoes at Corneil.
Favorite Simple Meal Elsewhere: The Crack’d Conch in Key Largo, Florida.
Favorite Soup Recipe: Beet Soup with Anchovy-Walnut Paste
Favorite Main Course Recipe: Le Poulet de Muriel served with Chicken Family Green Beans.
Favorite Addition to my Baking Repertoire: Gâteau Sirop.
Favorite Cooking Class: Tomoko’s sushi class. Contender: Pascal Barbot’s carrot–centric class.
Favorite New Technique: Absorption Pasta.
Favorite New Tool: my chick yellow Coquelle. Contender: my firetruck red stand mixer.
Favorite Fear Conquered: Fear of yeast.
Favorite New Ingredient: Violet Extract. Contender: Olivier Roellinger‘s spice mixes, and most particularly his Poudre Equinoxiale.
If you are so inclined as to share your own Best of 2006 list — feel free to make up your own categories of course — the comment section is wide open!
