Nora Singley’s Favorite Posts of 2010

Another great year! And not just for cheese. For as much as I value my role as The Kitchn’s Cheesemonger, I get so much non-cheese-related inspiration from my fellow contributors, and from other sites, too, for that matter. So I’m happy to share five of the sites that I love best other than The Kitchn in this year’s roundup of my favorite posts. Because as anyone who loves to make food knows, cooking is as much about borrowing from others as it is about sharing.

My Favorite Posts from The Kitchn

1. How to Make Creamy Ice Cream With Just One Ingredient! – Okay, so I’m cheating a bit, since this post is from 2009. But because I discovered the recipe this past spring, I think it deserves a spot in my round-up from the year. If you haven’t heard about the trick to this dessert yet, it’s time to get on board. I’ve made this countless times, and I love folding other things into it: chocolate, walnuts, chopped strawberries. So while I may have been a little late on the trend, I’ve more than made up for lost time. My only suggestion (and beware– plot spoiler if you haven’t learned the secret yet): be sure to use super-ripe bananas, as any bit of unripeness will taste bitter.


2. Smoked Turkey & Dinner for 12 – The epitome of how inspiring my fellow-editors can be. Here, Faith and Emma share their joint Thanksgiving meal. I loved seeing how they entertain, and what a gorgeous table setting. The spread looked great– such a delicious template for a Thanksgiving meal– and they had some great tips for those of us who entertain a lot: serve some things family-style, plate others, eat in courses. And perhaps because I cooked Thanksgiving meal this year in extenuating circumstances– on an electric stovetop with 3 working burners and one undersized oven– I was able to live vicariously through their copious spread!


3. My Husband Cooks Me Dinner On Video & 15 Easy Recipes – And now, a glimpse into Sara Kate’s kitchen. Aw, so cute! For all of you who take a backseat in the kitchen, here’s your inspiration. Switch it up! Maxwell shows us that even for the unaccustomed, making dinner can be fun, rewarding, and appreciated. And with the 15 easy recipes that accompany the post, there’s really no excuse not to try.


4. The Ultimate Giant Cheese Popovers – I love popovers, and these are the best. I’ve been making these for years, but only realized that they’d be great for my cheese column in July. Better late than never, I guess. The height on these popovers is unlike any other– just click through to the post for a shot of them rising in the oven. They’re cheesy, light, and eggy, perfect for filling with scrambled eggs for a brunch, or serving alongside a roast chicken for dinner.


5. Homemade Candy Corn (and Candy Dough!) – In her always entertaining style, Sarah Rae Trover brings us along on her candy corn making journey. What lies within is a lesson for all cooks: sometimes, when you start a cooking project, it might not be as rewarding as you thought. But what to do if you find yourself smack in the middle of it? Rather than give up, Sarah Rae plows through and lets her own style take over. For all of your who stick strictly to recipes, try reading this post to inspire you to go rogue.

My Favorite Posts from Around the Web

1. Browned Butter Pecan Pie from LookIMadeThat.com – I love everything from this website because I feel like every recipe is one that speaks to my own taste. I’m choosing the browned butter pecan pie because it really is so good, but picking just recipe wasn’t easy. The author of the site is a pastry chef with an intense commitment to making everything from scratch, from bagels to chicharrones to grape jelly.


2. Mushroom Crepe Cake from Smitten Kitchen – I know, I’m like totally late to the party, but I became a Smitten Kitchen devotee this year. Deb’s food always seem to appeal to me, much like the recipes from Look I Made That. This crepe cake is delicious and it holds relatively well, too. It’s going in the “to make again” file.


3. Corn Zeppole from Food 52 – So many of my favorite things rolled into one post here: Food 52, corn, fritters, and Franny’s (a stellar restaurant in Brooklyn). I loved seeing inside the kitchen one of my most-loved restaurants, and learning about the techniques, ingredients, seasoning tendencies, and cooking style of the chef there.


4. The Gastro Gnomes Blog portion of goodfoodjobs.com – This is a website started by a good friend of mine, who has done an amazing job of creating a new resource center for people in the food business and for people who want to get into it. There’s nothing really quite like it and I suggest everyone take a look at the site. The blog portion of the site is dedicated to profiling different food professionals. Most profiles are of people not in the restaurant business, which I think is encouraging inspiration for people who know they want to work in food but don’t necessarily want to go into restaurants. It’s great to read about other people’s stories and paths, and every time I read it I feel proud to be a food professional!


5. The Holiday Entertaining Arsenal from The New York Times – Every time I peruse the dining section online at The Times, I find myself jumping around from one food subject to another, from dessert to main course, from Italian to Greek. It’s a great way to get lost. This Holiday Arsenal is no different– it makes a great starting point to get inspired to start cooking food for the holidays, and then gives you the chance to hop around the archives to different recipes and videos. Some highlights: Southern Layer Cakes, Seven Hour Lamb in about Five, and Holiday Party Treats.

(Images: See linked posts for full image credits.)