My Favorite Food Books of 2010

Happy holidays, and here's to another delicious year. Last year, I had fun rounding up my favorite food books of 2009. I'm happy to share a new batch of books that have made cooking and eating a lot more interesting for me. I know, so many "best-of" lists to buzz about this time of year, so many not-so-new reasons to go buy something. In case you didn't get what you wanted this year, here are some suggestions, from my kitchen to yours. With one exception: you won't see the book in this photo above in my list (taken at a book signing at SXSW Interactive this year). I'm not sure I could call that one a favorite "read," since I wrote it -- ha!

Quick-Marinated Broccoli Stems

Crispety, crunchety, tang. That's all I taste when I sink an incisor through one of these slices of spring green. All it took was a splash of lemon juice, glug of olive oil, sea salt, and a few minutes' time marinating to bring something like broccoli stems to this level.

Chestnuts: A Story of Failure

Roasting on an open flame my a$%. It started as an innocent whim, spurred by seasonal lore. But roasting chestnuts, the nostalgic Christmastime snack, unfolded as a series of disasters for me.

Pan-Fried Potatoes and Turnips with Chili-Soy Sauce & Scallions

Here is a really good example of the fact that I'm half-Chinese. I have no idea what this is, but I just made it for a snack. It's sort of like hash browns, but with turnip slices, and condiments fit for dumplings. I gotta say, though, it was a lot simpler to make than either of the above, and its taste satisfied somewhere in between.

Tomato Soup to Write Home About

Dear Mom and Dad, Today I had the most wonderful tomato soup. And I actually made it! Okay, it wasn't fancy or very fussy, and actually, it could have been pureed a little bit smoother. But it tasted just about perfect: full-bodied and fresh, not too sour, but not too dulled with milk or cream that you can't taste the tang of the tomato at all. And it wasn't too loose or chunky, like a marinara sauce, either. So I guess I was able to solve all my pet peeves about tomato soup by simply making it myself.

Ginger Ice Cream with Candied Ginger Strips

Holidays are all about traditions -- making them, keeping them. I've got a tradition in the works of coming up with seasonal ice cream flavors. I don't necessarily think this hobby needs a holiday attached to it, but it is a good excuse to make lots of ice cream. Previous holiday seasons have been responsible for creating some of my favorites, like chai, orange spice, cranberry, peppermint, chocolate and five-star anise, and curry-carrot-coconut ice cream. If I could capture the essence of an elf in ice cream form, I'd do it. And actually, I wonder if it wouldn't be so far off from this zingy, ticklish ginger flavor.

Reason For Not Eating Out #43: Spaghetti with Meatballs

For those readers who have been around long enough to notice, I took a vacation from "Reason of the Month" posts beginning in May, that would last through the summer and fall. The idea was to focus on Lunch at Sixpoint during the height of gardening season. (Which, you could say is one long extension of Reason #42: Because You Can Grow Your Own Food.) But now that it's almost winter, I've found a great new reason to start up these posts again. I made spaghetti and meatballs for the first time this year. It was the perfect comfort-food meal to ring in a new season of eating in.