2010 Food Highlights

At the end of the year, I love to make a list of my top experiences or memories of the year.  This year, many of my favorite memories involved food, so I decided to make a Top Food Highlights of 2010 list too.  Here they are, in chronological order:

Mediterranean platter (hummus, Babaganoush, fried Haloumi cheese, whole wheat pita, and olives, plus a huge tomato & cucumber salad).  This was made for Tyler and I on my birthday, by my dear friend and fellow chef Kari.

Tropical fruit plate and coffee.  This wasn’t the best fruit in the world, it was just given to us every morning in the best place in the world (see below)…so it tasted crazy good.

Peanut Butter & Co Dark Chocolate Dreams chocolate peanut butter.  Discovering this peanut butter has seriously improved my life.

Fresh apricot wedges with Pt. Reyes blue cheese and honey.  I made this randomly as a snack one day when apricots were in peak season, and it quickly became a summer staple.

Crostini with soft goat cheese, strawberries, fresh mint, and honey.  Another easy snack that became a summer favorite.

Jon’s Homemade Bloody Mary with fresh tomato juice, fresh ground horseradish, and tomato–infused vodka.  I’ve never had a cocktail made with so much TLC.  Surely no other Bloody Mary will ever taste as good.

Butterfinger Blizzard from good old DQ in rural West Texas.  Sometimes simplicity rules.

Sweet cherry tomatoes at the Nashville Farmer’s Market.  We bought these plus a bunch of fruit to munch on in the car, and to our surprise these were the item we couldn’t stop eating.  They were sweet as candy.

Chopped Beef Sandwich from The Salt Lick in Driftwood, TX.  This sandwich was so good that it’s not only the top food highlight of 2010, but also a top food highlight of my entire life.  No matter where you live, go there and get one.

Artichoke Pizza from Artichoke Pizza in New York City.  This pizza has all other pizza beat in my book.

Sticky Bun from Great Island Bakery on Cape Cod, MA. This hot, gooey bun tasted every bit as good as it looks.

Sugar Pumpkin Fondue with Crostini.  Once again, my friend Kari’s genius (with a little inspiration from Gourmet Magazine).  This was one of those dishes that made your jaw drop.

Grandma Dixie’s Homemade Oreos.  These were not unique to 2010, but I ate a fair amount of them during the holiday season.  What a great way to finish off the year.