Happy New Year (Top Posts of 2013)

 

Santa, emblem of the infinite giver/photo by Donna

As the holidays wind down and before we look forward toward 2014, I’m looking back on a few of the more popular posts of the year. One of the most trafficked was inspire by a report, picked up at face value by all the media it seems, that urged people not to wash their chicken because it sprayed bacteria all over the place. The ever sensible and funny Alton Brown, tweeted a post-it commentary that inspired this: Bacteria! RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY! America’s ridiculous and idiotic fear of bacteria.

Of course, we all want to be happy and healthy. Here’s my advice: Cook Your Own Food. Eat What You Want. (Think for Yourself.) The irony of it is that I don’t think you should follow it, as I explain in the post.

And more ranting on the general state of the ways of this country: America Has a Serious Eating Disorder

Final Word on Battle of the Spoons (with Crème Anglaise)—spoons, one of my favorite subject (and Le Bernardin’s recipe for vanilla sauce).

Wheat Berry Salad—this is a great recipe, but it was clicked on a lot because it was my attempt to go vegan as weight-loss strategy (a notion many people disabused me of, noting you can get plenty fat eating pasta; paleo was the way to go for losing weight). Wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be!

American biscuits are unique and subject to  controversy. Some prefer drop, I prefer flakey and buttery: The Key to Flaky Biscuits.

This bears repeating: Home Cooks’ Biggest Disadvantage

And finally, my take on a fuss I’m not sure is all that important, though many feel otherwise. Are Tasting Menus the Way Toward “Art”?

Thank you all for reading and for your thoughtful comments. Look for a revised look to this site early in the new year.

All best wishes to you and your family for a peaceful and prosperous 2014!

© 2013 Michael Ruhlman. Photo © 2013 Donna Turner Ruhlman. All rights reserved.