It’s hard to believe 2020 has come and gone.
It feels like the year went on forever, but also vanished in the blink of an eye. At least we got to cook up a storm.
Steph and I spent most of the pandemic settled at home – which is not normal for us – and cooked up a storm. These were my favorite recipes of 2020 in no particular order.
My favorite recipes of 2020
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Hands down my favorite dish of all time, and this rendition not only equals the best I’ve had in Singapore, but it’s the easiest version you’ll ever find. Steph has HCR down to an art – sometimes I joke that I married Steph for her Hainanese chicken rice. She seriously makes the best version I’ve ever had, and I’ve eaten a lot of versions.
Vietnamese Lemongrass Beef
This bún bò xả ớt is a very special reimagined family recipe of mine. The flavors I grew up with but moved out of mom’s little-of-this, pinch-of-that style of cooking into a repeatable, reliable recipe.
Velveeta Mac and Cheese
Have you ever seen mac and cheese look so perfect? Speaking of perfect, it’s even more perfect with hot dogs and ketchup, old school style (no one needs to know).
Chicken Tinga for the Soul
One of Steph’s top things to eat for 2020. We were deep in the mountains and she demolished burrito after burrito of this stuff.
The Best Wonton Soup
Classic wonton soup, done right from scratch and so authentic you’d swear you were in Hong Kong.
Sage and Chicken Liver Ragù
This is a cheap and economical and crazy good old-Italy pasta you need to try. Like pasta sauce and pâté had a baby.
Super Creamy Cacio e Pepe
And this is a modern, creamier take on classic cacio e pepe with fresh hand-rolled garganelli, which is super fun and easy to make.
Barbacoa
Carnitas gets all the love but barbacoa is no slouch. Slow cooked beef piled high on fresh warmed tortillas and covered in salsa.
Sourdough Crackers
We all made too much (or not enough?) sourdough this year, and this was the perfect thing to make with the discard. These crackers taste just like the expensive artisanal stuff you get at the store for $7/box.
Dishoom’s Ruby Chicken Curry
My favorite curry from my favorite Indian restaurant. It’s a bit more work than the usual curry but so worth it.
And that’s our top 10 of 2020. I hope you had a yummy and delicious year to offset all the craziness of the world. Here’s to a better year ahead!
-Mike
love seeing best of lists, had seen a lot of these but not all, barbacoa was amazing, and loved the Cacio e Pepe as a weekend pasta splurge but really want to try the lemongrass beef, so thank you!