Reverb10: Soul Food (AKA recipes of the year)

December 26 – Soul Food What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? (Author: Elise Marie Collins)


I've elected to interpret this as a list of my favorite dishes of the year in a few categories and I'll note the one that came closest to true Soul Food.

• Waffles - via Orangette-- definitely my favorite breakfast find of the year.  Perfectly wonderful and we've made them several times. (We make the day of version).
• Roast Beef - Here's a secret, I grew up on a cattle ranch and am LOVE beef, but am horribly inconsistent when it comes to making roast.   My mother-in-laws is consistently awesome.  Love it.
• Roasted Broccoli - ala Amateur Gourmet - The only broccoli my husband will ever ask for seconds of.  Very similar concept to the roasted cauliflower I've written about before and still adore.
• Homegrown tomatoes in caprese salad-- this might be the year Brent and I were finally won over to fresh tomatoes, at least those we grow.  I made this simple caprese salad for the Palfreyman's labor day party - our tomatoes, Jennie's fresh basil, fresh mozarella, with a bit of olive oil and balsamic.  I ate way more of it than was probably polite and loved every morsel.  Brent even admitted missing our homegrown tomatoes on our newly winterized pizza last week.
• Homemade pizza -- definitely the year of homemade pizza as our weekly frozen pizza that has been going on for nearly 10 years is now almost always homemade.  Love it!  (We most often use this recipe doubled, but favor the Pioneer Woman's as well).
• Ravioli with Apples and {Pecans} - Probably the new recipe we tried that is most likely to make it into our ongoing rotation (as discussed and linked to here)
• Steaks & baked potatoes -- farm the day after Christmas.  Phenomenal.  I haven't baked a potato in the oven for awhile and these were perfect.  The steak from my parents' grass-raised beef was exceptional as cooked by Zach and Able.
• Chocolate Cream Pie -- I made this at my husband's request for the Rouse Thanksgiving feast.  It was from scratch and so delightful.  More so because I made it for him and I love making him happy (plus, I love chocolate).  Better still, I got all the great-grandchildren M's age or older to help me with the whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top which was wonderful. 
• Cream Raisin Pie--- SOUL FOOD---  This was always one of my Dad's favorite pies, yet I never recall having eaten it before this Thanksgiving.  The beef wellington was the show stopper that day and Brent's favorite memory of November, but I was in awe of the pie.  Why does no one make this? Creamy, delicious, simple, a hint of fruit and spice with piles of meringue.  Just perfect.  I loved making this dish my father loved with my Grandfather's assistance and then sharing it with my kids who had their first taste the same day I had mine.   ( I will get the recipe from my mother and share).