Whether enjoyed outside, inside or as takeout, restaurant food has never felt more special.
I am so grateful to restaurants for weathering all that they have in the past few years, and managing to come through it all to keep nourishing us in body, spirit, and soul.
Here’s to them, and to all that they provide, including these most memorable eats, in no particular order, that made my Top 10 for the year:
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Get a sweet taste of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s cooking in your own home.
You can with this fun, make-it-yourself Mochi Donut Kit ($42.99) that was created in collaboration with Walnut Creek’s Global Grub.
CEO Carly Sheehey’s love for travel inspired her cooking kit company that aims to bring a delicious taste of different countries near and far to home cooks in an easy, approachable manner.
Global Grub now offers eight different DIY cooking kits that feature everything from churros to sushi.
I had a chance to test-drive the mochi donut kit when I received a sample from the company a few weeks ago.
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For original (yours truly) and newbie fans of the hilarious ensemble sitcom, “Friends,” you’ll be happy to know you can now experience a taste of everyone’s favorite Central Perk, the hangout coffee shop of Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Joey, and Chandler.
Central Perk Coffee Company has debuted with three different artisanal coffee varieties, available ground or in whole beans or in single-serve pods.
None other than acclaimed chef-restaurateur and “Top Chef” head judge, Tom Colicchio, is one of the industry experts behind this new line.
The coffee varieties take their names from iconic “Friends” sayings that have been ingrained into the lexicon: “Pivot Blend” (medium/dark roast), “We Were On A Coffee Break” (dark roast), and “How You Doin’?” (medium roast).
When asked which of the three I most wanted to sample, you know I had to have the “How You Doin’?,” coined from the immortal Joey Tribbiani pick-up line.
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The one and only time I rafted down the American River was truly memorable.
It wasn’t just the camaraderie of friends laughing and paddling together in three rafts down the relatively calm part of the river.
It was also the wild blackberry bushes our guide had us maneuver our way to near the shore as we waited for the other rafts to catch up to us.
Truth be told, we were all secretly wishing those other folks would just take their sweet time, because we were as content as can be, reaching over the side of our raft to pluck berries that we devoured voraciously.
Nowadays, I get my blackberries from the farmers market or grocery store. Maybe it’s not as adventurous. But it is convenient, especially as blackberries are abundant even through early fall.
In fact, I eagerly picked some up recently specifically to highlight in “Blackberry & White Chocolate Muffins.”
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Southern grit is definitely what Chef Kelsey Barnard Clark exhibited when she triumphed against a tough field on “Top Chef” season 16 and also snagged “Fan Favorite” honors.
It’s also the apt title of her cookbook. “Southern Grit: 100+ Down-Home Recipes for the Modern Cook” (Chronicle Books), of which I received a review copy, that embodies Barnard Clark’s Alabama roots and Southern charm. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, she went on to work at Cafe Boulud and Dovetail, both in New York before returning to Alabama to start a catering company and eatery, KBC.
The more than 100 recipes in this book are definitely not aimed at those counting calories. Be fair-warned that here is an eye-popping abundance of butter and mayonnaise used throughout. The homey dishes include the likes of “Squash Casserole,” “Smoked Gouda Grits with Redeye Gravy,” “Creole Tomato Gravy Shrimp,” and “Golf Cart Cinnamon Rolls.”
Case in point: “Seared Duck Breast with Caramelized Orange Butter.” The easy sauce is made with an entire stick of butter. For two servings. Oh, my!
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