Cooksister’s 2008 Top Ten

After I mentioned in my previous post that I was toying with following in Niamh, Angela and Nic‘s footsteps and doing a top ten for the past year here on Cooksister, a few of you said “yes please!”.  Now I’m not someone who likes to disappoint her audience, so here you go.

Apart from the recipes below, the highlights of the year for me included

• meeting more wonderful food bloogers, including Courtney, Michelle, Robyn, Niamh, Helen, Julia and Anne-Marie and more
• being interviewed by BBC radio
• winning Best South African Food Blog and Best South African Overseas Blog in the South African Blog Awards 2008
• appearing in the BBC’s Olive Magazine not once but twice – my recipe test and my restaurant review
• appearing in my local newspaper back home and in the Woolworths Taste Magazine
• writing my first fiction piece in decades – a short story for the Can You Twist competition, which was part of a secret marketing campaign for a new range of clothes.

And now, without further ado, my totally biased, 100% personal list of top 10 recipe posts for 2008.  Enjoy!

Mamma’s no-recipe scones – not only for the delicious scones but also the lovely memories in the post (Jan 2008)

Salmon tournedos on spiced lentils with fig jam and foie gras – probably the most show-stopping dinner party dish of the year for me (Jan 2008)

Cranberry & pear upside down cake – to die for, and the start of my love affair with Yotam Ottolenghi (Apr 2008)

Oat and cherry muffins – the best tasting healthy muffins you can imagine, and some of my favourite pictures of the year (Apr 2008)

Yellow pepper tarte tatin – easy to make delicious to eat, and gorgeous.  Long live savoury tartes tatin! (Jun 2008)

Chargrilled asparagus, courgette, haloumi and roasted tomato salad – the best salad I tasted all year – thanks again Yotam! – and my “Dear Nigel” letter (Jun 2008)

Mini pistachio tarts – my continuing fascination with mini-desserts and a wonderful twist on a classic (Aug 2008)

Ratatouille bake with feta cheese – a moment of inspiration and some tired veg proved to be one of the most popular posts of the year (Oct 2008)

Green tomato and apple chutney – my hugely successful first foray into chutneys and some retro-tastic 1970s-styled photos (Nov 2008)

Ginger pannacotta with a lime syrup – the damn stuff would not unmould… but oh my word it was fizzing with fresh and delicious flavours! (Dec 2008)

Phew – it was quite a year!  Hope that brought back some happy memories and I hope I can keep you as well entertained (and fed!) in 2009.