FoodListing 2008

Some friends of mine gave me EAT: Los Angeles: The Food Lover's Guide to Los Angeles for my birthday (which is a GREAT book), and while using the book to plan out my foodscapades for the next year, I realized that New Year's would be a good time to reflect back on food highlights for this past year. So here's some of my favorite food fun of 2008!

Biggest food obsession in the kitchen: Marshmallows/Guimauve

Without a doubt, marshmallows (and gelatin, as a correllary) have been the food I have most thought about and experimented with in 2008. I have made them in all the flavors, colors, and shapes that have appealed to me, and have more ideas on the horizon (watch out for dessert sushi and vegetarian marshmallows!).




Marshmallow Posts:
Guimauve: Beginnings of an Obsession
Guimauve Part Deux: Some Kosher Fluff
Guimauve Part Three: Gelatin Sheets
The Amazing Gelatin Sheets
Marshmallow Baby Rattles
Guimauve Flavoring
Notes on Guimauve
Marshmallow Christmas Trees

Biggest food obsession in the bakery: French Macarons

This is not an obsession that has slowed down either, but I am running out of places to try macarons in L.A.! It may come down to my own baking efforts before long, but this past year was the year of Parisian inspiration and Los Angeles exploration. Truly, macarons are difficult to describe, but one taste and you'll be hooked (just look at all the exclamation points I use below...). Still the best in L.A.: Europane.






Macaron Posts:
Tasting Paris
Happy Fourteenth of July!
Paulette: Life is like this box of macarons
Europane: Mmmmacarons!
Boule: Another macaron attempt
Happy Foodie Halloween!

Favorite Food Experience
This is an incredibly difficult thing to decide; I've had a great time throwing food-themed parties with friends, going out to eat all over L.A. with new foodie friends (shout out to the AWC!), exploring food in Paris and Jerusalem, gorging myself at a chocolate buffet in Boston, rediscovering going out to eat alone, and just enjoying cooking in my own kitchen. On second thought, I'm not going to choose a favorite...

Favorite Dessert to take to a Party

Cupcakes! I can never resist the temptation to try something new for an occasion, but my method of flavoring boxed cake mixes has allowed me to play around a lot with cupcake flavors and decorations. I also happen to love how photogenic cupcakes are! "A Little More Cupcaking Around" has my favorites.









Cupcake Posts:
Cupcake Playdate
A Little More Cupcaking Around
Fall Cupcakes

Happy New Year!