- The mere mention of the year conjures a mix of memories, a rollercoaster of challenges from global events to personal adjustments. Yet, amidst the uncertainty and change, there were unexpected bright spots. For many, the kitchen became a sanctuary, a place of creativity and comfort. Reflecting on the past year, it’s clear that for me, 2020 was a year where Dinner Was Served not just as a meal, but as an act of resilience, a source of joy, and a daily ritual that anchored us.
Working from home presented a unique silver lining: more time for culinary exploration. Lunch breaks transformed from rushed affairs to opportunities for crafting satisfying meals, and evenings opened up for more elaborate dinners served with care. This newfound time sparked a wave of kitchen adventures, marked by trying recipes and embracing new flavors. From the comforting layers of pastitsio to the simple satisfaction of homemade flatbread, the experimentation was constant. There were triumphant first attempts at dishes like hearty gumbo and the quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookies – a success story in itself! And then, the revelation of overnight, no-knead bread, a testament to simple ingredients transforming into something extraordinary. The Instant Pot also became a star player, simplifying weeknight cooking and ensuring dinner was served efficiently without compromising on taste. With so many culinary wins, I curated a Pinterest board, “Pandemic Cuisine,” a collection of over 75 comforting recipes, each a potential star for your next dinner served at home.
Pinterest Pandemic Cuisine Board
Kitchen Upgrades: New Cookware and Appliances of 2020
A home cook’s journey is often paved with exciting new tools. 2020 brought its share of kitchen gadget discoveries, each adding a layer of convenience and joy to the process of getting dinner served.
Hamilton Beach 2-Way Coffee Maker
Just before the world shifted, a practical upgrade occurred in our kitchen – a move away from single-serve coffee machines back to the classic pot. The Hamilton Beach 2-Way Coffee Maker proved to be an ideal choice. Its versatility, brewing a single cup for office days or a full pot for weekends, turned out to be perfectly timed for a year spent largely at home. This coffee maker consistently delivers excellent coffee, further enhanced by discovering a local roaster who delivers fresh beans – a true win-win for morning routines that set the stage for delicious dinners served later.
Hamilton Beach 2-Way Coffee Maker
Instant Pot
Confession time: I resisted the Instant Pot trend for years. Dismissing it as a fleeting fad, I doubted it could surpass my trusty slow cooker. However, 2020 became the year of the Instant Pot conversion. It turns out, I was completely wrong. From tender beef stew ready in an hour to a variety of quick and flavorful dishes, the Instant Pot became indispensable in ensuring dinner was served even on busy weeknights. My Pinterest board “Instant Pot Recipes to Try” is a testament to this appliance’s versatility and my newfound appreciation.
Red Instant Pot
Tramontina Gourmet Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Looking back, it’s almost unbelievable that I cooked for so long without a Dutch oven. Inspired by the pandemic-fueled no-knead bread craze, I finally invested in a Tramontina Gourmet Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven. This highly-rated, budget-friendly alternative to pricier brands like Le Creuset and Staub proved to be a kitchen essential. Beyond perfect no-knead bread, it excelled in gumbos, stews, and countless other dishes, becoming a workhorse for countless dinners served throughout the year. The gorgeous dark blue color was just an added bonus.
Dark Blue Tramontina Dutch Oven
OXO Good Grips Citrus Juicer
Sometimes, the smallest additions bring the greatest joy. The OXO Good Grips Citrus Juicer falls into this category. Spotted in a cooking video, this simple tool, with its seed-screening and measurement features, became an unexpected favorite. It streamlined juice preparation, making even the smallest task of adding fresh citrus to recipes more enjoyable, contributing to the overall quality of each dinner served.
OXO Good Grips Citrus Juicer
Culinary Inspirations: New Food Follows of 2020
With more time spent at home, online cooking content became a source of entertainment and learning. Lockdown days were brightened by engaging cooking videos, and new subscriptions opened doors to expert culinary guidance, enriching the experience of preparing dinner served every night.
Pasquale Sciarappa (Orsara Recipes)
Pasquale Sciarappa of Orsara Recipes on YouTube is pure sunshine. His videos are a delightful blend of Italian cooking, singing, dancing, and wine – a true spirit lifter. His recipes are equally impressive; the Italian Wedding Soup, featured in one video, was exceptionally delicious. Beyond recipes, his garden videos are inspiring, showcasing his incredible talent for growing produce. Following him on YouTube or Facebook under “Orsara Recipes” is guaranteed to add joy and inspiration to your culinary journey, maybe even encouraging you to raise a glass and say “Salute Cin Cin” before dinner is served!
Michael Symon #SymonDinners
Chef Michael Symon’s daily #SymonDinner videos were a daily highlight during the early months of lockdown. Filmed from his home kitchen with his assistant Liv, these videos offered a comforting glimpse into everyday cooking. Informative, relaxed, and peppered with humor (and appearances by his adorable puppy Norman), #SymonDinners provided both cooking guidance and a sense of connection. Although the daily series concluded, the videos remain a valuable resource on his Instagram and YouTube, offering a wealth of inspiration for countless dinners served at home.
Favorite Food Bloggers of 2020
The vast world of food blogs offers endless inspiration, but in 2020, two blogs consistently stood out as go-to resources for exceptional recipes and engaging content, significantly influencing the variety and quality of dinners served.
Recipe Tin Eats
Recipe Tin Eats, by Nagi from Sydney, Australia, is everything a food blog should aspire to be. Fresh, straightforward recipes are presented with engaging writing and excellent organization. The Soft Flatbread recipe alone was a culinary game-changer. Beyond recipes, Nagi’s beautiful food photography and charming updates about her golden retriever, Dozer, add to the blog’s appeal.
Nagi and Dozer from Recipe Tin Eats
Jo Cooks
Jo Cooks, by Joanne Cismaru, is another blog where every recipe seems tempting. Joanne, also a cookbook author, offers a treasure trove of reliable recipes. Discovering her blog while searching for paella led to making her incredible Chicken and Seafood Paella. Since then, countless recipes from Jo Cooks have become staples, each delivering consistent success. The blog’s user-friendly layout, with easy navigation to slow cooker, Instant Pot, and 30-minute recipes, further enhances its value for planning delicious and varied dinners served.
Joanne Cismaru from Jo Cooks
New Cooking Tricks and Techniques Learned in 2020
The joy of cooking lies not just in recipes but also in mastering new techniques. 2020 provided ample opportunity to delve deeper into culinary skills, leading to satisfying “aha!” moments and elevating the everyday experience of getting dinner served.
Jacket Potatoes
Baked potatoes, a simple staple, underwent a transformation in 2020. Decades of baking potatoes at 400 degrees for an hour yielded predictable results. Then came the revelation of salt-baked potatoes, inspired by a Chicago Tribune article back in 2014. But 2020 brought another potato epiphany: British-style “Jacket Potatoes.” Scoring the potatoes and baking them for TWO hours at a lower temperature (instead of one) seemed counterintuitive, but the result was revolutionary. Unbelievably tender and fluffy insides with perfectly crisp skins – a true game-changer for a humble side dish that often accompanies dinner served.
Perfectly Baked Jacket Potatoes
Cajun Roux
For the culinary nerds (myself included), mastering a dark Cajun roux is a badge of honor. Inspired by fresh gulf shrimp from Fabian Seafood Company, gumbo was on the menu. The crucial element? A perfect dark roux. This online tutorial became my guide, meticulously following each stage of roux development, phone in one hand, whisk in the other. The result was a deeply flavorful gumbo, a testament to the transformative power of a well-executed technique, essential for authentic dinners served with Cajun flair.
Dark Cajun Roux Stages
Easy Soft Flatbread
Not being a natural baker, the magic of transforming flour and water into diverse creations is perpetually fascinating. Recipe Tin Eats’ Easy Soft Flatbread recipe highlights this magic. With the addition of milk and butter, simple ingredients become incredibly soft and flavorful flatbread. Served with kebabs initially, leftovers transformed into delicious pizzas the next day, showcasing the versatility of this technique in creating memorable dinners served and lunches too!
Soft Homemade Flatbreads
Overnight No-Knead Bread
Saving the best (and most surprising) for last – overnight no-knead bread. At the pandemic’s onset, no-knead bread recipes surged in popularity. A Dutch oven was acquired specifically for this purpose, but it wasn’t until late December that the experiment finally happened. The initial dough appeared unpromising, yet, the next day, something miraculous occurred.
The resulting loaf was nothing short of spectacular. Resembling bread from a French boulangerie, it boasted incredible flavor and texture. Flour, yeast, water, and salt – transformed into culinary gold. Perhaps the most delightful surprise of 2020, proving that sometimes the simplest methods yield the most extraordinary results, making even a humble dinner served feel special.
Beautiful Loaf of No-Knead Bread
Thank you for joining me on this culinary reflection of 2020. While life gets busy, the joy of sharing my love for cooking remains. Hearing that you’ve tried and enjoyed a recipe truly brightens my day. Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year, filled with peace, normalcy, and of course, many delicious meals where dinner is served with joy and love. Eat well, be well, and love lots.
