my most popular recipes of 2024
a short little year end wrap up for me and you
it’s been almost 2 years since i started this substack with the simple intention of doing more of what i love—cooking and writing. i could write more on this, but to keep it short, i’m looking forward to what 2025 will bring and i’m really glad to have you here with me.
this year i published 31 recipes. it’s always hard to pick favorites, but there were some recipes that rose above the rest. here are my top 8 from 2024, in no particular order. enjoy and happy new year!
not your average vegetarian shepherd’s pie
not your average vegetarian shepherd’s pie—why? let’s start with the ragu base it’s built upon. the recipe is an adaptation i’ve been making in various capacities for years, based upon one of my absolute favorite vegetarian ragus from the lucky peach presents 101 easy asian recipes
bierstangerl loaf pan focaccia
what germany lacks in snack variety (my opinion only?), it makes up for in bread variety. there are so many different kinds of breads and bread-y treats, both sweet and savory. i’ve already developed one recipe inspired by my all time favorite—laugencroissants iykyk—and today i’m happy to present this focaccia-ish take on my second favorite german baker…
buttery tomato and fennel soup with seedy, cheesy toasts
call it confirmation bias but i feel like i’ve been seeing a lot of green soups making the rounds this soup season: see this one, this one, this one and this one, aptly named “swamp soup.” i have nothing against green soups, but i have to say, if someone made made me choose just one for the rest of my life, i…
smoky, saucy fire roasted eggplant and bell pepper pasta
“what grows together goes together” is a well-known phrase in cooking. it can be put to use in anywhere in the world, referencing that produce which grows together during a particular season can be successfully paired on one plate. many popular produce pairings from winter squash and apples to mushr…
fennel sugar cookies with dark chocolate
sometimes the simplest things truly are the best, and for me, sugar cookies are just one great example of that truth. they’re sweet and soft with a slightly crisp edge and, of course, make a great canvas for playing around with. i’ve already published one recipe for sugar cookies,
grated tomato spaghetti “carbonara”
it is again the time of year when, try as you might, you simply can’t escape the digital deluge that is tomato content. i’m here for it in every way, curious to see what new, or just new to me, takes are on offer while being simultaneously aware that at least 90% of my summer tomato eating will be spent slurping up sugared or salted slices over the kitc…
raspberry-grape jam
the combination of raspberry and grape is surprisingly magical in this jam. this stripped back recipe lets the tart sweetness of both fruits shine, and a tiny kiss of vanilla extract highlights the surprisingly marshmallow-y, cotton candy scent the jam naturally has. after just the first test, i was hooked by that cloyingly sweet, nostalgic scent, and i…
french onion soup with kimchi and cheesy ramen "croutons"
a few months ago, chef hanz gueco of paris’ le cheval d’or had a pop-up at café frieda, one of my go-to special occasion restaurants here in berlin. i didn’t get the chance to go; fomo ensued. looking at the menu only made it worse, but i couldn’t help myself—dry aged beef with hong kong and paris-style pepper sauce and tofu “frites”, cockles with xo sa…