SKIP TO: Best of Ina – Favorite 2023 Cookbooks – Best of Ina Cheat Days – Best of My Recipes – Best Meals Out
2023 was the first full year after completing this project, but that doesn’t mean I was done with Ina! From finishing Go-To Dinners to creating “best-of” lists and revisiting old favorites, she still was part of our meals throughout the year.
But with fewer Ina recipes I was able to branch out and try a ton of non-Ina recipes and develop a few of my own like Sausage, Cheddar & Jalapenos French Omelet and Honey-Dijon Brussels Sprout Salad with Buttery Panko Breadcrumbs
In all honesty, I’m still trying to figure out what this account looks like and what I want to do with it post-Ina – at least I’m actually enjoying making videos now – maybe 2024 is the year I get in front of the camera a little bit more!
Outside of food, 2023 was a huge year in my personal life – Alex and I got engaged AND married and we are looking forward to some big changes in 2024 – more on that soon!
Today, I am sharing my favorite Ina recipes, non-Ina recipes, restaurant meals and my own recipes on the blog. Hope it inspires you to get in the kitchen and cook!
TOP 10 INA RECIPES
Since I was only cooking out of Go-To Dinners, I only made about 55 Ina recipes compared to the usual 200+ but here are the top 10 from 2023 in no particular order.
Lemon Linguine with Zucchini & Basil (Recipe not online) – Go To Dinners, page 164
Fresh Berry and Mascarpone Tart (Recipe not online) – Go-To Dinners, page 229
Pink Grapefruit Palomas (Version of the Recipe) – Go-To Dinners, page 29
Oven-Roasted Southern “Shrimp Boil” (Recipe) – Go-To Dinners, page 149
Vanilla Pound Cake (recipe not online) – Go-To Dinners, page 218
Smoked Salmon Quesadillas (recipe not online) – Go-To Dinners, page 34
Creamy Potato Fennel Soup (Recipe) – Go-To Dinners, page 84
Dark Chocolate Tart (Recipe) – Go-To Dinners, page 215
French Bistro Salad (recipe not online) – Go-To Dinners, page 102
Orange-Marmalade-Glazed Ham with Buttermilk Biscuits (Recipe) – Go-To Dinners, page 167
FAVORITE COOKBOOKS
New in 2023:
Start Here, Sohla El-Waylly
Chili Crisp, James Park
Let’s Eat, Dan Pelosi
New to me:
Via Carota, Jodi Williams and Rita Sodi
Winson Presents A Taiwanese American Cookbook, Josh Ku & Trigg Brown & Cathy Erway
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Marcella Hazan
Most anticipated 2024 cookbooks:
Cooking in Real Life: Delicious and Doable Recipes for Every Day, Lidey Heuck
Keep It Zesty by Edy Massih
What Goes with What: 20 Charts + 100 Recipes to Gain Cooking Confidence, Julia Turshen
INA CHEAT DAYS
Here are my favorite non-Ina recipes from the year!
Frankie Gaw’s Fried Chicken Gua Bao (Version of the recipe) – First Generation, page 158
Millie Peartree’s Jerk Chicken Meatballs with BBQ-Pineapple Glaze (Recipe)
Dan Pelosi’s Early Dismissal Pot Roast (Recipe) – Let’s Eat, page 219
Shilpa Uskokovic’s Leftover-Turkey Melts (Recipe)
Toni Tipton Martin’s Wilted Mixed Greens with Bacon (Recipe)
Win Son’s Flies’ Head (Recipe)
Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Vodka Sauce (Recipe)
Claire Saffitz’s Croissants (Recipe)
Flour Bakery’s Famous Banana Bread (Recipe)
James Park’s Everyday Savory Chili Crisps (Recipe not online) – Chili Crisps, page 18
Via Carota’s Trofie Al Pesto (Version of peso here) – Via Carota Cookbook, page 129
Smitten Kitchen’s Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad (Recipe)
Model Bakery’s English Muffins (Recipe)
Recipe Tin Eat’s Aussie Meatpie (Recipe)
Smitten Kitchen’s Corn Butter Farro (Recipe)
Frankie Gaw’s Lion’s Head Big Mac (Recipe) – First Generation, page 173
The Bear’s Boursin Omelet (Recipe)
Molly Baz’s Smash Burger Alfresco (Recipe)
Chris’s Morocco’s Corn & Chickpea Bowl With Miso-Jalapeño Tahini (Recipe)
Win Son’s Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Scallion Pancake (Recipe)
Smitten Kitchen’s Chocolate Hazelnut Crepe Cake (Recipe not online) -Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, page 256
Eric Kim’s Salisbury Steak (Recipe)
Toni Tipton Martin’s Pepperpot (Recipe not online) – Jubilee, page 144
Smitten Kitchen’s Winter Squash Soup with Red Onion Crisp (Recipe) – Keepers, page 77
The Woks of Life’s Sichuan Spicy Wontons (Recipe)
Smitten Kitchen’s Pizza Babka (Recipe)
Eric Kim’s Matcha Latte Cookies (Recipe)
STORE-BOUGHT IS FINE RECIPES
A handful of my favorite recipes that I developed this year!
Honey-Dijon Brussels Sprout Salad with Buttery Panko Breadcrumbs (Recipe)
Buckeye’s, Updated (Recipe)
Pumpkin Chiffon Bars (Recipe)
Red Velvet Cake with Heritage Frosting (Recipe)
Sausage, Cheddar & Jalapenos French Omelet (Recipe)
Stovetop Arrabiata Pie Iron Pizzas (Recipe)
Spicy Cucumber Margarita with Tajin/Sumac Rim (Recipe)
Pepperjack Pea Salad (Recipe)
Top 10 Restaurant/Bakery Meals
A selection of my favorite meals we enjoyed this year!
Win Son Restaurant/Bakery (Brooklyn)
This restaurant has been on my bucket list for years – and I finally made it there in 2023! It absolutely lived up to the hype. Everything was delicious, but below are a few of my favorites. If you can’t make it here, their cookbook is also phenomenal.
Highlights:
- Marinated Cucumbers
- Sloppy Bao
- Fly’s Head
- Fried Eggplant
- Tian Miantuan
- BEC Sandwich
Fore Street (Portland, ME)
A Portland institution that’s been serving up mouthwatering meals for nearly 30 years. Reservation can be hard to come by, but we just arrived a little after they opened – if you’re one of the firsts you can sit at the bar – and were able to get a 6:15 reservation.
Highlights:
- Wood Grilled Moulard Foie Gras
- Peking Duck Leg Confit
- Pineland Farm Hanger Steak
Cafe Mutton (Hudson, NY)
We stopped here on a weekend trip upstate and had one memorable breakfast at this little place that Bon Appetit called one of America’s best new restaurants.
Highlights:
- Country Pate Sandwich
- Chip & Dip Omelete
Shukette (Manhattan)
Another hard reservation to snag, Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja doesn’t disappoint.
Highlights:
- Labneh
- Frena
- Harissa Carrots
- Steak Shish Kebab
- Roasted Cauliflower
Empire Diner (Manhattan)
The most memorable dinner of the year was obviously our wedding dinner at Empire Diner!
Highlights
- Deviled Eggs
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Kale Caesar
- Ribeye Steak
- Broccolini
Sura (Washington DC)
We stopped here on a whim while visiting my brother- and sister-in-law and we couldn’t stop raving about it to everyone who would listen.
Highlights
- S&P Roll
- Special Chili Noodle
- Brussels Sprouts
Bar Futo (Portland, ME)
Bar Futo opened earlier this year and may be my new favorite! The Japanese-inspired restaurant features fantastic drinks, small shareable plates, and plenty of flavor. The two absolute standouts were the Big Mac Skewers and the Crispy Eggplant! My conundrum on my next visit will be do we order everything we’ve already had or try something new? Either way, I’m sure we won’t be disappointed.
Highlights:
- Beef Tartare
- Big Mac Skewer
- Crispy Eggplant
- Grilled Broccoli
- Pork Belly Skewer
- Kakigori
- Genmai Martini
Bad Roman (Manhattan)
I thought for sure this restaurant was going to fall into the over-hyped category – prioritizing style over substance, but I was happy to be proven wrong!
Highlights:
- Black Truffle Honey Whipped Ricotta
- Spicy Gem Caesar
- Filetto with Cacio e Pepe Raviolo
- Lemon Cheesecake
Villas Tacos (Los Angeles)
The line was long but the wait was worth it. One of the most memorable meals I had in LA.
Highlights:
- Three Queso Tacos Sampler: Ranchera Asada, Papas con Chorizo, Black Bean con Pollo
Model Bakery (Napa, CA)
While it Napa we stopped here three times to enjoy one of Oprah and Ina’s favorite English muffins.
Highlights
- English Muffin
- Veggie Breakfast Sandwich
- Breakfast Sausage Sandwich
More “Best of” lists here.
