Well, only a few days left and 2014 will come to a close. I’m not sure what I think about it yet. Like every year with its ups and downs, hindsight is 20/20, and maybe in a few years I’ll look back and really be able to evaluate 2014. But for now, let’s take a look at this year in my journey with food.

I’m still sort of riding the lazy that came with Thanksgiving. My culinary exercises have taken a back seat as I’ve cleaned out my freezer in prep for filling it up in the new year, and let others do the work when it comes to my daily bread. Holiday parties have taken precedence over slaving away in the kitchen, and cookies seem to have taken the place of real food in my oven and on my countertops. The last few days have been pretty idyllic. Little Buddha and Frijole, me and Mama made up our Christmas table and much of the last week has involved Netfix, a very difficult puzzle, and not much else.

I’ve historically not been a huge fan of doing my own recipe roundups, for no reason other than I get too distracted by moving forward that I never take the time to look back. However, this year as mom and I sat down to menu prep, I’ve realized how many recipes that I’ve added to my arsenal over the past two-plus years have become second nature, and now necessary parts of my holiday traditions: Sri Lankan Rich Cake, Coquito, Cassoulet, and Baklava, among many others. It seems like I go through waves where I churn out so many recipes a week that it’s so hard to pick a top 10 new dishes from the last 365, but here I do my best. So, while I enjoy the last few days of lazy before 2015 gets in full swing, here’s a look back to my favorite eats in 2014.

Frijoles Borrachos