In terms of popularity this year, comfort food reigned supreme for readers of Salon Food.
Deputy food editor Michael La Corte taught us how to transform a breakfast staple into a crispy delight, while contributor Bibi Hutchings shared her secrets to cornbread, decadent crab pasta and the cozy Skillet Crusty. Finally, Salon Editor at Large D. Watkins rounds out the list with a simple 3-ingredient cocktail.
01 The crispiest, easiest and most delicious bacon ever
Michael La Corte: I recall the time I was at a friend's for breakfast, and she took out a frying pan to make bacon for us. I watched in quiet horror as she flippantly added an inexplicable amount of bacon to a pan, cranked the heat to high and stirred it around a few times. She then placed a plate on the table that consisted of flabby, unappetizing bacon with a few char marks…
I have a trick for making better bacon, but what is it? Read more.
02 When I need the world to feel right again, I make a cozy 4-ingredient Skillet Crusty
Bibi Hutchings: We are here in North Carolina this week, atop our near 5000-foot perch, relaxing and enjoying our view of layered blue-gray mountains that recede in rows all the way to what looks like the end of the world. Having a new place means stocking a new kitchen, and on this trip I bought a brand new iron skillet, something I haven't done in decades, so I have been seasoning it over the last two days.
If you don't know what it means or don't know how to "season" an iron skillet, I will share how I was taught. Hopefully, you already have an iron skillet and can skip this part, but if not, hopefully you'll be inspired to get one, if for no other reason than to make a beloved breakfast tradition: The Skillet Crusty. Read more.
03 The secret to the most buttery, decadent cornbread is in my family's easy recipe
Bibi Hutchings: You might think all cornbread is pretty much the same: Cornmeal, flour, rising agent, egg(s), a pinch of salt and sugar . . . but that is where you would be wrong. Read more.
04 This creamy and decadent baked seafood dish is the perfect meal for a dreary, rainy night
Bibi Hutchings: Delicate, rich crab meat is the shining star in this meal.
The shrimp very much play a supporting role — or no role at all, if you choose to omit them. It is a brilliant recipe either way and will become a favorite for entertaining, even if you cut the recipe down to accommodate an intimate party for two. Read more.
05 Brazil's 3-ingredient national cocktail is the real drink of summer
I don't know why I always forget about caipirinhas–– after all, it's Brazil's national drink. I was first introduced to the cocktail at a small Brazilian steakhouse in D.C. that has since closed. The tiny restaurant was overflowing with flavor; everything on the menu was delicious, from the juicy picanha to the golden-brown pastels. But my favorite was the flavored caipirinhas. Read more.
