It was a year. Still, we cooked. Many of us cooked more than ever before. There was sourdough and there were pantry staples. Ambitious undertakings and comfort food. There were cocktails, and plenty of them. We revisited our travels through recipes, photos and videos. And we'll be as ready as ever to hit the ground running next year.
So, with 2021 in sight, here's a look back at a few of our favorite photos that collectively make up a snapshot of the year — big moments and the stories we told. We hope they inspire you, like they do us, and get you excited about the year to come.
This spring, we made all the Milk Street Cooking School self-paced classes free—and they'll stay that way. We also launched livestream cooking classes, featuring Milk Street instructors and guest chef instructors. This photo of garlic comes from a lesson on flavoring oil. (Stay up to date on all our free, self-paced classes and our livestream classes here.)
The Milk Street Store continues to grow, sourcing ingredients, tools and cookware from all over the world that will change the way you cook. We love sharing these hand-picked and tested products with you, as well as the stories of the people who make them.
Our Instant pot cookbook, Milk Street Fast and Slow, provided multi-cooker recipes at the speed you need, with options for the slow cooker and pressure cooker function. Case in point, this Caramelized Carrot Soup with Fennel Seeds and Cumin.
In the fall, we released COOKish, our book of over 200 recipes offering big flavors and simple techniques. Each one is six ingredients or less—like this Pasta with Cherry Tomato Sauce and Pistachios.
Christopher Kimball found the best beans in the world in Xochimilco, with chef Eduardo García.
In Savigno, Italy, a short drive outside of Bologna, Kimball was welcomed by three nonne who fried dough for breakfast.
He was looking for the perfect ragù Bolognese, and what he brought back became one of our most popular recipes of the year.
On the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh City, we learned that open flame cooking is the norm and grilling is just as much about bright, fresh flavors as it is about the char.
And outside Ho Chi Minh City, the Diêp family gave Milk Street editorial director J.M. Hirsch a lesson in the backbreaking process of peeling and slicing rice noodles at their home. After drying a slurry of rice flour and water on bamboo mats in the sun, they tear it into sheets to feed through a slicer for bagging.
In Ethiopia, Hirsch tried collards that tasted like steak in fast and easy-to-make Gomen Wat.
It turns out that the spices made the meal.
At Ethiopia’s community spice mills, Hirsch witnessed whole spices and chilies being freshly ground for berbere, the country's signature spice blend.
Doro Wat, a chicken and chickpea stew, is made with so much berbere that it thickens the stew. Tigist Chane walked Hirsch through the hours-long process.
In Bari, Italy, Hirsch tried the world's best focaccia, which we recreated at home—and turned into a sensational pour-in-the-pan pizza dough.
Finally, in the Galilee Valley, Friend of Milk Street Reem Kassis showed Kimball taboon bread, served with an olive oil and za'atar paste. Its bumpy texture is a throwback to when it was baked with hot stones. You can see more from the trip here on Milk Street TV Season 4, which is currently airing on American Public Television, and find a recipe for Palestinian Upside Down Chicken and Rice (Maqlubeh), inspired by one made by Kassis's family, here.
