One Year; New Year

Well my holiday celebrations and dinners are a thing of the past and now and I can think back as I reach one year of documenting my culinary curiosities. This has been a challenge and a great experience. This year, I've had to really focus in on what ingredients I would shop for, and from what source I was getting my food. Shopping farmer's market's in order to get fresh and organic and in-season foods, while supporting local farmers, also became a passion of mine. Trying to apply thought into the entire process, from procuring to preparing and feasting. Documenting my explorations or my memories and challenging myself to try and improve upon each recipe. I've also been exposed to so many other food blogs(gers) who impress me and inspire me to create the food I crave. It's been a huge year of change for me, buying my first house with my husband, working two jobs, taking classes, friends getting married and this food diary. I even had the honors of being nominated and placing 5th (out of 80 entries!) for a food blog competition through culinate.com .

I'm looking forward to what 2008 might hold..Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to the kitchen.

Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are super easy and perfectly delicious. From this recipe you can create other cookies, adding in different flavors or spices for variation. If you have a well stocked pantry like me, you can probably find all of the ingredients already in your kitchen!

This is a basic recipe and the cookies come out crisp, with just the right amount of sweet sugary goodness!

I use a Silpat which is a liner made of silicone and fiberglass which replaces the need for parchment paper. This liner makes perfectly brown cookie bottoms and keeps them crisp. Added bonus: easy clean up and no cookies stuck to the cookie sheet!

2 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c white sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl ( I used my Kitchen Aid mixer ), cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto Silpat lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle a pinch (you're familiar with this measurement, right?) of sugar on top of each dough ball. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Holiday Traditions

Every year my best friends and I get together and have our annual holiday dinner together. Usually we go to Birches, one of our favorite places to dine in Baltimore but this year we've decided to do something a little different. We're going to do an "around the world" theme. Basically, each person picks a region and a dish and we all feast on foods from various regions/cultures around the world.

What are your favorite holiday foods? Are they regional/cultural in significance? I'd love to know more about the worldly gastroadventures of my blogger community and readers!

Leave your ideas/recipes/comments below!