Happy 2016!

Happy New Year Everyone! It was another great year for Tara’s Multicultural Table. Total views for the year were 695,330- up from 318,833 in 2014. 1,923 was the average per day and the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Netherlands were the countries with the most visitors! Thank you all so much for your support and I am excited to continue to share recipes from around the world in 2016.

Disclosure: I received the cookbooks in exchange for my honest reviews. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Here are the most popular 2015 posts:

• Rgaïf- Msemen (Moroccan Square Flat Bread)
• Bún Thịt Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles)
• Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars
• Spritzkuchen (German Crullers)
• Pollo Saltado (Peruvian Chicken Stir-Fry)
• Fugazzeta (Argentinian Stuffed Pizza)
• Brigadeiros (Brazilian Fudge Balls)
• Guinness Reduction Dipping Sauce
• S’mores Ice Cream

And here are the most viewed posts in 2015 (none were actually from 2015):

• White Pizza with Chicken and Fresh Herbs
• Hong Kong French Toast
• Sopa de Fideo (Mexican Noodle Soup)
• Honey White Chocolate Mousse
• Parmesan Chicken Bites with Garlic Cheese Sauce
• Chorizo Croquetas (Spanish Chorizo Croquettes)

And my personal favorites of the year:

• Bún Thịt Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Rice Noodles)
• Esquimos (Yucatecan Coconut Sorbet Ice Pops Dipped in Chocolate and Coconut)
• Hiyashi Tanuki Udon (Japanese Chilled Raccoon Dog Udon)
• Carbonnade Flamande (Flemish Beef and Beer Stew)
• S’mores Ice Cream
• Olive Oil Doughnuts with Dark Chocolate Glaze and Sea Salt
• Crisp Toasted Bagel with Fromage Blanc, Tomato, Sea Salt, and Basil
• Gulou Yuk (Cantonese Sweet and Sour Pork)
• Kueh Tart (Malaysian Pineapple Tarts)
• Oladi (Ukrainian Buttermilk Pancakes)

I started doing regular cookbook reviews in 2015. I came across some amazing books this year, but here are my five favorites (not necessarily released in 2015, but I reviewed in 2015):

Rose Petal Jam by Beata Zatorska and Simon Target

Yucatán by David Sterling

Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour

Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees by Kian Lam Kho

Das Cookbook by Hans Röckenwagner

Here are some of my favorite kitchen products that I came across this year:

Last May, we split a cow 4 ways with some friends. I had a freezer full of bones, so used this pot to make lots of broth:Cuisinart 766-26 Chef’s Classic 12-Quart Stockpot with Cover.

Evan has always enjoyed helping me in the kitchen. I gave him this child-friendly knife set so he can cut softer items:Curious Chef 3-Piece Nylon Knife Set.

Here is another one Evan particularly enjoyed. Biscuit cutters with two sides that range from 1 1/2 to nearly 4 inches. They nestle together and Evan loves stacking them:Prepworks by Progressive Biscuit Cutters – Set of 7.

I just got these Libbey 6-Piece Fountain Shoppe Classic Ice Cream Soda Glass, 12-Ounce, Clear for Christmas. I love them for milkshakes so far!

And now the bloopers. I have tried some amazing food this year, but I had quite a few fails too. Here are the ones I remembered to photograph:

Macarons. I overmixed the batter for this batch. They cracked, stuck to the parchment, and no feet.

I attempted Vietnamese crepes. The recipe I tried just didn’t work and the crepes fell apart. Chad ate the pieces mixed with the filling.

These Tiramisu Brownies were supposed to have a pretty layering and swirl.

I made these Candy Corn Parfaits only to realize after the fact that I layered the colors in the wrong  order.

And the biggest blooper of all: When I caught my wok on fire. I preheated the pan too hot and the oil instantly caught fire when I added it. A few things I learned from the experience: immediately turn the heat off and cover the pan with a metal lid. Do not use flour to put out grease fires- baking soda is best. The pan can be saved with vinegar and baking soda. I also used nail polish remover, followed by equal parts vinegar and water to clean the scorch marks from the microwave (which sits over the stove) UPDATE: I have also found that plain white toothpaste works well. So be careful when heating pans on the stove and don’t get distracted.

Here is to hoping I will not have to google how to clean soot from the microwave or any other surface in 2016!