Hello! It’s been a while! First off, an apology for falling off the posting wagon. But it’s been a pretty big year for us. I finally got out of the country for the first time since early 2020 and enjoyed a lovely trip to London in April. I have been cooking, but the country project has fallen to the wayside for a little bit. For the latter part of the year, I’ve been working through the end of my second and beginning of my third trimester of pregnancy, trying to plan for our first child and a wedding in the first half of 2024. As if that wasn’t enough, I got COVID for the first time shortly before the holidays. So we’ve been kind of eating to survive the past few weeks but I hope to knock out a few more countries to reach 150 before I go into a bit of a hibernation from creative cooking for a few months. But first, I need to look back on 2023 and highlight some of my favorites from this past year.

I didn’t cook from as many countries this year (hitting 30 when I normally aim for 50 or so), so while this list may be a bit more compact than in years past, there were certainly some bright spots.

1. Guyana: Pepperpot – This dish from early 2023 taught me a little bit of geography (I had no idea this was located in South America) and that even if you don’t have all the exact ingredients/can’t find them (I’m looking at you, cassareep) you can still have a great dish. Pepperpot was SO incredibly flavorful and as I was looking through the past year to compile this list, this may be the first thing I want to remake and perhaps freeze before the baby comes. That and I’ve definitely been craving a bit more red meat as of late. Here’s the link: https://portraitofanartistasshecooks.com/2023/01/11/117-guyana-pepperpot/
2. Nicaragua: Nacatamales – This was not the prettiest of efforts and was my first attempt at making (and eating!) tamales! But I loved the flavor of these in the combination of corn meal, pork, and raisins. I definitely took some shortcuts in my first attempt and I think the next time I attempt these I may try to cook in the traditional manner to see if that holds together better. Here’s the link: https://portraitofanartistasshecooks.com/2023/03/17/126-nicaragua-nacatamales/
3. Honduras: Plato Tipico featuring Carne Asada – This was an incredibly easy dish to put together for a night on the grill. We used flank steak for this I think next time we will use skirt steak as I tends to be a little more tender. I think the key to this is marinating the meat for at least 8 hours. Can you sense a theme of strong meat dishes this year? Here’s the link: https://portraitofanartistasshecooks.com/2023/05/25/132-honduras-plato-tipico-featuring-carne-asada/
4. Guinea Bissau: Cafriela de Frango – We tried to do a fair amount of grilling this past summer and this was another winner in the “mixing up our grilled meats” game. It also marked the first time I’d ever done bone-in chicken on the grill, in this case it was chicken thighs! This was another very easy dish to execute as long as you think ahead for the marinade and while it was very flavorful, we added a little heat by putting Nando’s Peri Peri sauce on top. Amazing. Here’s the link: https://portraitofanartistasshecooks.com/2023/06/05/133-guinea-bissau-cafriela-de-frango/
5. Marshall Islands: Sweet Macadamia Pie – This pie was a sweet surprise. I’ve never been a huge fan of nutty pies…I’ve always gravitated toward the fruity variety, so when I saw this recipe for a Macadamia Pie representing an island nation, I thought it might be a good go-between. Yes there were plenty of nuts, but also coconut flavors that led to a wonderful custard for the bulk of this pie. Matt even said he thought this might be one that his dad might like (while a little out of his comfort zone, he has an incredible sweet tooth). I think I’ll definitely make this again in the summer. Here’s the link: https://portraitofanartistasshecooks.com/2023/09/27/143-marshall-islands-sweet-macadamia-pie/
6. Uzbekistan: Samsa – My last shared top dish of 2023 is a little pocket of goodness which works great as an appetizer (or as something different for dinner). Plus, I think given that it could be fun to eat with your fingers and dip in a sauce, this may be something I’ll have to introduce to the little guy in a few years. These little pockets of meat and vegetables remind me most of an empanada. Here’s the link: https://portraitofanartistasshecooks.com/2023/10/31/145-uzbekistan-samsa/

So do I have any food resolutions for 2024? Mainly I’ll be trying to keep the little man alive and occasionally take some time to myself to continue to cook from around the world. This project has kind of been my baby since shortly after the pandemic really sunk in and I intend to see it to the end, but it may just take a bit longer to get there. Appreciate you tuning in.