We cook and taste-test a lot of recipes in the PG test kitchen over the course of a year — one a week alone for this column, plus dozens more for features on cookbooks, chefs, holidays, food trends and just good eating in general.
While you can’t always predict what someone will want to eat on a particular day or that week, we try to tempt and inspire with a mix of dishes that are simple to prepare, easy on the budget and, because we’re a town that loves our many farmers markets, super seasonal.
These are the recipes our readers clicked on most in 2022. Not surprisingly, three feature the sunny taste of citrus, which, no matter what time of year you cook with it, is an instant mood booster. Given a renewed interest in more healthful eating, a cashew- and feta-studded black bean burger also resonated with PG cooks, and you also loved a simple and speedy chicken and corn salad from Mark Bittman’s new cookbook, “How to Cook Everything Fast.” (We know — we’re busy, too!)
To round out the list to a neat half-dozen, we’re also including my personal favorite dish of the year, from my favorite cookbook, which for reasons I cannot fathom (its unappetizing name, maybe?) didn’t make it onto the list but is definitely worth trying. One bite and like me, you’ll want to cook it again and again.
Best wishes for a happy New Year, and so much more happy cooking in 2023, from the PG food team!
1. Linguine with Lemon Pesto
Pesto is usually made with basil or another fresh green herb. Inspired by dreams of Italy’s Amalfi Coast, this citrusy take on the classic Italian sauce is made instead with lemon zest and almonds, with peas and asparagus adding a verdant taste of spring.
Recipe: Linguine with Lemon Pesto (March 21)
2. Double Lemon Chicken with Cheat's Preserved Lemon
Everyone loves a shortcut while cooking, and this saucy chicken recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi’s newest cookbook has one heck of an awesome cheat — “preserved” lemon that’s simmered in a pan instead of having to ripen in a jar for weeks.
Recipe: Double Lemon Chicken with Cheat's Preserved Lemon (Oct. 6)
3. Really Awesome Black Bean Burgers
With meat prices at an all-time high this year, it’s no surprise many readers were looking for plant-based alternatives. This crispy, vegetarian black bean burger from J. Kenji López-Alt of Serious Eats hit it out of the park with its tasty mix of roasted black beans, cashews and feta cheese.
Recipe: Really Awesome Black Bean Burgers (April 28)
4. Corn Salad with Garlic Chicken
Sometimes the dish you like best is the one that’s easiest, while making the most of whatever produce happens to be in season. Cookbook author Mark Bittman shows he’s the master of getting a great dinner on the table in a hurry with this garlicky, summer-to-fall transitional chicken dish, the star of which is charred corn kernels.
Recipe: Corn Salad with Garlic Chicken (Sept. 8)
5. Glazed Lemon-Orange Pound Cake
More dessert, anyone? The answer was “Yes, please!” with this moist and buttery pound cake perfumed with not one but two of winter’s favorite and readily available citrus fruits: lemon and orange. An easy orange glaze adds a sugary finish.
Recipe: Glazed Lemon-Orange Pound Cake (Jan. 27)
6. Fish-Fragrant Eggplant
“If you aren’t a fan of eggplant, it’s because you haven’t had this dish yet,” Hannah Che writes about this recipe in her stellar first cookbook, “The Vegan Chinese Kitchen.” And she is absolutely right: heady with garlic, with a punch of spice from red chili and fresh ginger, this dish is an absolute winner for lovers of Sichuan food. It’s sweet, salty and spicy all at the same time — absolute heaven, and so easy!
Recipe: Fish-Fragrant Eggplant (Aug. 25)
Gretchen McKay: gmckay@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1419 or on Twitter @gtmckay or IG @pittsburghpgfood.
First Published: December 27, 2022, 11:00 a.m.