Every year around this time (or sometimes even months later), I look back at my favorite features published on Eater. These stories resonated most because they challenged me to dig deep to find the most fitting angles and words. It’s always the tougher reports that are the most satisfying to publish. From a retrospective on mid-aughts food blogging to a profile on the sometimes inhospitable nature of hospitality, here are my editorial darlings from 2024.
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The Astronomer and I celebrated our fourteenth wedding anniversary this weekend. In line with tradition, I prepared something delicious inspired by antiquated anniversary gifts. Thus far in our marriage, The Astronomer has been gifted edible interpretations of Paper, Cotton, Leather, Fruit, Wood, Sugar, Wool, Bronze, Pottery, Tin, Steel, Silk, and Lace.
Since it is customary to bestow ivory upon one’s beloved in recognition of the fourteenth anniversary, I prepared a specialty from the Ivory Coast using a recipe from chef Pierre Thiam’s book Simply West African. While I was initially intimidated to tackle a dish from an unfamiliar cuisine, the list of approachable ingredients and recipe’s straightforward techniques made the endeavor a smooth one.
What’s special about Kedjenou Chicken is that it requires no broth or oil and relies on the vegetables to release enough liquid to create a steamy, stewy bath to cook the chicken. A vigorous shake 30 minutes into the cooking process assures even cooking. (The word kedjenou comes from the Baoulé language, which means to move or shake.)
After an hour and 15 minutes in the oven, the chicken emerged fully cooked and tender. The mix of peppers, onions, tomatoes, and eggplants melded into a fantastic and familiar melange. I served the kedjenou chicken with couscous since it’s traditionally served with attieke, a kind of couscous made from fermented cassava root.
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This 2023 roundup is about five months late because I went an entire year without blogging. Skimming back through old posts while approving comments left by readers during my absence, it’s easy to remember why I love this medium so much and continue to go by @GastronomyBlog even though I’m barely blogging these days.
For 18 years and counting, this weblog has preserved so many memories through a food-centered lens. Having a digital space that’s mine — all mine — in this world wide web has shaped my life in a way that I could have never imagined when I first pressed publish from my Philadelphia office in 2006.
While I miss adding new content here, it continues to be a thrill contributing to Eater LA. Here are my favorite pieces that I wrote last year.
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