Blog Review of 2023

#1 What was your most successful blog post in 2023?

I’m pleased that the all-time favorite brownie cookies was actually surpassed by the strawberry tiramisu, and the cookies only made it to second place. Overall, I’m surprised and delighted that many of the recipes introduced this year made it into the top 10. In total, six recipes from 2023 made it into the top 10, which is really a great result, isn’t it? I want to give special mention to the lightning-fast lemon dessert, which made it to sixth place, and the Kaiserschmarrn with plum compote (seventh place) (see smaller photos). I’m proud of all of them.

Strawberry tiramisu with no raw egg or alcohol

At the top is my article on the topic of medical gaslighting. Since there was  a suspicion of the chronic illness MS I may have, I’ve been through quite a marathon of doctor visits, and I find it incredibly sad that so many doctors believe one is imagining their symptoms. I haven’t felt taken seriously. Spoiler: I don’t have the sickness, thank God.

The most emotional connection I have is with these mini rolls that taste similar to brioche: Twoiback, reflecting my Russian-German background. I hadn’t eaten them for so long, and it was nice to finally make some myself.

I also have to mention the dumplings from Russia or Ukraine, pelmeni. While preparing these tiny dumplings, I felt extremely nostalgic. They taste so much better when homemade and can be easily frozen. In the blog post, you can also read about a mishap we had while shaping the Pelmeni.

#3 And which three from other blogs have inspired you the most?

I am fascinated by Los de ñam, two guys from Colombia/Venezuela who finally publish Colombian recipes with measurements in Spanish on Instagram and TikTok. This is quite rare; so far, I’ve had to keep trying until I got the right measurements. In Latin America, baking and cooking are almost never done with precise measurements, and they get by without a scale. Their cookbook is at the top of my wishlist, but I haven’t gotten it yet because the high shipping and customs fees for imports from Colombia have deterred me. If someone is flying to South America soon and could bring it back for me, please get in touch. And no, an e-book is not a good alternative for me; I need it physically in front of me.

Heading in a completely different direction is Kwun from Thailand with her Instagram profile Butter and Blossoms. Earlier this year, I started painting cakes with a palette and buttercream. I created a cake with a floral pattern (bottom left) and the world map cakes (right). Kwun has mega-inspired me in this regard. I definitely want to book an online course with her soon and learn even more in this area.

And number 3 is clearly Rosie Grant, who publishes recipes she finds on tombstones on her Instagram profile Ghostly Archive and recreates them. What may sound strange at first glance is actually a beautiful thing on closer inspection. Of course, there aren’t many graves with engraved recipes; it’s usually quite expensive. However, she encourages her followers to send her recipes from tombstones. Most of them come from the USA, but she has also recreated one from Israel. There is even an article about her in the Süddeutsche, which you can read here. With the recipes, she tries to understand who the person behind it was and why this recipe was deemed so important that it was chiseled into the tombstone. This means it’s also about passing down family recipes, the importance of food, and the question of how to deal with death. Rosie tries to visit the graves and brings the appropriately made recipe each time, which she then eats at the tombstone. It’s perhaps an unusual perspective on the topic of food, but I find it somehow touching.