Taste As You Go Turns One Today
In honor of Taste As You Go's first blogiversary, I'm going highlight the Top Ten Posts from the last year based on number of pageviews. It's been a great year and I've certainly learned a lot!
#10 - Panko-Crusted Honey Ginger Shrimp
These shrimp were absolutely delicious and really helped me experiment with cooking with panko. Up until that point, I had rarely cooked with panko and now it's a must-have staple in my kitchen.
#9 - Slow-Cooked Smoky Chicken and Pinto Beans
I adapted the Slow-Cooked Smoky Chicken and Pinto Beans recipe from one of Martha Stewart's recipes and blogged about it before I had acquired a new digital camera. Surprisingly, the absence of an original picture of a dish didn't prevent the recipe from landing in the Top Ten list.
#8 - Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
After having dinner with friends at Osteria in Philadelphia, I went home determined to recreate the roasted brussels sprouts that we enjoyed in the restaurant. While I know I didn't nail the recipe exactly, I do know that I created a recipe using a vegetable that I never thought I'd want to eat on a regular basis. Then again, perhaps I loved it so much because I used bacon!
#7 - Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes
This picture is actually of the "re-do" of my recipe for Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes, but it was the "original" recipe that received the most pageviews. Both versions of the stew are equally satisfying.
#6 - Baked Stuffed Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Reduction
I created this dish for stuffed chicken after reading a blog post by Savor the Thyme. It just goes to show you that inspiration came really come from anywhere. The chicken came out moist and tender and flavorful thanks to the stuffing, which included sun-dried tomatoes, basil, extra-virgin olive oil, and diced fresh mozzarella.
#5 - Honey Soy Flank Steak à la Jaden
Another borrowed photo and another recipe inspired by one of my food blogger friends, Jaden of Steamy Kitchen. I had attempted to take a picture of the steak once it was finished cooking, but my camera wasn't cooperating and the smell of the grilled meat was so tantalizing that my desire to eat the food while it was hot overpowered my desire to get the perfect picture. I came to find out that Taste As You Go readers really love recipes that use at least one of the following ingredients: honey, ginger, and soy sauce.
#4 - Asparagus with Honey and Curry Butter
Now, what did I just say about recipes that included honey? This recipe for asparagus was extremely easy to prepare and only required a handful ingredients. And with the word "butter" in the name, of course it's going to be a winner!
#3 - Quick and Easy White Sangria
Over the past year, I didn't write too man blog posts or recipes that involved beverages. Or alcohol, for that matter. But when I received a complimentary bottle of Pinot Grigio from Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, I had the perfect reason to create a refreshing summer drink that took advantage of the existence of fresh and fragrant fruit in the market. Turns out a lot of people were grateful that I did!
#2 - Creamy Parmesan Risotto with Roasted Shrimp and Peas
I love risotto and am always looking for new ways to change up the recipe, especially since it's so easy to play with ingredients once you have the method down. I could have easily just stopped with the additions of Parmesan cheese and peas, but roasting the shrimp to help bring out its natural subtle sweetness and then stirring the pieces of chopped shrimp in to complete the dish was genius!
#1 - Fiery Pomegranate Sauce
And, the most popular post/recipe to date is my Fiery Pomegranate Sauce! Thanks to the generosity of the POM Wonderful people, who sent me a whole case of their pomegranate juice, I was able to come up with the recipe for this spicy and addictive sauce. I originally drizzled it over some grilled steak but quickly came to the conclusion that it pairs well with chicken and shrimp and vegetables of all kinds! The sauce quickly became a favorite of my boyfriend's and he still raves about it!
I want to thank all of the people who've encouraged me to keep cooking and blogging and all of the people who've continued to read and leave comments. All of your feedback is precious to me, and Taste As You Go wouldn't be what it is today without you! Through this blog, I've had the opportunity to dine at restaurants I'd otherwise be unable to afford, to meet and gain valuable advice from fellow food bloggers out there (due, in large part, to Foodbuzz and Twitter), and to continue to share my love of food with cooking with my family and friends.
Thanks for an amazing year! I'm looking forward to whatever may come next!
If you liked this post, consider subscribing to Taste As You Go’s RSS feed or subscribing via email so you don’t miss a thing!
#10 - Panko-Crusted Honey Ginger Shrimp
 |
| Panko-Crusted Honey Panko Shrimp |
These shrimp were absolutely delicious and really helped me experiment with cooking with panko. Up until that point, I had rarely cooked with panko and now it's a must-have staple in my kitchen.
#9 - Slow-Cooked Smoky Chicken and Pinto Beans
 |
| Pinto Beans |
I adapted the Slow-Cooked Smoky Chicken and Pinto Beans recipe from one of Martha Stewart's recipes and blogged about it before I had acquired a new digital camera. Surprisingly, the absence of an original picture of a dish didn't prevent the recipe from landing in the Top Ten list.
#8 - Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
 |
| Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon |
After having dinner with friends at Osteria in Philadelphia, I went home determined to recreate the roasted brussels sprouts that we enjoyed in the restaurant. While I know I didn't nail the recipe exactly, I do know that I created a recipe using a vegetable that I never thought I'd want to eat on a regular basis. Then again, perhaps I loved it so much because I used bacon!
#7 - Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes
 |
| Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes |
This picture is actually of the "re-do" of my recipe for Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes, but it was the "original" recipe that received the most pageviews. Both versions of the stew are equally satisfying.
#6 - Baked Stuffed Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Reduction
 |
| Baked Stuffed Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Reduction |
I created this dish for stuffed chicken after reading a blog post by Savor the Thyme. It just goes to show you that inspiration came really come from anywhere. The chicken came out moist and tender and flavorful thanks to the stuffing, which included sun-dried tomatoes, basil, extra-virgin olive oil, and diced fresh mozzarella.
#5 - Honey Soy Flank Steak à la Jaden
 |
| Flank Steak |
Another borrowed photo and another recipe inspired by one of my food blogger friends, Jaden of Steamy Kitchen. I had attempted to take a picture of the steak once it was finished cooking, but my camera wasn't cooperating and the smell of the grilled meat was so tantalizing that my desire to eat the food while it was hot overpowered my desire to get the perfect picture. I came to find out that Taste As You Go readers really love recipes that use at least one of the following ingredients: honey, ginger, and soy sauce.
#4 - Asparagus with Honey and Curry Butter
 |
| Asparagus with Honey and Curry Butter |
Now, what did I just say about recipes that included honey? This recipe for asparagus was extremely easy to prepare and only required a handful ingredients. And with the word "butter" in the name, of course it's going to be a winner!
#3 - Quick and Easy White Sangria
 |
| Quick and Easy White Sangria |
Over the past year, I didn't write too man blog posts or recipes that involved beverages. Or alcohol, for that matter. But when I received a complimentary bottle of Pinot Grigio from Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, I had the perfect reason to create a refreshing summer drink that took advantage of the existence of fresh and fragrant fruit in the market. Turns out a lot of people were grateful that I did!
#2 - Creamy Parmesan Risotto with Roasted Shrimp and Peas
 |
| Creamy Parmesan Risotto with Roasted Shrimp and Peas |
I love risotto and am always looking for new ways to change up the recipe, especially since it's so easy to play with ingredients once you have the method down. I could have easily just stopped with the additions of Parmesan cheese and peas, but roasting the shrimp to help bring out its natural subtle sweetness and then stirring the pieces of chopped shrimp in to complete the dish was genius!
#1 - Fiery Pomegranate Sauce
 |
| Fiery Pomegranate Sauce |
And, the most popular post/recipe to date is my Fiery Pomegranate Sauce! Thanks to the generosity of the POM Wonderful people, who sent me a whole case of their pomegranate juice, I was able to come up with the recipe for this spicy and addictive sauce. I originally drizzled it over some grilled steak but quickly came to the conclusion that it pairs well with chicken and shrimp and vegetables of all kinds! The sauce quickly became a favorite of my boyfriend's and he still raves about it!
I want to thank all of the people who've encouraged me to keep cooking and blogging and all of the people who've continued to read and leave comments. All of your feedback is precious to me, and Taste As You Go wouldn't be what it is today without you! Through this blog, I've had the opportunity to dine at restaurants I'd otherwise be unable to afford, to meet and gain valuable advice from fellow food bloggers out there (due, in large part, to Foodbuzz and Twitter), and to continue to share my love of food with cooking with my family and friends.
Thanks for an amazing year! I'm looking forward to whatever may come next!
If you liked this post, consider subscribing to Taste As You Go’s RSS feed or subscribing via email so you don’t miss a thing!