Farewell 2022, Hello 2023!

The year in review and your favorite recipes of the year.

Hello Friends,

It’s the last week of the year!

Unlike most kids who wait for their moms to come and cook, my mom and I are slightly different. My mother does not like to cook, and I think she finds it bewildering that I love to. I cooked the meal for Christmas, and she enjoyed it. Though she felt I cooked too many dishes and probably could have picked up the bread from the store. On our menu were chicken vindaloo, porchetta, roasted carrots, crispy potatoes with za’atar, a garlic-herb bread wreath, smoked salmon dip, savory parm biscuits, and a whisky-flavored fruit cake (I used the recipe from Season). My friend Jacki brought us a delicious fruity festive salad containing cranberries, bright frisée, and crisp red radicchio. As for gifts, I finally got my first Lego, and I’ve been busy building my Mandalorian Helmet.

It's been a week since my mom arrived, and last Thursday, we took a trip to The Getty Villa to see the Greek and Roman exhibits and the new exhibit on loan from the Boston Museum, Nubia: Jewels of Ancient Sudan, which was spectacular.

At The Getty Villa

We drove through Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena to see the lights on Christmas Eve. I’ve introduced her to our tradition of eating from Lucky Boy’s breakfast burritos in Pasadena the day after Christmas, and she loved the one with bacon (I thought she’d opt for the chorizo one like me). As the week continues, I’ve got a few more surprises for her.

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To summarize a year in a few paragraphs is, at best futile. There’s a lot that happened, both good and bad, and like any year, some were more transformative than others. Some doors closed, and new ones opened. I learned a few surprising things about myself. I conquered my fear of heights and flew in a small fighter plane over Huntington Beach (I didn’t scream, pass out, or throw up and kept my eyes open throughout the flight) and loved it. Living in L.A. has shown me that I’m unafraid of coyotes crossing the street, but I am still terrified of snakes.

This newsletter was one of the most exciting and personally rewarding things I’ve done. I originally started writing my newsletter at Bulletin, and when that platform shut down, I moved to Substack. I’ve loved every minute of it. It’s helped me free myself of the ups and downs of the frustrations that come with most social media platforms and a much easier way to reach you. Thank you for all your love and support, it’s been an amazing ride.

My blog, A Brown Table/Nik Sharma Cooks, got a major makeover, so you can easily access all my recipes and print and cook them. I wrapped up my third book manuscript and am taking a much-needed break from cookbook work. I did a food documentary with Breville and Chef Steps, and both Season and The Flavor Equation got translated into several languages. I also got my first audio cookbook for The Flavor Equation!

The one thing I won’t do is make a new year’s resolution. I never stick to them.

The Five Most Popular Recipes of 2022

These are the recipes you loved and cooked the heck out of. In 2023, we’ll be cooking a lot more, tasting new things, and attempting new techniques. I can’t wait to see what you make.

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Have a fantastic and fabulous NYE, and an even better start to 2023. I don’t know what the new year has in store for us, but I know one thing, I’m looking forward to seeing you 2023!

xx

Nik

At the beach with Paddington, we both avoided getting wet.