TOP 15/THANK YOU

First, thank you to everyone who has followed along, cheered me on, and told me about he recipes from the site that you made and loved. When I started One-World Whisk (OWW), my goal simply was to inspire my then-young kids to become more curious about other cultures. I launched the blog on October 2, 2011, right before our family's one-month experiment began. It was intended primarily for my immediate circle, because when I told people about my plan to cook from a different country each weeknight for a month, many asked if they could get the recipes. Even when I revived the site in 2019, I did so as a repository for my family, not something intended to share broadly. I love knowing that OWW has helped other people explore the world through food!

Second, people often ask me to name my favorite recipe from the journey. That's a tough one. I started in 2011 with no plan to cook my way through the whole world, then took a seven-year break, and picked it back up in 2019. There are almost 200 countries on the OWW site — with two to four recipes each —plus a number of Side Trips, so choosing is hard.

But after looking back over everything, here are my top 15, plus 10 honorable mentions. Each list is in no particular order.

One of the recipes we made during our OG 2011 journey was JAPAN: Oyakodon (Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl). This is now a family favorite. Every time I eat it, I wonder how sushi, ramen, and curry made it over the seas, but not oyakodon. It provides the comfort of a good chicken noodle soup, enhanced with an amazing balance of umami and sweet. Underrated in the US and worth trying. It does require buying dashi powder, but that is inexpensive and has a long shelf life.

My family was blown away by GEORGIA: GF-or-Not Georgian Cheese Bread (Khachapuri). It is decadent and stunning, while also humble. The dough I concocted was the best GF pizza dough I've ever eaten, made by my own hands or by a chef. I then used it for my GF bagel recipe and for NORTH MACEDONIA: Pork "Pizza" (Pastrmalija), which was another huge win with my family. Pastrmalija is much simpler to make than pizza (and cheese-free, so perhaps lighter as well?). If you are pressed for time, Georgian cheese bread or North Macedonian pizza can be made super quickly using store-bought pizza dough. My recommendation is not to buy such dough at a grocery store, but to ask your favorite pizza place to supply you. Most pizza places sell their raw dough for very little money, and it tends to be better than the supermarket options.

Two recipes I made that turned me into a Labrador retriever (no shut-off valve to my eating) were TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Curried Chickpeas and Cucumber Chutney on Flatbread (Doubles) and CYPRUS: Spicy Shrimp, Tomato, and Anise Pasta (Garidomakaronada). For the former, make the flatbread. The cumin and turmeric in it are essential to the meal. For the latter, if you're gluten-free, I highly suggest Rummo pasta.

For dinner parties, a few I would pull out — or already have. TUNISIA: Grilled Salad with Tuna (Slata Mechouia) is easy to make ahead, healthy, and stunningly scrumptious. (I'll admit that veggies with protein is my jam, so I might be biased.) The entire meal from NORWAY: Salmon with Dill, Summer Potato Salad, and Herbed Cucumber Salad is stupid-simple to prepare yet much tastier than more-complicated versions of the same dishes I have made prior. CAMEROON: Poulet DG is the chicken preparation you did not realize was missing from your life until you tried it. It takes some chopping, but otherwise is easy-peasy and requires only one pot — and it is bizarrely tasty!

When I need to bring a dish to a potluck or to someone who might benefit from some home cooking, MALTA: Ricotta Pie (Torta ta L-Irkotta) has become one of my go-tos. It's a perfect portable meal; everyone who has tried it has asked for the recipe, so I guess others agree.

Next time I host a barbecue, it will be a toss-up between ARMENIA: Grilled Lamb Patties (Losh Kebabs) and LAOS: Ping Gai (Grilled Chicken). The lamb patties would be excellent on butter lettuce or pita, with some tzatziki, along with the tomatoes and parsley recommended. They are juicy and tender. We made ping gai in 2011 and it was our standard grilled chicken recipe for years. This reflection reminded me how much I adore it due to the elevated flavor profile. Time to dust the recipe off and bring it back into rotation!

Some night-at-home faves, all of which we have repeated multiple times: TAIWAN: Steamed Silken Eggs take about 5 minutes of active time and minimal ingredients, yet eating them feels decadent. Each New Year's morning, I make each member of the family their dream breakfast. MALAYSIA: Quick Coconut-Pandan Jam (Kaya) on Toast with Half-Boiled Eggs has become the choice for one of my daughters, not only for New Years', but whenever she is home from college. The jam is now requested by her friends when they visit. In other words, its reputation precedes it. But when it's just me and my husband at home, I often pull out NETHERLANDS: Savory Pancakes with Mushrooms and Gouda (Pannenkoeken) or CAMBODIA: Pork Omelet (Pong Mouan Snol). Both are simple and familiar, while also having just enough of a twist to feel special.

These honorable mentions are no less honorable. They did not make my top 15 solely because there were so many options. Coming in 16-25, again in no particular order...

ALGERIA: Chicken and Olive Stew (Tajine Zitoune) is a one-pot wonder that hits all the notes without a heavy lift. It's warm yet bright, exotic yet familiar, homey yet elevated. I can see it being the center of a dinner party as easily as a weeknight throw-together. If that party is a brunch, UKRAINE: Mimosa Salad (Layered Tuna and Veggie Salad) is stunning and much easier to make than one would suspect given its looks.

HAITI: Haitian Spaghetti and BAHRAIN: Vermicelli with Omelet (Balaleet) both have unique takes on pasta with simple preparation for when one wants to try something new without going too far off the cooking grid. Likewise, SURINAME: Pastei Chicken Pie spins classic chicken pot pie with a new-to-me flavor profile; using store-bought puff pastry and rotisserie chicken allow one to whip it up quickly. And IRELAND: Boxty (Mashed Potato Pancakes) is a glow-up for your leftover mashed potatoes. They are staples in our house, freeze beautifully, and can be the vessel for an elevated hors d'oeuvre as easily as the main course of a weeknight dinner.

I was impressed by MALI: Chicken Brochettes (Dibi Suya) and Veggie Peanut Stew (Tigadegena) and CÔTE D'IVOIRE: Beef Sokossoko for how unexpected the end results were, given that they all use minimal and/or common ingredients. I was sure I'd know how they would taste based on what I put in the pots, but was happily surprised with the results that emerged!

UZBEKISTAN: Khivan Green Noodles with Meat Stew (Shivit Oshi) was insanely good! Definitely one of my top five OWW bites. But hand-rolling and cutting noodles is no easy feat. The meal took longer than 45 minutes to make, so I did not feel right putting it in my top 15. On a night when I feel like breaking out of my box and cooking an unexpected feast for friends who like culinary exploration, it likely will be a toss-up between those godly noodles and the full meal from ETHIOPIA: Shortcut Ethiopian Pancakes with Red Lentils, Mixed Gingered Veg, and Spicy Hummus (Injera, Misir Wat, Yataklete Kilkil, and Buticha).

Each person has a unique palate, so you might prefer dishes and meals not on either of my lists. I encourage you to search for recipes that sound most appealing. Feel free to report back below, so others can learn from you!

While the official journey is done, I will continue to post from time-to-time, if I come across recipes of interest.

It's been an amazing ride... thanks for coming along!