Recipes of the Year 2011!

So, much to the disappointment of our guests, we come to the end of the year of New Food. Has it been a success? Most definitely - we've learned a load of new recipes (at least some of which we have already reused), caught up with friends old and new, and found an excuse to drink lots of wine on a Monday night.  What's not to like?

Ingredient of the year
Cheese! From feta to paneer to Parmesan to Wensleydale, it's been our constant friend, especially during Veggie Lent. Just don't ask us to go vegan next year...
An honorary mention goes to coriander, for going with everything.
Unmitigated disaster of the year
Do you have to ask? A slight misreading of the recipe led to delicious gnocchi becoming inedible grout. Dislike.
Most popular post (People's Choice Award)
By a long shot, it's the Squash and Lentil Pasties - good choice The Public, it makes a great shepherd's pie too!
Pudding of the year
Jamie's frangipane tart. I've lost count of the number of times I've thrown this together from memory: with lemon curd, with fresh raspberries, for a deliciously chewy warm dessert or a lovely treat when cold with a cup of coffee. Endlessly adaptable and deceptively simple.
Veggie dish of the year
Stilton and leek quiche - for making our shaky photography look good and reassuring not to be scared of vegetarian recipes or pastry.
Best value recipe
Jamie's veggie curry,  for performing some kind of food alchemy and miraculously turning half a squash into enough curry to feed us both for a week.
Feelgood recipe of the year
Jamie's chicken skewers. Even after several weeks, I still drool a little at the mention of them.
No-sweat recipe of the year
Hugh's stuffed squash. Almost embarrassingly easy, I was standing around at a  loose end when our guest arrived.
Surprise of the year
Heart doesn't taste horrible.
Chef of the year
Jamie Oliver - we've literally fought over whose turn it was to use one of his books. No, they can't all be done in 30 minutes, but they're reliably fresh, impressive and fun.
Recipe of the year (top 5)
5) Delia's cheese and herb fritters
Hooray for cheese! Slightly scary to cook but a great veggie option at a barbecue.
4) Jamie's piri-piri chicken
Double hooray for my blender!
3) Hugh's DIY bacon
A dream come true.
2) Jamie's sea bass and pancetta
Only not number one because Chris hasn't actually tried it!
1) Delia's roast duck
Well worth a little preparation the day before. Delicious, crispy, beautiful to look at.