In 2012, we decided to tackle new ingredients. We wanted to make the year about reinventing our cooking. The idea was to push the boundaries of our collective skill sets but also get back to basics. That meant focusing on other people’s recipes. We think trying a new recipe can be a great way to get outside your comfort zone and actually learn something new.

In keeping with tradition, we named our project: [Ingredient], my Soul. We tried to showcase individual ingredients each month, talk about their origin, history, and common uses, and then bring you recipe reviews using that ingredient.

We missed a few months, especially around the always busy holiday season, but the experiment succeeded in expanding our skills, knowledge, and our wheelhouse. We’ll definitely be more likely to include new favorites like leeks, nuts, yogurt, and the common bean in the future!