A look back at Tom's 2019 favorite recipes

The end of the year is a time when we look forward to the year to come, but it's a time to look back as well. Thus as we head into the New Year we are regularly treated to compilations of the year's top movies, songs, news stories, books, and even Instagram posts. Not wanting to be left out, I offer my contribution to the custom, a collection of some of my favorite dishes from last year.

Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding

Of all the dishes I made last year, this one caused the greatest stir at our house. I was compelled to try the recipe after my granddaughter returned home from a trip to New York City raving about the dish as served at the famous Magnolia Bakery there. One taste and you'll see why everyone goes bananas over this one. semissourian.com/story/2628986.html

Ramen Carbonara

This recipe makes the best use of that student staple, Ramen noodles, of any I've ever seen. Using Ramen in the classic Italian dish Pasta Carbonara makes preparation faster because the noodles are precooked. And though pasta is generally not very expensive, Ramen noodles are even cheaper, making the dish that much more economical. cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019917-ramen-carbonara

A tray of Georganne Syler's home-made granola is toasted and ready to come out of the oven.

Potatoes Dauphinois

Leave it to the French to make the most elegant and delicious dishes with the simplest of ingredients. I was reminded of this truth recently while dining with my son and his family at Loupiotte, a darling little French restaurant in Los Feliz, California, where they live. Owned and run by two Gallic expatriates, the place offers any number of classic French dishes, but their signature item appears to be French style au gratin potatoes. Nothing like what we routinely make in this country, their version is truly ethereal. In an attempt to reproduce them, I turned to Ina Garten whose recipe unsurprisingly calls for heavy cream, not mere milk, Gruyere cheese, and little else. foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/potato-fennel-gratin-recipe-1916177

Spicy Pear Coffee Cake

I made this recipe half a dozen times over the holidays and always to rave reviews. I ran across it while browsing through the monthly cooking magazine put out by a St. Louis grocery chain. Though the recipe originally called for an 8-inch square baking pan, I think the cake looks a lot more elegant in a 9-inch round one, and that's what's now specified on the grocer's website. Not only is this cake elegant and delicious, but it's easy to make. The hardest thing about it is peeling and chopping the pears. dierbergs.com/Recipes/Recipes/S/Sp/Spicy/Spicy-Pear-Coffee-Cake

Georganne Syler's Granola

Dark chocolate brownies are decadent enough on their own but when laced with Michigan dried cherries are truly spectacular.

If you're looking for a good recipe for just about anything, ask Georganne Syler, retired professor of nutrition and dietetics at Southeast Missouri State University. I've been borrowing recipes from her ever since she shared with me her wonderful Boston brown bread recipe years ago. Thus, when she brought me a container of her homemade granola earlier this year while I was recovering from surgery it was no surprise that it was so good I had to have the recipe. It puts store-bought versions to shame. semissourian.com/story/2623458.html

Brownies with Dried Cherries

Every year my friend Adelaide goes to Michigan and when she returns she brings me some of that state's wonderful dried cherries. They are so good that I have to exert strong discipline to keep from eating them all out of hand. But every year I look for recipes that might be elevated through the addition of these succulent morsels of fruit. Dried cherries go well with lots of things, from cookies to salads to roasted pork, but last year I think I found the best use of all -- in brownies. freshaprilflours.com/chocolate-cherry-chunk-brownies/

Easy Yogurt Waffles

Though not exactly difficult, waffles are generally harder to make than pancakes. Usually you have to separate the eggs, beat the whites, and finally fold them into the batter. So when I ran across a recipe that didn't require those steps, I thought I'd give it a try, but with one little variation. Instead of milk I used thin yogurt. My waffles have never been better -- fluffy on the inside while crispy on the outside, the perfect foil for a piece of chicken, if you're into that, or just with syrup and butter. thestayathomechef.com/waffle-recipe/

Using yogurt in these waffles makes them even crispier on the outside and fluffier on the inside than traditional versions made merely with milk.