Best of 2025

Seems like 2025 was pretty pathetic as far as terrific food is concerned. We ate some tasty things, but few truly outstanding dishes--I guess because we've become old and boring and tend to eat at the same handful of restaurants all the time. It's possible we ate something fabulous that I didn't photograph, but if I don't remember, it couldn't have been all that great, huh?

le breakfast sandwich at Dominique Ansel Workshop in NYC

I normally just get a sweet pastry for breakfast when I make my usual trip to Dominique Ansel Workshop, but this January I tried Le Breakfast Sandwich: a fluffy French omelet filled with Boursin cheese tucked into a crisp croissant. Why can't we have these in Baltimore? 

wings at Turntable Chicken Jazz in NYC

I had wings at Turntable Chicken Jazz on 33rd Street in NY twice in 2025, once in January, once in June, both times with my friend Daisy. Also, both times after dinner. We got half soy-garlic, half hot & spicy, but I think we both prefer the soy-garlic version. Both flavors are super crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of flavor. 

homemade shrimp and grits

 For Mardi Gras last year, I made shrimp and grits with mushrooms and tomatoes. Mr Minx thought it was restaurant quality. I had to agree. 

fries, pozole, and torta at Birria Love

Birria Love--where just about everything has a pile of birria on it or in it--became one of our go-to restaurants in 2025. We like ordering a lot, eating some of it, and enjoying the leftovers for a few days.

croque madame at Petit Louis

My friend Maxine and I try to have lunch together every other month or so. We normally save a trip to Petit Louis for December, because it always feels extra-festive to sit near the fireplace in their crowded dining room. We didn't make it there in December of 2024 for one reason or another, so we squeezed in a trip in early 2025. I had a croque madame for possibly the first time in my life (that I recall) and really enjoyed it. (The fries came with; they don't skimp on the portions there.)

homemade shrimp and white beans with artichoke and lemon

I must have cooked shrimp a lot in 2025. I just realized that all three images of home cooking that I included in this roundup involve shrimp. One of my personal favorite dishes was this shrimp and white bean dish to which I added a bunch of leftover stuff from the fridge, including artichoke hearts, onion jam, lemon, and fresh basil. It was a delightful combination, if I do say so myself.

wings at Mother's North

The wings at Mother's North are always perfectly cooked, with very tender meat and nicely crisped skin. I don't always order the best sauce combo (I seem to remember this one as being a little too sweet), but I can't fault the wings themselves.

pork belly skewers at The Duchess

We found ourselves visiting to the newest of Tony Foreman's restaurants, The Duchess, several times in 2025. Most things we tried were excellent, but my favorite thing is the pork belly skewers. Fatty, juicy, luscious, lightly sauced. So good. 

mul-naengmyeon at Noona Noodles, NYC

Mul-naengmyeon, a not particularly photogenic dish featuring chewy noodles in an icy-cold, slightly sweet broth, was the perfect thing to eat on a stinky-hot New York summer day. It's weird. It's delicious. I want to try to make it at home next summer.

homemade wedge salad with sautéed shrimp

See? More shrimp. I made a couple of wedge salads last summer, with lots of bacon and a homemade bleu cheese dressing. This one involved warm, garlicky shrimp and some chopped tomato. Nothing beats a good wedge.

foie gras at The Milton Inn

Mr Minx and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in 2025. We originally had planned to go to Charleston, but since The Milton Inn had adopted the same tasting menu-style pricing, and we knew we liked their food, we jumped from Cindy's to her ex-husband's restaurant instead. (Plus, I still can't forgive the disaster of a "wilted spinach salad" and over-reduced sauces that were literally like glue the first time we ate ate at Charleston.) Plus, they had sautéed foie on the menu, which I haven't eaten in too long. And it was perfection.

pistachio bun at Sacré Sucré

Not only did we celebrate 25 years of marriage, but also I turned 60 in 2025. And because: 1) I didn't want a homemade cake; and 2) most bakeries in Baltimore are closed on Monday, I had this pistachio bun instead. Thanks to Sacré Sucré for bucking the trend and opening at least part of the day. I dare say this bun was better than almost any cake I could have gotten anywhere, anyway.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

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Build a Little Chanukah Magic with the Manischewitz Chanukah House Cookie Kit

If your holiday season isn’t complete without a little edible architecture, Manischewitz has you covered! Their Chanukah House Cookie Kit puts a fun, blue-and-white spin on the classic gingerbread house, giving you everything you need to create a sweet, celebratory centerpiece for the Festival of Lights.

Inside the box, you’ll find pre-baked vanilla cookie panels (structurally sound and very snack-tempting), icing for all your construction and decorating needs, a mix of colorful candy embellishments, and a sturdy base to keep your masterpiece upright. In other words: zero stress, maximum creativity.

It’s a perfect project for families, friends, or even a classroom full of budding pastry engineers. And honestly, grown-ups who just want an excuse to play with frosting will have a blast, too.

You can snag the kit at most major supermarkets, or pick one up online at Amazon.com. Whether you’re celebrating with kids, crafting a showpiece for your holiday table, or simply indulging in some sweet seasonal fun, the Chanukah House Cookie Kit is a charming way to make new memories, one icing squiggle at a time.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

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Go Craize!

Looking for a snack that’s light, flavorful, and actually interesting? Craize crackers take the Latin American arepa and turn it into a crisp, modern bite that’s vegan, gluten-free, and completely addictive.

Every so often, a new snack sneaks into my pantry and promptly refuses to leave. That’s what happened with Craize, a line of crisp corn crackers that somehow bridge the gap between wholesome and wildly addictive. Made from corn and olive oil, these wafer-thin rounds are inspired by the Latin American arepa. The result is a cracker with real personality: snappy, flavorful, and just a little bit different from anything else out there. 

Gonna come clean here: I actually tried Craize a few years ago, back when the crackers were larger and came stacked in plastic containers. I wasn’t impressed. The texture went soft far too soon, and the flavor didn’t have much punch (though coconut was tasty). But this new version is a major glow-up: the crackers are smaller, lighter, and packaged in resealable bags that keep them crisp far longer. It’s the difference between “meh” and “where have you been all my life?” 

Craize bills itself as vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and kosher, which covers a lot of bases for today’s snackers. Even better, there are no seed oils or mystery ingredients involved, just a short, pronounceable list that keeps things simple. And yet, “simple” doesn’t mean boring. These crackers come in flavors like Sweet Corn, Guava, Coconut, Everything, and Jalapeño Lime, each one distinct and surprisingly well-balanced. Sweet Corn tastes like summer, buttery and toasty. Guava walks that fine line between sweet and savory and makes a terrific partner for soft cheeses. Coconut is practically dessert on its own: slightly sweet, lightly nutty, with an almost cookie-like crunch. Everything is self-explanatory and universally snackable, and Jalapeño Lime has a real kick that pairs perfectly with hummus or black bean dip. Or snack them as-is. (I find this flavor to be the most addictive and ate almost the whole bag in one sitting.)

So addictive. And SPICY. Jalapeno pepper puree is the 2nd ingredient.

They’re sturdy enough to dip but delicate enough to nibble on straight from the bag, which makes them one of those rare snacks that feel just as appropriate on a charcuterie board as they do next to your laptop at three in the afternoon. I’ve topped Guava Craize with a smear of brie and a drizzle of honey, Everything Craize with mashed avocado and chili flakes, and Coconut Craize with Greek yogurt and mango for a quick almost-dessert. They also make a nice accompaniment to a handful of chocolate chips. There’s really no wrong move here.

Taken from the Craize website. I am so going to feature these crackers on my Thanksgiving table.
(Yes, we feast on cheese and charcuterie on Thanksgiving, not turkey.)

Craize feels like a snack that belongs in 2025. It's thoughtful, inclusive, and genuinely good. It’s got roots in tradition but fits neatly into modern eating habits, and it’s easy to see why people are a little obsessed. You can find them online at gocraize.com  or in select stores, and I’d suggest starting with the Variety Pack. Because once you taste one, you’ll want to taste them all.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

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Make a Note to Grab Dorot™ This Holiday Season!

There’s something magical about fresh herbs and aromatic garlic in the kitchen, but peeling, chopping, and measuring can often turn that magic into a chore. Enter Dorot Gardens™, the brand that makes it effortless to bring farm-fresh flavor to your meals, no matter how busy life gets.

Dorot Gardens™ specializes in flash-frozen, pre-portioned cubes of garlic, ginger, herbs, and sautéed onions. Each cube is frozen within 90 minutes of harvest, locking in flavor, aroma, and essential nutrients. This means that every dish you make, from weeknight stir-fries to elaborate holiday dinners, carries the taste and freshness of just-picked ingredients. There’s no more stinky fingers from peeling garlic, and even better--no more wasted herbs! I can't tell you how many bunches of cilantro and parsley become a wilted mess in my crisper because I can't use them fast enough. 

The product line is extensive. You’ll find crushed garlic, ginger, sautéed and glazed onions, chopped basil, cilantro, and more. Each item is designed for convenience without compromising quality, making it easy to elevate any dish instantly. Whether you’re cooking solo, for family, or entertaining guests, these cubes save prep time while letting you focus on what really matters: enjoying your food and the people around it. 

Dorot Gardens™ isn’t just about convenience, it’s about enhancing your cooking experience. Their innovative flash-freezing technology preserves flavor in a way that traditional freezing can’t, so even months later, you can enjoy the brightness of freshly harvested herbs and the depth of perfectly roasted onions. For busy home cooks, this combination of freshness, flavor, and time-saving practicality is a game-changer. 

I swear by the garlic and ginger cubes because peeling and crushing garlic has always been a personal annoyance (my fingernails are magnets for allium odors), and ginger root, while freezable, always seems to get lost in the jumble of my freezer. I just pop as many cubes as I want into my cooking food (or into a bowl to thaw, to use in things like marinades), and put the rest in the freezer. The slim, brightly colored containers take up little space and are easy to spot, so I always know where they are when I need them.

For anyone who loves fresh flavor without the fuss, Dorot Gardens™ makes it simple to cook delicious meals that feel effortless, whether it’s a quick weeknight dinner or a festive holiday feast.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!

Posted on Minxeats.com.