Pan bati (Sorghum corn pancakes) (Aruban)

Pan bati means 'smashed bread' in Aruban, the name caused by how flat these sorghum, wheat and corn breads are. Born from the confluence of Creole, native Indian and Spanish cultures, the pan bati flatbreads are richer and more delicious then regular bread, and really easy to make. 

They can be eaten as bread, accompanying a main dish, but also as a dessert (like a pancake), if topped with sugar or jam.

For example, here I served it topped with a pear and rosemary jam and the result was great (especially if you have them while still warm). The pan bati comes together fast, all you need is the specialty flour (sorghum), but once you have that you can throw them together as often as you want. 

Recipe sources: here and here.

Last year: nothing.

Two years ago: nothing.

Three years ago: nothing.

Four years ago: Kopi Jahe (Indonesian coffee with ginger) (vegan).

Five year: Chia oatmeal breakfast with fruit (no cook).

Six years ago: Căpșune cu smântână (Simple Strawberries and Cream) (Romanian).

Seven years ago: Chicken, olive and preserved lemons tagine (Moroccan).

Eight years ago: baby making and no cooking. :)

Pao doce (Hawaiian and Portuguese sweet bread)

This is the basic Portuguese while fluffy bread, which the Portuguese have exported into numerous areas in their age of discovery, where it blended with local cuisine influences and was morphed into new forms. One such form is the lovely Japanese Shokupan.
The original Portuguese pao doce ("pao" means bread and "doce" means sweet) remained in its original form only in Portuguese and Hawaii, where it's a staple to this day. Most often it's made as rolls or buns, sometimes with a significantly sweet turn. Unless made specifically as desert and enriched with a filling or more sugar or a sweet topping, the bread is perfect as a dinner accompaniment, despite the sweet concept in its name. 
Recipe source: mainly here. 

Last year: nothing.
Two years ago: nothing.
Three years ago: nothing.
Four years ago: Quattro Stagioni pizza (Italian).
Five years ago: Moroccan cous cous salad (vegan).
Six years ago: Cauliflower and potato curry (Indian) (vegan).
Seven years ago: Mâncare de mazăre (My mom's pea stew) (Romanian) (vegan).
Eight years ago: Ginger ale muffins / cupcakes, The magic mushroom and almond soup (with lemon balm melissa) (vegan) and Jamon serrano and shrimp tacos (Spanish-Mexican).

Man’oushe (Za’atar Flatbread) (Lebanese)

A flatbread laid on very thin and crispy, baked in a very hot oven, with its top really covered in olive oil and za'atar. Since I love za'atar enough to eat it raw or on toasted bread with olive oil, this is the upgraded version of my go-to snack, and it's a dream come true.
It's delicious enough to munch on it as it is, but it also makes for a great side for soups, dips, veggie stews and any other Lebanese or Middle Eastern food.
Recipe source: David Lebovitz. 

Last year: nothing.
Two years ago: nothing.
Three years ago: nothing.
Four years ago: Spaghetti Bolognese (Italian).
Five years ago: Crushed peas with smoky sesame (tahini) dressing.
Six years ago: Strawberry and white chocolate mousse cake (no bake).
Seven years ago: Carrot and feta rosti (fritters) with raita (Indian-style).
Eight years ago: Lemon panacota with orange caramel and vanilla panacota with strawberries (Italian), Pasta Primavera (Italian-American) and Lemon balm cream trout with baked asparagus.

Gram (chickpea) chapatis (Indian flatbreads) (vegan)

A chapati is a flat round bread from the Indian cuisine traditionally used to accompany all meals. Usually, chapatis are made with whole-wheat flour (as opposed to a roti which is very similar but made with all-purpose flour). But the gram chapati (made with chickpea flour) is another variation of these delicious flat-breads which tastes even more "whole" and authentic. 
We had them with a main of Chicken Jalfreezi, but feel free to eat them with any kind of spread (even a humble butter-and-salt) or curries. Enjoy :)

Last year: Shopska salad (Bulgarian).
Two years ago: Mushroom and baby corn soba noodles (vegan).
Three years ago: Truffle potato mash and Salată asortată (Romanian assorted salad) (raw vegan).
Four years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Gogoşi (Romanian doughnuts)

"Gogoşi" are basic Romanian doughnuts easy to find in almost every grandma's kitchen from our country. They can be either simple or filled with various jams, and their dough is always yeast-raised. They are fried in vegetable oil, on the stove or even in the oven sometimes, drained on paper towels and then generously dusted with powder sugar. If you decide to try them, you're in for a fluffy, fluffy treat. A treat from the deepest childhood of most Romanians. Sort of like a fairytale snack. :) Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from here.

Last year: Salade au chevre chaud (Warm goat cheese salad) (French).
Two years ago: Sun-dried tomato and cauliflower dip (raw vegan).
Three years ago: Green lasagna with aubergine and zucchini.
Four years ago: baby making and no cooking. :)

Nutted cream cheese sandwich (American)

A nice breakfast or snack you can find in some American bistros and bakeries. First of all, you need to have some loaf cake on your hands that contains nuts (like banana bread or mango bread). Personally, I recommend the mango bread for this kind of snack. Then, you spread cream cheese on a couple of slices and you top with an extra serving of crushed walnuts. The result is a mildly sweet, crunchy and creamy bite of anything you could want from a breakfast. :)
Recipe source: Saveur.

Last year: Whole wheat thin pizza crust (vegan).
Two years: Sauteed cod with pea cream (Italian).
Three years ago: Pepitoritas (Mexican cajeta and pumpkin seed crescents).
Four years ago: Straciatella cream pie (Italian).

Mango bread (American)

Another kind of sweet loaf cake from the American kitchens, made with a basic fruit (this time, mango) and nuts, just like the banana bread you probably already know. Personally, I think I like this one a bit better - it tastes a bit more spicy-tropical, with mango puree and mango chunks and coconut flakes and walnuts scattered throughout the batter. What makes me love the mango flavor even more (I'm talking about real mango, not the fake stuff you can buy in juice bottles) is its subtle pine-like flavor. If you focus a little, it even smells a bit like a Christmas tree. Yum :)
As to the bread, I also liked how well it lasted at room temperature - after 3 days, it was still moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside and it still made the loveliest breakfast. You can have it either by itself, or in a Nutted cream cheese sandwich :). Anyway, enjoy.
Recipe source: Saveur. 

Last year: Owsianka (Belarusian/Polish/Russian/Ukranian oatmeal breakfast).
Two years ago: Sangria (Spanish) (vegan).
Three years ago: Cajeta (Goat milk caramel) (Mexican).
Four years ago: Straciatella cream pie (Italian).

Classic grilled cheese (British and American)

Words can hardly describe how comforting warm grilled cheese can be. An American and British classic, it consists of simply a grilled (or fried or toasted) sandwich with cheese between the bread slices. After the quick cooking, the bread becomes crispy and toasty and the cheese is melted, making it the ideal comfort food (and a traditional companion to tomato soup). :)
There are multiple variations stemming from the original recipe, with lots of extra topping and ingredients which can be added to the cheese, but this is the basic, classic version. Enjoy. :)
Recipe sources: Smitten Kitchen and Jeff Mauro. 

Last year: Turkey bites with vodka sauce.
Two years ago: Smoked salmon pizza (Italian).
Three years ago: Sprinkle butter cookies (Italian).
Four years ago: Bacon-wrapped baby corn, Spicy chocolate truffles and Pissaladières (French caramelized onion tarts).

Lussebullar (Lussekatter) (Swedish Lucia breads)

These little buns are traditionally made and enjoyed in Sweden on the 13th of December, known as St Lucia's Day. The history of the Lucia buns (or light buns, since St Lucia is a saint associated with lights) is pretty cute. According to legend, on December 13, 1764, a gentleman in Sweden was roused in the middle of the night by a beautiful voice. He saw a young woman in white moving through his room singing. She had wings and was carrying a candle. She was revealed to be Lucia the Saint. She brought light, food, and wine as comfort on what was, in the old Gregorian calendar, the longest night of the year. She's still an important cultural icon and the holiday celebrating her is still very much alive. (A bit off-topic, I even had a perfume some years ago which was named in her honor and that was supposed to smell like "warm light". The model posing for the perfume's commercial was a very pretty Northern-type of beauty with almost whitish hair and very large eyes.)

Anyway, try the buns. They're not very sweet, but the saffron flavor is so intense and addictive you'll go through them faster than you planned. :)
Recipe source(s): here, here and here.

Last year: Ciorbă de burtă falsă (Romanian shiitake and chantarellus mushroom soup).
Two years ago: Crispy duck with five spices (Chinese).
Three years ago: Tapenade, wild mushroom and red onion galette (vegan).
Four years ago: Romanian and Moldavian "Tochitură" with polenta.

Yogurt flat-breads with caraway (gluten free)

A quick recipe for delicious and crisp flat-breads that uses wholemeal rice flour for its healthy and delicate properties and lots of un-ground caraway for flavor crunches. It's not at all complicated to make and the resulting breads go wonderfully with almost any kind of soup. Enjoy :)
Recipe adapted from: here.

Last year: Smoked trout quiche Provencal (French).
Two years ago: Cream of wild mushroom soup (American).
Three years ago: White chocolate and blueberry cupcakes.

Mini poppy-seed croissants (savory)

We like having some puffy croissants around to munch on between meals or to serve with our favorite cream soups. This time, we were inspired by an older version with Gouda cheese and decided to go for the poppy-seed crust :)
While many of you might be slightly intimidated by the idea of making your own croissants - trust us, it's easier than it looks. It takes a while, but not a lot of effort: most of the time you can just go about your business while the wonderful yeast works its magic and makes the dough rise :). Give it a try!

Last year: Glazed duck with orange sauce and vegetables (French-style).
Two years ago: North Croatian deer goulash.
Three years ago: Scottish cardamom griddle scones with butter and honey. 

Home-made pita chips (vegan)

Making your own healthy chips for dipping in whatever sauce you're planning to make is really easier than you might think. And by making the chips at home instead of buying them from the supermarket you skip lots of salt. Tens of grams of salt. Way more salt than you'd ever want to have in your blood stream at a time. :) 
Considering that these home-made chips only take a few minutes to make, I'd say it's worth it. And as a bonus, they're also an ideal way to use up stale pitas instead of discarding them. And no store-bought snack can match the charm of warm chips freshly taken out of the oven. :)

Last year: Pesto and caper focaccia (Italian) (vegan).
Two years ago: Tomato gratin provencal with garlic butter baguette.
Three years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Cherry tomato and spinach bread

A nice bread to have around when you plan on serving your favorite soup with something crusty and warm and delicious. It's also great on its own, just with a little butter and a pinch of salt. I like it because it's a lovely change from plain bread, especially when you feel like incorporating more fresh goodies into your diet (and baked stuff). Enjoy.
Recipe slightly adapted from James Tanner.

Last year: Tiny German pancakes with strawberry filling.
Two years ago: Strawberry, banana and flax seed muffins.
Three years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Pa amb tomàquet (Spanish/Catalan tomato bread) (vegan)

This is the Catalan version of the Spanish "pan con tomate", closely related to the Italian bruschetta. It's light, simple and fast to make and quite delicious. The bread used is peasant-style bread, not too stale (but sometimes toasted), which is rubbed with olive oil, salt and sometimes garlic. Then, a very ripe tomato is squeezed and rubbed on the bread until most of the tomato flesh is transferred to the bread base. It's served right away. Try it at least once.
More information on the cultural background of the dish here.

Last year: Field salad with parsley and breaded Camembert.
Two years ago: Gyeran-Jim (Korean fritata with green onion).
Three years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

Whole wheat thin pizza crust (vegan)

I try to avoid bragging around here - but I seriously believe we've discovered the best whole wheat pizza crust out there. It all started as a harmless if somewhat tedious desire to incorporate more wholemeal flour into our diets. I also wanted to make the pizza crust the thin and crispy type I generally prefer. But then... what do you know? I actually come up with something way better than expected. Believe it or not, but this whole wheat pizza crust is in reality better tasting than its regular flour counterpart. Needless to say, I'll be making most of our pizzas using this recipe from now on.
And since sharing is caring as they say, here's the recipe. Enjoy :)
P.S: the photo above is an example of how a section looks like in the version of our mushroom and Gorgonzola pizza. :)

Last year: Sauteed cod with pea cream (Italian).
Two years ago: Pepitoritas (Mexican cajeta and pumpkin seed crescents).
Three years ago: Straciatella cream pie (Italian).

Crisp rosemary flat-bread (vegan)

To be honest I was in love with this idea before I actually started learning how to cook. It was one of the first things I planned to make as soon as I built up the courage... but somehow postponed it and / or forgot about all the way until now :).
When we finally made these little flat-breads (way easier and faster than you might think) we enjoyed it all the way up to the expectations I had about them.
They go wonderfully with any combination of cheese and white wine and are also great with soups. We had them with a Spanish tomato, chickpea and chorizo soup and also on their own, plain. Both manners of serving them were delicious. :)

The recipe yields three flat-breads, studded with rosemary and sea salt, that are then broken into pieces and devoured:

Recipe source(s): Gourmet and Smitten Kitchen. (I saw it first at Deb's but then stumbled upon it in the Gourmet archives, and also noticed that Deb adapted it from them so I thought it would be proper to point out both sources). :)

Last year: Pork steaks with sage sauce and caramelized apples.
Two years ago: Winter tabbouleh with roasted eggplant and feta.

Barmbrack (Irish)

A traditional Irish sweet yeasted bread made with black tea and raisins which has gained much popularity as a Halloween treat, becoming the center of this holiday's culinary custom in Ireland. :) 
Its name, Barmbrack, is a short Westernized version of its Irish name, Bairin Breac (which means speckled bread, the speckles coming from the raisins in it).
It is also served often with butter and tea in the afternoon during other times of the year. Not overly sweet, it can be eaten guilt-free or paired with other sweet spreads (jams) beside the butter.
More on this bread's history here. 

Last year: Zucchini cream soup (vegan).
Two years ago: Chocolate banana bread with white chocolate chips.

Cheddar and oat scones (British)

Crunchy oat scones with a mild cheddar flavor, great to serve in salty combinations (with yogurt, buttermilk, chutneys, cold cuts, soups and so on). With only 5 minutes prep time and only 15 minutes baking time, you can prepare this simple treat anytime you like. Enjoy :)
Recipe source: here. 

Last year: Mexican rice with vegetables (vegan).
Two years ago: Sweet potato and prosciutto starters.

Pesto and caper focaccia (Italian) (vegan)

A focaccia is a type of Italian bread similar to a pizza but with more oil in the dough and fewer toppings and meant to be eaten as a side to something else. I previously made a rosemary and garlic oil focaccia and this time I decided to make it in a saltier spin by spreading fresh pesto (without the cheese to keep it vegan) and some capers on top. The result was delicious enough to be eaten on its own, but it would make a lovely and flavorful side to soups, salads, roasts and so on as well :).
Inspired by this.

Last year: Tomato gratin provencal with garlic butter baguette.
Two years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).

White bread croutons (vegan)

Making bread croutons to use them later in soups or salads is another thing I prefer to do at home, as the ready-to-buy ones are always full of additives or just not that yummy. 
This is the basic recipe for making them, but you can always get creative with adding various herbs and spices. Improvise and enjoy :)

Last year: Chicken with light gorgonzola and mushroom sauce.
Two years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).