The 10 best recipes I reviewed in 2011

All the recipes I write about are good. That's the purpose of this blog.

But I wanted to look back at all the recipes I reviewed in 2011 and pick the best, the cream of the crop, the ones that will bring a look of wonder and delight to their lucky recipients.

After much consideration, these are the 10 best recipes I reviewed in 2011. Three drink recipes made the list.

Caramelized Banana Splits with Hot Chocolate Sauce - A fun late-evening treat on winter's night.

Chinese Barbecued Baby Back Ribs - These tasty ribs are "barbecued" in the oven -- and it takes just an hour and a half from start to finish to make them.

Ginger Rum Shandy - A fantastic combination of ginger syrup, apple juice, beer and lime juice. Even better, it's a recipe from cool Canadian chef Chuck Hughes.

Linguine with Lemon Garlic Shrimp - Mascarpone cheese is the key ingredient of this pasta's soft, creamy sauce.

Crispy Baked Drumsticks with Honey-Mustard Sauce - Easy to make fare that will please your family's palates. The honey-mustard sauce is out of this world.

Porterhouse Steak with Pan-Seared Cherry Tomatoes- A carnivore's dream.

Panna Cotta Parfaits with Raspberry Compote - A favorite in my extended family, this easy-to-make creamy dessert takes the fussiness of most panna cotta recipes and throws it right out the window.

Summer Berry Icebox Pie - When berry season returns, I strongly advise making this stunningly delicious dessert.

Classic Sweet Tea - Homemade iced tea gets absolutely amazing with this recipe, which uses the secret step of room temperature water to brew it.

Nectarine-Basil Lemonade - So easy to make and so lovely to drink. This recipe is a favorite in my family.