2012's Best Edible Moments

Everyone has different lenses through which they look back on years past and remember their highlights.

For us, they're edible (shocker, we know), from our favorite eating and drinking experiences to recipes we conquered in the kitchen.

Here, a collection of the delicious happenings that held our collective attention this year.

Cocktail Casual: For years, cocktails were getting increasingly complicated and fussy. Now it seems the pendulum is swinging in the other direction as bartenders embrace simplicity and even kitsch.

Ocean Water: Fish sauce has become as ubiquitous as ketchup. Chefs swear by it, whether they're cooking pasta in San Francisco, chicken breast in Los Angeles or cauliflower in Charleston.

Chopstick Library: Finally, the nuanced cuisines within Asia are getting their independent dues. San Francisco's Charles Phan acts as culinary diplomat to Vietnam with his cookbook, Vietnamese Home Cooking, while other tomes focused on the niche cuisines of Japanese farms and Chinese immigrants.

Cook Shop: It's easier than ever to reproduce the flavors of your favorite restaurant dishes at home, thanks to enterprising chefs who are packaging their favorite ingredients. We're stocking our kitchen with proprietary burger spray, sundae toppings and vinegar.