About a week or so ago a friend of mine, who is an excellent cook and a frequent contributor to this column, excitedly shared news of a cookbook she received for Christmas -- "Caseus Fromagerie Bistro Cookbook: Every Cheese Has a Story." Her enthusiasm for the book was so exciting, that I promptly sent a request to the publisher for a copy of my own and literally, within days, here it was. And, so goes the exuberance and pace for "Caseus," both the name of the cookbook written by Jason Sobocinski and his award-winning bistro/cheese shop, located in New Haven, Connecticut.

From late October to the end of the year, it's a very demanding time in the kitchen. Between holiday cookie baking (and shipping), to the celebratory meals of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, there never truly is a respite for those of us who cook and bake. Busy cooks, whose responsibilities include a whole lot more than cooking, particularly feel seasonal stress and come this time of the year, welcome ways to restore balance into our lives. Returning ourselves and those we cook for to simpler meals like soup, for instance, is a good way to begin the restorative process.

Throughout 2011, just as I've done in years past, I've kept track of the recipes you've told me that you've liked most. This year's favorites came from recipes of my own, from cookbooks and on-line sources and from readers, just like you.

My brother, Jim Conforti, and his wife, Donna, of Sound Beach, New York, know that I love to bake, eat and write about cookies, so they sent me several photos of their church’s December 3 Cookie Walk. A part of Port Jefferson’s First United Methodist Church’s annual Christmas Fair for the past 19 years, this year’s Cookie Walk earned the church more than $1600 for the 230 pounds of homemade Christmas cookies baked by church members and youth.