Truth to tell, I'm not a big fan of these end-of-year Top Ten lists. They tend, I think, to be both subjective and showy: meaning listmakers record either what's obscurely relevant to them or what will demonstrate their great intellect and breadth of knowledge, or both.

Two years ago, for instance, every book reviewer in America was raving about the Zadie Smith novel On Beauty, which I bought (in hardcover) and tried to bull my way through but could not abide. Then I went back and looked over the articles I'd read; suddenly I realized they sounded remarkably similar to one another. Follow the leader, it seemed to me. Being a fan of the young, beautiful, biracial Smith was simply the style that year.

Please take my list for what it is: a random recollection of my ten most memorable eating experiences of the year, touched by all the emotional, irrational, and regional variables that make one meal sing like a chorus of angels while another -- equally well-prepared -- falls flat.

1. Pizza Lucé [3] -- The Ruby Rae, an upside-down pie with spinach, tomatoes, Italian sausage, and crushed hot peppers, covered in a thick red sauce and sprinkled with parmesan; our favorite takeout meal.
2. The Sample Room [4] -- Roasted Vegetables on Wilted Spinach, a huge plate of greens, warm, hearty roasted vegetables (such as squash or beets), and a balsamic vinaigrette; great for a cold winter night.
3. Kinhdo -- Tofu with Spicy Peppers and Extra Cabbage, a stewlike vegetarian meal over white rice and hot, hot, hot (are you sensing a theme here?); best eaten at home on paper plates.
4. Atlas Grill [5] -- Fire-Roasted Salmon over mixed greens, a simple, nearly untouched piece of fish flashed over fire and served with fresh leaves of arugula, maché, and the like.
5. Restaurant Alma [6] -- Roasted Duck with Baby Brussels Sprouts, as simple and wholesome a meal as I had all year and so fresh, I could have been dining on the farm.
6. W.A. Frost [7] -- Cauliflower and Goat Cheese Soup, a creamy, savory mixture as warm as the crackling fire in the dining room and topped with fresh tomato purée plus a dollop of nutty green pesto.
7. Hell's Kitchen [8] -- Huevos Rancheros, a crisp tortilla layered with hash browns, scrambled eggs, black beans, heaps of cheese, salsa and a big scoop of sour cream; breakfast enough to last you all day.
8. Coffee News -- Carrot Cake, five layers high and covered in cream cheese frosting; this is my occasional indulgence before teaching a night class at Macalester.
9. Lake Avenue Cafe (Duluth) -- Black Bean Burrito, a hot wrap stuffed with beans and feta cheese, served with homemade corn salsa; my standard after the motorcycle trip to the North Shore.
10. Home -- John's Satay [9], a combination of peanut butter, serrano peppers, and lime juice; nothing tastes better to me on a night when I'm tired, hormonal, or coming down with a cold -- I'll even eat it on popcorn.

And there you have it: a list reflecting my personal tastes (I think it's pretty obvious, I'm partial to spicy food, black beans, and goat cheese) and highlighting a handful of really excellent restaurants, plus my husband's best recipe.

But as I said, "expert" Top Ten lists are by definition self-limiting and narrow. What's important is not what I liked this year but what you did. So. . . what did you eat that you loved in 2007?