Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook [A Cookbook]

by Kristen Miglore, Amanda Hesser (Foreword by), Merrill Stubbs (Foreword by)

Overview

There are good recipes and there are great ones—and then, there are genius recipes.
 
Genius recipes surprise us and make us rethink the way we cook. They might involve an unexpectedly simple technique, debunk a kitchen myth, or apply a familiar ingredient in a new way. They’re handed down by luminaries of the food world and become their legacies. And, once we’ve folded them into our repertoires, they make us feel pretty genius too. In this collection are 100 of the smartest and most remarkable ones.
 
There isn’t yet a single cookbook where you can find Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter, Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Bread, and Nigella Lawson’s Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake—plus dozens more of the most talked about, just-crazy-enough-to-work recipes of our time. Until now.
 
These are what Food52 Executive Editor Kristen Miglore calls genius recipes. Passed down from the cookbook authors, chefs, and bloggers who made them legendary, these foolproof recipes rethink cooking tropes, solve problems, get us talking, and make cooking more fun. Every week, Kristen features one such recipe and explains just what’s so brilliant about it in the James Beard Award-nominated Genius Recipes column on Food52. Here, in this book, she compiles 100 of the most essential ones—nearly half of which have never been featured in the column—with tips, riffs, mini-recipes, and stunning photographs from James Ransom, to create a cooking canon that will stand the test of time.
 
Once you try Michael Ruhlman’s fried chicken or Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s hummus, you’ll never want to go back to other versions. But there’s also a surprising ginger juice you didn’t realize you were missing and will want to put on everything—and a way to cook white chocolate that (finally) exposes its hidden glory. Some of these recipes you’ll follow to a T, but others will be jumping-off points for you to experiment with and make your own. Either way, with Kristen at the helm, revealing and explaining the genius of each recipe, Genius Recipes is destined to become every home cook’s go-to resource for smart, memorable cooking—because no one cook could have taught us so much.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607747970
Publisher:	Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date:	04/07/2015
Series:	Food52 Works
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	106,208
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

KRISTEN MIGLORE is the executive editor at Food52.com. She abandoned a career in economics to pursue a master’s degree in Food Studies from New York University and a culinary degree from the Institute of Culinary Education. Her writing has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Saveur, and The Atlantic, and she was nominated for a James Beard Award for the Genius Recipes column in 2014. She lives in New York City.
 
Founded by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs in 2009, Food52.com has become the premier online community for cooks at all levels, with more than 30,000 recipes, cooking contests, a hotline, and an integrated kitchen and home shop. It was named Best Food Publication at the 2012 James Beard Awards and Best Culinary Website at the 2013 IACP Awards.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction
Genius recipes surprise us and make us rethink cooking tropes. They’re handed down by luminaries of the food world and become their legacies. They get us talking and change the way we cook. And, once we’ve folded them into our repertoires, they make us feel pretty genius too.
 
This is how I framed Genius Recipes when I launched it as a weekly column on Food52 in June 2011. In the years since, the definition really hasn’t changed: These recipes are about reworking what we’ve been taught and skipping past all the canonical versions to a smarter way.
 
For example, if you were to look to a classical text or cooking class, you’d probably think you’d need to truss and flip and baste a chicken as you’re roasting it. And there’s nothing necessarily wrong with any of that—you will probably get a good dinner out of the exercise. But Barbara Kafka, in writing the cookbook Roasting: A Simple Art in 1995, perfected roasting everything, from mackerel to turkeys to cucumbers. She puts chicken in the oven, legs akimbo, at a raging 500°F (260°C), then hardly touches it. Hers is the juiciest roast chicken I’ve tasted, and has the crispiest skin, without fussing—so why would you?
 
This book is full of happy discoveries like this roast chicken (page 106), drawn from the experience of the best cookbook authors, chefs, and bloggers around. No one cook could have taught us so much. From historic voices in food like Marcella Hazan, Julia Child, and James Beard to modern giants like Ignacio Mattos and Kim Boyce, we’ve learned that making something better doesn’t mean doing more work—and oftentimes, it means doing less. If you look to the people who’ve spent their careers tinkering with these dishes, they’ll often show you a better way to make them.
 
Here in this collection are more than one hundred of the most surprising and essential genius recipes. Some are greatest hits from the column that keep inspiring new conversations and winning new fans. I also dug up a bunch more recipes, like Marion Cunningham’s famous yeasted overnight waffles (page 29) and Dorie Greenspan’s apple cake with more apples than cake (page 221), to stock our kitchens and keep us cooking and talking. You’ll also find new tips and variations and a good number of mini-recipes alongside the full-length ones. These genius ideas were simple enough to distill into a paragraph or two and made the collection whole. My hope is that this book, held all together, can act as an alternative kitchen education of sorts.
 
Some of the recipes are already legends: If you’ve been reading about food for a while, you’ve probably already heard of the tomato sauce with butter and onion (page 151), the no-knead bread (page 39), the one-ingredient ice cream (page 200). I love sharing these on Food52, because it seems everyone has an opinion and a good story to tell.

A handful of others are tricks I stumbled across myself: The oddball ingredient I saw when I trailed in the kitchen at Le Bernardin (page 101). The simple carnitas I found in an old Diana Kennedy cookbook when I was missing the burritos at home in California (page 120). The winning ratatouille after I tested four in a day (page 191). The dessert served at the James Beard Awards that Melissa Clark posted on Instagram (page 203)—watch out, world: I’m paying attention!
 
But if we had to rely on me, Genius Recipes would have been a nice little series that would have petered out long ago—and it surely wouldn’t have evolved into a book. I’d hoped I would have help finding the gems, since the spirit of better cooking through community has always driven Food52. But I couldn’t have known that the tips would just keep coming—that the majority of the recipes I would gather, and the most unexpectedly brilliant ones, would come from emails and tweets and conversations with the Food52 community, fellow staffers, and other writers, editors, and friends.
 
I wouldn’t have looked twice at a soup made of cauliflower, an onion, and a whole lot of water (page 88). And broccoli cooked forever is almost daring you not to (page 176). But cooks from Food52 said these were worthy of genius status, and they were right. Genius Recipes is proof of the power of crowd-sourcing and curation, but also of listening and trusting other cooks. Even though many of these recipes have been around for years, some for decades, only now can we gather and share them so quickly.
 
I hope you will use the recipes in a number of ways. Some may become formulas (I don’t make roast chicken or guacamole or oatmeal any other way anymore). But others, I hope, will be jumping-off points. Maybe you’ll make the kale panini just as written (page 165), then next time you’ll use collards or whatever greens you have, or start making just the quick pickled peppers to keep around. As soon as you make the olive oil and maple granola (page 15) once, if you’re like the legions of commenters on Food52, you’ll start tweaking it and making it your own.
 
Please do, and the next time you discover something genius, let me know.
 
 
Broccoli Cooked Forever
From  Roy  Finamore
 
Serves 4 to 6
 
2 bunches (2 to 2 1 ⁄4 pounds/900g to 1kg) broccoli
1 cup (240ml) olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 small hot chiles, halved lengthwise (Finamore likes small fresh red peppers, but you can substitute green Thai chiles, various dried ones, even a big pinch of red chile flakes)
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating, cut the florets off the broccoli. Peel the stems and cut them into rather thick slices, about 1 ⁄3 inch (8mm).
When the water comes to a boil, add the broccoli and cover the pot to bring it back to a boil quickly. Blanch the broccoli for 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Put olive oil and garlic into a large skillet over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the hot peppers and anchovies. Cook, giving a stir or two, until the anchovies melt. Add the broccoli, season with salt and pepper, and stir well. Cover the skillet, turn the heat to very low, and cook for 2 hours. Use a spatula to turn the broccoli over in the skillet a few times, but try not to break it up. It will be very tender when done.
3. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the broccoli to a serving dish. It is delicious hot or at room temperature.
 
Meatballs
From Rao’s
 
Makes about 28 meatballs
 
1 pound (450g) lean ground beef
8 ounces (225g) ground veal
8 ounces (225g) ground pork
2 large eggs
1 cup (100g) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
 
1. Combine the beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add the eggs, cheese, parsley, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, blend the ingredients together. Mix the bread crumbs into the meat mixture. Slowly add the water, 1 cup (240ml) at a time, until the mixture is quite moist. (If you want to make sure the seasoning is to your liking, fry off a small test meatball, taste, and adjust.) Shape into 2 ½- to 3-inch (6.5 to 7.5cm) balls.
2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. When the oil is very hot but not smoking, fry the meatballs in batches. When the bottom half of each meatball is very brown and slightly crisp, turn and cook the top half. Remove from the heat and drain on paper towels.
3. Heat the marinara sauce to simmering. Lower the cooked meatballs into the simmering sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Serve alone or with pasta.
 
Orange & Almond Cake
From Claudia Rode N
 
Serves 6 to 10
 
2 large oranges
6 large eggs
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (225g) ground almonds
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (225g) sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Butter or oil, for the pan
Flour or more ground almonds, for the pan
 
1. Wash and boil the oranges (unpeeled) in a little water for nearly 2 hours (or for 30 minutes in a pressure cooker). Let them cool, then cut them open and remove the seeds. Turn the oranges into pulp by rubbing them through a sieve or by putting them in an electric blender or food processor.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter and flour a cake pan with a removable base, if possible. (I used a 9 by 3-inch/23 by 7.5cm round cake pan, and you can use oil and almond flour if you’re going for dairy-free and gluten-free.)
3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the ground almonds, sugar, baking powder, and orange puree and mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour, then have a look at it—this type of cake will not go any flatter if the oven door is opened. If it is still very wet, leave it in the oven for a little longer. Cool in the pan before turning out.

Table of Contents

Breakfast
Fried Eggs with Wine Vinegar from roger vergé

Chocolate Muscovado Banana Cake from nigel slater

Touch-of-Grace Biscuits 
from shirley corriher

One-Ingredient Corn Butter
from whitney wright

English Porridge from april bloomfield

Roasted Applesauce from judy rodgers

Olive Oil & Maple Granola from nekisia davis

Poached Scrambled Eggs from daniel patterson

Spicy Sauce
from torrisi italian specialties

Yogurt with Toasted Quinoa, Dates & Almonds from sitka & spruce

Potato Scallion Cakes (Fritterra)
from bert greene

Currant Cottage Cheese Pancakes 
from deborah madison

Crepes from kenny shopsin

Raised Waffles 
from marion cunningham


Snacks & Drinks
Bar Nuts 
from union square café

Deviled Eggs 
from virginia willis

Basic Hummus 
from yotam ottolenghi & sami tamimi

One-Ingredient Whole Grain Crackers
from dan barber

No-Knead Bread 
from jim lahey

Grilled Favas 
from ignacio mattos

Classic Guacamole 
from roberto santibañez

Herb Jam with Olives & Lemon from paula wolfert

Salt-Crusted Potatoes with Cilantro Mojo from josé pizarro

Watermelon, Mint & Cider Vinegar Tonic from louisa shafia

Tomato Water Bloody Mary from todd thrasher

Spiced Red Wine (Ypocras) 
from anne willan

Cliff Old Fashioned from dave arnold

Soups & Salads 
Romaine Hearts with Caesar Salad Dressing 
from frankies spuntino

Fresh Fig & Mint Salad 
from richard olney

“Use a Spoon” Chopped Salad 
from michel nischan

Radicchio Salad with Manchego Vinaigrette 
from toro bravo

Garlic-Scented Tomato Salad
from marcella hazan

Warm Squash & Chickpea Salad with Tahini from moro

Kale Salad from northern spy food co.

Green Peach Salad from crook’s corner

Red Salad 
from fergus henderson

Wild & White Rice Salad 
from viana la place & evan kleiman

Roasted Carrot & Avocado Salad with Crunchy Seeds from abc kitchen

Chickpea Stew with Saffron, Yogurt & Garlic from heidi swanson

Spicy Tomato Soup from barbara lynch

Cauliflower Soup from paul bertolli

Potato Soup with Fried Almonds from anya von bremzen

Cheese Brodo
from nate appleman

Lemon Salt
from patricia wells

Chicken Stock
from tom colicchio

Red Wine Vinaigrette
from molly wizenberg & brandon pettit

Meaty Mains 
Salt-Baked Herbed Salmon with Red Onion-Caper Vinaigrette 
from cory schreiber

Shrimp Grits from edna lewis & scott peacock

Crispy-Skinned Fish 
from le bernardin

Rosemary-Brined Buttermilk Fried Chicken 
from michael ruhlman

Simplest Roast Chicken 
from barbara kafka

Chicken Thighs with Lemon 
from canal house

Dry-Brined Turkey (a.k.a. The Judy Bird) 
from russ parsons

Cranberry Sauce
from daniel humm

Onion Carbonara 
from michel richard

Sticky Balsamic Ribs from ian knauer

Carnitas from diana kennedy

Grilled Pork Burgers from suzanne goin

Brisket of Beef 
from nach waxman

Meatballs 
from rao’s

Salt-Crusted Beef Tenderloin Grilled in Cloth (Lomo al Trapo) 
from steven raichlen

Perfect Pan-Seared Steaks 
from j. kenji lópez-alt

Vegetables 
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Whipped Goat Cheese 
from alon shaya

Broccoli Cooked Forever 
from roy finamore

Garlic Green Beans 
from penelope casas

Ginger Juice
from molly stevens

Balsamic Glazed Beets & Greens 
from peter berley

Grilled Chard Stems with Anchovy Vinaigrette 
from anna klinger

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fish Sauce Vinaigrette from momofuku

Fried Asparagus with Miso Dressing from nobu matsuhisa

Ratatouille from alice waters

Gratin of Zucchini, Rice & Onions with Cheese 
from julia child

Grated & Salted Zucchini
from julia child

Potato Dominoes 
from francis mallmann

Desserts
Strawberry Lemon Sorbet 
from river café

One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream
from the kitchn

Fresh Peach Gelato
from russ parsons

Strawberry Shortcakes 
from james beard

Fresh Blueberry Pie 
from rose levy beranbaum

New Classic Coconut Macaroons 
from alice medrich

Sweet Corn & Black Raspberry Ice Cream 
from jeni britton bauer

Chocolate Mousse 
from hervé this

Purple Plum Torte from marian burros

Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake from nigella lawson

Marie-Hélène’s Apple Cake from dorie greenspan

Pumpkin Pie 
from meta given

Molasses Cookies from the silver palate

Cheater Soft-Serve Ice Cream
from john t. edge

Fresh Ginger Cake 
from sylvia thompson

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies 
from kim boyce

Caramelized White Chocolate 
from valrhona

One-Ingredient Sweet Potato Caramel
from brad leone

Brown Butter Tart Crust 
from paule caillat

Eggless Lemon Curd 
from elizabeth falkner

Whipped Cream
from nancy silverton

Orange & Almond Cake 
from claudia roden

Acknowledgments 
Genius Tipsters 
Credits 
Index

Editorial Reviews

Anyone who has ever disregarded the advice to "cook what you know" for a dinner party, and then spent the evening fretting about salmonella, will appreciate the comfort and confidence that come from making something thousands have made before you with great success…the genius here might lie in the book's wide appeal. For beginners, it's like a "Dummies' Guide to the Most Famous Recipes of All Time." For those deep into the food world, it's more like a litmus test: How many of these dishes have you made?

The New York Times Book Review - Jenny Rosenstrach

A New York Times Best Seller

“Culled from chefs, bloggers and food world legends like Julia Child and James Beard, these are dishes that are so smart they'll change the way you approach food, making you a better cook.” – Editors from Tasting Table’s “Kitchen Bookshelf
 
“Food52 Genius Recipes, is the hands-down winner of the dog-eared page contest — because it instantly dismisses what might be the most important question asked by a cook confronting a new recipe. Namely, will this work? Of course it will. How do we know? Because the dishes in this collection are genius, here defined as legacy recipes ‘handed down by luminaries of the food world.’” – Jenny Rosenstrach, New York Times editor 
 
“None of the recipes are overly “chefy,” which makes this book a great choice for beginner cooks.”  – Joanne Smart, Senior Editor at Fine Cooking

“Guaranteed to excite and enlighten cooks everywhere, Miglore’s collection is a must-have for every kitchen.”
– Publishers Weekly Starred Review

"This is my new favorite cookbook." – Michael Ruhlman

From the Publisher

★ 01/01/2015
In her weekly "Genius Recipes" column, Food52.com executive editor Miglore highlights unforgettable dishes perfected by such chefs and authors as Julia Child, Suzanne Goin, and Heidi Swanson. This inviting cookbook comprises 100 of the column's more unusual and popular recipes, grouped by course in seven chapters (e.g., breakfast, snacks and drinks, meatless mains). Most feature ingenious cooking methods—a recipe for crepes, for instance, cleverly disguises flour tortillas in a thin layer of egg and cream batter. Similarly, excellent and iconic recipes for no-knead bread, hummus, broccoli cooked forever, and crispy-skinned fish will introduce home cooks to techniques they'll want to use again and again. VERDICT Miglore's addition to Food52's growing list of cookbooks is a treat for readers who enjoy casual gourmet food.

Library Journal