all things food
There may be perfectly good reasons for coring or seeding or peeling a tomato—sometimes.
Maybe you want a supersmooth sauce. Maybe that unpredictable pool of juice could throw off the ratio in your nkrakra or pudding. Maybe you’re in French culinary s…
There may be perfectly good reasons for coring or seeding or peeling a tomato—sometimes.
Maybe you want a supersmooth sauce. Maybe that unpredictable pool of juice could throw off the ratio in your nkrakra or pudding. Maybe you’re in French culinary school and it’s tomato concassé day (when you’ll learn to strip away everything but small cubes of flesh—and then form your own opinions).
Yes, simply buttered noodles or a packet of instant ramen can make for a nearly effortless dinner. And yes, my family has made it clear they generally prefer them to anything more complex that I can whip up. And sometimes, that’s exactly what we do.
B…
Yes, simply buttered noodles or a packet of instant ramen can make for a nearly effortless dinner. And yes, my family has made it clear they generally prefer them to anything more complex that I can whip up. And sometimes, that’s exactly what we do.
But, as the third party naysayer who always wants (but rarely has time for) much more, I latched onto this line in Lara Lee’s new cookbook, A Splash of Soy: Everyday Food from Asia, about Lara’s take on the iconic Jakarta noodle dish, ketoprak: “The kettle is your friend in this no-cook version.”
Fifteen-minute dinners from the pantry. Shakshuka and ragú you can make ahead to take the angst out of having friends over. Shortcut recipes filled with things you don’t have to do, like babysit beans, slow-scramble eggs, peel squash, or knead bread do…
Fifteen-minute dinners from the pantry. Shakshuka and ragú you can make ahead to take the angst out of having friends over. Shortcut recipes filled with things you don’t have to do, like babysit beans, slow-scramble eggs, peel squash, or knead bread dough.
These are the sorts of Genius recipes that welcome beginners and soothe busy cooks. Below are 52 essentials, broken down by needs from speedy workday breakfasts to no-special-equipment desserts (there are loads more like them in the Simply Genius cookbook, with extra riffs, how-to photos and illustrations, and tips for fixing the oopses). Share with graduates, newlyweds, weary new parents, and all those in your life who could benefit from such magical intel—then tuck them into your back pocket, too.
Salads have always been sleeper Genius Recipe hits year-round (the butternut you don’t have to peel? The radicchio with the secret onion? The bitter greens doused in melted cheese, nachos-style?).
But spring and summer, of course, with a rainbow of pl…
Salads have always been sleeper Genius Recipe hits year-round (the butternut you don’t have to peel? The radicchio with the secret onion? The bitter greens doused in melted cheese, nachos-style?).
But spring and summer, of course, with a rainbow of plant friends bursting forth, are when salads with a smart trick or two really get their day in the sun. Below are 12 of my favorites for prolific gardens and warm days, picnics and backyard barbecues—conversation-sparkers, each and every one.
Twelve years ago, I wrote about a gonzo trick for crispy-skinned fish I’d witnessed in the kitchen at Le Bernardin.
One of the fanciest restaurants in New York City (and the world) decidedly wasn’t using stone-ground local grains, but Wondra flour—a 1…
Twelve years ago, I wrote about a gonzo trick for crispy-skinned fish I’d witnessed in the kitchen at Le Bernardin.
One of the fanciest restaurants in New York City (and the world) decidedly wasn’t using stone-ground local grains, but Wondra flour—a 1960s-era convenience product that wondrously dissolves more quickly than all-purpose. I had to tell the world about this technique, and our community quickly fell in love, too. But then, until recently, I forgot the joys of using it myself.
The elevator pitch for the recipe is a really good one: With one little equipment swap, you can make a quicker, creamier bowl of oatmeal, and leave no stubborn pot soaking in the sink.
This was how talented food stylist, author, and TV star Samantha S…
The elevator pitch for the recipe is a really good one: With one little equipment swap, you can make a quicker, creamier bowl of oatmeal, and leave no stubborn pot soaking in the sink.
This was how talented food stylist, author, and TV star Samantha Seneviratne hooked me at a Genius video shoot years ago. She’d picked up the trick in a test kitchen and really put it to use feeding her toddler son Artie. Ready for it? Grab a nonstick skillet for cozy oats that cook down quicker and creamier than in a deep pot (and clean up way easier).
Behold! The Food52 community’s Top 10 Genius Recipes of 2022.
As I tend to report every year, cookies and cakes strutted to the top spots of the list, but there were plenty of surprises, too—the very best chicken Caesar, a duo of Hawaiian pupus, and…
Behold! The Food52 community's Top 10 Genius Recipes of 2022.
As I tend to report every year, cookies and cakes strutted to the top spots of the list, but there were plenty of surprises, too—the very best chicken Caesar, a duo of Hawaiian pupus, and crispy chickpeas as satisfyingly sticky and spicy as Korean fried chicken.
It’s not like granola was ever much trouble to make.
In fact, as I wrote about the Food52’s community’s longtime favorite recipe back in 2012, “Making it at home requires pretty much only stirring.” Stir oats and goodies in a bowl, then stir a few tim…
It’s not like granola was ever much trouble to make.
In fact, as I wrote about the Food52’s community’s longtime favorite recipe back in 2012, “Making it at home requires pretty much only stirring.” Stir oats and goodies in a bowl, then stir a few times in the oven, then stir right on into your yogurt and mouth.
These miraculous cookies are somehow even easier, faster, and—I’ll say it—better than the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag.
There is no waiting, no ambiguity—is my butter soft enough? room temp eggs…even when it’s 90°F?—about when to pass …
These miraculous cookies are somehow even easier, faster, and—I'll say it—better than the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag.
There is no waiting, no ambiguity—is my butter soft enough? room temp eggs…even when it’s 90°F?—about when to pass go. (Butter: Cold from the fridge. Eggs: Cold from the fridge. Go!)
This recipe is a sneak peek from our new Simply Genius cookbook—the third in the best-selling Genius family, with the simplest, most rule-breaking recipes yet.
Five-minute tomato sauce sounds like it could very well be a cheat, a gimmick, or an outrig…
This recipe is a sneak peek from our new Simply Genius cookbook—the third in the best-selling Genius family, with the simplest, most rule-breaking recipes yet.
Five-minute tomato sauce sounds like it could very well be a cheat, a gimmick, or an outright lie.