Best of the Hotline: Food52 Hidden Treasures

Some questions on the Hotline have staying power, and for good reason -- they cover the questions we ask ourselves time and time again. Join us as we revisit some of the most popular.

Today: Your underappreciated favorite recipes from the Food52 archives, revealed.

When you’re out of inspiration, what recipes do you turn to? We all have a back-pocket stash of the ones we can whip up on a moment’s notice, be it Marcella Sauce or a simple roast chicken. We need these recipes -- they are the workhorses that keep us going week in, week out -- for the (very rare) moments when we can’t even bear to look at the stove or crack open a new cookbook.

But sometimes we get tired of those old standbys and need fresh ideas. Over on the Hotline, AntoniaJames once asked for your favorite Food52 recipes that you don't feel get enough love. As always, you came through with some great ones -- here are a few of your winners:

On the savory side:

• Melissav loves monkeymom's Lamb Shawarma: "[It's] so easy for a weeknight if you marinate the meat and make the green sauce the night before. I broil the meat and serve with Lizthechef's Creamy Cucumber Side. I make this meal ALL THE TIME."
• SexyLAMBCHOPx votes for Rhonda35's Spaghetti with Fried Eggs and Pangritata for One -- her husband requests it all the time.
• Hardlikearmour likes gingerroot's Savory Duck Buns saying, “They make great self-contained lunches.” 
• Sdebrango swears by boulangere’s First Night in Florence Spaghetti.
• Arielleclementine likes thirschfeld's Cavolo Nero and Ricotta Tart, which got plenty of shout-outs.

From the baked goods section: 

• Aargersi loves arielleclementine's The Snake Bite cake, and a number of you agree.
• Fiveandspice swoons over TiggyBee's Homage to Eataly Bread.
• Drbabs makes mrslarkin’s Chubby Chocolate Chip Cookies on a regular basis.
• Em-i-lis says, "Lizthechef's Pumpkin Cheesecake is unreal -- I add a splash of bourbon, but that's my only change. Amazing."
• Phoenix Helix professes a sweet tooth for fiveandspice's Cardamom Currant Snickerdoodles. 

The rest:

• AntoniaJames says: “Let's not forget Jennifer Perillo's outstanding Creamy Homemade Ricotta. It's one of my favorite recipes ever on Food52. There are a lot of good ricotta recipes out there, but none come even close to this one."
• Seconded by many, LLStone recommends WileyP’s Ranch Ketchup.
• Stephanie G sips on gluttonforlife's The Eldred every weekend.
• Mcs3000 likes Chef Gwen's Cranberry-Orange Compote. 

What's your favorite Food52 hidden treasure recipe? Tell us in the comments or join the conversation over on the Hotline!

First photo by Sarah Shatz, all other photos by James Ransom