Midge  Brown Butter and Cheddar Apple Pie

Midge, a travel journalist by day and talented baker by night, found food52 in 2009 after relocating to Boston. With her beloved cookbooks and trusted family recipes in tow (like these scrumptious Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies), she began delighting us with dishes cooked in her new kitchen -- dishes that can be best described as "food we want to eat." And eat. And eat. Midge's Brown Butter and Cheddar Apple Pie (pictured above) is an exercise in moderation, and not by sacrificing taste or calories. She wisely eliminates the traditional apple pie spices, and adds nutty brown butter and tangy cheddar in their wake. We wouldn't expect anything else from this expert editor.

It's true, all of Midge's recipes are pared down to perfection. Her winning Lemony Green Bean Salad with Feta, Red Onion, and Marjoram, rebellious Naughty Rhubarb Scones, and decadent Crème Vermont make one thing as clear as consommé: the simplest recipes are often the best. All we have to say is: We want more, Midge!

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For more of Midge's delicious recipes, see her profile page and fan her here.

Read Midge's profile Q&A below:

What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
Calves' Brains

What do you cook when home alone?
I’m on a pasta with brown butter and over-easy egg kick (thank you Gabrielle Hamilton).

Your most treasured kitchen possession:
My Staub oval cocotte

Your ideal meal:
Something involving homemade pasta, artichokes, grilled lamb, and lots of wine, with my husband and good friends, outside on the patio.

Something you'd like a chance to eat or cook:
I’d love to do a pig roast if I ever have a backyard big enough

The number of bottles of wine you own:
Two, at the moment

The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
4-6

Kitchen pet peeve:
People standing in my way while I’m moving around the kitchen has to be the worst.

Your favorite cookbook:
I love all the recipes and stories in Hot Sour Salty Sweet, though Mark Bittman’s Minimalist at Home and the Gourmet cookbook are probably the most stained cookbooks in my collection.

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • msitter
    msitter
  • adashofbitters
    adashofbitters
  • hardlikearmour
    hardlikearmour
  • onetribegourmet
    onetribegourmet
  • nannydeb
    nannydeb
Food52 (we cook 52 weeks a year, get it?) is a food and home brand, here to help you eat thoughtfully and live joyfully.

41 Comments

msitter January 5, 2011
Hi Midge: I also value" Hot, Sour, Salty,Sweet." Do you have two or three multi-dish meals from it that you favor-authentic or other. Naomi Duguid's favorite dish seems to be Thai Beef salad and then other one course things such as fried rice, noodles and gravy, or the green beans and pork. Recently on her blog, she was having thai beef salad, sticky rice, and what else? I get to that point all the time.
 
Midge January 5, 2011
I've made lots of great recipes out of that cookbook - the Thai fried rice is a standard in our house and I recently made the pork and tomato stir fry, yum - but I'm embarrassed to say I don't normally make it beyond one dish (and maybe rice) myself. Maybe other Duguid fans have ideas?
 
adashofbitters January 4, 2011
Midge for the win!
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks! Looking forward to your next Serious Eats column..
 
hardlikearmour January 3, 2011
nice to see you in the spotlight, Midge! You've got some great recipes.
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks hardlikearmour! You've got some pretty terrific recipes yourself!
 
onetribegourmet January 3, 2011
Congratulations! Its so nice to meet you on Food52! :)
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks so much. Look forward to trying your dal as soon as I can get to an Indian grocer.
 
nannydeb January 3, 2011
Congratulations! It's nice to read more about you in the spotlight.
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thank you nannydeb!
 
TasteFood January 3, 2011
Congratulations, Midge!
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks TasteFood!
 
vvvanessa January 3, 2011
woohoo! great write-up!
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks! It was fun reading more about you a few weeks back.
 
Oui, C. January 3, 2011
Way to go Midge, congratulations on this well deserved recognition. I enjoyed meeting you at Amanda's book event, I hope we can plan another gathering soon! - S
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks! Great meeting you too. Hope we can get Boston food52ers together again one way or another.
 
Jennifer A. January 3, 2011
I love your recipes! So nice to see you featured in the cook's spotlight today :)
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks so much Jennifer Ann! I always love your recipes.
 
Greenstuff January 3, 2011
Wow! It's a fried egg and pasta day at Food 52! Makes me hungry. Congrats to Midge.
 
Midge January 4, 2011
They are naturals together! Thanks so much.
 
Midge January 3, 2011
Thought I'd check out food52 for a little mid-afternoon procrastination and what a lovely surprise! You guys have absolutely made my day. Thanks so much everyone!
 
dymnyno January 3, 2011
Happy New Year! I love the simplicity and elegance of your recipes.
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks so much dymnyno. That's a wonderful compliment coming from you.
 
drbabs January 3, 2011
Happy New Year, Midge! So nice to see you in the spotlight.
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Happy New Year drbabs! Thanks so much.
 
lapadia January 3, 2011
Happy New Year, Midge...it's your week to shine in the spotlight!
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks lapadia! Happy New Year.
 
lastnightsdinner January 3, 2011
Hooray! So great to see you featured here!
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks lnd! Just made your garlic confit again~yum!
 
gingerroot January 3, 2011
Cheers, Midge! So great to see you in the spotlight.
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks so much gingerroot.!
 
monkeymom January 3, 2011
Another yay for this spotlight on Midge!
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thank you monkeymom!
 
Sagegreen January 3, 2011
Great profile! So nice to see you featured in the spotlight. Of course we can't forget your Dark n' Winter Stormy, too!
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks so much Sagegreen!
 
mrslarkin January 3, 2011
hooray midge! so nice to see you in the spotlight!!
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Thanks a million mrslarkin!
 
fiveandspice January 3, 2011
Yay Midge! So, so true about all your recipes. They're just gorgeous in their simplicity. Keep it up!!
 
Midge January 4, 2011
Aw, thanks! Always love your recipes.