Editors' Picks

Call for Genius Recipe Tips (+ the Greatest Hits)

June  4, 2012

                

In the 43-ish weeks since we launched Genius Recipes, the happiest result -- the thing I brag about most -- is that the best tips have come from readers (see above -- you're looking at 100% crowd-sourced genius).

Remember when fiveandspice showed us (via Paula Wolfert) how to salvage fading bunches of herbs? And when EmilyC taught us that there's hope for rock hard peaches, thanks to Bill Smith? Or when A Little Yumminess and Paul Bertolli proved that boiling a cauliflower and an onion in lots of water doesn't amount to gruel, but a creamy, elegant soup -- if you do it right?

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The power of a big crowd of smart home cooks shouldn't surprise anyone, given the mandate of FOOD52. No matter how much I dig, and the rest of our editorial team digs, we'll never match the collective cooking experience of the FOOD52 community -- now almost 70,000 members strong.

So I'm officially calling for you all to send in your favorite recipes to [email protected]. Feel free to leave tips (or requests) in the comments section below too.

I'm especially hunting for summer recipes right now -- cool grilling techniques, the juiciest fried chicken ever, ways to bring out the best in seafood, cherries, and eggplant. (Have you ever had one of those summers where there's a destination wedding every other weekend? This is that summer for me -- so I'm really going to need your help!)

For anyone who's not familiar with the concept of this column, here's how I defined it 43 weeks ago:

Genius recipes surprise us and make us rethink cooking tropes. They're handed down by luminaries of the food world and become their legacy. 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.

If you've already sent me tips -- thank you! If I haven't published those tips, there could be all sorts of reasons (I already had plans for that author or ingredient, I'm saving it for the right season, etc.). Either way, keep them coming! I won't hesitate to sing your praises in the column more than once.

 

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From our new podcast network, The Genius Recipe Tapes is lifelong Genius hunter Kristen Miglore’s 10-year-strong column in audio form, featuring all the uncut gems from the weekly column and video series. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts so you don’t miss out.

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See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • nancy essig
    nancy essig
  • BoulderGalinTokyo
    BoulderGalinTokyo
  • Malvo
    Malvo
  • Gill Watson
    Gill Watson
  • Meatballs&Milkshakes
    Meatballs&Milkshakes
I'm an ex-economist, lifelong-Californian who moved to New York to work in food media in 2007, before returning to the land of Dutch Crunch bread and tri-tip barbecues in 2020. Dodgy career choices aside, I can't help but apply the rational tendencies of my former life to things like: recipe tweaking, digging up obscure facts about pizza, and deciding how many pastries to put in my purse for "later."

26 Comments

nancy E. February 13, 2013
Karen Barnaby is the Queen of seafood in Vancouver. She wrote an article about cooking a side of Sockeye Salmon that I felt was a loser and being a fan of hers, of course I had to try. Place a 2-3 lb.filet skin side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Preheat oven to 200 degrees f. Place a 9x13 baking dish half full of boiling water on the lowest rack. Place the salmon on the middle rack. Bake for 20 minutes. turn off oven and allow to sit for a further 20 minutes if you have a gas range, 10 minutes if electric. DO NOT PEEK during cooking. It is vital that you ensure your oven temp is exact. Your Salmon will be brightly colored, silky smooth and fresher tasting then any you have ever tasted. This fish was such a winner that everyone can make it, you can top it with whatever strikes your fancy and even non fish eaters adore it. Karen Barnaby never fails to please.
 
BoulderGalinTokyo June 16, 2012
It's probably too late for rhubarb season, but my family loves this recipe for chicken smothered in a rhubarb/ onion sauce flavored with Cajun spices by Emeril Lagasse. I have made it several times in the last year and I think I'll freeze extra rhubarb puree now just to make this in the coming winter months.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicken-smothered-in-rhubarb-recipe/index.html
 
Malvo June 14, 2012
Deborah Madison's famous black bean chili from The Greens cookbook is incredible.
 
Cheryl P. June 15, 2012
I've been making this for 20 years. Great for a crowd. Great for freezing in silicone muffin cups and eating atop a sweet potato with some cilantro and yogurt for a quick lunch.
 
Gill W. June 11, 2012
I first found this recipe for Egyptian pizza in an ancient Sainsbury's cookbook (British supermarket). It could be a Joscelyn Dimbleby or poss a Claudia Roden. http://gillwatsonlifebites.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/edgware-rd-edibles-and-time-we-mistook.html

Sorry it's part of blog but don't know how to get it off!
 
For the days when you wish you were at a picnic or cookout, I came up with a s'mores recipe that you make under the broiler... http://meatballsandmilkshakes.com/2011/12/03/broiler-smores/
 
GMA8.5 June 6, 2012
Eccentric but fun ice cream recipes that don't call for an ice cream maker: Harold McGee shows how on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2H66z3gpK8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

and strawberry gelato made in a food processor. If you are freezing you own berries, cut them in pieces for best results; otherwise some whole strawberries will escape the blade and remain like pieces of stone: http://cookingquest.wordpress.com/2008/08/23/awesome-easy-and-delicious-strawberry-gelato/
 
Cookie! June 6, 2012
Flo Braker's Pains D'Amande was the surprise star of our Christmas table. I put them out as an appetizer and they practically became dinner for my brother-in-law - he could not stop eating them! Such an amazing find! Love the series!
 
JessicaBakes June 5, 2012
Kevin Gillespie's "creamed" corn: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/creamless-creamed-corn-with-mushrooms-and-lemon
 
Kristen M. June 5, 2012
Thanks so much, JessicaBakes! This sounds fantastic.
 
BoulderGalinTokyo June 4, 2012
This is a really wonderful collection of delicious recipes--just Genius!
 
Kristen M. June 5, 2012
Thank you BoulderGalinTokyo -- I never would have found the recipes above if readers hadn't generously sent them my way.
 
Panfusine June 4, 2012
Suvir Saran's recipe for Farmhouse crispy creamy potatoes from his book Masala Farm (p. 43) . I tried this recipe for a blog post & totally LOVED it!.
http://www.panfusine.com/2011/12/james-herriot-revisited-review-of.html
 
Kristen M. June 5, 2012
Thanks Panfusine! I love that book. Have you tried anything else exciting from it?
 
Panfusine June 5, 2012
Yep, so far, I've tried the birbal ke Khichdee (p. 188, which has since become a family regular favorite), pasta primavera (p.38), Chaat fries (p 127), Pizza Margherita..
 
Panfusine June 4, 2012
Suvir Saran's recipe for Farmhouse crispy creamy potatoes from his book Masala Farm (p. 43) . I tried this recipe for a blog post & totally LOVED it!.
http://www.panfusine.com/2011/12/james-herriot-revisited-review-of.html
 
I love the genius recipes column! one of my favorites is the orangette slow-roasted tomato recipe (http://orangette.blogspot.com/2005/08/better-living-through-slow-roasting.html) - the addition of coriander is perfect!
 
Rhonda35 June 4, 2012
YES! This is a great one - the coriander is what makes it. Good suggestion, Sugarmountaintreats.
 
Kristen M. June 5, 2012
Thanks to you both! Adding this to the list.
 
arielleclementine June 4, 2012
Love this series so much! I think Yotem Ottolenghi's sweet corn polenta (made with six ears of corn, not corn meal) is a genius summer recipe. A humble selection of peak summer ingredients (corn, eggplant, tomatoes) transforms into something truly extraordinary. It's in Plenty, and available here too: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/sep/20/vegetarianfood.recipes. You can also fry up zucchini with the eggplant- fun!
 
drbabs June 4, 2012
Hi Arielle. The link doesn't work.
 
drbabs June 4, 2012
Oh, here it is; it just doesn't work with the period at the end of the sentence:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/sep/20/vegetarianfood.recipes
 
arielleclementine June 5, 2012
thanks drbabs :)
 
Kristen M. June 5, 2012
This sounds amazing -- thanks Arielle!
 
clairec June 4, 2012
Love this feature. The peach recipe should be credited to Bill Smith, not Bill Neal. (It is in the original post here: http://food52.com/blog/2343_crooks_corners_green_peach_salad)
 
Kristen M. June 4, 2012
Thank you -- you're absolutely right. I just corrected the post.