Is Twitter the most reliable way to get information about new content posted? And does FOOD52 tweet concurrently with posts of new content?

A heads up -- you may want to check out my answer on this thread: http://www.food52.com/foodpickle/9110-winners-community-picks

I'm really struggling with this as well...And is there any way to see what recipes recently submitted - outside of contests - are the most popular AKA the old weekly "best buzz"?

The answer is "No," at least as to the community picks dibs. By the time the tweet came out, 9 of the recipes had been claimed. I did however learn from trial and error that you can find the announcement on the "Articles" page, from the top nav bar. ;o)