cover image Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes that Will Change the Way You Cook

Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes that Will Change the Way You Cook

Kristen Miglore. Ten Speed, $35 (272p) ISBN 978-1-60774-798-7

Food52 executive editor Miglore shares a superb collection of “genius recipes” from her weekly column. To qualify as “genius,” recipes must cause surprise and prompt chefs to rethink the fundamentals of how they cook. She shares the best discoveries from cookbook authors, chefs, and bloggers including Alton Brown’s baked brown rice, cauliflower steaks from Dan Barber, and Alice Waters’s unfussy ratatouille. From breakfast to meaty and meatless mains to desserts, the more than 100 recipes included here are sure to inspire and amaze. Roger Vergé’s recipe for fried eggs with wine vinegar tempers the richness of the yolks with the tart and cleansing balance of a good vinaigrette. The secret to Le Bernardin’s crispy-skilled fish is Wondra flour, instant flour commonly used for clump-free gravies. Broccoli “cooked forever,” from Roy Finamore, defies typical overcooked blah-ness thanks to a two-hour olive oil bath. No-cook cranberry sauce, grilled chard stems with anchovy sauce, and strawberry shortcake made with hard-boiled eggs are just the tip of the genius iceberg shared in these pages. Chicken roasted at 500 degrees, tomato sauce made with butter and onions, and spiced braised lentils with tomatoes and toasted coconut exemplify the tremendous contribution this book will make to any cook’s repertoire. Guaranteed to excite and enlighten cooks everywhere, Miglore’s collection is a must-have for every kitchen. Color photos. (Apr.)