5 Ways (Genius) Recipes Can Change the Way You Cook (2024)

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by: Kristen Miglore

March31,2015

14Comments

14Comments

Today: What makes a recipe genius? The answer is simple.

The question I find myself answering most often (other than "What's the 52 in Food52?" Hint: It's because of the calendar, not the number of cards in a deck.) is "What makes a recipe genius?"

I've been writing the column Genius Recipesfor close to fouryears, and the Genius Recipes cookbookis coming out in eightdays (!!!), so by now I have my answer down. It's simple: A recipe is genius if it will change the way you cook. But that tends to manifest itself in a handful of different ways.

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Below, I've explained the five most common ways a recipe can be genius, and partly for a selfish reason. Genius Recipes is powered by this community and our collective cooking knowledge, curiosity, and intuition. Most of the recipes I feature—and the most unexpectedly brilliant ones—come from tips from you. So I'm reminding you all of your mission: If you see a recipe that fits one or more of the following criteria, send it my way. Pretty soon I can start forwarding my emails about that pesky 52 to you too.

1. It simplifies a technique.

Everyone always said you had to do it one way. Boom—you don't! Gumbowhere you don't have to stir the roux for an hour. Potato gratinthat you don't have to layer. Tomato sauceyou don't need to chop a thing for.

2. It solves a problem.

What to do with already seasoned mashed potatoes? The fading herbs left from other recipes? Rock hard peaches? How do you make a salad a day ahead? We've got solutions!

3. It uses an unexpected ingredient.

A salad whose secret ingredient is ice cubes. Fudge made of tofu. Salad dressingmade with the dregs of the bottle of red wine. A cake made of parsley. They made thesewaffles made with cornstarchor fish dusted with Wondrasound pretty tame.

4. It uses the best technique after testing a whole lot of alternatives.

Sometimes I go on the hunt for the best roast chicken(or ratatouille, or pizza, or banana bread), and test every promising recipe I can find. Dara Moskowitz Grumdahlof the radio show Off the Menutold me she thought the book would save her from "decision fatigue," which is exactly what I wanted to do. I am more than happy to suffer the decisions and the just-good or great versions till I find something genius.

5. It sounds just a little insane.

Whipped cream on asparagus. Meatballs made with 2 cups of water. Broccoli—cooked—forever. A hunk of beef tenderloin, wrapped in a dishcloth, thrown in the coals. If it sounds crazy, it might be just crazy enough to work.

Photos by James Ransom

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.

Tags:

  • What to Cook
  • Genius Recipes
  • Lists
  • Genius

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Ron Svetgoff

  • Debbi

  • Traci Benish

  • Lia Saunders

  • amazinc

Written by: Kristen Miglore

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."

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14 Comments

Ron S. August 18, 2015

kinda of a stupid wasteful article. Oh, I'm adding toffee brittle to my scrambled eggs and oh I always mix my baked beans with bananas. Does this nonsense ever end just to fill a food article???

JP October 23, 2015

That's kinda silly and wasteful comment, Ron

Debbi July 24, 2015

I thought I was done with cookbooks as most often I look something up on line. But you've got me! I need to hold this one in my hands! I love to cook and am curious about your genius recipies! Debbi

Kristen M. October 16, 2016

Very, very belatedly, thank you Debbi! I have to say, I love being able to pull it off the shelf, even if I know some of the recipes are online.

Traci B. May 23, 2015

Congrats on the cookbook. One of my favorite genius recipes is celery soup.

Lia S. April 8, 2015

Congrats Kristen from Oz. Please tell me we are going to be able to get a hold of a copy of this fantastic book down under??

Kristen M. October 16, 2016

I'm so very behind on responding to this, Lia, but I hope you were able to find a copy down under. I do believe they're available, and even saw someone from Oz doing a cooking challenge from the book on Instagram!

amazinc April 7, 2015

Congratulations! I've been waiting with longing for my issue (purchased at least
4-5 months ago). Will enjoy it, I know. And, btw I can't remember if I ordered one or two copies. What can I say??? I'm OLD!, but still cooking every day

Kristen M. October 16, 2016

I'm way—wayyy—behind on responding, but thank you so much, amazinc. And dang, good for you for cooking every day!

Pia M. April 1, 2015

Congratulations!!!

MrsWheelbarrow April 1, 2015

Kristen - Enjoy your launch day. It only comes once. Revel in it. What a glorious accomplishment. I can't wait to hold this book in my hands. xoMrsW

jenniebgood April 1, 2015

Really looking forward to the cookbook, Kristen - Congrats!

amyeik April 1, 2015

Kristen- This column has both cheered me on and cheered me up. Your writing is so twistedly right that everything feels ok. I want to try those crazy combinations and I applaud your energy for doing the research - and everyone else who has contributed the ideas. Thank you all!

Kristen M. October 16, 2016

How on earth did I miss responding to these? Thank you both for your support (and I'm sorry for taking so long to do it) <3

5 Ways (Genius) Recipes Can Change the Way You Cook (2024)

FAQs

What are three reasons why recipes are modified? ›

Recipes can be altered to reduce or eliminate fat, salt, and unwanted calories in the form of sugar; alternatively, ingredients can be added to increase fiber, thereby making recipes healthier. When modifying a recipe, it is best to make one modification at a time.

When modifying a recipe what is the most important thing to remember? ›

Focus on flavor enhancement

And they usually precede taste. That's because flavor influences taste, making its enhancement necessary. It doesn't matter if you're increasing or reducing specific ingredients. The most important thing is to find ways to go big on flavor.

Which is a reason to change a recipe? ›

The most common reason to adjust recipes is to change the number of individual portions that the recipe produces. For example, a standard recipe might be written to prepare 25 portions. If a situation arises where 60 portions of the item are needed, the recipe must be properly adjusted.

What was Julia Child's famous phrase? ›

"This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook—try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun."

What is Julia Child's favorite meal? ›

Vichyssoise. Well-known as one of Julia Child's favorite dishes, this chilled leek and potato soup is startling in its simplicity. Aside from the leek, potato, and water, Child's version of the soup calls for barely any additional ingredients.

What dish is Julia Child most famous for? ›

Boeuf Bourguignon

This hearty beef stew from the pages of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is, hands down, Child's most infamous dish.

What are the benefits of recipe modification? ›

Simple modifications of a recipe can decrease the sugar content of products quite considerably, whilst still maintaining flavour. Fibre plays an important role in bowel health (i.e. staying regular) and can be easily incorporated to increase the overall fibre content of recipes.

What is recipe modification? ›

It involves taking ideas, recipes or foods and modifying them to create something different and new. In this respect the author is not trying to recreate the original inspiration, but to develop it into something different, something new, something changed.

What are three 3 examples of adjustments that might be made to a dessert to accommodate a low sugar requirement? ›

Another way to reduce sugar content in your desserts is to add fruits and spices that can enhance the sweetness and flavor of your baked goods. Fruits, such as bananas, applesauce, dates, or berries, can provide natural sugars, moisture, and fiber to your desserts, while spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, or ...

What is an example of recipe modification? ›

For example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups or all-purpose flour, try 1 cup of all-purpose and 1 cup of whole-wheat flour. - Add extra fruits and vegetables to recipes. - Add fruits to muffins, pancakes, salads, and desserts, and add vegetables to quiche fillings, casseroles, and salads.

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