Impress Me With Your Genius

I couldn't wait to review Food52 Genius Recipes, especially when it claims on the cover, "100 recipes that will change the way you cook."  A lofty claim like that is both exciting and intimidating.

Recently, I made my first olive oil cake, but before I did, I researched the Internet to find the "best" one.  There were so many.  I had to be careful, finding "my" recipe didn't become a full time job. That's what this book is, someone has done the work of combing through similar recipes and chosen what they feel is the standout recipe.  This way, you can focus on making the dish.

There's a lot of celebrity naming in this book. Marcella Hazan, Eric Ripert, Alice Waters, Yotam Ottolenghi, et al..  If you're like me, you own a lot of cookbooks by these same celebs.   What if you combined the best of -- what would you include?  Tough, huh?  Fret not, Kristen Miglore makes it easy for you and adds her own touch of "genius."

Take something as simple as applesauce.  I've always made it on the stovetop which takes constant watch, but apparently roasted applesauce helps apples become their best.  Thanks to the late Judy Rodgers from Zuni Cafe for that revelation.  I just bought some duck eggs, to treat myself, but until this cookbook, I never thought of poached scrambled eggs.  Thanks, Daniel Patterson!  Can't wait to make Rao's meatballs.  And of course, the cover photo whets your appetite.   Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce with butter and onion may look simple, but Hazan reminds us, "Simple doesn't mean easy."  True enough, but with this book, simple is made easier, and as my father used to say (actually, he threatened), "Impress Me With Your Genius."

Bon appetit!

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.