Food52 Simply Genius: Recipes for Beginners, Busy Cooks & Curious People

“If someone is telling you the one right way to cook something, you don’t have to believe them,” insists Food52 founding editor Miglore (Food52 Genius Desserts) in this enlightening outing. To prove her point, she compiles dozens of recipes from “genius” chefs that incorporate clever cooking tips: while recipes tend to have cooks peel and cube butternut squash, chef Yotam Ottolenghi keeps the skin on for added flavor and texture in his roasted butternut squash and red onion with tahini and za’atar. In another instance, Molly Yeh both boils and roasts her potatoes to create crispy home fries, as illustrated by her roasted potatoes with paprika mayo. In addition to the indispensable advice are dozens of helpful—albeit occasionally crowded—sidebars and illustrations. After sharing Benjamina Ebuehi’s peach galette recipe, Miglore offers a visual guide to preparing the pie dough and also addresses common mishaps with quick solutions (serving pie warm with ice cream will hide any butter seeping from the crust), as well as tips for next time: to prevent future leaks, she tells readers to stop working the butter into the dough once there are plenty of pea-size chunks. This extensive guide will inspire home cooks of all levels, provided they thoroughly soak up the wisdom before diving in. (Sept.)