Burnt Toast (Food52)

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow Counterjam wherever you listen to podcasts to catch the upcoming fourth season

With the help of dancehall legend Shaggy and reggae legend Ziggy Marley, host Peter J. Kim looks at Jamaican cuisine and culture: from patties to patois, the origins of toasting and (quite possibly) the smoothie, the underlying current of personal and societal revolution that pulses through reggae, and what a Jamaican restaurant menu can tell you about the country's multicultural history.

If you liked this episode, head over to The Sandwich Universe's show page to subscribe so you don't miss out on Molly and Declan tackling the many more sandwiches to come!

Molly and Declan figure out how to avoid the dreaded slip-sliding when building (oh, and solve that scratched-up-mouth problem). 

Thanks to our listeners for your questions, and we still need your help! Send your burning sandwich questions (not burning sandwich, you know what we mean) to podcasts@food52.com. 

Today's the first day of our annual NCAA-style cookbook tournament, so we asked for your predictions. Hear who our judges and readers think is going to win—and hear from a bookstore owner who's running her own competition—in today's episode.

The history of effervescence has lots of wellness-related side notes, from the ground springs of Selzen, Germany (where the bubbly liquid naturally occurs, creating a sparkling mineral water) to the time when American speakeasies served “medicinal” fizzes flavored with homeopathic tinctures, directly influencing our soft drink and cocktail culture today. We'll explore the revival of soda fountains, like Brooklyn Farmacy, which serves carbonated egg creams with live-culture kombucha. There's more, too: Bread starters bubble for long-fermented loafs, boiling pots of bone broth extract all the good flavor and well-being benefits, and craft beers cheer a food world that sparkles just a little brighter... all thanks to bubbles.

This episode is a party: We pack the studio with Charlotte Druckman, Kenzi Wilbur, and Marian Bull to talk about something near and dear to our hearts -- cookbooks. We chat about what makes a good one, what makes a bad one, and some of the craziest books ever published. 

We talk to Food52 contributor and author of our forthcoming vegan cookbook Gena Hamshaw all about veganism: her favorite dishes, what you should never try to make vegan, and why our Managing Editor Kenzi should give cashew cheese another go.  This episode was sponsored by Casper, an online retailer of premium mattresses. For $50 toward any purchase, go to Casper.com/TOAST.   

Love what you heard in this episode?  Be sure to subscribe to The Genius Recipe Tapes wherever you get your podcasts.

Referenced in this episode:

• The Crispy Fried Eggs That Made Me a Better Cook (Food52)
• Mike's Famous Fried Eggs recipe

Genius-Hunter Extra-Credit:

• Some more crispy egg-spo: ho bao dan (pocket eggs), kai dow (Thai fried eggs)

What's the recipe you first make in a new home? Tell me all about it at genius@food52.com. 

Referenced in this episode 

• Citrus Cake From Yasmin Khan (Recipe)
• Yasmin's book,  Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus

Genius-Hunter Extra Credit

• Follow Yasmin on Instagram 
• More backstory, The story behind Ripe Figs

Have a genius recipe you'd like to share? Tell me all about it at genius@food52.com.

Subscribe to The Genius Recipe Tapes here.

Referenced in this episode:

• Toni Tipton-Martin's Louisiana Barbecued Shrimp recipe
• Toni's non-profit, The SANDE Youth Project
• Toni Tipton-Martin named 2021 Julia Child Award recipient (The Julia Child Award)

Genius-Hunter Extra Credit:

• Check out Toni's cookbooks, Jubilee and The Jemima Code
• For more recipes celebrating Black food history, check out @meikoandthedish's 38 Jubilant Recipes to Kick Off Black History Month

Special thanks to listeners Christina (@berrygoodfoodfdn) and Meiko (@meikoandthedish) for calling in this week.

Is there a genius recipe you'd like to share? Tell me all about it at genius@food52.com.

If you like this show, head right on over to the Either Side Eaters show page, where you can find more episodes.

New-Yorker-for-life Jen (@JenEatsLife keeps her eggs in her fridge; Katie (@QKatie), who's now in Puglia, used to but now doesn't—as per her Egg Guy's (yup) recommendation. We look at which cultures chill vs. not, what makes an egg brown or white (and orange-yolked!), if a "proper" omelet even exists, and consult very special guest, Canadian actress and comedian Julie Nolke on her breakfast feelings.

Check out Julie's vids on YouTube, or follow her @julienolke on Instagram and @juliemarienolke on Twitter.

Special thanks to Michelle (@Michelle_MadisonTV) for your question and Brian Quinn (@bqfunk) for our theme music. Send us a voice memo for a chance to be featured! 

Getting 30 minutes in a room with L.A. restaurant critic and Pulitzer-winning food writer Jonathan Gold is a little like feeding the man himself a single taco. We do it anyway. Listen as we discuss City of Gold—the new documentary featuring him—plus the role of a critic, the insignificance of anonymity, and the great mosaic that is L.A. food.

If you like this show, head right on over to the Play Me a Recipe show page for more episodes; we play new recipes each Friday. 

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause and jump back if you need more time.

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Meiko starts listing them at 2:32) before starting the episode.

Southern Potato Salad

• 5 pounds Russet potatoes, cleaned, peeled, and cut to 1/2-inch cubes
• 32 ounces (4 cups) low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 5 hard-boiled eggs (4 peeled, diced, and chilled; 1 sliced, for garnish)
• 2 medium stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 cup sweet relish
• 1/3 cup yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed, plus more for garnish
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• Paprika, for garnish
• Thinly sliced green onion, for garnish

1. Place the cubed potatoes and chicken stock in a medium pot. If the potatoes aren’t fully submerged by the chicken broth, add enough cold water to cover the potatoes by an inch. Add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and the bay leaf, and cover with a lid. Turn heat to high; once boiling, remove the lid, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 13-15 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender.
2. To test for doneness, pierce a potato with a fork; there should be slight resistance, and the potato should retain its shape. When ready, immediately transfer the potatoes to a colander and drain. Spread the potatoes out on a sheet pan to cool, and once at room temperature, transfer to the fridge.
3. In a bowl combine the celery, relish, Miracle Whip, mustard, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed, kosher salt, and black pepper and mix the dressing until combined. Chill in the fridge.
4. Once both the potatoes and dressing are cool, remove from the fridge. In a large bowl, add a third of the potatoes and the dressing and mix until combined. Use the back of a wooden spoon to slightly mash the potatoes. Add another third of the potatoes and dressing and fold them in. Finally, fold in the last third of the potatoes and dressing.
5. Top with the sliced egg and green onions, then sprinkle with celery seed and lots of paprika. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

If you enjoyed this episode be sure to subscribe to The Genius Recipe Tapes wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Referenced in this episode 

• Crispy Yangnyeom Chickpeas With Caramelized Honey From Eric Kim (recipe + video)
• Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home

Genius-Hunter Extra Credit 

• When I Came Out to My Parents, Kimchi Fried Rice Held Us Together (an Eric Kim essay on Food52)
• Read some of Eric's writing on Food52's Table For One column!

Have a genius recipe you'd like to share? Tell me all about it at genius@food52.com.

If you like this show, head right on over to the Play Me a Recipe show page for more episodes; we play new recipes each Friday. 

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters.

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters (if you're in Apple Podcasts, swipe up on the episode player page—the podcast chapters will be at the bottom).  

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below before starting the episode.

Chicken Nasi Goreng

Serves 2 as a large main or 4 as a side

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into small, bite-sized cubes
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 8cm piece of galangal or ginger (about 40g), peeled and woody stem removed, finely chopped
• 1 small banana shallot or 2 Thai shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
• Handful of green beans, chopped into small chunks
• 2 spring onions, chopped into large chunks
• 1⁄4 tsp ground turmeric
• 95g jasmine or basmati rice, cooked and cooled (240g cooked weight)
• 2 tbsp kecap manis
• 1 1⁄2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• Sea salt and white pepper, to taste
• Coconut oil or sunflower oil, for frying
• 2 duck or hen’s eggs
• 1 tbsp fried shallots
• 1⁄2 long red chili, thinly sliced
• Kerupuk or prawn crackers

1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and white pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat and fry the chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, add the garlic, galangal or ginger and shallots and cook over a medium-high heat until fragrant. Add the green beans, spring onions and turmeric and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the rice to the pan, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Ensure all the ingredients are well combined and the rice is warmed through. Return the chicken to the pan. Season with the kecap manis, fish sauce, light soy sauce and a large pinch of white pepper, and extra salt if needed.
4. Meanwhile, fry the eggs. Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once shimmering, crack the eggs directly into the oil. Cook for 2–3 minutes until the whites are partially cooked. Tilt the pan and spoon the hot oil over the egg whites until they are fully cooked (I like my yolk runny, but cook yours to your liking). Season with salt.
5. Divide the fried rice between two serving plates and garnish with the fried shallots, sliced chili and fried eggs on top. Serve with crackers.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Tell us about it at podcasts@food52.com.

If you like this show, head right on over to the Either Side Eaters show page, where you can find more episodes.

In part one of a two-part series, we talk to Judith Jones, legendary editor of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Hear about her work with cookbooks and their authors (think: Marcella Hazan, Marion Cunningham), and learn why, even still, she wouldn’t call herself a cookbook editor. And: There’s a Julia Child impression or two in here, just for fun.

Kenji López-Alt of Serious Eats’ Food Lab fame just published a book, and it’s 900 pages of hard cooking science and strong opinions. We learn what makes him and his recipes tick, then decide to tackle his 8-page meatloaf recipe on our own. Is it all worth it? 

SoulPhoodies Tamara Celeste and Derek Kirk are joined today by author Adrian Miller (@SoulFoodScholar) to discuss his recent book, Black Smoke, the definitive history of African-Americans' influence on barbecue culture. (And here are those BBQ-ready spices Derek mentioned!)

If you're enjoying this podcast, follow Black & Highly Flavored so you don't miss out on future episodes.

We invite Doug Quint and Bryan Petroff of Big Gay Ice Cream into the studio to talk about summer’s favorite frozen dessert. There are no boundaries: We discuss bedazzled unicorns, magnums, beet soft serve, and—for a little light hazing—we have Doug taste test some classic Good Humor ice cream treats.    Burnt Toast is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the new service that delivers all the ingredients you need to make incredible meals at home. Discover a better way to cook. Visit BlueApron.com/TOAST to get your first two meals free today.

How many meats is too many? What is provolone anyway? Is there an ideal lettuce-to-everything-else ratio?

Molly and Declan get to the bottom of what makes—and breaks—the Italian (aka grinder, aka hoagie, aka hero, aka sub). 

Special thanks to our listeners for your questions—especially those who took the time to call in. Send your burning sandwich questions (not burning sandwich, you know what we mean) to podcasts@food52.com. 

On Black & Highly Flavored, SoulPhoodies Tamara Celeste and Derek Kirk shine a light on the need-to-know Black movers and shakers of our food and beverage industry. From the Food52 Podcast Network, Black & Highly Flavored is coming soon—follow the show page so you don't miss a thing.

This countertop rotisserie has a lively cult following for producing the juiciest, spit-roasted birds. Our reason to be suspicious? It was made in the 1950s. We put one to the test to find out if this machine *really* makes the best chicken,

Perfect, pillowy gnocchi in a luxurious pomodoro sauce is never not a perfect dinner so listen along as Odette Williams cooks her way through this beautiful recipe from Simple Pasta. 

Find more incredible pasta recipes in a copy of  Simple Pasta 

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below before starting the episode.

Recipe
Serves 4
Gnocchi with Luxurious Pomodoro

• 1 recipe Potato Gnocchi (see below) or 1½ to 1¾ pounds store-bought potato gnocchi
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 to 6 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tablespoons oregano leaves
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving

Potato Gnocchi

• 1 1/2 pounds unpeeled russet potatoes
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour or tipo 00 flour

Pomodoro

1. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the anchovies to the skillet and cook them slowly, mashing with a wooden spoon until they melt into the oil. (Don’t let the oil get too hot or it will fry the anchovies rather than melt them.)
2. Add the garlic and oregano to the anchovies and sauté for a few minutes. (Get your face in there and take a whiff of that glorious aroma.)
3. Finally, add the tomatoes to the skillet, season with the salt and pepper, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Serve while warm, or let cool and then keep in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
4. To serve: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add half the gnocchi and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or according to package instructions if using store-bought. When they float to the surface, it’s a good indication they’re done. Pop one in your mouth to make sure it’s cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked gnocchi into the warm sauce. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi.

Gnocchi 

1. In a large wide pot, add the potatoes and enough water to cover them (you’ll also cook the gnocchi in this pot). Bring to a boil and cook until a sharp knife poked into a potato meets only a little resistance, 35 to 40 minutes. Turn off the heat. Remove the potatoes from the water and, when cool enough to handle, remove the skins.
2. Using a ricer, box grater, or Microplane, pass or grate the potatoes into a fine consistency, making sure there are no lumps. Spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet to dry out and cool a little.
3. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, egg, pecorino, salt, and pepper. Gradually add the flour and use your hands to combine everything and bring the dough together.
4. Place the dough on a clean, dry, lightly floured work surface and knead just until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. If the dough feels a little sticky, add a bit more flour. If you won’t be rolling out immediately, cover with a piece of plastic wrap.
5. Dust a large baking sheet with flour. Lightly flour a large wooden cutting board or work surface. Take a small piece of dough and roll it into a snake about 3⁄4 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the snake into pieces about a thumb’s width. (If you’d like to give your gnocchi a little flair, roll the cut pieces along the tines of a gnocchi paddle or a fork.) Place the gnocchi on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
6. If cooking within a couple of hours, leave the baking sheet on the counter. To store, freeze in a single layer of gnocchi on the baking sheet, transfer the frozen pasta to a ziplock bag or airtight container, and freeze for about 1 month. To cook, don’t defrost, just boil frozen; otherwise, they will fall apart.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Tell us all about it at podcasts@food52.com!

Find out when the chef and former Top Chef contestant thinks fusion food actually works, why there are half-naked women in his cookbook, and how he and JJ Goode worked together to turn his vision of authenticity into their new cookbook, Asian American. 

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters (if you're in Apple Podcasts, swipe up on the episode player page—the podcast chapters will be at the bottom).  

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Anthony starts listing them at 2:16) before starting the episode.

Onion & Olive Bread
makes 1 (12-by-16-inch) pan pizza

Sicilian grandma dough

• 900 grams high-protein flour
• 100 grams whole-grain flour, preferably freshly milled
• 30 grams sea salt
• 720 grams (3 cups) water, at 65°F (18°C)
• 100 grams starter (3 to 5 hours after feeding it at room temperature), or see note about using pre-ferment
• 60 grams extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the pans

Onion & olive bread

• 45 grams green Castelvetrano olives, pitted and sliced (about 8 olives)
• 44 grams Taggiasca olives, pitted and sliced (about 23 olives)
• 45 grams red onion, thinly sliced (about 1/4 medium)
• 12" round pan or 1 half sheet pan (900 grams) Sicilian Grandma Dough
• 40 grams (3 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil
• Large flake or coarse sea salt for garnishSicilian grandma dough

Sicilian grandma dough

1. Weigh all the ingredients in separate containers. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours and salt and mix thoroughly with clean hands.
2. In another large mixing bowl, combine the water and starter.
3. Create a crater in the flour and pour the liquids in the center.
4. Begin mixing with your dominant hand. Start in the center of the bowl and mix in a clockwise fashion until the dough comes together, at this point add 60 grams of olive oil and continue to mix until the dough is fully incorporated. Stop mixing, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside for 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Perform a series of stretch and folds by stretching and folding the dough onto itself for about 6 minutes.
6. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container with a lid (or a bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap) and let it rest at room temperature. Stretch and fold the dough for 1 minute every 30 minutes for 3 hours (six times).
7. Rest at room temperature (covered) for 30 minutes.
8. Using about 40 grams of olive oil, lightly oil two or three baking pans.
9. Lightly flour your hands, and using a dough cutter and scale, portion then shape the dough (three 700-gram or two 900-gram pieces) into rectangles by folding the edges into themselves.
10. Transfer each dough to the center of a pre-oiled baking pan. Cover each pan with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
11. Lift the dough and press out any air from the bottom of the pan. Carefully stretch the dough to the pan's edges. Using your fingertips, gently dimple the entire length of the dough. Place the onions and olives onto the dough and very gently press until they sink in the dough. Cover and let proof at room temperature for 6-12 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.

Onion & olive bread

1. Preheat the oven with pizza stones to 475°F (250°C).
2. Drizzle some olive oil on top of the dough and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt, if desired.
3. Put the pan in the oven directly on the stone, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
4. Remove the pizza from the pan with an offset spatula and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Tell us all about it at podcasts@food52.com.

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We ask all of the above what the new hotness will be in 2016. Will soup be the next hot food? And much more, right this way. You heard it here first. Spoiler alert.  

Subscribe to The Genius Recipe Tapes here.
 

Referenced in this episode:

• Scrambled Red Shakshuka  recipe
• Scrambled Shakshuka Is Almost Impossible to Mess Up (Food52)

Genius-Hunter Extra-Credit:

• Sami and Tara cooking some recipes from Falastin_
• Kristen making this very un-mess-upable shakshuka at home
• View transcript

Have a genius recipe you'd like to share? Tell me all about it! I'm at genius@food52.com —Kristen

This week we find out what it's like to cook the food for your entire wedding. Food writer Jill Santopietro walks us through how she did it—right down to showing us how to make the 3,428 gnocchi she rolled for that day, 8 years ago. Plus we hear some wedding food advice from some of our friends in the food world. 

Relationships with teriyaki, sushi stereotypes, and the immigrant hustle—host Peter J. Kim looks at Japanese-American cultural identity with comedian Yumi Nagashima, rapper G Yamazawa, and producer Dan the Automator.

Check out Counterjam on Spotify for bonus playlists featuring tracks from Yumi, G, Dan and so many other wonderful Japanese-American artists!

If you're liking this show, head to Counterjam's page to subscribe so you don't miss out on future episodes.

Oatmeal for so long has left us with full stomachs for the day ahead but also left us with a full sink when we get home. This quick and easy recipe is the perfect hack for making oatmeal fast, with a super easy cleanup, that doesn't skimp on an ounce of flavor.

Be sure to order your copy of Simply Genius to find this and so many other simply genius recipes

Recipe
Serves 1

• 1/2 cup (50g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cups (300ml) unsweetened almond milk, plus more for serving
• Salt
• 4 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons creamy or chunky almond butter
• Maple syrup (optional

1. Simmer the oats: To a medium nonstick skillet, add the oats, almond milk, a pinch of salt, and the cocoa. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom and sides with a silicone spatula, until the oats are tender and creamy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat if it starts boiling too wildly, and don't wander away or it might boil over on you. Stop cooking when the oatmeal is a little looser than you want, as it will thicken as it cools.
2. Top and eat: Swirl in the almond butter and maple syrup. Add more milk if you'd like. Serve hot and clean up fast.
3. Store: Leftover oatmeal will keep well in a container in the fridge for a few days though it will thicken as it cools. Reheat in the microwave or in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring in a splash of milk or water.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Tell us all about it at podcasts@food52.com!

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We track down the composer of one of the catchiest jingles of all time—the jingle that opened new factories it was so popular—to learn its surprising origin story. 

This week, we're featuring a Hotline Offline episode all about the pantry -- what to stock it with, how to keep it organized, and how to make the best meals using only pantry staples -- and we brought writer Sarah Jampel on the show to tackle those questions.

Strawberry or grape (or neither)? Creamy or crunchy? Is a PB&J really just a sweet dumpling?

Molly and Declan debate whether a sweet sandwich is a sandwich indeed, and if this is the one place for squish bread.

Special thanks to our listeners for your questions—especially those who took the time to call in. Send your burning sandwich questions (not burning sandwich, you know what we mean) to podcasts@food52.com.

Whether its recreating the iconic moon pie cookie in bar form or using tahini to elevate your go-to recipes, Joy the Baker is chock full of incredible baking tips and tricks to bring into a new year of better baking.

Referenced in this episode 

• Joy's Plum and Lemon Curd Cake
• Joy's Moon Pie Bar
• Joy's Dark Chocolate Tahini Skillet Cookie

Genius-Hunter Extra Credit

• Joy the Baker's Website
• Find Joy on Instagram!

This week, we talk to NY Mag food critic Adam Platt about criticism in an age that makes it easy for everyone with an internet connection to be a reviewer. Listen in for some salty conversation, his live evaluation of some food in the studio, and—because we couldn’t help it—a dramatic Yelp reading or two.      Burnt Toast is brought to you by Blue Apron. Blue Apron is the new service that delivers all the ingredients you need to make incredible meals at home. Discover a better way to cook. Visit BlueApron.com/TOAST to get your first two meals free. BlueApron.com/TOAST

This episode is a party: We pack the studio with Charlotte Druckman, Kenzi Wilbur, and Marian Bull to talk about something near and dear to our hearts -- cookbooks. We chat about what makes a good one, what makes a bad one, and some of the craziest books ever published. 

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it means different things to different people. For some, it's a time for peaceful reflection; for others, a moment to bond with family, friends, or community. And, let’s get real–for a lot of us, it’s a frenzied affair that’s eaten in such a rush, more of it ends up on our shirts than in our stomachs! This episode of Burnt Toast explores breakfast trends and traditions around the world to ask: how do you start yours?

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters.

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Thalia starts listing them at 2:49) before starting the episode.

Rose Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes sixteen to twenty cookies

• 21⁄4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup (11⁄4 sticks + 1 teaspoon; 150 g) unsalted butter
• 3⁄4 cup + 1 teaspoon (170 g) light brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon rosewater
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (170 g) coarsely chopped dark chocolate
• 1⁄2 cup (70 g) chopped walnuts
• fleur de sel, for finishing
• rose petals, optional

1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Put the butter into a medium-size saucepan set over medium-low heat. Heat, stirring often, until melted. Pour into a large bowl then add in the sugars and whisk until combined. Whisk in the egg, followed by the rosewater and vanilla. Tip in the dry ingredients. Beat with a wooden spoon until a soft dough has just begun to form, then mix in the chocolate and walnuts. Cover and chill until firm, 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, set racks in the lower and upper thirds of an oven. Preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Using a scoop or tablespoon as a measure, portion out evenly sized amounts of the dough. If you’re using a spoon, use your hands to roll them into balls. Divide between the prepared sheets, placing them a few inches apart for spreading. You should be able to fit 8 to 10 per sheet. Sprinkle with a little fleur de sel. You can set leftover dough balls aside to be baked off later, or, store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Allow to stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before baking from frozen.
5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the sheets between the upper and lower thirds of the oven halfway through, until golden, the edges crisp, but the centers still soft. Let the cookies stand on the sheets for a few minutes, before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool further, before serving.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Tell us all about it at podcasts@food52.com.

Excerpted from WILD SWEETNESS by Thalia Ho. Copyright © 2021 by Thalia Ho. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Have you ever wondered how many kneads it takes for dough to feel like a baby's bottom? Or how to eat cinnamon toast crunch the *right* way? We're sharing an episode from The Genius Recipe Tapes where Kristen sits down with Frankie Gaw to talk all about the food he grew up eating and the recipes found in his new book, First Generation

Referenced in this episode 

• First Generation: Recipes from My Taiwanese-American Home
• Frankie's Website 
• Frankie's Instagram

Have a genius recipe you'd like to share? Tell me all about it at genius@food52.com.

Theme Music by The Cabinetmaker on Blue Dot Sessions

Or so says food writer Michael Ruhlman, who wants to know if you know what’s in your food. He wants to restart the conversation around this—and change the way we talk about what we eat. Today, we hear why he thinks kale isn’t healthy, and what we can do to be better cooks, eaters, and shoppers. 

If you like this show, head over to Counterjam's show page for more episodes like this one. Singer—and profesional sauciér—Kelis reveals the best place to get fried chicken in NYC, A Tribe Called Quest's Jarobi White spins some hidden-gem tracks, and Kogi chef Roy Choi shares how a stinky bean paste ruined a high school romance.

On this episode, you'll hear about the anatomy of a perfect taco, what it was like for our guests when they first encountered "Mexican" food in the U.S., and cultural stereotypes that drive comedian Felipe Esparza (check out his special on Netflix, Bad Decisions!) and Grupo Enrique Olvera chef-owner Enrique Olvera absolutely nuts. Music is by the incredible electronica-norteño ensemble Nortec Collective. 

Keep the party going by checking out the Counterjam playlists on Spotify.

On this episode, Esther is joined by Hetty McKinnon and Ivan Orkin to talk stock! Soup is in a unique category of food because it seems like for all the people who find it intimidating, there are just as many people who find it boring, but really, there's no reason it should be either! Tune in to hear expert tips on making your own stocks, and ways to bring a massive amount of flavor to a broth with only a couple of ingredients. 

In honor of Trillin's campaign to change the national Thanksgiving dish from turkey to spaghetti carbonara, we ask him to read his 1981 essay. Listen to him tell the tale of the very first Thanksgiving dinner, and then maybe start a campaign of your own. Happy Thanksgiving, turkeys. This episode is brought to you by Texture. The app that gives you an all access pass to the world's best magazines, right on your phone or tablet. Try Texture for free when you go to texture.com/TOAST. And by The Message, a new podcast from GE Podcast Theater.

SoulPhoodies Tamara Celeste and Derek Kirk speak with husband-and-wife duo Gail and Uche Azodo about how a passion for coffee began with utility, later grew into the love of the bean, and the rise of SIPS—a café and coffee roasting business.

If you're enjoying this podcast, follow Black & Highly Flavored so you don't miss out on future episodes.

One presidential term goes down in history as serving borderline inedible food to the thousands of guests who dined there. What was on the menu, who was responsible, and the revenge theory behind it all.

This episode of Burnt Toast was produced by Gabrielle Lewis and Kenzi Wilbur. Thanks also to Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, the founders of Food52— and to Laura Mayer and Andy Bowers at Panoply. 
Our ad and theme music is by Joshua Rule Dobson; All other music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions. Our logo is designed by Abbey Lossing. 
Please let us know what you think of the show—leave us a review on iTunes. Or get in touch: You can email us at burnttoast@food52.com.

It's Italy Week at Food52, so we sat down—and drank spritzes—with the authors of two of our favorite new books: Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau, authors of "Spritz," and Katie Parla of "Tasting Rome." We talk cocktail legends and carbonara origin stories, and, spoiler: We do some of it in Italian.  

Today’s episode covers the topic of first food jobs—we chat with Lucky Peach co-founder Peter Meehan about how he got his start, how aspiring food writers might get theirs, and just how scrappy Amanda was before The New York Times.

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters.

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Amanda starts listing them at 0:40) before  starting the episode.

Daddy's Pasta

• 8 ounces bacon, cut in 1/4-inch slices
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 2 pinches red pepper flakes
• 1 3/4 cups canned chopped tomatoes (preferably Pomi)
• 1 pound rotelle
• Grated Parmesan, for serving

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, spread the bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat; brown the bacon and render the fat. Scoop out the bacon and set aside on paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan, then add 1/4 cup olive oil to the pan and warm over medium heat.
3. Drop in the tomato paste and add the red pepper flakes; turn the heat to low and stir just until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and turn off the heat.
4. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until truly al dente—you’ll be cooking it a bit more with the sauce. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
5. Add the pasta, bacon, and the reserved pasta water to the tomato sauce, then stir and toss over medium heat until the pasta is well coated. Season with salt if necessary, then add the 3 tablespoon olive oil, tossing well. Serve immediately, with a sprinkling of Parmesan on top of each bowlful.

Have a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Email it to us at podcasts@food52.com.

Cook along with Jesse Szewczyk to make these crunchy, perfectly spiced, and understated shortbread cookies that are as delicious dunked into hot coffee as they are eaten all on their own.

Recipe
Makes 24 bars
 

Shortbread Base

• 1 2/3 cups (214g) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks/170g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Salted Speculoos Caramel

• 3/4 cup (175 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick/57g) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup (59 ml) light corn syrup
• 1 14-ounce can (414 ml) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/3 cup (90 grams) speculoos cookie butter (see Note)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Topping

• 1/2 cup (about 3 ounces/85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (about 3 ounces/85 grams) white chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons (59 ml) whole milk, divided
• 2 tablespoons (36 grams) speculoos cookie butter, divided
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Make the shortbread base: Heat the oven 325°F. Grease an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with nonstick pan spray and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all four sides. In a large bowl combine the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add the melted butter, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and stir together until a soft dough forms. Transfer the dough into the lined baking pan and press into an even layer. Prick the top several times with a fork and bake until the shortbread is slightly puffed and golden brown in the center, 33 to 38 minutes. Remove from the oven and use the bottom of a measuring cup or a metal spatula to press down on the shortbread to compact it slightly. (This will prevent the bars from crumbling when sliced.) Let the shortbread cool for 30 minutes.
2. While the shortbread is cooling, make the caramel: In a medium saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, sweetened condensed milk, speculoos cookie butter, vanilla, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often to prevent burning, until the mixture is smooth, glossy, and registers 240°F on the candy thermometer, about 8 to 11 mins. Pour over the shortbread base, spread into an even layer, and transfer into the fridge. Let cool for 1 hour.
3. As the caramel is cooling, make the topping: Place both the white and semisweet chocolate chips in two separate medium, microwave-safe bowls. Add 2 tablespoons whole milk and 1 tablespoon cookie butter to each bowl. Microwave each bowl on high power in 10 second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds total. Transfer the white chocolate ganache into a piping bag or zip-top baggie.
4. Working quickly, pour the dark chocolate ganache over top of the caramel and spread into an even layer. Pipe thin, straight lines of the white chocolate ganache all going the same way. (You might not need all of the ganache.) Use a toothpick to drag it through the lines, alternating the direction you go each time to create a rough chevron pattern. Transfer the bars into the fridge and let set for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Sprinkle the top of the bars with flaky sea salt and cut into a 3 by 8 grid to make 24 bars. (For cleaner edges, feel free to trim off the border of the pan before slicing.) Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Tell us all about it at podcasts@food52.com!

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

A look back at some of our favorite genius recipes of the year with Food52 co-founder and CEO, Amanda Hesser

Referenced in this episode 

• Julia Turshen's Fried Eggs 
• Lindsay Maitland Hunt's Slow Roasted Chicken with Crispy Skin 
• Yasmin Khan's Stunning Citrus Cake
• Dorie Greenspan's French Yogurt Cake
• Dorie Greenspan's Caramel-y Chocolate Cookies
• Tara O'Brady's Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Jessie Sheehn's Snickerdoodles (Ketchup optional)
• Ali Slagle's Chicken Caesar Salad
• Monifa Dayo's Potato Salad 

This was the subject of our most popular post on Food52 last year, so we asked more of you for your back-pocket, too-tired-to-cook meals. We all have them—here's what you said, plus our tips for riffing and making them even faster. 

If you like this show, head right on over to the Play Me a Recipe show page for more episodes; we play new recipes each Friday. 

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters.

Peach Tart

• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 1/4 cup mild olive oil
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
• 3 small ripe peaches (up to 5), pitted and thickly sliced (about 1/2-inch wide)

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stirring enables the salt and sugar to sift the flour, so you don’t need to sift it in advance. In a small bowl, whisk together the oils, milk and almond extract. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture and mix gently with a fork, just enough to dampen; do not over work it. Then, transfer the dough to an 11-inch tart pan (you can use a smaller one if needed), and use your hands to pat out the dough so it covers the bottom of the pan, pushing it up the sides to meet the edge. This will work if you pat firmly and confidently, but not if you curl your fingertips into the dough. It should be about 1/ 8-inch thick all around; trim and discard excess dough.
2. In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the butter. (If your peaches are especially juicy, add 1 tablespoon additional flour.) Using your fingers, pinch the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly, with a mixture of fine granules and tiny pebbles.
3. Starting on the outside, arrange the peaches overlapping in a concentric circle over the pastry; fill in the center in whatever pattern makes sense. The peaches should fit snugly. Sprinkle the pebbly butter mixture over top (it will seem like a lot). Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until shiny, thick bubbles begin enveloping the fruit and the crust is slightly brown. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or room temperature, preferably with generous dollops of whipped cream.

Have a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Email it to us at podcasts@food52.com.

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This is a special bonus episode of Burnt Toast featuring an episode of The Genius Recipe Tapes. If you enjoyed listening, subscribe to The Genius Recipe Tapes wherever you get your podcasts. 

Referenced in this episode 

• Sarsoon ka Saag (Fragrant Butter-Laced Pureed Mustard Greens) From Julie Sahni
• Watch this recipe (food52)
• Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking

Genius-Hunter Extra Credit

• Julie Sahni's Curried Avocado with Garlic and Green Chiles
• Learn Indian cooking from the master herself - Take a cooking class with Julie

Have a genius recipe you'd like to share? Tell me all about it at genius@food52.com.

In this episode of Hotline Offline, Esther Choi is joined by the Chief Spice Mama herself, Kanchan Koya, to discuss all of the incredible benefits of cooking with spices. From adding immeasurable amounts of flavor to your meals, to benefiting from the natural health boosters that spices have to offer, Kanchan and Esther cover it all! 

Be sure to check out Kanchan Koya on her Instagram @ChiefSpiceMama, and on her website, SpiceSpiceBaby.com. 

In French, "jolie laide" means "pretty and ugly"; it's a way to describe something that is unconventionally beautiful. This homage to jolie laide foods will explore the idea that deliciousness can come where you least expect it, from misshapen fish meatballs to organ meat that only a zombie could love. Some consumers may fall for the illusion of perfection, but companies such as UglyRipe and Imperfect Produce have made a point of promoting flavor over façade. (Bruised tomatoes may not be the most slightly, but they make a great sauce!) We'll examine the notion of perfection of taste vs. perfection of image

On Either Side Eaters, friends and YouTubers Jen Phanomrat and Katie Quinn, separated by the Atlantic, take questions and compare notes on everything from charcuterie trends to the ultimate food lube, ketchup. 

It's coming so soon; follow Either Side Eaters so you don't miss out.

The current crisis in Ukraine is a nightmare. While we may try to quantify its toll in the number of lives lost, we also need to consider the culture that is being threatened. In this episode of Counterjam, host Peter J Kim goes course by course through a festive Ukrainian meal with Anna Voloshyna, chef and author of the forthcoming cookbook Budmo! Lviv-based band Odyn v Kanoe provide a truly moving soundtrack.

Our next episode is coming out in just a couple of weeks, but in the meantime, check out Counterjam on Spotify for Peter's playlist of the wonderful musicians from this and past seasons. 

Adapted from Food52’s much beloved column, My Family Recipe (the podcast!) is brought to you by the Food52 Podcast Network and Heritage Radio Network. Enjoy interviews with writers and chefs, parents and children about what is passed down along with the foods we know and love. 

Follow My Family Recipe wherever you listen.

Hey Burnt Toast listeners! The Genius Recipe Tapes is a weekly show from Food52's new podcast network, featuring all the uncut gems from the Genius Recipes column and video series. On the podcast, lifelong Genius hunter Kristen Miglore  speaks to the geniuses behind iconic recipes, uncovering new riffs, tips, and tricks (and all the behind-the-scenes moments that don't make it into the column or video?—those are in there too). Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss out.

The banana peel is so synonymous with slipperiness that we know how this joke ends right when it starts—why? And why a banana? We trace down the origins of the gag, and land in a surprising place.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow Hotline Offline to make sure you hear all the other tips Esther and  guests will be sharing this season.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Grandma Potatoes recipe
• Mama's Potato Clover Rolls recipe
• Carrot Ring recipe

A very special thanks to Ella Quittner for seeing and acceptingour patheti—erm—perfectionist tendencies, and to our listeners who called in their questions! Got a question? Call ‪(518) 291-9877‬ and leave us a message on the hotline. We’ll get to the bottom of it together.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow Hotline Offline to make sure you hear all the other tips Esther and  guests will be sharing this season.

Today we're celebrating our favorite food traditions. Esther is joined by her sister Jen to reminisce about their own traditions and hear from our listeners about eating a selection of german sausages on Christmas, a cooking a famous brisket, and somehow burning spaghetti every Friday night.

A very special thanks to Jennifer Choi for stopping by the podcast to reminisce and talk about our listener's favorite traditions! Got a question? Call ‪(518) 291-9877‬ and leave us a message on the hotline. We’ll get to the bottom of it together.

Host Peter J. Kim is joined by content creator Carolina Gelen and author Irina Georgescu to talk about mamaliga, pickles, and Romania's super juicy sausages, as well as how communism shaped the family dinner table. Peter also discusses the musical influence of Romania's Romani people with Henry Ernst, manager of the energetic brass band Fanfare Ciocărlia.

We invite chef, bakery owner, and cookbook author Allison Robicelli on our show to talk about all manner of strange food: What constitutes strange, the craziest things we’ve ever eaten, and how we feel about all of it. Things get weird. 

How long should the eggs be cooked? What is the ultimate egg to mayo ratio? Can egg salad ever transcend egg mush?

In pursuit of a not-gross, not-bland egg salad, Molly and Declan  give it the cae sal treatment.

Special thanks to our listeners for your questions—especially those who took the time to call in. Send your burning sandwich questions (not burning sandwich, you know what we mean) to podcasts@food52.com. 

Rugelach is a beloved Jewish treasure originating from Eastern Europe. The cookie-pastry hybrid can be filled with anything from jam to chocolate and is the perfect two-bite treat fit for any holiday spread. This version, a classic chocolate rugelach bolstered with the flavors of creamy milk chocolate and malted milk powder, has a nostalgic flavor and tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that will shine at any cookie swap.

Recipe

16 Rugelach 

Dough

• 2 1/4 cups (288g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (40g) malted milk powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks/226g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 8 ounces (226g) cold cream cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes

Malted Milk Chocolate Filling

• 4 ounces (about ⅔ cup/113g) milk chocolate chips or chopped milk chocolate
• 1/3 cup (53g) malted milk powder
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (6g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg, for egg wash, plus more if needed
• sanding sugar, for sprinkling

1. Make the dough: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, combine the flour, sugar, ¼ cup malted milk powder, and salt. Process until combined, 10 to 15 seconds. Add the butter and cream cheese and process until a rough, shaggy dough forms that just starts to pull away from the sides of the food processor, 30 to 45 seconds. (If you don’t have a food processor you can pinch and knead the butter and cream cheese into the dry ingredients using clean hands as if you are making pie dough.) Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, cut in half, and roughly form each half into a rectangle. (Wipe out the food processor, but don’t wash it.) Tightly cover in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
2. Make the filling: Place the chocolate chips, malted milk powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and process until the mixture is the texture of coarse sand, 25 to 35 seconds. (Alternatively, chop the chocolate into a fine dust and mix with the other ingredients.) Transfer into a bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, crack the egg for the egg wash and beat with a fork until no streaks of unincorporated yolk remain.
3. Unwrap one of the chilled doughs, generously dust with flour, and roll into a 11- by 8-inch rectangle. (The dough can get sticky, so use a bit more flour than normal.) Trim the edges to create crisp lines, if desired. Sprinkle about half of the filling onto the dough in an even layer leaving a ½-inch border on the top and bottom, pressing it in with your hands so it sticks and compacts slightly. Brush the top and bottom border with the egg wash. Roll into a spiral shape, brushing the underside of the dough with egg wash each time you roll it over, and transfer onto a sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling and freeze both logs uncovered for 1 hour.
4. As the cookie logs are chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F and set 2 racks at the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line 2 baking sheets (you can line the one in the freezer once the logs are done chilling) with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
5. Brush the chilled dough logs with the egg wash on all sides. (If your egg wash has a lot of chocolate in it, it’s best to make a new one.) Generously sprinkle the tops of the logs with the sanding sugar. Cut the logs into 1½-inch thick slices using a thin sharp knife and place onto the prepared baking sheets spacing at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until lightly browned, then let cool completely on the baking sheet before serving. (If any of the rugelach spread more than you would have liked, just use the back of a spoon to push them back together while still hot from the oven.)

If you loved listening to this episode, be sure to subscribe to The Genius Recipe Tapes wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Referenced in this episode:

• My Family's Forever Banana Bread (Food52)
• Kristen's Family Banana Bread recipe

Genius-Hunter Extra-Credit:

• Did you catch part 1, fried eggs chez Mike, too?
• ICYMI: Our 10 Most Popular Banana Breads of All Time 

If you like this show, head right on over to the Either Side Eaters show page, where you can find more episodes.

Jen Phanomrat and Katie Quinn talk about the happiest hour, aka aperitivo, apéritif, and fika. They also talk about airplane food, ice cubes in wine, and how Apéritif author Rebekah Pebbler and Food Network TV personality Rachel Khoo craft Friday coziness affordably.

Special thanks to our listeners for your questions and Brian Quinn (@bqfunk) for our theme music.

Got a Q for us? Record a voice memo and send it here for a chance to be featured! 

If you enjoyed this episode be sure to subscribe to The Genius Recipe Tapes wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Referenced in this episode 

• Crispy Yangnyeom Chickpeas With Caramelized Honey From Eric Kim (recipe + video)
• Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home

Genius-Hunter Extra Credit 

• When I Came Out to My Parents, Kimchi Fried Rice Held Us Together (an Eric Kim essay on Food52)
• Read some of Eric's writing on Food52's Table For One column!

Have a genius recipe you'd like to share? Tell me all about it at genius@food52.com.

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. 

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below before starting the episode.

Recipe
Makes 16 brownies (8 to 10 milligrams THC per brownie)

Cannabutter

• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 gram quality cannabis flower

Weed brownies

• 1/4 cup (21 grams) natural cocoa powder, plus more for the pan
• Cannabutter (above)
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) chopped dark chocolate
• 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (57 grams) chopped toasted nuts (optional)

1. Make the cannabutter, following the quantities listed above and my step-by-step guide linked here.
2. Butter an 8x8-inch pan, then dust with cocoa. Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
3. In a bain marie (or in the microwave in 10-second intervals), melt the cannabutter and dark chocolate. Remove the bowl from the heat, then add the sugar, molasses, vanilla, and salt.
4. Add one egg at a time, mixing well after each. Beat for about 5 minutes, until a 5-second ribbon forms on the top of the batter when you lift the whisk. Stir in the chopped nuts (if you’re using them). Sift or whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, then add to the chocolate mixture. Combine just until the flour disappears (don’t overmix).
5. Pour the batter into the pan and place in the center of the oven. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a glossy top forms and starts to crack. Keep an eye on the edges, they will firm up first. To check, insert a toothpick near the corner—it should have a few moist crumbs.
6. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before cutting into 16 brownies. (If you’d like—and if your pan isn’t glass—you can plunge the pan into cold water immediately out of the oven. The temperature shock achieves a chewy crust while maintaining the gooey center, a tip I learned from Eric Kim.)
7. Store the brownies in an airtight container for up to a week. For longer storage, cut and freeze the brownies, then warm up in the microwave or oven before serving.

If you're considering enjoying this recipe, please consult and follow the legal restrictions for controlled substances in your state. Because there are so many variables with homemade edibles, go slowly. You may want to start with half a serving and determine your tolerance and ideal dose from there. And always wait a couple hours to feel the effects. 

Is there a recipe you'd like to hear us make? Tell us all about it at podcasts@food52.com!

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Rugelach is a beloved Jewish treasure originating from Eastern Europe. The cookie-pastry hybrid can be filled with anything from jam to chocolate and is the perfect two-bite treat fit for any holiday spread. This version, a classic chocolate rugelach bolstered with the flavors of creamy milk chocolate and malted milk powder, has a nostalgic flavor and tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that will shine at any cookie swap.

Recipe

16 Rugelach 

Dough

• 2 1/4 cups (288g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (40g) malted milk powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks/226g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 8 ounces (226g) cold cream cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes

Malted Milk Chocolate Filling

• 4 ounces (about ⅔ cup/113g) milk chocolate chips or chopped milk chocolate
• 1/3 cup (53g) malted milk powder
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (6g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg, for egg wash, plus more if needed
• sanding sugar, for sprinkling

1. Make the dough: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, combine the flour, sugar, ¼ cup malted milk powder, and salt. Process until combined, 10 to 15 seconds. Add the butter and cream cheese and process until a rough, shaggy dough forms that just starts to pull away from the sides of the food processor, 30 to 45 seconds. (If you don’t have a food processor you can pinch and knead the butter and cream cheese into the dry ingredients using clean hands as if you are making pie dough.) Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, cut in half, and roughly form each half into a rectangle. (Wipe out the food processor, but don’t wash it.) Tightly cover in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
2. Make the filling: Place the chocolate chips, malted milk powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and process until the mixture is the texture of coarse sand, 25 to 35 seconds. (Alternatively, chop the chocolate into a fine dust and mix with the other ingredients.) Transfer into a bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, crack the egg for the egg wash and beat with a fork until no streaks of unincorporated yolk remain.
3. Unwrap one of the chilled doughs, generously dust with flour, and roll into a 11- by 8-inch rectangle. (The dough can get sticky, so use a bit more flour than normal.) Trim the edges to create crisp lines, if desired. Sprinkle about half of the filling onto the dough in an even layer leaving a ½-inch border on the top and bottom, pressing it in with your hands so it sticks and compacts slightly. Brush the top and bottom border with the egg wash. Roll into a spiral shape, brushing the underside of the dough with egg wash each time you roll it over, and transfer onto a sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling and freeze both logs uncovered for 1 hour.
4. As the cookie logs are chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F and set 2 racks at the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line 2 baking sheets (you can line the one in the freezer once the logs are done chilling) with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
5. Brush the chilled dough logs with the egg wash on all sides. (If your egg wash has a lot of chocolate in it, it’s best to make a new one.) Generously sprinkle the tops of the logs with the sanding sugar. Cut the logs into 1½-inch thick slices using a thin sharp knife and place onto the prepared baking sheets spacing at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until lightly browned, then let cool completely on the baking sheet before serving. (If any of the rugelach spread more than you would have liked, just use the back of a spoon to push them back together while still hot from the oven.)

We talk to Professor Charles Spence about the science behind how what you hear when you eat affects the whole multi-sensory experience.

Roasted? Smoked? Honeyed?  To avo or not to avo?

Molly and Declan make a turkey sandwich that's, dare we say, succulent and not boring.

Thanks to our listeners for your questions, and we still need your help! Send your burning sandwich questions (not burning sandwich, you know what we mean) to podcasts@food52.com. 

If you like this show, head right on over to the Either Side Eaters show page, where you can find more episodes.

Does Michael Pollan always follow his own food rules? Does he truly believe sustainability is economically feasible? We talk to journalist and one of today's important voices in food about these things—and you tell us how his work has impacted your life. This episode was originally released on August 11, 2016. 

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters (if you're in Apple Podcasts, swipe up on the episode player page—the podcast chapters will be at the bottom).  

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Danielle starts listing them at 2:08) before starting the episode.

Corn Grits with Wild Mushrooms & Jammy Eggs

Serves 4

• 4 to 8 large eggs, depending on how hungry you are
• 2 fresh corn cobs
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup diced roasted hatch chiles
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1 cup medium-ground grits or polenta (not instant)
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (loosely packed)
• 1 pound wild mushrooms, such as chanterelles, lobster, or oyster, cleaned well and dried
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 handful chopped cilantro leaves or chives, to garnish

1. Soft Boil the eggs: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and carefully ladle in each egg. Set a timer for 6:45 seconds for the perfect, soft-boiled egg. As soon as the timer goes off, transfer the eggs to an ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, carefully peel each egg. Set aside. This step can be made up to two days in advance.
2. Make the grits: Use the larger holes on a box grater and grate the corn. Do this inside of a large bowl to catch all of the liquid juices that come out. Set aside.
3. Heat butter or oil in a medium sized saucepan. Once hot, sauté the yellow onion until soft and lightly golden in color, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Pour in 3 cups of water and stir the pan to release any browned bits at the bottom. Stir in the diced hatch chiles, grated corn, sea salt, and grits. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce the heat to the lowest and cook until thickened about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to keep the grits smooth. In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the feta cheese and season to taste.
5. Make the mushrooms: Brush the mushrooms clean or wipe with a slightly damp towel. Do not wash under running water unless the mushrooms are gritty. If they are wet, be sure to let them air dry for a couple hours before cooking.
6. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and once hot, spread the mushrooms across the pan. Once they’re down, leave them down and let them properly brown. After a few minutes, give the pan a hard shake to release them from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, stir to combine, and cook for another 3 minutes.
7. Stir in the garlic, cumin, and oregano and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. When the garlic is soft and golden, turn off the heat and squeeze half a lime into the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. To serve: Spoon the sweet corn grits into a large bowl and top with the browned mushrooms. Top with a soft-boiled egg (or two!), plus a sprinkle of chives or fresh chopped cilantro.

Maple syrup is having a moment: in cooking, baking, and wellness culture. Michael Harlan Turkell talks to experts about the tapping process and learns more about the maple water trend, sugar shacks in Montreal, and Korean gorosoe. Plus: the joys of maple taffy and maple peeping in Japan.

Host Peter J. Kim rings in Persian New Year with stories, laughter, and dancing alongside some truly incredible guests. Emmy-award-winning actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, Top Chef judge and former Food & Wine editor in chief Nilou Motamed who both talk to Peter about why rice is fundamental to the Iranian culinary experience, and Yvette Massoudi, the singer and founder of the band Mitra Sumara who's music facilitates a truly irresistible urge to dance. 

Our next episode is coming out in just a couple of weeks, but in the meantime, check out Counterjam on Spotify for Peter's playlist of the wonderful musicians from this and past seasons. 

If you enjoyed listening to this podcast, be sure to follow Counterjam wherever you listen to your podcasts. 

Sourdough bread baking took over a lot of kitchens when the pandemic first began, but we don't think that sourdough should be 'just another phase'. We're bringing you an episode from the Hotline Offline podcast where Esther Choi is joined by Food52's resident bread baker Maurizio Leo to talk all-things sourdough bread baking.

Maurizio's instagram

The Perfect Loaf  website

On Play Me a Recipe, your favorite cooks will walk you through their most treasured recipes, offering all the insider tips, stories, and tricks you won't get from a written recipe—and you'll be right alongside them, every step of the way. Feel free to pause, jump back, or navigate the steps via the podcast chapters.

If you're cooking along, here's the recipe we're making today. Go ahead and grab the ingredients below (Vallery starts listing them at 0:43) before starting the episode.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick/113 grams) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (125 grams) self-rising flour (see Author Notes)
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) whole milk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (150 grams) fresh or frozen blueberries
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

One-Bowl Blueberry Buckle

1. Heat the oven to 375°F and place a rack in the middle of the oven. Place the butter in a 9x5-inch loaf pan and put it in the hot oven. When the butter has melted, remove the pan from the oven.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sugar, milk, and salt in a large bowl (it’s okay if the batter is a little lumpy). Pour the batter into the pan with the melted butter and use a spoon to lightly mix it. There should be visible streaks of melted butter that don’t get completely mixed; this yields the buttery, caramelized edges.
3. Place the blueberries on top of the batter in an even layer. Bake until the top is golden brown all over, 50 to 60 minutes. (If you remove it too early, the buckle will indeed “buckle” in the middle and fall—which would still be tasty, though sunken!) Wait until it’s golden all over the top and set in the center. Place the buckle on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before serving warm with a scoop of ice cream.

Have a recipe you'd like to hear us cook? Email it to us at podcasts@food52.com!

Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

How, exactly, you grow a gourd larger than a living room, and more importantly—why. 

This episode digs into the art of the wedding toast—let it serve as an example of what to do, what not to do, and what to never even think of doing if you're asked to speak. We asked for your best and worst toast stories—here they are. 

Subscribe to The Genius Recipe Tapes here.

Kristen Miglore, lifelong Genius hunter, speaks with chef, cookbook author, and TV personality Carla Hall. Of Top Chef and Carla Hall's Soul Food fame, Carla talks about the genius buttermilk biscuit recipe she's spent decades perfecting.

Referenced in this episode:

• The Genius Secrets to Carla Hall’s Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits (Food52)
• Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits with Carla Hall (Genius Recipes | YouTube)

Genius-Hunter Extra-Credit:

• Join Carla Hall on Instagram at 11 EST daily for... recess!
• View transcript

Have a genius recipe you'd like to share? Tell me all about it! I'm at genius@food52.com —Kristen

We speak with Bee Wilson to follow the curious, contentious history of margarine back to its first invention. Turns out, we have Napoleon III to thank. 

How, exactly, you grow a gourd larger than a living room, and more importantly—why. 

On Play Me A Recipe, hear your favorite cooks slice, stir, and sauté their way through a recipe—and you'll be right there with them, every step of the way. First up: The Splendid Table host Francis Lam makes turkey meatballs inspired by his Chinese American upbringing, teenage angst, and Pizza Hut.

Subscribe here so you don’t miss out. 

After our episode about the vintage rotisserie machine that still has a cult following, we received an email from the son-in-law of the inventor, Leon Klinghoffer. Today’s episode is his story.

How many meats is too many? What is provolone anyway? Is there an ideal lettuce-to-everything-else ratio?

Molly and Declan get to the bottom of what makes—and breaks—the Italian (aka grinder, aka hoagie, aka hero, aka sub). 

Special thanks to our listeners for your questions—especially those who took the time to call in. Send your burning sandwich questions (not burning sandwich, you know what we mean) to podcasts@food52.com. 

Here at Burnt Toast, we talk about the things that don’t make it onto Food52.com. Join hosts and founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, plus a rotating cast of smart, salty guests, for controversial cooking topics, food culture, and occasional good-spirited debate.

Whether it’s a food fad or a table at the trendiest restaurant in town, there are certain foods that just inspire people to line up and wait. So what makes for a culty bite? Hear stories of triumph and despair, along with tactics to bide the time while you wait to get in the door for that prized morsel. We’ll also touch on the psychology and science behind waiting in line.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe (as shared on Food to Love)
• Radicchio & Pickled Radish Salad recipe
• Chef Neal Harden's Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric-Tahini Sauce & Pistachios
• Raspberry & White Chocolate Tart with Cocoa Crust recipe
• How to whip coconut cream into, well, whipped coconut cream
• Seeded Brown Rice Crackers recipe
• Heirloom Bean Bourguignon recipe (as shared onThe Full Helping)

A very special thanks to author and Food52 Resident Amy Chaplin for sharing so much veg-spo, and also to our listeners who called in their questions! Got a question? Call ‪(518) 291-9877‬ and leave us a message on the hotline. We’ll get to the bottom of it together.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, be sure to find Hotline Offline wherever you listen to you podcasts.

Subscribe to The Genius Recipe Tapes here.
 

Chef and Bon Appétit associate food editor Sohla El-Waylly joins Food52 Genius columnist Kristen to talk about all things fun: ice cream floats, handmade sprinkles, and of course—fun dip. Sohla gives a peek behind the scenes of developing her utterly genius nutty, herby Ranch Fun Dip, inspired by South Asian spice blend idli podi, which has gotten Kristen and her 1-year-old eating (and loving!) more vegetables. Kristen also shares her somewhat shocking favorite ice cream float combination from childhood. 

Referenced in this episode:

• The #1 Most Fun Way to Eat More Vegetables (Food52)
• Ranch Fun Dip with Sohla El-Waylly (Genius Recipes | YouTube)

Genius-Hunter Extra-Credit:

• Read more about Sohla and husband Ham's shuttered diner in GQ
• View transcript

Have a genius recipe you'd like to share? Tell me all about it! I'm at genius@food52.com —Kristen
 

Referenced in this episode 

• Pre-order the Simply Genius cookbook (+ get an instant sneak peek at 14 new recipes and riffs!)
• Why Dorie Greenspan's French Yogurt Cake is Genius
• Watch Kristen make her way through this cake

Genius-Hunter Extra Credit

• Dorie Greenspan's Instagram

Have a genius recipe you'd like to share? Tell me all about it at genius@food52.com.

Referenced in this episode 

• Simply Genius Cookbook
• Tara O'Brady's Genius Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Tara O'Brady on Substack

Genius-Hunter Extra Credit

• Tara O'Brady's Website
• Tara O'Brady's Instagram

Team bacon or sausage? Hash browns or nah? English muffins, croissant, bagel?

Molly and Declan debate the merits of bacon, sausage, ham, and pastrami (?); and find a home for the english muff.

Special thanks to our listeners for your questions, especially those of you that called in. We still need your help! Send your burning sandwich questions (not burning sandwich, you know what we mean) to podcasts@food52.com. 

Here’s a special preview of Not Lost, a new podcast about finding yourself in places you’ve never been from our friends at Pushkin Industries. Host Brendan Francis Newnam takes us around the world, learning about new places by getting invited to a stranger’s house for dinner. From Montréal to Mexico City, Brendan and his guests drink, dance, and eat, learning as much about themselves as the places they visit. In the preview you’re about to hear, Brendan and his guest Danielle Henderson visit Montréal and tour the Jean-Talon Market in search of dinner party provisions, and discover a local pastry known as nun’s farts.

You can hear more from Not Lost at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/notlost?sid=burnttoast

Have you been hearing about meal prep and been interested in trying it out? Have you tried it and were overwhelmed by the process and underwhelmed by the results? Well Dan Pelosi is here to help with all of your meal-prep needs! Dan and Esther talk through ways to tackle meal-prep with less stress and more flavor.  

Mentioned in this episode: 

• Bimpy's Giambotta (recipe)
• Bimpy's Giambotta (video)

A very special thanks to Dan Pelosi AKA Grossy Pelosi for helping to inspire us in prepping our meals for the year to come!

Got a question? Call ‪(518) 291-9877‬ and leave us a message on the hotline. We’ll get to the bottom of it together.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more, be sure to find Hotline Offline wherever you listen to you podcasts.

Even when it's leftover pizza or takeout from down the block. We talk to book seller and author of Lunch at the Shop Peter Miller about the midday meal: Why we should always break for it, the simple ways to make it better, and how to make our new favorite of his recipes, Pizza Soup. (You're going to want to hear this.) 

Today we dedicate our whole episode to a roundtable on meal planning: Amanda, Merrill, and Kenzi answer questions from our staff and community about how to cook smarter every week. Highlights include refrigerator graveyards, condiment guilt, and why avocado toast is a little like comfortable underwear.   This episode of Burnt Toast is sponsored by Casper. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting www.casper.com/TOAST, and using promo code TOAST. 

We talk about the beauty and chaos that is feeding our children. Together with writer Phyllis Grant—and a studio full of kids—we cover rules, haphazard recipe development, and why you should never feed eggplant to a child under the age of 9.