100 of Food52’s simplest, most rule-breaking recipes yet to help beginners and other time-strapped cooks build confidence in the kitchen, from the New York Times bestselling Genius series. IACP AWARD WINNER • ONE OF THE NEW YORKER ’S FIFTEEN ESSENTIAL COOKBOOKS • ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: Los Angeles Times, Epicurious There’s no better way to learn how to make great food than to stand at the elbow of a skilled cook, ask questions, and watch their every move. In Simply Genius , Food52 founding editor and Genius Recipes columnist Kristen Miglore gives you access to genius cooks like Samin Nosrat (Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken), Dr. Jessica B. Harris (Mayonnaise d’Avocat), Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi (Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Onion with Tahini & Za’atar), Gonzalo Guzmán (Frijoles Negros de la Olla), Leah Chase (Rice Pancakes with Ham & Tomato-Basil Sauce), Heidi Swanson (Farro & Olive Salad), Jacques Pépin (Fresh Tomato Sauce), and more, as they share their brilliant cooking tips through a collection of essential recipes.   Miglore packs the book with helpful visuals (like brilliant doneness charts for everything from chicken to eggs to cake), illustrated step-by-step diagrams to show you smarter ways to prep (handling hot chiles, neatly separating eggs, tricking herbs into staying fresh), and myth-busting truths that make cooking so much more welcoming (no, you don't have to soak your beans before you cook them; no, you don't have to soften butter to make chocolate chip cookies).    Primers on common woes and how to fix them tell you how to rescue your dinner when things go wrong, and how to make sure everything’s smoother next time. And once you get a recipe down, Miglore shares “3 More Ways” to use that new technique to make even more rewarding meals. More than 150 recipes and variations teach you building blocks, fit easily into your life, and prove that all of us can become genius cooks when we have the right teachers. “Food52 founding editor Kristen Miglore taps experts like Samin Nosrat and Dr. Jessica B. Harris to uncover ingenious time-saving tricks and simplifying tips, guaranteeing that even the most novice home cook can turn out rewarding meals with minimal stress.” —Epicurious   “Iconic, dependable recipes that teach .” —Jenny Rosenstrach , Dinner: A Love Story “We know we can expect genius recipes, tips, and words of encouragement from Miglore, the genius behind ‘Genius Recipes’ and ‘Genius Desserts’—two cookbooks that have changed the way that I cook at home. They are approachable and filled with helpful tips and words of encouragement for experienced and beginner cooks alike.” —Simply Recipes “This is precisely the sort of practical cooking advice for which Miglore is famous … it’s almost scrapbook-like, littered with arrows and circles and the sort of margin notes you might have scrawled yourself at the edge of a recipe card, back when recipe cards were more than vintage relics.” —Taste Cooking “The 100 simple yet craveable recipes in this collection . . . feature the same caliber of chefs as her award-winning ‘Genius’ series—think Jacques Pepin, Samin Nosrat and Andrea Nguyen — but the focus is on building confidence, saving time and breaking rules.” —San Jose Mercury News “This extensive guide will inspire home cooks of all levels.” —Publishers Weekly Kristen Miglore is the founding editor of Food52. Her writing has been published in The Wall Street Journal , Saveur , and The Atlantic , and she was nominated for a James Beard Award for Food52's Genius Recipes column. The column led to the Genius Recipes cookbook, which won an IACP Award and became a New York Times bestseller, and Genius Desserts , also an IACP Award winner. Food52 is a leading innovator in the cooking and home space, the most comprehensive resource for people who see food as the center of a well-lived life. Introduction I was standing in the kitchen with my almost-two-year-old on a wooden chair next to me, passing sticky measuring spoons and cups back and forth, littering the counter and floor with oats and splats of maple syrup. While I tested Jenné Claiborne’s Tahini Pistachio Granola (page 22) in a big bowl with proper measurements, my daughter was mixing her own little freestyle batch on the side, happily eating her work along the way. I slid the sheet pan into the oven. We wiped the counter, singing the clean up, clean up song. The kitchen air sweetened with toasting oats and sesame. Fifteen minutes later, we were blowing on clumps of warm granola and turning off the oven. My daughter hadn’t had a chance to get bored and wander away; I woke up every day that week thinking of the next bowl I’d get to eat. When I started working on this book in 2018, long before she was born, it was meant for beginners. I pictured the recipes I’d hand to my someday-child to get her hooked on cooking—to show how much she could do in the kitchen with little effort, ti