It's hard to know what makes a recipe best recipe, something reliable and memorable to use for years to come. There's a lot to consider, but most importantly, a recipe should be easy to follow and produce amazing results – even if the recipe itself isn't easy to test. Whatever you mean by that, it's what we should be in 2024.
Frankie Gaw, First Generation
For a long time, I was completely devoted to only one Rice Krispies Treat recipe: Smitten Kitchen's salted brown butter crispy treats. This slightly grown-up take on the classic does it all: It's easy to make, impressive, and a crowd pleaser. But for a recent Eater event, I needed to improve my baked goods offering, so I looked for something a little more creative. Frankie Gaw's milk tea rice crispy treats fits the bill perfectly, with a high flavor profile from the oolong tea and the addition of roasted almonds. Gaw says the miso is optional, but I think it adds a necessary savory boost, like a cheese foam topping. And I really like Gaw's tips about oiling the bowl and pot, and pouring the melted butter and marshmallows into the mixing bowl as opposed to the other way around, which makes it easier to pour the mixture. The yield here is 16, but I cut it smaller and managed to get 48 bite-sized pieces, more than enough to feed a crowd. — Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief
Maddie Omeltchenko, Breads and Such
Maybe it's innovation bias (I whipped up a batch of these blondies for Thanksgiving when I didn't feel like dealing with pie crust), but this recipe is the best thing I've ever baked. throughout the year, surpassing many breads, cookies. , and butter trays Mochi. The problem I always find with blondies is the texture; I'm looking for a delicious moist and dense, fudge-like consistency, not airy and cakey. These blondies provide all that and more: the slivered almonds on top add just enough nuttiness and crunch while the almond flour and almond extract provide that strong almond flavor that nut fans will appreciate. Baking it is like enjoying the best parts of an almond croissant without worrying about laminated dough, which is a victory in itself. — Kat Thompson, associate editor of Eater at Home
Claire Saffitz, What's for Dessert?
I'm someone who enjoys baking a good pie, even if my usual process involves a fair amount of anxiety and self-doubt. But even I can recognize the convenience that comes with opting for a galette instead. And when I happened upon Claire Saffitz's galette recipe at What's for Dessert? completely eliminated any desire I had to make a whole pie. I made Saffitz's version with stone fruit first, but the fall became part of her apple galette, an incredibly simple recipe with a big payoff. The hardest part is getting and scraping the vanilla beans. At first bite it reminded me of eating a chausson aux pommes at a bank in Paris. Since then, it has become the kind of recipe that I insist on making on occasions. Do we have to have people, so I can make the galette? The answer is, always, yes. — Monica Burton, deputy editor
Eric Kim, Koreaworld and Korean American
When I'm looking for a recipe, I usually want something that will only take a few minutes or all day. While flipping through Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard's cookbook Koreaworldthe kimchi-braised short rib pappardelle from Eric Kim immediately caught my eye. The recipe also appears in Kim's debut cookbook, Korean American. The long-cooked short ribs are fork tender after three hours in the pot, while the kimchi reduces to a jammy consistency, becoming one of gochugaru, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Following the recipe recommendation for a wide pasta such as pappardelle is important – a small noodle does not suppress the richness of the sauce, nor does it add a chewy contrast to the texture that one wants stronger. Finish the dish with a generous grating of Parmesan. As with many baked dishes, this sauce will be just as good, if not better, the next day if the flavors have had more time to mingle. — Rebecca Roland, associate editor of Eater LA
Hearty Vegan Multi-Mushroom Soup
Adeena Sussman, Shabbat
I've been making a lot of soup over the last couple of months, and I rarely use a recipe – usually, I follow the formula of throwing herbs, vegetables, and coconut milk in a pot, then simmer, season, and puree. this. A notable exception to this rule is the mushroom soup recipe in Adeena Sussman's latest cookbook, Shabbat. This is a soup made for mushrooms like me: It takes about three pounds of mixed mushrooms (I used cremini and oyster), along with an optional mushroom soup, plus one onions, some garlic, fresh thyme, and a little. of miso paste and soy sauce. The result is the mushroomiest mushroom soup I've ever eaten, a long embrace of umami. The broth is also vegan, which has the effect of letting the mushroom flavor shine through rather than muting it with dairy. It's even better when eaten with a hunk of crusty bread, and definitely keeps me both literally and metaphorically cold. — Rebecca Flint Marx, Eater and Home editor
Ham El-Waylly, NYT Cooking
When I first tried it, this Brazilian chicken stroganoff recipe really hit a sweet spot for me. It was challenging enough that a novice level cook like myself felt they could learn a few things from it, but it was easy enough that I felt confident taking it on. Its list of ingredients — browned chicken, mushrooms, onions, garlic, butter, Worcestershire, ketchup, heavy cream, mustard, and potato sticks — is almost a joke, because it only names the delicious things. To give credit where credit is due, Ham played a big part in selling me on this recipe: his use of chicken stroganoff as a comfort food and his professed dedication to perfecting it for others is infectious. I know the recipe works for date night, meal prep, and everything in between — it's now part of my repertoire as a comfort food that I brought with me to my first apartment in Brooklyn. — Sergio Scardigno, social video producer
Heirloom Tomato Sorbet
Gabriella Lewis, Turntables
I can't get enough tomato season this year. One day, at a farmer's market induced shopping, I got my hands on some beautiful and fragrant heirlooms – more than I knew what to do with. In an effort to immortalize them as much as possible, I made this tart and tangy sorbet. At first, I was a little skeptical that I might find myself with gazpacho, or worse, frozen ketchup. But what I came up with was not only easy to make but also bright, floral, and extremely refreshing. Using my KitchenAid stand mixer and ice cream-maker base to get the sorbet to the perfect consistency and layering it with olive oil and Malden salt made for a surprisingly refreshing treat. — Gabriella Lewis, managing producer