For the past 10 years, the Food52 Editors have been answering the community's questions on the Food52 Hotline. We've debated the very best way to cut an onion, whether garlic pressing is sacrilegious, and compared notes on how to get the crispiest chicken skin. And now, we're taking those questions to the airwaves! Hosted by chef and restaurateur Esther Choi, Hotline Offline will leave you with a better understanding of how and why recipes and chefs say what they do (and empower you to abandon those rules completely!). On this episode: ATK's Elle Simone Scott joins Esther to tackle your questions all about holiday baking.Got a question? Call ‪(518) 291-9877‬ and leave us a message on the hotline, and be sure to follow Hotline Offline so no question goes unanswered and no answer unheard.

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 (Francis starts listing them at 3:17), and start the episode when you're ready to cook.Chinese American Thanksgiving Meatballs2 tablespoons vegetable oil1 bunch scallion, finely chopped7 cloves garlic, very finely minced1/4 pound stemmed fresh shiitake mushrooms, medium diceDiamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more as needed2 tablespoons oyster sauce1 tablespoon sesame oil2 tablespoons sugar1 bunch scallion, finely chopped7 cloves garlic, very finely minced1 pound ground turkey1/2 pound ground porkSauce3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil4 teaspoons peeled, finely minced ginger (from 1 1/2-inch piece)1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoesSear mushrooms: Heat the vegetable oil over high heat in a large saute pan. When the oil is shimmering-hot, carefully add the mushrooms and spread them out into one layer as best you can. Let sear, undisturbed, until richly browned, about 1 minute. Toss, spread out again, and let sear for another minute. Remove mushrooms from heat, season with salt to taste, and transfer to a medium bowl to cool. Mix marinade: In a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, sesame oil, 4 teaspoons sugar, 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and the chicken stock. Mix aromatics: Add ½ cup of the chopped scallion and 3 cloves of finely minced garlic to the bowl with the mushrooms and stir to combine. Make meatball mixture: Place the turkey and pork in a large mixing bowl and gently fold them together with your hands to start to combine. Pour in the marinade. Hold the fingers of one hand apart, as if holding a softball. Using that hand, stir the meat in one direction to mix in the marinade, being sure to agitate all the meat. When the meat has absorbed all the liquid and the mixture has gotten a bit sticky or tacky, stop. Add the mushroom mixture and gently fold to combine. Cover and let marinate for up to 4 hours. Make sauce: Set aside 2 tablespoons of scallions for garnish. In a Dutch oven or other large, lidded braising pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until you see the first wisps of smoke. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and stir until very aromatic, about 15 seconds. Add the ginger and stir until very aromatic, about 15 seconds. Add the remaining scallions and stir for 15 seconds. Add the can of tomatoes, bring it to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Season with 2 teaspoons sugar and salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Form and cook meatballs: Meanwhile, use a large soup spoon to scoop up the meat mixture and using your hands, very lightly pat out 1 1/2-inch diameter meatballs. Set them on a plate. (You should have about 24 meatballs). After the sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, remove the lid and gently add the meatballs in one layer. Adjust heat to a bare simmer and cover the pot. Let poach / steam until the meatballs are just cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Serve: Garnish with the reserved scallions and serve.Is there a Food52 recipe you'd like to hear us make? Email it to us at [email protected] Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We hear from food writer and soon-to-be cookbook author Eric Kim, Los Angeles Times cooking columnist Ben Mims, and from you (!), our community, about ghosts of Thanksgivings past.Referenced in this episode:Why You Should Make a Turducken (Even if You Don't Want to Eat it by the End) (Food52) Genius-Hunter Extra-Credit:Follow along with Eric (and Jean's!) recipe testing for the book Check out Ben's Thanksgiving spread Special thanks to listeners Sarah Copeland, Melissa Dain, and Myo Quinn for sharing their stories. We'll be back next week with a genius recipe; if you come across one in your holiday prep, I'd love to hear about it at [email protected] 

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 EggsServes 44 to 8 large eggs, depending on how hungry you are2 fresh corn cobs3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped1/4 cup diced roasted hatch chiles1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more to taste1 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 dried1 tablespoon neutral oil2 cloves garlic, minced1/2 teaspoon dried oregano1/4 teaspoon ground cuminJuice of half a lime1 handful chopped cilantro leaves or chives, to garnishSoft 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.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.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.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.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.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.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.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.

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 recipeGenius-Hunter Extra-Credit:Did you catch part 1, fried eggs chez Mike, too?ICYMI: Our 10 Most Popular Banana Breads of All Time