Posted by Caroline Wright
Testing recipes from our readers is a highlight of working in our test kitchen. It's a privilege to taste the recipes that make you most proud and to celebrate the best ones by printing them in Everyday Food.
Every reader's recipe has a story and showcases something about him or her -- a little spice, something tangy, much comfort. So I hope you'll respond to our heartfelt (maybe that's a little overstated, but hey, these are personal!), resounding call for your family's go-to main dishes, side dishes, salads, and sweets -- send them in! And read on for some of our favorite reader recipes and suggestions for how to get published.
Something New
Our favorite recipes in the test kitchen are recipes that you have made to please the particular tastes in your home. Often these are cool adaptations of classic recipes. For example, in our May 2008 issue, Deurie Barker sent in a recipe for Chicken Burgers -- an unexpected preparation for ground chicken that brings a family-friendly recipe to your table in a refreshed way.
Something Original
What qualifies as an original recipe? Sometimes dishes are iconic (say, chicken pot pie or beef stew) or you've cooked a recipe so many times that it feels like your own; both might have originated or appeared in a cookbook recently or long ago. We can't print any recipes that have been copied from anywhere (this means books, websites, magazines, radio -- really, anywhere).
However, if you have changed the recipe in a generous handful of ways -- swapped oil for butter, substituted shallot for some onion, thrown in a new ingredient, taken out another component, and changed its cooking process, for example -- then it's your rendition. Think of having several differences from anything you've seen in print or whatever inspired you.
Check out Sharon Pearlstein's version of gazpacho in our July/August 2008 issue: Her recipe keeps the fresh flair of a traditional gazpacho, but uses mango instead of tomatoes and spikes it with rice vinegar, lime juice, and a bit of hot sauce.
Something That Suits Us
In the test kitchen, we make great food fast. That means good-quality, fresh ingredients, prepared easily and quickly. We encourage you to do the same: Your best shot at getting published is to share a recipe with few or no prepared ingredients. We don't do brands and avoid processed foods in our recipes (we try to shave off prep time in other ways). So, if you have a favorite recipe that uses prepared ingredients such as salad dressing or a can of soup, try to think of another way to get similar flavors or textures in your dish.
We have so many favorite reader recipes in the test kitchen, and always look forward to new submissions. Kristen, one of our food editors, still considers Cynthia Avice's chocolate cake that we published in September 2005 as her ultimate chocolate cake. My favorite recipe from a friend and fellow blogger, Louisa Cooper, is for baked eggs with croutons and onion, published our October 2007 issue. We would love to find our new favorite recipe in one of yours!
Send in your recipes to readerrecipes@marthastewart.com. Also, if you have questions about more of what we're looking for, leave a comment or two on this post and we'll get back to you. We can't wait to see what you cook up!
I have a great yellow squash casserole that I use and it is adjusted by me for our taste. It has yellow squash and it tastes great.
Posted by: Sherry Fast | August 21, 2008 at 04:23 PM
If a recipe is chosen, do you notify the person that submitted it? I've just emailed one to you. Thanks!
Posted by: Karolann | August 21, 2008 at 04:25 PM
If your recipe is chosen, we will contact you. Keep in mind, though, that we work quite a bit ahead of the calendar-- about six months or so-- you will hear from us when we work on the time of year when your recipe is most appropriate. Thanks for your submission, Karolann!
Posted by: Caroline Wright | August 21, 2008 at 04:52 PM
Hmmm... I might have an original recipe or two :) Thanks for the tip, Deb!
Posted by: Average Betty | August 21, 2008 at 05:04 PM
I'm about to email a recipe! :0)
Posted by: VeggieGirl | August 21, 2008 at 05:11 PM
Something is seriously wrong with that chocolate cake recipe, the head notes and the instructions do not fit with the ingredients. Can you take a look?
Posted by: Amy Sherman | August 21, 2008 at 05:48 PM
You're right, Amy. We were missing our 1 cup of coffee in the ingredients list. It's been fixed, but probably won't reflect that until tomorrow.
Thanks for the heads up!
Posted by: Alison | August 21, 2008 at 06:02 PM
Oooh, very exciting! I have an amazing new take on pumpkin pie as well as a delicious, quick version of Chicken or Eggplant Parmesan. I have to go pick up my hubby at the airport but will post them here http://peckedbyducks.com and e-mail them when I get back tonight.
-Karen
Posted by: Karen | August 21, 2008 at 08:27 PM
Hi,
Very interested in participating! Is there a dead line? I have a couple dishes that we love and I would love to share!
Thank you, I look forward to hearing back!
~ the folks at Chez US
Come dine with us soon!
Posted by: Chez US | August 21, 2008 at 08:45 PM
I am different than others. I seem to write recipes that get other people to cook right away. If I wrote a cookbook, it would be "book of awful recipes and bad housekeeping."
I enjoy Martha Stewart's recipes. But I have diabetes so I can't have cakes and pies.
Posted by: Mary Cassells | August 22, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Wow, thanks everyone for so much feedback and excitement! We can't wait to have a look at your favorite recipes.
Chez US, to answer your question: no, there isn't a deadline. In fact, whenever you have recipes for both in or out of season, send them our way. We often have to consider many times of the year at once in our reader recipe selections, so things that might feel out of season right now could be exactly what we're looking for in a future issue!
Thanks, everyone! Can't wait to hit the kitchen...
Posted by: Caroline Wright | August 23, 2008 at 01:15 PM
Wow, thanks everyone for so much feedback and excitement! We can't wait to have a look at your favorite recipes.
Chez US, to answer your question: no, there isn't a deadline. In fact, whenever you have recipes for both in or out of season, send them our way. We often have to consider many times of the year at once in our reader recipe selections, so things that might feel out of season right now could be exactly what we're looking for in a future issue!
Thanks, everyone! Can't wait to hit the kitchen...
Posted by: Caroline Wright | August 23, 2008 at 01:15 PM
Great! Can't wait to submit a recipe!
Posted by: Jaden, Steamy Kitchen | August 25, 2008 at 12:17 PM
Oooh! I will also definitely be submitting a recipe or two! Thanks for the tip. :)
Posted by: Alejandra | August 25, 2008 at 01:17 PM
What a great idea - be expecting one from me!
Posted by: Christie @ fig&cherry | August 31, 2008 at 05:37 AM
Caroline, if a recipe has been published but ONLY on a personal blog or in a little church-sponsored cookbook (*maybe* ~100 people have seen it in said book), can it still be submitted? thx!
Posted by: Tanya | September 03, 2008 at 10:45 AM
I'm sending you my BBQ shrimp recipe, old family recipe. its yummy good!
Posted by: Deb@BirdOnAWire | October 02, 2008 at 12:02 PM
I think I have a few that might fit the bill. I'll round a few up later tonight and get them sent in
Posted by: Jerry, Cooking by the seat of my Pants | October 02, 2008 at 01:28 PM
Just to clarify... it can be a recipe we've already posted on our own blog, so long as it's original?
Posted by: Anita / Married ...with Dinner | October 02, 2008 at 05:50 PM
I'm interested to know the same. Is it OK to send in a recipe that's already been posted on a food blog?
Posted by: Jerry, Cooking by the seat of my Pants | October 05, 2008 at 11:46 AM