{"id":107499,"date":"2026-03-23T10:07:39","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T10:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/23\/8-readers-share-the-recipes-they-know-by-heart\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T10:07:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T10:07:39","slug":"8-readers-share-the-recipes-they-know-by-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/23\/8-readers-share-the-recipes-they-know-by-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Readers Share the Recipes They Know by Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"


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My friends and I make Alison Roman\u2019s<\/a> squash and lentil soup<\/a> so often that in our group chat we\u2019ve taken to referring to it as \u201cour soup.\u201d As in: \u201cI\u2019m making our soup tonight,\u201d or \u201cSorry you\u2019re sick! Can I drop off our soup this afternoon?\u201d We may not have written the recipe but it\u2019s ours now! Inspired, we asked Cup of Jo readers to share the recipes they\u2019ve made a million times. Here, eight readers recommend their tried-and-true dishes\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Alison<\/p>\n

\u201cOur\u201d Alison Roman soup \u2014 the recipe calls for acorn squash, but I\u2019ve been making it with honey nut squash from my garden.<\/p>\n

\"8<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I swear by the one my mom always made from my grandmother\u2019s The Best of Country Cooking<\/a> cookbook. I have the recipe memorized,\u00a0and I also add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. When I made these cookies for a friend, she could not believe I made them \u2018out of my brain.\u2019 Now it\u2019s my favorite way to describe knowing a recipe off the top of my head.\u201d \u2014 Katie<\/p>\n

\"dan<\/p>\n

\u201cI make Dan Pelosi<\/a>\u2019s non-alcoholic Negroni<\/a> on repeat. Basically, you steep half a box of Red Zinger tea<\/a> with orange peel, sugar, cloves, and black peppercorns, then serve it with tonic (and grapefruit juice if you have it, but I usually don\u2019t). It\u2019s a nice treat to sip on while putting dinner together. My husband and I like it so much that there\u2019s usually a big jar of it in our fridge.\u201d \u2014 Sarah<\/p>\n

\"Marcella<\/p>\n

\u201cMarcella Hazan\u2019s tomato sauce<\/a> is pure kitchen magic. I\u2019ve made it so many times that I no longer need the recipe. It seems too rudimentary to be special \u2014 just tomatoes, butter, and whole onions \u2014 but somehow the result is truly exquisite. My girls have always loved it \u2014 they\u2019re busy teens now and still get excited when they come home and smell tomatoes simmering. They call out from the doorway, \u2018It\u2019s a tomato sauce day!\u2019\u201d \u2014 Ashley<\/p>\n

\"8<\/p>\n

\u201cOn vacation in San Francisco, I ate a revelatory sandwich from Golden Gate Market Deli & Liquor, a bodega right next to the Presidio. Ever since, I have dedicated myself to perfecting my sandwich game. My latest is good sourdough, French Dijon, garlic aioli, Jarlsberg and smoked Gouda, an entire avocado, red onion, cucumber, perfectly ripe tomatoes (with salt and pepper, of course), wilted spinach, and a whole lot of sprouts. It takes a half hour to make but it is so, so worth it!\u201d \u2014 Elizabeth<\/p>\n

\"8<\/p>\n

\u201cWe make a kale Caesar with poached eggs all the time. The key is to tear the kale into strips and massage them for at least a minute. Then, add lemon juice, a glug or two of olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and lots of freshly grated Parmesan. Toss it all together. The leaves should be acidic, salty, and a tad spicy. Sometimes we make homemade croutons from a fresh loaf of bread. Finally, poach eggs and put them on top! Dinner is served in 20 minutes. The salad is super nourishing but also finger-licking good.\u201d \u2014 Becca<\/p>\n

\"smitten<\/p>\n

\u201cHands down, my go-to recipe is Smitten Kitchen\u2019s confetti cookies<\/a>. As Deb Perelman says, they\u2019re the best because you can pull ingredients straight from the fridge without waiting for them to come to room temp. We call them \u2018rainbow cookies\u2019 in our house, and they\u2019ve become my signature. My eight-year-old just made them all by himself for the first time, and I was so proud!\u201d \u2014 Laura<\/p>\n

\"buffalo<\/p>\n

\u201cFor several years, I\u2019ve made ahead a batch of buffalo chicken meatballs<\/a> to freeze and pack for lunch. I\u2019m a high school math teacher, mom of three, and short on time, so I value the consistency. I like to pair these with roasted sweet potatoes. Never disappoints!\u201d \u2014 Andrea<\/p>\n

\"Melissa<\/p>\n

\u201cA simple meal that my teenagers will always polish off is Melissa Clark\u2019s cheesy white beans<\/a>. I serve it alongside green salad and sliced baguette, and the whole thing takes 25 minutes, all in. We even had it over Christmas break<\/a>, and Lulu<\/a> and my dad<\/a> approved, as well.\u201d \u2014\u00a0Joanna<\/a><\/p>\n

Now, it\u2019s your turn to shout out your go-to recipes! What dishes have you made so many times you know them by heart? We want to add them to our list.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P.S. 11 (more) readers share their go-to recipes<\/a>, and what are five recipes in your arsenal<\/a>?<\/p>\n

(Sprinkle cookie photos by Deb Perelman<\/a>; tomato sauce photo by Christopher Testani for The New York Times<\/a>; meatball photo by Chrissa Benson<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t<\/p>\n

149<\/span> COMMENTS<\/p>\n

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