I became a fan of Genevieve Ko a few years ago when I received a copy of her 2016 baking masterwork, “Better Baking,” as a holiday gift.
I learned many important lessons from that book — the value of investing in a good rimmed baking sheet, for one — and return often to its simple yet profound premise, which is rooted in the idea that minimally processed ingredients, used intelligently, can deepen the flavor of something as familiar as a peanut butter cookie, and make you long for a chocolate sheet cake made using, of all things, creamy sweet potatoes.
Before joining L.A. Times Food as cooking editor nearly two years ago, Genevieve worked as an editor at Martha Stewart Living and Gourmet, among other publications, and has co-authored several well-known cookbooks, including George Mendes’ “My Portugal,” Carla Hall’s “Soul Food” and multiple titles with French American chef