Mad Genius Tips

We’re in the height of summer now—which means picnics, barbecues and all manner of excuses to eat and drink outside. And, at least for thisroot-vegetable-loving writer, no summertime cookout is complete without a good old-fashioned potato salad. There’s something inherently summery about thispotluckstaple; versatile, nostalgic, substantial but not too heavy for hot weather.

夏天is the time when all things frozen have their chance to shine. We want ice cream, popsicles and frozen yogurt in as massive quantities as we can get them. Well,Food & Wine’s deputy kitchen editor Justin Chapple is here with the latest edition of Mad Genius Tips for the quickest, easiest combination of your favorite summer treats: Yogurt pops. And, says Justin, all you need is “something you probably have in your fridgeright now.”

夏天is here, andice creamseason is upon us. But making an ice cream cake from scratch is time-consuming—and we all know the store-bought versions can be a recipe for a stomachache.

“I am here to tell you you’ve been putting way too much effort into peeling an orange—but that’s all going to change, with the help of a spoon.”

Food & WineMad Genius Justin Chapple is back, and he’s here to save us from the famously messy and time-consuming task of peeling oranges. “The thing I hate about peeling an orange,” says Justin, “is that you’ve got to dig your thumb into it. You sometimes miss and go right into the fruit, or you leave a bunch of pith. But this trick is going to change your life.”

Today, Justin Chapple (Food & Wine’s friendly neighborhood Mad Genius) shows us an easy way to make a staple of Spanish bar food:tortilla española. Don’t worry, you won’t need to go out and buy atortilladora—this dish, also known as a Spanish omelette, is a tortilla in the literal sense of the word: a smalltorta. “Tortilla española is kind of like a potato frittata,” says Justin, an egg and potato cake “that’s cut into small pieces and served as a tapa.”

“有诺斯ing romantic about a hard boiled egg—that is, unless you shape it into a heart,” says F&W’s Justin Chapple. The latest tip from our Mad Genius will add some love to your salads, sandwiches, bento boxes and anything else that can be improved by putting an (adorable) egg on it.

Fun fact: You know that slimy liquid that’s leftover after you’ve strained a can ofchickpeas? It has a name. And you shouldn’t pour it down the drain.

Has this ever happened to you? You’re excited to try a new chicken salad recipe, but you begin to dread the harrowing ordeal that awaits you: shredding a giant pile of poultry.

You stand around for what seems like an eternity waiting for the breast meat to cool. You spend your afternoon hacking at it with a fork, scalding your fingertips, getting chicken juice over your hands, convinced that there must be a better way.

Hi, I’m Justin Chapple—F&W ’s resident ham andMad Genius! I’m known for singing show tunes around the office and playing pranks on my unsuspecting coworkers. I also spend much of my time developing and discovering brilliant cooking hacks for my video series,Mad Genius Tips.

1.Start the Day with Cinnamon Roll Waffles
The waffle iron is an amazing brunch tool.

2.Make Yourself Some Watermelon Cubes
Prep your watermelon like a pro.