Since the mid-2010s, cookbook author Ali Slagle has published some 360 recipes for “The New York Times’” Cooking section, many of which have topped annual reader favorite lists for their simplicity and indubitable craveability. One of her most beloved recipes, for Thai-inspired chicken meatball soup, drew over 13,500 ratings (averaging five stars) and almost 700 comments. Amid all the praise, criticism, helpful notations and humorous color, Slagle’s voice is notably absent. Indeed, she almost never responds to comments on her recipes — and not just to avoid trolls.
“I think it’s fun to see everyone help each other,” said Slagle, who wrote the James Beard Award-nominated 2022 cookbook “I Dream of Dinner.” “That’s what cooking is about. It’s not about me telling you what to do. My job to write a recipe is to make it as replicable as possible in the sense that I’m considering all potential variables. I’m suggesting a method, and everyone can figure out their own path to it.”
