Blog Posts by Food52

Inspiration for tonight's dinner: fresh mint and its ability to make the stars of the season sing.

Asparagus' woodsy crunch is coaxed out by snippets of mint in Meatballs&Milkshakes' stunning Shaved Asparagus and Mint Salad. A tough act to follow, but lechef's rich and indulgent Pasta with Prosciutto, Snap Peas, Mint and Cream is up to the task. A delicious feast of a weeknight dinner, and why not? As a very wise woman once said, "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful".

Looking for more quick & easy ideas for dinner tonight? Come join our community of talented home cooks at food52.com and let's get cooking!

The Menu

Pasta with Prosciutto, Snap Peas, Mint and Cream by lechef

Serves 4
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound prosciutto shank, finely diced
4 shallots, minced
1 pint cream
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/2 pound fresh snap peas, whole, chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
salt and fresh ground pepper
3/4

Poor chicken breasts, the old workhorses of desperate weeknight dinners, of mediocre restaurants, of large-scale corporate catered events. Handled incorrectly, they can be dry, bland, boring: a blank slate still, well, woefully blank. But dressed up, in a top hat or fancy coat, in glittery heels and a fur collar, chicken breasts can star in any dinner, one simple or elegant, harried or leisurely. Here are 7 reasons to give chicken breasts a chance -- 7 ways to turn a blank slate into a wonderful meal.

• Browse through more easy, week-night dinner plans.

• See our (Winner, Winner) Roast Chicken Dinners.

• Got a question in the kitchen? The Food52 Hotline is here to help!

Mother's Day is around the corner, and it's time to get planning. Whether you surprise her with breakfast in bed or a leisurely brunch, here are 9 ideas for a feast -- most of which can be made ahead -- that will leave everyone contented, well fed, and wishing every day was Mother's Day.

• See more brunch recipes on Food52.

• Browse ideas for edible gifts on Food52.

• Got a question in the kitchen? The FOOD52 Hotline is here to help!

Inspiration for tonight's dinner: that simple and cozy old-faithful dinner of chicken and salad, spruced up and spring-cleaned for your enjoyment! Lizthechef calls her Lemon Artichoke Chicken a "perfect mid-week supper, elegant enough for a dinner party", and you'll surely agree. Waverly's Celery and Mushroom Salad elevates both and will earn each of them a place in your grocery basket for good. Put these two together, and you have a real winner of a weeknight chicken dinner.

For more great chicken dinner ideas, or quick and easy menus for weeknight dinners, come on over to Food52 and join our community of amazing home cooks!

The Menu

Lemon Artichoke Chicken by Lizthechef

Serves 4

4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 10 oz. package artichoke hearts, thawed
2 tablespoons dry sherry
zest of one Meyer or other organic lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup creme

The countdown is official: with less than a week to go, we're closing in on Mother's Day. In the spirit of crunch time, we've searched our archives high and low for DIY gifts that will make for happy mothers everywhere. So, in case you can't make her breakfast in bed, here are 8 ideas to whip up, wrap up, and tie a bow on to show her just how thankful you are.

• See more Mother's day recipes on Food52.

• See our genius recipe for Daniel Patterson's 40-Second Poached Scrambled Eggs.

• Got a question in the kitchen? The Food52 Hotline is here to help!

Place your bets, put on your finest hat, and make room for a smashing Derby Day feast. We've got plenty of Bourbon (for drinking and cooking with) and other Kentucky favorites. You won't want to miss it.

• See more of our ideas for cooking with bourbon.

• Get everything you need for drinking your go-to Bourbon cocktail.

• Got a question in the kitchen? The Food52 Hotline is here to help!

With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, we've planned a Mexican fiesta full of spicy cocktails, guacamole, tacos, and more!

• See more of our taco recipes for a Cinco de Mayo feast.

• Try Not Exactly Grandma's Migas for a Mexican brunch.

• Got a question in the kitchen? The Food52 Hotline is here to help!

Every week, at Food52.com, we're digging up Genius Recipes -- the ones that make us rethink cooking myths, get us talking, and change the way we cook.

Today: Tortilla soup escapes the 1990s.

- Kristen Miglore, Senior Editor, Food52.com

I'm going to blame the 1990s for sullying tortilla soup. By the end of that colorful, fusion-obsessed decade, every fast-casual restaurant seemed to be peddling the same muddy version. You remember it: burnt sienna broth with a few shreds of chicken and tortilla dangling in it, along with maybe a handful of Niblets.

>>RELATED: See 16 of our favorite soup recipes on FOOD52.

But there are all kinds of tortilla soups out there. It's not just a sad American commodity in a to-go cup, but a truly regional specialty that repurposes the daily bread of Mexico in different ways all over the country.

But perhaps the most genius version comes from Rick Bayless, whose own rise to fame mirrored and probably fueled that of tortilla