Blog Posts by Food52

Hanukkah is a great excuse to let the oil flow and fry, fry away. Latkes and jelly donuts are the usual slick and crispy suspects, but they're not the only foods you can throw in the pan, which is why we've gathered eight great oil-fried recipes that are perfect for the upcoming holiday. Some are a little different, like crispy fried rings of squash, and some are, well, latkes -- but all are delicious.

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Hate it or love it, it's that time of year again. That time of year when the chill sets in, when the sky gets dark, when a mug of warm something becomes a lifeline, a necessity. Here are 7 of our favorite cold-weather drinks, both boozy and not, to start and end your day right.

• Still not cozy? Check out our favorite soup recipes to keep warm.
• Master the art of edible gifts with our Holiday Cookie Strategies.
• Got a question in the kitchen? The Food52 Hotline is here to help!

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We're feeling a bit French today, and we thought you might be, too. What'll be on our tables tonight? We're getting our omega-3s in with gingerroot's perfectly Parisian Aromatic Poached Salmon with Rye and Caper Breadcrumbs. Enjoyed with a glass of white wine, we could easily stop there, but tonight, we're skipping happily along to dessert. Because our night wouldn't be truly French without a little sliver of something sweet, now would it?

The Menu

Aromatic Poached Salmon with Rye and Caper Breadcrumbs by gingerroot

Serves 4 to 6

1/2 cup gin
1/2 cup water
1 (1 1/2 pound) salmon fillet, preferably wild
3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup each Pumpernickel and white breadcrumbs (more coarse crumbs than sand)
1 1/2 tablespoon chopped capers
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon

Read More »from Dinner Tonight: Aromatic Poached Salmon + Lazy Lemon Tart

We get it. You bought that carton of buttermilk, maybe, to make pancakes on Sunday morning. Maybe you baked a cake; maybe you made biscuits. For whatever reason, you have that carton in your fridge, and the expiration date is inching closer, and, like a responsible cook, you want to put it to use. Here are eight of our favorite recipes that use buttermilk -- eight recipes to try, and eight ways to make the game of using-up-what's-left-in-the-fridge fun and delicious.

• See our favorite recipes for make-ahead breakfasts for the holiday season.

• Continue down the dairy aisle and learn 6 ways to cook with yogurt.

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

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Before we get into the full-on holiday swing, let's consider a low-maintenance option for having company over and providing your guests with easy, delicious food: a pizza party! Whether you're a cheese pizza devotee or like to mix and match all sorts of toppings, at least one of these six recipes from the spirited home cooks' community at Food52 is sure to please. Because, really, who doesn't love pizza?

Pick your pie, call up some friends, and let yourself gradually ease into the season of serious holiday entertaining.

• Learn how to stretch pizza dough like a pro.

• Don't let yeast scare you!

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

Read More »from Easy Entertaining: 6 Recipes for a Pizza Party

While we all love Thanksgiving, and acknowledge that life is really all about family and friends and all of that, there is a particularly light and joyous feeling that overtakes us when said family and friends have finally left and life is our own once again. There's no one to impress, no one to frantically scrub the floors for. Just you, at home, back to normal. Take the time to fix yourself something special and truly tasty -- like HalfPint's Lemony Sardine Pate -- a little more than cheese and crackers, but hardly more work. Sometimes the most luxurious meal is a meal cooked for one, and Rhonda35's Spaghetti with Fried Eggs celebrates just that. Feel free to eat it straight out of the pan -- we won't tell.

The Menu

Rhonda's Spaghetti with Fried Eggs and Pangritata for One by Rhonda35

Serves one

Pangritata

1/3 cup fresh or stale coarse breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
Zest from half a lemon

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large

Read More »from Dinner Tonight: Spaghetti with Fried Eggs + Lemony Pate

As December gets closer, our coats get heavier, and our ovens start calling to us. This desire to bake through the winter coincides nicely with a number of holidays, with gifts giving us one more excuse to preheat the oven and bring out the usual suspects: flour, sugar, butter, and eggs.

Quickbreads and muffins are some of the fastest, easiest baked goods you can whip up, and they make fantastic gifts. Presented in a basket or miniature loaf pans, they're certain to please any friend, coworker, mail delivery person, or far-flung relative. And if you're feeling like more of a grinch this season, you can always save them for yourself -- they keep well in the freezer.

So heat up the oven, break out your favorite mixing bowls, and bake one -- or all -- of these 8 recipes for quick breads and muffins. Just be sure to double the recipe; someone will thank you later.

• Browse more breakfast recipes from our community
• Learn all about the chemical leaveners that make quick

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This week, a Merrill-ific dinner, because who doesn't love that? Her so-good-it's-silly Pasta Al Forno is rib-sticking, whole-body-warming food. Plus, it serves 8, so make the full batch and you'll have enough for dinner tonight and tomorrow night: always a bonus, but this week a must. Shaved brussels sprouts offer freshness and crunch, welcome alongside the creamy baked pasta.

The Menu

Pasta Al Forno with Pumpkin and Pancetta by merrill

Serves 6 to 8

1 3-4 pound cheese pumpkin or butternut squash
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1/4 pound pancetta, diced
1 pound conchiglie rigate (shells)
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 pound shredded fresh mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/2 cup fontina, coarsely grated
1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola
2 tablespoons ricotta
2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Cut the pumpkin into 8 equal wedges and arrange on two

Read More »from Dinner Tonight: Pumpkin Pasta Al Forno and Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad