Blog Posts by Food52

Thanks to the leap year, this February has been longer than usual, and summertime is looking awfully far away. So why not add a little sunshine to the middle of your workday by packing yourself a vibrant and fortifying lunch? Spend a little time in the kitchen on Sunday, and you could have the supplies for a week's worth of mouth-watering lunches. Throw in a bright salad and a home-spun sweet, and you've got this one in the bag.

• Looking for more lunch ideas? Browse sandwich recipes from the Food52 community.
• See our collection of snack ideas.
• Got a question in the kitchen? The Food52 Hotline is here to help!

Sara's "Granola Bars" by merrill

My friend Sara is a great cook, and she's forever amazing me with her deftness at making something transcendent out of a few simple ingredients. She doesn't tend to favor elaborate, cloying desserts -- more than once she's ended a dinner party with a plate of her homemade "granola bars." They're chewy and rich, a jumble of

Inspiration for tonight's menu: a taste of the rolling Tuscan countryside to brighten up the evening. Uncork a nice Chianti to sip while you nibble on Merrill's creamy and bright Bruschetta with Ricotta, Honey and Lemon Zest and kick your feet up while you watch your Ribollita simmer away on the stove. Rustic Italian bliss, on your table in under an hour.

Find more great ideas for Dinner Tonight on food52.com, search for hearty winter soups, one pot meals, and while you're at it, join our community of great home cooks!

The Menu

Ribollita by la domestique

Serves 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper flakes
1 carrot, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
28 ounces (1 can) plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 pound cavolo nero, or any other variety of kale, trimmed and chopped into bite sized pieces
15 ounces (1 can) cannellini beans,

For those of us who won't be in New Orleans this week for Mardi Gras, there are always pancakes. We don't take this consolation prize lightly at FOOD52, where these confections come in many wonderful shapes and sizes. This Mardi Gras, put your regular pancake recipe on the back burner, and mix in a few of our sweet and savory favorites.

• For more savory pancakes, check out these Editors' Picks from our potato pancake contest.
• If you love the idea of having breakfast at dinnertime, you might also want to try this idea for another weekday dinner.
• Got a question in the kitchen? The Food52 Hotline is here to help!

Lemony Cream Cheese Pancakes with Blueberries by ENunn

For those who crave the purity of a plain pancake but occasionally find themselves wanting more, this recipe might be the perfect compromise. Lemon's perfume (from both the juice and zest) permeates these light, fluffy buttermilk pancakes, but the real magic lies in the addition of one key

Snuggle up on the couch, and close your eyes for a moment. Pretend, first, that it's actually cold outside. Then, picture snow falling softly outside your window, gently hitting the windowpane. There's a fire burning in the hearth: breathe it in. Boy, it's been a great day out there on the slopes. It feels so good to be out of that cold, wrapped in a cashmere blanket, the promise of hearty food just moments away.

Open your eyes. Are you ready for some après ski?

No matter if you're in weirdly-balmy NYC, always-balmy Southern California, on the slopes or off the slopes, you could all use some time by the (virtual?) fire, indulging in all of the joys that skiing (or not skiing) has to offer. It's almost President's Day weekend: perfect timing. Who needs snow when you've got food this good?

• Cozy up to more soups and stews this weekend.
• What's more après-ski than chili? Check out our entries for Your Best Chili contest.
• Got a question in the kitchen? The

Inspiration for tonight's dinner: lightness and spice. Warming and generously spiced, Roasted Carrot Soup and Rivka's Mujaddara with Spiced Yogurt together make for a super-satisfying, palate-enlivening dinner.

We've included a sort of meal-making plan of action below, but click on the photos or links to find the fully-fleshed out recipes. A delicious supper in, oh, about an hour -- eat up!

If you're a fan of healthy, satisfying dinners, check out Our New Year's Detox and 9 Great Winter Grains. And browse Food52's vast recipe collection for more menu ideas and many brilliant options for dinner tonight!

The Menu

Roasted Carrot Soup by Reeve

Serves 4
6 to 8 large carrots (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
6 cups vegetable stock (good quality, not too high in sodium)
1 piece ginger, an inch long, peeled
1 sprig thyme, plus more for garnish
1/2 large sweet onion
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Peel

There's always something about breakfast for dinner that feels like a treat. It's easy to whip up. The ingredients can almost always be found in our pantries. And after a long day, a big plate of french toast is sometimes all that we need. Here are 9 breakfasts for dinner -- eggs, pancakes, waffles, and everything in between -- to treat yourself, your wallet, and your schedule. You deserve it.

• Browse through our Dinner Tonight ideas for more breakfast-for-dinner plans.
• Browse our list of Make-Ahead Breakfasts for an even easier breakfast-for-dinner (or breakfast-for-breakfast, for that matter).
• Got a question in the kitchen? The Food52 Hotline is here to help!

One-Eyed Sandwiches by merrill

Although they go by many other names -- egg in the basket, egg-in-the-hole, bird's nest, to name a few -- in our house we called them "one-eyed sandwiches," and the technique originated with my grandfather. I'm biased, to be sure, but there are a few small details

This Valentine's Day, why go through the hullabaloo of dinner at a crowded, pricey steakhouse when you can make it (better) at home? Light some candles, throw a bouquet of roses on the table, and you've got yourself one romantic meal.

• See our list of 9 Edible Valentines to serve for dessert -- or to send along to friends and family.
• Browse more recipes for steak dishes, side dishes, and desserts.
• Got a question in the kitchen? The Food52 Hotline is here to help!

Cowboy Rubbed Rib Eye with Chocolate Stout Pan Sauce by Aliwaks

Ground coffee, smoked paprika, cumin, ancho chile and brown sugar form an earthy, flinty rub that smells appealingly of wood smoke. Aliwaks borrows a smart technique from Indian cooking and has you toast the spices over low heat before rubbing them on the steak. Then it's just a matter of searing it in a very hot iron pan and finishing the sauce with some chocolate brown stout, beef stock and a lump of butter. - Amanda & Merrill

Serves

Valentine's Day is a wonderful mid-February excuse to celebrate, indulge, and nostalgically recall the grade school days of exchanging paper cards and carnations. We hope you haven't outgrown the spirit of giving and receiving Valentines, but we also hope that you'll forgo the drugstore boxes of assorted chocolates this year in favor of our hand-picked assortment of indulgent sweets.

• Check out more cookies from the Food52 community of cooks.

• Browse some of our favorite chocolate recipes.

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