Blog Posts by Food52

Tonight, a rustic, minimalistic dinner -- uncomplicated, unadulterated food that looks like and tastes of precisely what it is. Assertively spiced merguez perks up senses dulled by the winter's chill with its red-hot heat. Brussels sprouts, treated with a delicate hand, bring a slight and pleasing bitterness that complements the richness of the lamb in a just-so sort of way. All in all, a winner. Ready, as always, in just about an hour.

The Menu

Lamb Merguez by MrsWheelbarrow

Makes 1 lb. of bulk merguez sausage to feed 4

Spice Mixture

1 tablespoon coriander seed, dry toasted
1 tablespoon cumin seed, dry toasted
1 tablespoon anise seed, or fennel seed, in a pinch, dry toasted
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne, depending on your harissa
2 teaspoons turmeric

Sausage

1 pound fresh ground lamb shoulder
2 garlic cloves, minced fine
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon spice mix
2 tablespoons

Read More »from Dinner Tonight: Lamb Merguez + Grilled Brussels Sprouts

Everyone gets caught up in the perfect Valentine's Day dinner -- but today, it's time to consider the perfect Valentine's Day breakfast.

Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Puffs are the only way to start off Valentine's Day right: they're easy to make, and are light, sweet, and buttery all at once.

>>RELATED: Pair these little puffs with the perfect hot chocolate.

You don't want to overwhelm your loved one's day with too many activities. Save the ultimate gesture for that dinner at the end of the night. But a small act of kindness will get you just as far when that special someone wakes up to the scent of sugary, cinnamon-y, homemade, baked-not-fried doughnut holes.

>>RELATED: No need to go out on Valentine's Day -- make that steakhouse dinner at home.

The browned butter adds an unforgettable nuttiness lest you worry that these little babies are too sweet, and the tiny bit of orange zest lends brightness. All it takes to wow your Valentine is a quick whipping of wet and dry

Read More »from Valentine's Day Breakfast: Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Puffs

Every week on 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: The creamiest vegan chocolate sorbet you'll ever meet -- just in time for Valentine's Day.

- Kristen Miglore, Senior Editor, Food52.com

There's a reason people eat a small, easily moderated square of dark chocolate after meals. It's intense, satisfying, life-affirming. It's all you need. You're not going to accidentally scarf a whole bar of 83% single-origin fancy stuff. (Unless you're pregnant, or on deadline -- and that's okay.) Scatter it through a cookie or stir in hot cream to make a ganache, and we have a different end to the story.

>>RELATED: Rich Chocolate Cake with Coconut Filling and Ganache

But you hear "chocolate sorbet" -- no milk, no cream, no eggs -- and perhaps you imagine something severe. You wouldn't want a bowl of 83% squares, so what are you supposed to do with this?

If

Read More »from Genius Chocolate Sorbet

Preparing a Valentine's Day dinner can seem daunting, especially for someone who's not so comfortable in the kitchen. But if you can chop, mash, stir, and spread ricotta on toast, you can pull off this menu. Each dish is a take-your-time dish, a kind dish, a forgiving dish -- all while staying impressive, elegant, and confidently simple.

Dust off your stove. Warm up your oven. And if all goes wrong, there's always champagne.

More from Food52:
• 9 Chocolate Cakes
• 9 Ways to Do Breakfast in Bed
• Got a question in the kitchen? The Food52 Hotline is here to help!

Brought to you by the spirited home cooks' community at Food52.

Read More »from The Most Foolproof Valentine's Menu

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, just for you, Valentine: a completely forgiving, undemanding, and lovable chocolate mousse.

- Kristen Miglore, Senior Editor, Food52.com

It took a brilliant, adventurous chemist to discover the simplest way to make chocolate mousse at home. "I invented it -- but it was so easy, I'm embarrassed!" Herve This told Wired magazine in 2007.

He also invented the study of molecular gastronomy -- but his book of the same name doesn't read like a science manual. The book instead is about simple, scientific surprises and improvements in home cooking.

He explains everything from getting crisp skin on a roast chicken (don't baste with the juices) to whether gnocchi are truly done when they bob to the surface (not necessarily).

... And how to make a flawless, creamy chocolate mousse out of just chocolate and water. Oh

Read More »from Genius Recipe: Two-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

Virtuous and colorful: two words that should always be associated with a weeknight dinner at home, but too rarely are. Deep violet radicchio roasted with meaty, pink shrimp are a simple and brillant pairing. EmilyC adds a few halved cherry tomatoes, but it being the beginning of Feburary you may not want to use them (or maybe you do, we won't judge!). If this all sounds just a little too virtuous, well, unlike those cherry tomatoes, clementines are in season, which means that it'd probably be a good idea to make a pound cake with them. Like maybe SavvyJulie's? And if you decide to serve it with a sizeable dollop of whipped cream, even better.

The Menu

Roasted Radicchio with Shrimp and Warm Bacon Vinaigrette by EmilyC

Serves 2 to 3 as a main course; 4 to 6 as a side dish

2 small heads radicchio
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
Kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper
1 pound medium shrimp,

Read More »from Dinner Tonight: Roasted Radicchio and Shrimp + Clementine Pound Cake

Any time we're in the kitchen, we're usually chopping onions for something: as the base for a soup, to perk up a salad, to darken for a braise, to melt into a stew. Onions are the prepositions of the kitchen: they are amid, among, atop, below, in, on, underneath, and with foods. We rarely chop them and soften them, brown them and melt them to enjoy on their own.

Here are 10 ways to give onions the spotlight, to let their earthy sweetness brighten up your kitchen. We know you've got them rolling around somewhere in your kitchen. Let them shine!

More from Food52:
• 7 Ways to Make Cabbage Sexy.
• 6 Wintry Fennel Recipes.
• Got a question in the kitchen? The Food52 Hotline is here to help!

Read More »from 10 Ways to Glam Up Onions

We understand the allure of a steakhouse dinner on Valentine's Day: it's indulgent, it shows you care, and it's nice to feel fancy every once in a while. With 50 other diners similarly hoping for an intimate experience, however, the reality of a romantic dinner often doesn't meet expectations. So this year, strip away the checked table cloths, and cook your beloved a decadent, steakhouse-worthy dinner at home. Sure, you'll have to do the dishes, but it's a small price to pay for the assurance that there won't be any amorous strangers leaning into your bread basket.

More from Food52:
• Shake things up with these 5 Valentine's cocktails.
• Browse 7 more steak recipes to steal the show.
• Got a cooking question? The Food52 Hotline is here to help!

Brought to you by the spirited home cooks' community at Food52.

Read More »from A Steakhouse-Worthy Valentine's Day Menu