Blog Posts by Food52

This winter, cabbage is shrugging off that sheepskin coat and stepping out of those muddy boots: it's peasant food no more. It's sexy. It's seductive. It's suspiciously delicious. Here are our favorite ways to use winter's most hated-on vegetable -- grab a head and start chopping! (And with just one head of cabbage, you can make a few of these recipes, all of which are brought to you by the spirited community of home cooks at Food52.)

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Post-holiday doldrums can be killer. You're trying to be so good, but salad for dinner just doesn't cut the mustard in the middle of winter, and you can only have lentil soup so many nights in a row before you're having legume-filled nightmares. Fight those blues with some celebratory fare fit for a midweek slump. Who says sparkling wine must be saved for a New Year's toast? Isn't putting in a full day's work reason enough to pop at least a little prosecco? We say yes, and so does our Booze52 columnist, Erika Kotite, whose Champagne Cocktail is as fizzily festive as it is easy to make. Paired with a crispy turkey dinner -- schnitzel in this case -- it makes for fabulous weeknight vittles. Cheers to another weeknight supper! Because, why not?

The Menu

Turkey Schnitzel with Leeks and Butter Sage Sauce by ccincalif

Serves 4

For the Turkey Schnitzel:

1 pound turkey cutlets
Kosher salt
1/2 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup homemade breadcrumbs

When January hits, things can get dreary. Skies are grey, mornings are dark, and the chill keeps you bundled up indoors, dreaming of warmer climes and maybe a tropical drink (or two).

While we can't control the weather, we are here to help you create your own little tropical paradise at home. Bright flavors evoke memories of sandy beaches, steel drum bands, and skin tones that move past alabaster. A few paper-umbrella-worthy cocktails don't hurt, either. Go ahead: put the lime in the coconut. Drink it all up. Here are recipes that will take you on a vacation in the comfort of your own kitchen, brought to you by the spirited community of home cooks at Food52.

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• Embracing the cold? Warm up with genius tomato soup.
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Enjoy a bit of garlicky goodness in the forms of mustardy roasted broccoli and wine-soaked clams.

The Menu

Drunken Clams with Sausage by QueenSashy

Serves 4

4 dozen littleneck clams, cleaned and scrubbed
2 sweet Italian sausages (about 10 oz.), casing removed and meat separated into small pieces
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/2 of small fennel bulb, thinly sliced (optional)
5 small garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
3/4 cup sweet white wine, such as Muscat
10 large fresh tarragon leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

1. In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, until soft, for about 3-4 min. Add the garlic, celery and fennel and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add the sausage meat and cook for another 5 minutes, until the meat is nicely browned.

2. Add the wine

Let's be honest here: what food-and-Downton Abbey-lover, while staring googly-eyed at the television, doesn't wish for a moment that they were Daisy?

Sure, she's bullied by everyone on the staff, and sure, that whole marrying-William-for-a-hot-second thing was awkward. (We never understood her hesitation, anyway. William was adorable.) But we'd love nothing more than to learn about British cuisine under the expert-if-grumpy Mrs. Patmore -- and to make those pies, those roasts, and those grand luncheons and dinners with her skill, her gusto, her confidence.

It's in honor of Daisy and Mrs. Patmore that we bring you a Downton Abbey-inspired menu for the third season's premiere on Sunday. To cook like Mrs. Patmore, and eat like the Granthams? Why, that sounds even more exciting than the premiere itself. (Well, almost.)

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We've got lots of New Year's resolutions over at Food52, and trying new ingredients is one of them. Enter: the soft, spoon-able, umami-rich miso paste. From salmon to roast chicken, salad dressings to caramel, we're a fan of using a dollop in just about every dish that passes through our kitchen. Pick up a jar for the new year -- we can guarantee you'll put it to good use.

• Check out our 8 favorite healthy recipes for the New Year.

• It's a New Year; time to whip your kitchen back into shape. We can help.

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

Slap Fries? Srirachannaise? Viblanco's heavily spiced oven fries just sound like a party, and in fact they do taste just exactly the way they sound! And as for daisyt13's feta and cumin-topped lamb sliders, well, they simply demand to be held in one hand while you sip your beer with the other (this is pub food, after all). A marvelous -- and marvelously delicious -- meal that, as always, comes together in just about an hour. Cheers!

The Menu

Lamb Sliders with Feta Cheese, Red Onions and Cumin Mayo by daisyt13

Makes 6 sliders

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons ground cumin, more or less, to taste
1 pound ground lamb
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil, as needed
6 thick slices Greek feta cheese
Red onion, thinly slice, to taste
6 mini or "slider" buns

1. Preheat cast-iron pan over medium-high heat.

2. Combine the mayonnaise and ground cumin in a bowl and set aside.

3. Season lamb with salt (not too much since the

Each January, we resolve to do better. Many of us resolve to eat better, too. Whether you're looking to cut down on the cookies, add a few vegetables to your diet, or simply make more use of your kitchen, these recipes will help you welcome the new year. They will help you clean up your diet without sacrificing flavor, and they will provide a welcome respite from weeks of sweets and rich foods. Here's to getting 2013 off to a delicious start!

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• Learn how to build healthier, heartier salads.

• Greet the new year with a lucky pot of black-eyed peas.

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

Brought to you by the spirited home cooks' community at FOOD52.