You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

There's no getting around it -- everyone's mind is on Thanksgiving. As the big day grows nearer, our plans fall into place: we decide which sides should grace the table, which way is best to cook the bird, what to serve before the meal. And then there's always the pumpkin pie. 

But what if this year, there wasn't? 

Our community is organizing a secret swap for the holiday season -- sign up and join the fun!

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

It snowed in New York this week, which sent us scrambling not just for our coats, scarves, hats, and mittens, but also for our saucepans. Why? To make warm drinks, of course.

This week we're sipping from our mugs by a roaring fire and answering the question: What's your favorite cold-weather drink? Be sure to check out Peter's nostalgia-licious hot chocolate memory!

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

This week, the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy brought us all together as New Yorkers. We've been office-less and working from home this week, and our hearts go out to all Food52ers and beyond who have been affected by the storm. You can donate to the Red Cross to help relief efforts here, and there are volunteer opportunities available throughout New York and New Jersey as the rebuilding effort begins.

Today, we're going back in time a few days to our preparation efforts before the hurricane hit. The question: what did you cook before the storm?

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

You'll forgive us, I hope, if we're a little hyper today. You see, with Halloween weekend coming up, we've all got phantom sugar highs from the memory of candy bars past.

Today we head to the candy aisle to answer the question: What's your favorite Halloween candy? Bring on the Twix bars, the Warheads, and the Nerds! There'll be time for homemade caramel apples all fall.

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

What's the best apple? That's the important, autumnal question that we're answering this week. Childhood memories, honeycrisps, and explanation points loom large, although some of us (ahem, Amanda) would prefer no apples at all.

Which variety of apple do you like best for eating out of hand? Tell us in the comments!

Around here, we're firm believers that change is good -- and for our website, that means little adjustments, big overhauls, and everything in between. What's our latest tweak? 

You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

Merrill is the inspiration for this week's Too Many Cooks question. Yes, Merrill -- who you can see here clutching her cut finger after a Horseradish Vodka Bloody Mary mishap -- who once "burned down her kitchen attempting to deep-fry eggs."

Maybe you've guessed the question by now. Hint: it's one that we ask all of our contest winners.

What's your most spectacular kitchen disaster? Let the mishaps and mess-ups begin.