FAQs

Site Navigation and Usage

How Do I Save a Recipe?

When you click onto an individual recipe page there is a green SAVE button under the recipe image. If you click this, the recipe will be saved and accessible via your profile page, which you can get to by clicking on your cook name at the top left of every page.

How Do I Print a Recipe?

To the left of the recipe (approximately even with the bottom of the recipe photograph) there are three icons. The first is an envelope (to send the recipe via email); the second is to print. The third is to flagt the recipe for inappropriate content.

How Do I Find the Recipes I've Saved?

On the top left of every page there is a "My Recipes" link which will take you to your profile page, where you can click on the "Recipes I've Saved" tab to access your saved recipes.

How Do I Ask a Question About a Recipe?

Below the ingredient list on every recipe you'll find a clickable banner that says "Have a Question About This Recipe? Ask the FOOD52 Hotline". If you click this banner you will be taken to the question box on the Hotline page. You'll see that the first field is pre-populated with the recipe title. Add the specifics of your question to the second field. Add tags. Add an image if you wish. Click on "Ask Now". You can also ask questions on individual steps by clicking on the Hotline hover to the left of each recipe step.

How Do I Comment on a Recipe?

At the bottom of every recipe you'll find an empty box. Type in your comment and click the "Add" button beneath the box.

How Do I View Comments or Questions on Existing Recipes?

Above the photograph on each individual recipe page are three tabs: "Recipe" which displays the recipe itself. "Comments" which allows you to view all recipe comments and "Questions" which displays all questions about the recipe. Please click on the question to see the relevant answers in Hotline.

How Do I Edit a Recipe?

There is a small green Edit button under the photo on an individual recipe which will allow you to edit a recipe you submitted. Please bear in mind that recipes which are "In The Test Kitchen" of an active contest are closed for editing to ensure that we don't test one version only to find it accidentally changed on us.

How Do I Upload a Photograph with My Recipe?

Once you have published your recipe, you will be prompted to add images to the recipe if you'd like. Alternatively, you can return to the recipe page later on, click on the green "Add a Photo" button directly underneath the main recipe image, and follow the instructions to add new image or images.

How Do I Upload a Photograph for Somebody Else's Recipe?

On every recipe page, there is a green button that says "Add a Photo" directly underneath the main recipe image. Click on this and follow the instructions to add a new image to the recipe.

How Do I Edit My Comments?

There is no way to do this right now, but we are working on this feature.

How Do I Add a Recipe to the Site?

Click on "Recipes" in the top navigation bar. When you land on the first page you'll see a round button that says "Add a Recipe". Click the button and fill in the form. When you've entered the recipe, click on "Publish" at the bottom.

How Do I Submit a Recipe To a Contest?

For a new recipe, select a contest from the drop-down menu next to "Submit my recipe to a contest" on the recipe form when you upload your recipe.

For an existing recipe, go to the "My Recipes" page (a link is located on the upper left of every page if you are signed in) and click on the recipe you'd like to submit. Then click the green "Edit" button, scroll down to the bottom and select the option that allows you to submit the recipe to a contest. Click "Publish This Recipe" to finish submitting the recipe to the contest.

How Do I Find the Hotline Questions I've Asked or Answered?

You can see your recent activity (Hotline included) on your profile page, by clicking on your name in the upper left corner of any page, when you're signed in.

How Do I Find Community Picks?

There are two ways to do this: Click on the "Community Picks" link under Recipes in the main navigation menu (on every page of the site), or click on "Recipes" in the main navigation menu, and then click on "Community Picks" towards the top left of the page. This will filter the recipe results and only show you Community Picks.

How Do I Vote in a Contest?

Click on "Contests" in the Top navigation bar. If there is currently a contest open to voting, you'll find it in the carousel at the top of this page—it will say "Vote: Contest X". Click on this module and you'll be taken to a page that has the two finalists with a "Vote" button beneath each one. Others will see that you have voted but not for which recipe your vote was cast.

How Do I Edit My Hotline Question?

There is no way to do this right now, but we are working on this feature.

How Do I Access the recipes of a cook I admire?

The universal search option at the top right of every page allows you to search by cook name.

How Do I Send Another Cook a Message or Follow Another Cook?

You can access both of these options from the cook's profile page.

How Do I Search the Hotline for Past Questions?

In the upper right corner of every page is a universal search option. Enter your terms and select the area of the site you want to search (e.g., Recipes, Hotline, Articles, etc.)

How Do I Find all the FOOD52 Videos?

We're planning to make these even more accessible, but in the meantime you can find them by clicking the "Videos" category header on any video post.

Contests

What is the contest schedule?

Contests are announced every other week on Wednesdays. You have until the following Thursday at midnight ET to submit your recipe, at which point we start testing! We photograph the top two recipes we've tested, and the following Thursday we announce them as contest finalists. The community then has 5 days to vote on the winner. For more on our contests, see our About the Contests page.

How do I submit a recipe to the Contest?

For a new recipe: Check the "submit to current contest" button on the recipe form when you upload your recipe. For an existing recipe, go to the "My Recipes" page (a link to this is located on the upper left of every page) and click on the recipe you'd like to submit. Then click "edit", scroll down to the bottom and select the option that allows you to submit the recipe to a contest.

How do I vote in a Contest?

Click on "Contests" in the Top navigation bar. If there is currently a contest open to voting, you'll find it in the carousel at the top of this page—it will say "Vote: Contest X". Click on this module and you'll be taken to a page that has the two finalists with a "Vote" button beneath each one. Other will see that you have voted but not for which recipe your vote was cast.

What do Contest Winners receive? Is there a prize?

Winners and runners-up receive a bounty of kitchen tools from OXO.

After someone wins a contest, is he or she eligible to enter/win another?

Yes, of course! You can enter as many contests as you like, and you're welcome to submit as many recipes as you lie. However, once one of your recipes wins a contest, you can't enter it into a future contest. (Nice try!)

How do you narrow down the submissions?

We have more than a decade of experience reviewing and testing recipes. And we're pretty good at telling when something has great potential – as well as when it's likely to be inedible. The first thing we'll do for each contest is select our Editors' Picks. These recipes will be permanently highlighted on the site. While we may not be able to test all of them, the idea is that they are promising recipes we feel comfortable recommending. From this group, we'll test as many of our favorites as it takes to find two recipes worthy of being in the cookbook. These are the two finalists.

Why don't you post the same number of Community Picks for each contest?

Community Picks are like honorable mentions. We simply select recipes we like – whether that means 2 or 22.

Recipes

Why do you sometimes reword the recipes?

If a great recipe lacks clarity of technique here and there, we want to fix it so that everyone can appreciate its greatness. And because the recipes could potentially be published in a book, we want them to have a consistent style.

Can I upload my recipes even if I don't want to enter a contest?

Yes, of course! We'd love for FOOD52 to be the place you store all of your best recipes. Also, we pick a Wildcard winner every week, and one day it just might be yours!

What constitutes an original recipe?

We have a whole explanation on this here.

Shop

How do you choose the vendors featured in The Shop, and what is your arrangement with them?

All of the stores and producers in The Shop are places that we love. Some of them we like for their style. Others we admire for their mastery of a craft. And with still others, we just adore what they sell. The specifics of our arrangement with them differ from offer to offer but we always try to get something special for users—either an exclusive offer or package or a discount.

How can I access the archived Shop listings?

There is no way right now to see our old Shop finds but we will continue to share our best picks with the community in our special editorial gift guide features, which will appear around holiday times and seasonally.

Where can I send suggestions for Shop offers?

The best way to send us Shop offers is to email editors@food52.com We'll pass on your ideas to our Shop curator.

IP/Rights/Derivative Works

Do I own my recipes?

Yes, of course! You can use the recipes you upload to the site in any way you choose.

What if I see a plagiarized recipe on the site?

Tell us! We all have a vested interest in the content on the site being original. When it's not, there's often an innocent reason: who hasn't experienced the heartbreak of discovering that your grandmother's signature Snicker Doodles actually come from Better Homes and Gardens? The comments section should provide a lively forum for discussion of a recipe's origins and variations; our goal is not to shame unwitting borrowers. Of course, in the case of intentional plagiarism, we will organize a public flogging in Times Square.

Will there be just one FOOD52 book, or are you planning others?

This is only the beginning!

Why create a book when all the recipes are on the site?

A cookbook has a point of view. It has a narrative. And it's a wonderful object. In this case, the book is a collaborative art project containing all of our voices, opinions, creative energy — and, of course, terrific recipes. You can go into your local bookstore, see it on a shelf and know that you have a part in it being there.

Do you share the royalties from cookbook sales with contest winners?

We'd like to, but for now we have a lot of expenses to earn back. All finalists and winners will receive a bounty of cooking tools from OXO, which is sponsoring the recipe contests. Each OXO gift box is tailored to the contest theme. Additionally, winners will be featured on the site and in the book – and if that results in more hits on your website or blog, nothing would make us happier.