A New Way to Dinner, co-authored by Food52's founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, is an indispensable playbook for stress-free meal-planning (hint: cook foundational dishes on the weekend and mix and match ‘em through the week).
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60 Comments
Janey
August 26, 2015
I have dozens of awesome pie recipes collected, none of which I've attempted yet...
joanne
August 24, 2015
Want to see my recipe box? I travel through it on occasion and re-visit all the things I want bake and cook and eat. If I didn't make it within two weeks of writing the recipe on a card--it's not going to happen. Right now, I am wondering if I should make the crab apple juice in the fridge into jelly even though the juice isn't very tasty. A friend recommended mixing the juice with vodka--skip the making jelly.
SophieL
August 24, 2015
Loved this article! Like confessing to having the stash of uncompleted craft or needlepoint projects in the back of the closet that I will get to "some day." I have never roasted red peppers and have been meaning to for over 20 years! It's just so much easier to open a jar. So many recipes, so little time! Alas.
connie S.
August 24, 2015
This soooo hits the nail on the head! I just want great food with the "more or less" normal ingredients I have generally in my kitchen. Exotic ingredients, or even a list of 10 ingredients or more, is enough to make me re-think my enthusiasm!! Thanks for this!!
gingerjillian
August 23, 2015
every pancake and waffle recipe I've ever lusted after and/or saved. just. never. have. patience.
joseph
August 23, 2015
Loved your article. It certainly speaks to me as I'm sure it does to many others. My list starts with a dessert called Esterhazy Torte. I will get to one fine day, But before I owned an Ice cream machine I always made it in two Ziplock bags. I would place the cooked cream mixture in a small ZL bag and put about two cups of ice and salt in a large ZL bag. Place the small one into the large one (making sure that it is sealed tightly) and manipulate them for 5 to 10 minutes. ( wear gloves for this as it gets very cold) and be sure to rinse the small bag when you take it out. Voila! Ice cream.
Sharon H.
August 23, 2015
You are wonderful ;-) Really great to read your confession. I too have not attempted cassoulet - just too much. And so much meat in one pot - argh. And though I have a Donvier ice cream maker, have not made ice cream for years since my kids left (sniff, boo hoo). But my neighbour makes ice cream lots. I'm with you re: the 5 pistachios, etc. Burned toast ice cream? Jeeze.
Dorothy F.
August 23, 2015
This is the best piece of writing I've savoured and sniggered with in a long time.
Patti
August 23, 2015
I have yet to make some of the exotic Thai dishes that I bought all the ingredients AND the equipment for over a year ago - but maybe they will still be good one day soon .... Love the article- inspired me to keep thinking of what I may make one day.
Avonlm
August 23, 2015
Hahaha, still laughing and now have a "slight" craving for cinnamon toast cereal! You had me on the 1st on the list. Italian meringue icing and macarons are on my list. I prefer whipped cream/cream cheese frosting or combo of. If I am going to beat so many egg whites I just want to make and eat a Pavlova! I want to eat a SELECTION of macarons, not just one flavour and I KNOW they could not possibly be as good as Pierre Herme ones or the La Maison du Chocolate ones that always have a layer of chocolate ganache in them regardless of the flavour. You do deserve to buy and eat Prawns! Thank you for a great read Kenzi!
Nanda G.
August 23, 2015
I love this piece! I am laughing so hard in personal recognition, and I love that you work for Food52 and also feel this way.
I have indeed cooked many of Heidi Swanson's recipes, but seem to have a curated collection of those that do not involve rose water etc.
There are so many things I could list of my own recipes I've never cooked, but the first thing that springs to mind is anything with Harissa. Yes, I know, I am more than late to the party, but I do not own any harissa and never have. It makes it very difficult to cook Ottolenghi et al. Someday I will get harissa'd.
I have indeed cooked many of Heidi Swanson's recipes, but seem to have a curated collection of those that do not involve rose water etc.
There are so many things I could list of my own recipes I've never cooked, but the first thing that springs to mind is anything with Harissa. Yes, I know, I am more than late to the party, but I do not own any harissa and never have. It makes it very difficult to cook Ottolenghi et al. Someday I will get harissa'd.
Noel H.
August 23, 2015
Russian black bread. Russian Tea Time in Chicago has this amazing dark, crusty wonderful bread. I tried once, but you have to make a sourdough starter and then make rye bread and I can never find the right stuff for he dough or have the time to make it. Any other bread I'm fine with, somehow this one I just never want to take the time to make...
judy
August 23, 2015
after making Sara Moulton's quick cassoulet I will never bother with the other. I used whatever sausage I can get-currently bison/pork. http://saramoulton.com/2013/02/chicken-cassoulet/.
Westcoasty
August 23, 2015
I've never made tomato-based pasta sauce from scratch. It looks so easy but somehow I always make an excuse to myself.
Nanda G.
August 23, 2015
this is why you need to make the Marcella Hazan butter-onion-tomato sauce. incredibly easy and so good. perfect homemade sauce for lazy people.
Westcoasty
August 23, 2015
I'm not lazy! I'm just... Just... Time-challenged? Oh okay, guilty as charged. :)
joseph
August 23, 2015
I always made the 4 hour pasta sauce that I learned from growing up in an Italian household until I saw a video on yahoo of Fabio Viviani's homemade pasta sauce. Sooooo easy, sooooo fast. It's the only way that I make it any more. See if you can find this video. you'll be glad that you did.
Athena W.
August 23, 2015
In the mid (early?) 2000s,I watched someone from King Arthur Flour make pretzels on Martha Stewart. It looked so easy and delicious. So I bought the KAF cookbook. It is one of my staple go-to baking bibles. I HAVE NEVER MADE PRETZELS.
Mary M.
August 21, 2015
Re: breakfast pastries. Do cinnamon buns count? I make them during the day --4 hours start to finish, then wrap them in aluminum foil and freeze them in breakfast-sized packages (4 per pack at this house.) In the morning, I wrap them in a paper towel and zap them in the microwave. Fresh warm cinnamon buns in seconds. No muss, no fuss.
Charlotte @.
August 21, 2015
Kenzi - You probably know, but just in case it helps 1 1/2 tsps is equal to 1/2 tbsp. I have the conversion down pat, since I halve recipes. A lot.
Nanda G.
August 23, 2015
but why do folks write 1/2 T? why can't they just write 1 1/2 t? and yes, grammatical/spelling errors keep me up at night, as well. :)
Winniecooks
August 25, 2015
LOVE tart cherries - the pies made with them are another experience all together and put sweet cherry pie to shame. Great source for sour cherries is Cherry Stop out of Michigan. They have canned that work well and jarred that don't require additions for the pie. Get them before they are out of stock!
lindsay |.
August 21, 2015
Love this! I have never made breakfast pastries. I LOVE breakfast pastries, but no way am I futzing around with yeast dough at 7 a.m. Also, sour cherry pie (or sour cherry anything) because I have yet to encounter a fresh sour cherry here in the South. And itty-bity cakes a la Molly Yeh. They are adorable, but I don't have little cake pans and I like my desserts large, thank you very much.
Ruth M.
August 23, 2015
Try the Orange Oilive Oil sticky bins here on Food 52. You futz the night before and they rise overnight in the fridge. After 30 minutes warming up in the morning, you bake them in 40 minutes and everyone thinks you're AH-mazing!
Mary M.
August 20, 2015
Cassoulet: I stopped when the first line of the recipe said, "Three days before serving, kill the duck." On another matter: I have a set of stainless, nesting, magnetic measuring spoons that includes a half-tablespoon measure. Go figure.
VanessaJo
August 20, 2015
This was all truly LOL-worthy. My favorite quote, though, was right at the beginning: "I’m always short just one teaspoon of dried rose petals or a half cup of olive blossom honey or saffron harvested from Morocco." Me too, Kenzi, me too.
ctgal
August 23, 2015
And my husband always says to me, why does that let you stop? And he substitutes with something I would never think of, and finishes it with rave reviews.
Rika L.
August 20, 2015
Pretzel rolls. I saved the recipe in my notes and it haunts me. Whenever I open the notes... There it is. Pretzel rolls. Have TO MAKE ROLLS.
LauriL
August 20, 2015
As for number #8...I will send you money for only a half pound of the fastest juiciest shrimp at the market. The image of you walking out empty handed was more than I could bare! LOL Will that help you with the shrimp "situation"? Very funny and clever writing!
breakbread
August 20, 2015
This is very funny. I'm still laughing after reading it yesterday. This morning I'm actually craving cinnamon toast crunch cereal. Nice writing, Kenzi!
Kenzi W.
August 20, 2015
Ha, thank you! Also here's another one to add to the list (though, Food52 as my witness, I will do it some day): https://food52.com/blog/7778-homemade-cinnamon-toast-crunch :)
bookjunky
August 20, 2015
Slab pies are great and almost easier than round pies, though I can't say I've made a cherry pie probably ever. Berry and apple are usually my go-tos. The thing on the top of my list: Macarons (not macaroons, which I have made numerous times). They don't look that difficult so I don't know why I never just do it. I think mice got into the almond flour the one time, it sat in the pantry for so long.
Liza's K.
August 21, 2015
Macaron are easier than everyone makes them out to be. Try David Lebovitz's no fail chocolate ones on this website.
Tessa H.
August 20, 2015
This seriously had me laughing out loud! Great read. I've never made a slab pie, nor a cherry pie. And I call myself a baker?!? Hilarious.
Alexandra S.
August 19, 2015
oh my gosh you are hilarious.
The thing for me is buttercream icing. I mean, why? Is there anything better than cream cheese icing? Made with equal parts butter? It's soooooo easy and thoughtless.
The thing for me is buttercream icing. I mean, why? Is there anything better than cream cheese icing? Made with equal parts butter? It's soooooo easy and thoughtless.
Jessica H.
August 19, 2015
Oh this made me laugh!! I too have yet to make cacio e pepe although without those bowls I don't think it would be worth it! The other thing that is on my (ice) bucket list is my grandmother's pepper jelly. I've read the recipe a million times, I LOVE the stuff, but I want it to be the same as hers and I know it won't be...so I don't make it. Maybe soon!
Stephanie H.
August 23, 2015
I made pepper jelly last fall with m sister; just don't let it boil over, whatever you do. I learned the hard way! ;)
breakbread
August 19, 2015
So many foods are always on my mind. I imagine making myself pasta carbonara around 2am and having a spicy, light red wine. I remember truly doing that about 20 years ago with my boyfriend/fiancé. These days, I hope to fall back to sleep. But once, I did get up at 4 AM and made scrambled eggs and had a shot of whiskey followed by black coffee. Other than that, almost all of Marcella Hazan's recipes.
Right now, I should be out provisioning to make mason-jar salads.
Right now, I should be out provisioning to make mason-jar salads.
Ali S.
August 19, 2015
You'll be happy to know #3 will be available in a book published by the good people at Food52.
Betsy
August 19, 2015
Such a funny post! The thing I'm probably most ashamed of never making is homemade bread. I'm descended from marvelous bread bakers -- my grandma is 91 and still baking homemade bread. Does that gene skip generations?
Leslie S.
August 19, 2015
Yes to number 2! Thought the same thing after watching the aglio e olio scene with scarlett johannson in Chef- why don't I make late night pasta more often??
Cynthia C.
August 21, 2015
That scene was EXACTLY what I thought of when I read this article!! (And, yes to cacio e pepe, pie, burnt toast ice cream, pretty much all of the above!)
adambravo
August 19, 2015
I have still never cooked an entire animal--chicken, whole fish, beef or pork roast. I think I'd rather have someone do the 'pre work' and provide me with the individual pieces I need to cook--even if I'm cooking for more than just the two of us at home...
See what other Food52 readers are saying.