The Incredible Menu (& More) from Our Cookbook Clubs’ Party

This past Saturday we gathered together to celebrate the first birthday of the Food52 Cookbook and Baking Clubs!

Club members and Food52 staff were joined by authors Erin Jeanne McDowell and Rose Levy Beranbaum—we were all thrilled to be able to connect in real life. And since the event was a potluck, we got to share a meal together as well. Every cookbook we’ve covered in the Clubs was fair game for dish selection, which was no easy task, given that we’ve covered more than 30 books between the two clubs so far. Every dish was spectacular (we’ve already been referring back to the menu to plan out what dishes we’ll be bringing to upcoming gatherings!) and luckily we had to-go boxes, because it was hard to get to everything—at least on the first pass. Here’s the full lineup of what everyone made: 


Appetizers

• Puréed Beets with Yogurt & Za’atar from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, made by Mallory S.
• Herb Baked Cashews from Simple Thai Food by Leela Punyaratabandhu, made by Francois D.
• Baked Pimento Cheese & Sausage from Deep Run Roots by Vivian Howard, made by our PR manager, Kelsey Burrow
• Anytime Tarragon-Apricot Cookies (adapted with rosemary and cranberries) from Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan, made by Liz L.
• Comté & Ham Wafers from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz, made by our managing editor, Joanna Sciarrino
• Butternut Squash & Tahini Spread from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, made by Marianne H.

Salads & Vegetables

• Potato & Roasted Cauliflower Salad from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden, made by Anne D.
• Stuffed Onions from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, made by Reshma A.
• Little Gems with Lemon Cream, Spring Onion, Radish & Mint from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden, made by our books & special projects editor, Brinda Ayer
• Sushi Takeout Cobb Salad from Smitten Kitchen Every Day by Deb Perelman, made by Kaitlyn G.
• Chopped Chickpea Salad from Small Victories by Julia Turshen, made by Emma V.
• Rice Salad with Nuts & Sour Cherries from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi, made by Adithi K.

Mains

• Siberian Pelmeni from Smitten Kitchen Every Day by Deb Perelman, made by Pav L.
• Rosemary-Brined Buttermilk Fried Chicken from Genius Recipes by Kristen Miglore, made by Katie H.
• Cheese & Bacon Quiche from How to Bake Everything by Mark Bittman, made by Renee K.
• Marsala Meatballs from Smitten Kitchen Every Day by Deb Perelman, made by Alexandra M.
• Kofta bil Saniya from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, made by Doaa E.
• Sausage & Apple Pie from Art of the Pie by Kate McDermott, made by Christine H.
• Cauliflower Cake from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi, made by Lotsanivanh L.
• Very Full Tart from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, made by Christina W.

Desserts

• Chopped Chocolate Chip Cookies from BraveTart by Stella Parks, made by our community editor, Lindsay-Jean Hard (that’s me!)
• Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Cookies from BraveTart by Stella Parks, made by Hannah T.
• Crack Pie from Momofuku Milk Bar by Christina Tosi, made by Andrea M.
• Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies from The Fearless Baker by Erin Jeanne McDowell, made by Linh T.
• Vanilla Pound Cake from The Fearless Baker by Erin Jeanne McDowell, made by Natalie H.
• Russischer Zupfkuchen (Chocolate Quark Cheesecake) from Classic German Baking by Luisa Weiss, made by Stephanie W.
• Triple-Berry (and Triple-Tier!) Cake by Erin Jeanne McDowell
• Double Damage Oblivion Cake with Wicked Good Ganache from The Baking Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Cocktail

• The Lower East Side from Food52 Any Night Grilling by Paula Disbrowe, made by our editor-in-chief, Suzanne D’Amato

Everyone went home with a gift bag from If You Care, and a few lucky folks went home with even more. We raffled off copies of The Fearless Baker, The Baking Bible, and our latest cookbook, Any Night Grilling—winners of the first two were able to get them signed in person by the authors! Two other lucky winners each won a To-Go Casserole Carrier—perfect for their next potluck—and other treats from If You Care.

Thank you all for joining us! It was really special to be able to gather together offline. If you have photos from the event, please share them on Instagram with the hashtags #f52cookbookclub and #f52bakingclub. And if you weren’t able to join us in person this time, come join us on Facebook: The Cookbook Club and Baking Club are both fun, welcoming communities.