Chitra Agrawal’s Key Ingredient for Home-Cooked Indian Meals

We’re celebrating remarkable women in the worlds of food and design throughout Women Are Amazing Month (aka Women’s History Month, Food52-style). Is there a woman we should be profiling? Let us know.

As a child of parents from very different regions…

We're celebrating remarkable women in the worlds of food and design throughout Women Are Amazing Month (aka Women's History Month, Food52-style). Is there a woman we should be profiling? Let us know.


As a child of parents from very different regions of India—a mother who hails from Bangalore, in the south, and a dad from Delhi, to the north—Chitra Agrawal soaked in two distinct culinary traditions growing up. She dabbled in South Asian cooking early in her career, leading classes, blogging, and hosting pop-up dinners, but it wasn’t until she published her cookbook, Vibrant India: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn, that she made the switch to working in food full-time. Together with her husband, who has a background in food packaging design, she channeled her passion and knowledge of India’s foodways into a line of premium Indian pantry staples you’ve probably seen on your supermarket shelves: Brooklyn Delhi. Founded in 2014, her brand now includes 10 products, from Indian pickles, or achaar, to vegan simmer sauces to chutneys. Now, her brand is set to expand even further this summer, when she branches into ready-to-eat meals. Here, she shares her inspiration for making high-quality Indian food accessible and easy to prepare at home.

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Chef Jackie Carnesi Brings Her South Texas Spirit to an Iconic Brooklyn Diner

We’re celebrating remarkable women in the worlds of food and design throughout Women Are Amazing Month (aka Women’s History Month, Food52-style). Is there a woman we should be profiling? Let us know.

Shortly after Jackie Carnesi arrived in New York …

We're celebrating remarkable women in the worlds of food and design throughout Women Are Amazing Month (aka Women's History Month, Food52-style). Is there a woman we should be profiling? Let us know.


Shortly after Jackie Carnesi arrived in New York City fresh out of culinary school, she became a fixture at one of Brooklyn’s biggest restaurant empires, Roberta’s. She's been tapped to lead equally impressive restaurants ever since. Following Roberta’s, Jackie became executive chef at Nura, where she filtered her experience and South Texas upbringing—she grew up on Tex-Mex and Mexican cooking, alongside the Southern staples of her Tennessee mom—through the lens of Indian cuisine. Though this was unfamiliar terrain at the time, she gladly, easily met the challenge (Nura became a Michelin-recommended restaurant under her helm).

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What Your Coffee Says About You, Explained

We’ve teamed up with Belle Coffee Creamer to give you a taste of how delicious real coffee creamer can be. Using real dairy and simple ingredients (read: no lactose, artificial hormones, or oil additives), Belle Coffee Creamer elevates the ordinary cup…

We’ve teamed up with Belle Coffee Creamer to give you a taste of how delicious real coffee creamer can be. Using real dairy and simple ingredients (read: no lactose, artificial hormones, or oil additives), Belle Coffee Creamer elevates the ordinary cup of coffee.


Like the Myers-Briggs test, how you take your coffee says a lot about your personality. Maybe not as definitely, but close enough. In fact, according to our very in-depth, very unscientific research, understanding these traits can be the key to unlocking your hidden power and potential—or simply a reminder of your excellent taste. Curious where you fit into the classic coffee archetypes? Read on to find out what your go-to coffee says about you.

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The Sill’s Eliza Blank Is Branching Into New Territory

We’re celebrating remarkable women in the worlds of food and design throughout Women Are Amazing Month (aka Women’s History Month, Food52-style). Is there a woman we should be profiling? Let us know.

Eliza Blank was once a very bad plant parent—a su…

We're celebrating remarkable women in the worlds of food and design throughout Women Are Amazing Month (aka Women's History Month, Food52-style). Is there a woman we should be profiling? Let us know.


Eliza Blank was once a very bad plant parent—a surprising origin story for the founder of the plant business, The Sill. Her quest to make her New York City apartment as plant-filled as her mother’s New England home was initially a bust; she couldn’t keep her Home Depot purchases alive. But out of her frustration came her breakthrough idea to take a dated business model—mail-order plants—and update it for monstera-loving city dwellers who could order houseplants and learn how to take care of them online. Today, The Sill includes four locations that support its nationwide delivery business, and is taking a big leap forward this spring as it begins offering outdoor plants and gardening products alongside its houseplant collection. Below, I asked Eliza—now a bonafide plant queen and mom to two girls—about the joys and challenges of growing her business.

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Our Creamiest, Coziest Coffee Drinks to Shake Up Your Morning Cup

We’ve teamed up with Belle Coffee Creamer to give you a taste of how delicious real coffee creamer can be. Using real dairy and simple ingredients (read: no lactose, artificial hormones, or oil additives), Belle Coffee Creamer elevates the ordinary cup…

We’ve teamed up with Belle Coffee Creamer to give you a taste of how delicious real coffee creamer can be. Using real dairy and simple ingredients (read: no lactose, artificial hormones, or oil additives), Belle Coffee Creamer elevates the ordinary cup of coffee.


Things are rarely black and white—except when it comes to coffee. In one corner you have black coffee drinkers, who somehow achieve caffeinated bliss with just water and beans. Their minimalist approach is enviable, but also unimaginable for coffee lovers who could not possibly live in a world without milk or cream to soften their daily cup (or two, or three) of joe. So, for those who like their coffee light (yes, please!), these creamy drinks are for you. To make them even richer, swirl in a real dairy creamer like Belle Vanilla or Sweet Cream Coffee Creamer in place of milk. Even if you prefer a more austere cup, these lattes, coffee shakes, and cold brews may just lead you to coffee’s creamier side.

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Easy Ways to Restart Your Snack Routine in 2024

It’s January, which means our inboxes are filled with bold forecasts about the foods and fads we can expect to see on our plates in 2024. According to industry experts, buckwheat is going to be big, noshing is trending, and cacao will come into its own…

It’s January, which means our inboxes are filled with bold forecasts about the foods and fads we can expect to see on our plates in 2024. According to industry experts, buckwheat is going to be big, noshing is trending, and cacao will come into its own. The main takeaway from the various predictions? Our appetite will keep growing for less processed, but unexpected foods—and that includes our snacks.

The small bites and drinks we reach for throughout the day are often ultra-processed, simply because it’s part of what makes them so quick and convenient. But it doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to make snack time more interesting (and healthy). You just need a few innovative swaps and new recipes—and we have four weeks of fresh and easy ideas to inspire you.

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Fact vs. Fiction: 3 Epic Meals From ‘Julia’

By the time we meet Julia Child in the fictional Max show, Julia, her time in Paris, one of the most consequential periods in her life, has already passed. Her groundbreaking cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, has just been accepted for pub…

By the time we meet Julia Child in the fictional Max show, Julia, her time in Paris, one of the most consequential periods in her life, has already passed. Her groundbreaking cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, has just been accepted for publication, and Julia, fully embodied by actress Sarah Lancashire, is off to Cambridge, Mass. with Paul Child (David Hyde Pierce). The show’s producers skip ahead to this moment so we can get to the meaty part: the launch of The French Chef on Boston public television, which brought French cooking, cooking shows—and of course, Julia—to the American masses.

The French Chef is when Julia’s star really begins to rise over 1960s America, altering not just her life, but the trajectory of everyone in her orbit. Unlike a biopic such as Julie and Julia, which doesn’t have the time to go deep on minor players, Julia has the luxury of eight hours per season to shine a light on a multitude of people and events that make her story so relevant.

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A Holiday-Ready Espresso Martini (& More Festive Drinks to Savor This Season)

December is like a game of Jenga. I start off strong, ready to accept every holiday invitation and family commitment. But as I attend each holiday dinner, party, and gift exchange, a little piece of me diminishes, until I finally crumple into a pile of…

December is like a game of Jenga. I start off strong, ready to accept every holiday invitation and family commitment. But as I attend each holiday dinner, party, and gift exchange, a little piece of me diminishes, until I finally crumple into a pile of exhaustion—otherwise known as Dry January.

One obvious way to keep it together this season is to be more mindful about drinking, not necessarily by cutting out booze, but by building in time to savor every festive drink. Re-centering yourself with a cup or glass in hand is a universal tradition: The Italians enjoy apertivo hour, Scandinavians make time each day for fika—coffee and cake—and millions of people from England to Japan have rituals around tea, be it a late afternoon cuppa or a ceremony.

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Holiday Linens Inspired by a 1930s Design Icon, Exclusively at Food52

In the 1930s, a time when America’s decorative arts movement was dominated by male designers, self-taught artist Marguerita Mergentime blazed a trail for herself as an innovator who introduced bold patterns to American homes. Though she designed many h…

In the 1930s, a time when America’s decorative arts movement was dominated by male designers, self-taught artist Marguerita Mergentime blazed a trail for herself as an innovator who introduced bold patterns to American homes. Though she designed many household items—flatware, glassware, china, and more—she is best known for her printed fabrics that blend folk art with asymmetrical or typographical touches. Her table linens were quite literally conversation starters—just take a peek at her “Food for Thought” tablecloth, featured in the Museum of Modern Art’s online collection.

Today, Marguerita’s vision feels just as fresh as it did then—which is why we’re so excited to announce the launch of our exclusive Food52 Mergentime Collection. In collaboration with Marguerita’s granddaughter, Virginia Bayer, who helped bring the designer’s extensive archive to life, we curated a selection of table linens, dish towels, and tree skirts that revive Marguerita’s bold designs. Just in time for the holidays, her iconic patterns will be the talk of your holiday table and home. Here are all the festive finds in our Mergentime collection, perfect for giving and getting.

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My Freezer Was a Disaster—Here’s How I Organized It

Unlike my fridge—with its many drawers, shelves, and condiment racks for storage—my bottom-drawer freezer functions like a toy chest. It’s easy to toss something in, and even easier to lose it in a jumble of bagged vegetables and fruits, impulse buys f…

Unlike my fridge—with its many drawers, shelves, and condiment racks for storage—my bottom-drawer freezer functions like a toy chest. It’s easy to toss something in, and even easier to lose it in a jumble of bagged vegetables and fruits, impulse buys from Trader Joe’s, and various mystery containers.

I know I’m not the only one who treats their freezer like the land that time forgot. Recently, when a community member asked our Food52 Collective for tips on how to get her freezer in shape, it triggered a chorus of sympathetic complaints, and motivated me to bring order to my own frozen abyss.

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