Hey There, It’s Amanda

A few months ago, I let you know that we were looking for our first Community Editor, and today I’m thrilled to introduce you to Nicole Davis, who started this week!

Nicole has been an editor at The New York Times and Departures, and is a longtime com…

A few months ago, I let you know that we were looking for our first Community Editor, and today I’m thrilled to introduce you to Nicole Davis, who started this week!

Nicole has been an editor at The New York Times and Departures, and is a longtime community leader—she co-founded Brooklyn Based, which began as a newsletter in 2007 and grew into a thriving organization that hosted sold-out events from wedding fairs and food crawls to cocktail clubs and tasting events featuring local restaurants. They even did kitchen swaps, where people exchanged cookware with each other. Nicole once received a peculiar device that looked like a skyscraper mashed up with a guillotine—designed for halving cherry tomatoes. Just what every kitchen needs!

A Peek at Coffee Week, the Garlic Press That Passed Our Tests & What I’m Reading

This edition of the newsletter contains a few products independently chosen (and loved) by Amanda. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we’ve linked to.

We’re approaching the end of our first Coffee Week, and …

This edition of the newsletter contains a few products independently chosen (and loved) by Amanda. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we’ve linked to.

We’re approaching the end of our first Coffee Week, and it’s been a caffeinated spree on everyone’s favorite morning elixir (minus you heretic tea drinkers). If you still need a fix, some stories you won’t want to miss:

Pizza in Philly, a Holiday Sneak Peak & a New Era in Genius Recipes

I’m just back from skiing and college tours. Conclusion: I love a chewy, over-salted ski lodge French fry, but the rest of the ski food category could use some disruption!
Food in Philadelphia:

The college tours around Philadelphia allowed me to intr…

I’m just back from skiing and college tours. Conclusion: I love a chewy, over-salted ski lodge French fry, but the rest of the ski food category could use some disruption!

Food in Philadelphia:

The college tours around Philadelphia allowed me to introduce our kids to a hoagie, and produced some solid restaurant recs:

Dirty Martini Dressing, a Table-Styling Showdown & the Great Dryer Ball Mystery of 2023

It’s March in New York City, which means we dream of asparagus and t-shirt weather—as we’re getting lashed with cold, windy rains. But it’s the greatest city in the world, folks. Yep, yep it is.

I’m heading out soon for spring break with my family (sk…

I’m heading out soon for spring break with my family (skiing and college tours!) so let me get to the point, aka hit my deadline real quick:

A Case for Cloches, Vivid Pasta With Peas & a Black Sesame Latte in Portland

When you have a curated shop like ours, there’s a constant tension between what people like to discover and admire and what people buy in great quantities. I feel strongly that we should learn from—but not be overly swayed by—purchase data, otherwise we’d turn into a Staub cocotte superstore. You come to us for our thoughtfully chosen pieces, not because we have the widest selection or clearance prices. We get that you love a good cocotte and we’ll keep them in stock (promise!), but we’re going to continue working hard to show you cool products for every nook of your considered kitchen and home.

In this spirit, I’m going to ramble excitedly about a few products that I think are must-haves, even if they’re not among our best sellers. Yet!

Hey There, It’s Amanda—ChatGPT, Adventures in Cake Baking & the Superfood Bowl I Have on Repeat

Call me a deluded optimist, but I think all the hubbub about ChatGPT signaling the end of media is nonsense. AI will answer our basic questions, freeing up companies like ours to do what we do best: be funny, personable, surprising, and a little weird….

In recent years, as companies like ours have fought for traffic from search engines, we’ve had to adapt our language and play into the algorithms. Every publication’s voice and personality, in the process, was flattened by shaping stories around keywords. Everything started to sound the same—hyperbolic yet dull. Let the goddamn bell toll on the boring era! So go ask Bing (powered by ChatGPT) if quinoa is gluten free, then come to us to watch Rick Martínez making Spicy Steak Empanadas, read about Anabelle Doliner’s mom’s Burmese Slaw With Frizzled Onions, and discover our exclusive Bamboo Nested Mixing Bowls.