Julie Vadnal – FoodWatcher

Molly Baz’s New Mayo Launch Is About To Take Your Sandwiches to the Next Level

Food personality Molly Baz has always been a fan of mayonnaise. It’s the base of her favorite salad dressing, Caesar (or as she calls it, Cae Sal), and it’s a staple in some of her favorite sandwiches. So it all makes sense that she just launched Ayoh,…

The four flavors include Dill Pickle Mayo, Hot Giardinayo, Tangy Dijonayo and Original Mayo, and they come in four easy-to-squeeze bottles—no more digging into a wide-mouth glass bottle with a knife. And while they’re meant to be added to your favorite sandwiches, Baz said they can easily be combined for other applications: “Mixing the Dill Pickle Mayo with the Dijonayo and stirring it into canned tuna is a tuna sando lover's dream.”

How to Fight Pre-Party Stress, And More Hosting Advice From Our Editor

Welcome to the latest edition of Come On Over, Food52 editorial director Julie Vadnal’s newsletter that’s all about hosting gatherings big and small—without losing your cool. Got company? Sign up here for her emails.

When I first starting having peo…

Welcome to the latest edition of Come On Over, Food52 editorial director Julie Vadnal's newsletter that's all about hosting gatherings big and small—without losing your cool. Got company? Sign up here for her emails.

When I first starting having people over in my 20s, my biggest fear was always: Will there be enough food? As a result, I’d make so many dishes that I wouldn’t have time to shower, and guests would arrive to a home filled with entirely too many appetizers—and a frazzled, cranky host. Since then, I’ve learned that, as the person hosting, you set the tone. The better prepared you are, the more relaxed everyone will be, including yourself.

The 10 Best Gifts For Hosts Who Have (Almost) Everything

Buying a gift for the person who always hosts the hangs can be a tough order. After all, most people who are comfortable with having people over are the types to curate their housewares and have thoughts about silverware and glassware.

But the good ne…

But the good news is—and I can confirm this, as someone who hosts about once a week—there is literally no end to the amount of serving trays, bowls, and surprise-and-delight items that a host can fit in their lives (and cabinets). Here’s some that the host in your life will joyfully add to their collection.

This Tomato Soup Hack Saved Me From a Mid-Week Grocery Run

Last week, fall weather finally fell, and along with wrapping myself in sweaters and admiring the changing leaves on my Brooklyn block, I was craving soup. Particularly tomato soup, and mostly because I had a fresh loaf of sourdough and a generous hunk of Jarlsberg cheese (cue Adrian Grenier in The Devil Wears Prada) hanging out in my kitchen. The grilled cheese plan was sorted, but the one thing I was missing? Actual tomato soup.

Sure, I could have opened my front door, run down the block to any one of my neighborhood’s fancy grocery stores, and picked up an artisanal blend of basil and nightshades—but did I mention it’s fall, and there’s a chill in the air? So instead, I opened my pantry cabinet doors and spotted a jar of Rao’s Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce. And what is tomato soup but a thinned down tomato sauce anyway, right? I also found some vegetable stock in my pantry. This could work.

This New Bedding Collab Makes Your Home Feel Like a Hotel

We already like Big Night, a dinner party shop in New York City that sells everything you need—from tinned fish to colorful cocktail glasses—for a stylish and flavor-filled night in with friends. And now, the store has diverted our attention from the dining room and into the bedroom, where they’ve just debuted a cheery bedding collection with Far West, the design group behind hip hotels like Hotel St. Vincent in New Orleans and El Cosmico in Marfa, TX.

If a whole world of stripes in one room isn’t your thing, each piece can be easily mixed and matched with your existing decor. We like the idea of pairing the duvet with a buttery yellow pillow or sky blue top sheet. Or, grab a set of the striped pillow cases and put them up against crisp white bedding, which looks good with everything—maybe that’s why it’s so popular at hotels, hint, hint. See the entire collection here.

We’ve Rounded Up the Best Gifts for Morning People

You probably know someone who has no trouble squeezing an entire 5-to-9 before their 9-to-5—and you’re probably in awe of them. (Unless you’re one of them, too, and in that case, this gift guide is for you!) Whether they’re the type who’s always making…

You probably know someone who has no trouble squeezing an entire 5-to-9 before their 9-to-5—and you're probably in awe of them. (Unless you're one of them, too, and in that case, this gift guide is for you!) Whether they're the type who's always making elaborate breakfasts, or they're the ones spending a few silent minutes alone journaling about the day before (or ahead!), our list of gift ideas for morning people are best enjoyed before sunrise.

Brainstream Singing Boiled Egg Timers, $50

We happily consume eggs at every meal, but they’re the bonafide champions of breakfast. And nothing is more satisfying than a jammy, soft-boiled egg first thing in the morning. If your giftee shares the same sentiment, they know that a minute can mean the difference between creamy and crumbly yolk. Rather than trusting a phone’s blaring timer, this precious pair is designed to join a boiling pot of water and sing a kitschy tune to alert them when it’s time to eat.

How To Host a Stress-Free Friendsgiving

I’ll share a secret with you: I …

I’ll share a secret with you: I prefer Friendsgiving over Thanksgiving. It’s not that I don’t love my family (I do!) but there’s a communal casualness to gathering with friends that you don’t quite get on the big day itself. My rule for corralling friends for an early turkey day? I make it a potluck, so I only have to provide the bird—and the table setting, of course. But I’ll let you in on a second secret: setting the scene with the just-right mix of tableware is my favorite part.

Join Food52’s George Wells As He Co-Hosts Project EATS Fall Gala

At Food52, we’ve seen how the power of community can affect what we eat and how we gather. On November 12, Food52’s CFO, George Wells, will put that ethos into action as he co-hosts the Project EATS fall gala honoring artist and filmmaker Arthur Jafa a…

“I was truly inspired to join the board of Project EATS after a powerful conversation with [Hauser & Wirth president] Marc Payot," Wells said. "Hearing about the organization's incredible work to eliminate food poverty right here in New York moved me deeply. It's all about transforming communities, one meal, one farm, one story at a time—and I knew I had to be part of that journey."

From Fish Plates to Sugar Nips, Here’s All The Best Things We Saw at the Round Top Antiques Fair

Last week, our founder Amanda Hesser; Food52 GM Jojo Feld; and senior director of merchandising, Jackson Fust; and I descended on Round Top, Texas, for the bi-annual Round Top Antiques Fair—a must-stop for designers like Kelly Wearster and Leanne Ford—…

Over three days, we saw miles and miles of vintage glassware—Amanda has thoughts!—wooden boards, and cauliflower-ware, the kooky cousin of cabbageware. But even among all the old things, we saw new-to-us delights and trends. Here’s what we spotted and loved.

How To Start Regenerative Farming—Even If You Don’t Have A Backyard

You might recognize chef Camilla Marcus for opening West~bourne, New York City’s first zero-waste restaurant, in 2018, but these days, she considers herself less of a restaurateur (the space sadly shuttered during the pandemic) and more of an activist. As she writes in her new book, My Regenerative Kitchen, she spent her childhood writing letters to her representatives and Senators, calling for environmental legislation. “A long time ago, I was interviewed by someone who asked, ‘Well, are you sure you want to be called an activist?’ They framed it as controversial,” Marcus said. “Activism just means that you're not sitting there expecting something to change and doing nothing about it.”

In true Marcus fashion, her entire cookbook is a delightful call to action, whether you’re trying to incorporate plant-based meals in your weekly routine (she has a great soup for that), or for when you have company over (three words: Avocado Oil-Washed Martini). We spoke with Marcus about how to prioritize regenerative farmed products, and what to serve the vegan who’s coming to Thanksgiving.