Food52

French Recipes to Channel Your Inner Julia Child

Julia Youman — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 14:44:58 -0400

It’s Bastille Day—and also Euro Summer week here at Food52—so we’re leaning all the way in with a roundup of our favorite French recipes to help you fête like you're picnicking beneath the Eiffel Tower (or at least pretending to at your dining table).

From classics Julia Child would definitely approve of (hi, beef bourguignon and crème brûlée) to a few breezier, “lazy girl” picks that rely on good butter, flaky pastry, and fresh herbs, this lineup has something for every level of ambition. There’s plenty of cheese, a generous amount of wine, and more than one dish with an egg on top—just as the French intended.

Flight Cancelled? This Lounge at JFK Is Giving Out Free Margaritas

Julia Youman — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 17:52:13 -0400

We’ve all been there: sitting on the floor at your gate, clutching a sad airport meal, wondering how your relaxing vacation turned into a stress spiral. With fewer air traffic controllers and a jam-packed summer travel season, canceled and delayed flights are basically a guarantee. I’m curious if you’ve noticed similar stuff and how you’re beating the travel woes—let me know.

But one brand wants to turn that chaos into happy hour. For two days only—July 17 and 18—Cayman Jack (yes, the margarita in a bottle brand) is opening The Cayman Club: A Missed Flight Lounge at JFK’s TWA Hotel. And the only way to get in? Show proof of a delayed, canceled, or missed flight.

The Euro Summer Recipes We’re Making Instead of Booking a Flight

Julia Youman — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 16:57:58 -0400

It’s Euro Summer Week! Stay tuned for more stories, recipes, and travel tips—and tell us how you’re having your own.

Around this time every year, it feels like everyone you know is either in Europe, just got back from Europe, or plotting how to get there. (And yes, we’ve all Googled how much a last-minute flight would be. Spoiler: too much.)

Fragrant, Lemony Dishes That'll Transport You to the Amalfi Coast

Erin Alexander — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 16:17:53 -0400

It's Euro Summer Week! Stay tuned for more great recipes, stories, and travel tips.

I was only eight years old the first time I stepped foot on the Amalfi Coast, and many of my memories of the place are striking and vivid—as if I had just come back from a trip. But because I was so young, others are fleeting and imperfect.

Apparently, Most Americans Think Fries Are a Main Course—We’re Not Arguing

Julia Youman — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 13:20:27 -0400

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who order the fries for the table, and those who steal them off someone else’s plate. Within that, there's a very special subgroup—the ones who order the fries, don’t Venmo request anyone, and just silently let the group benefit. Bless those people. There’s a special place in heaven for them (probably with a trio of unlimited aiolis and fountain Diet Coke).

Fries are technically a side dish, but let’s be real: they’re doing main character work. Whether they’re saving a sad dinner, showing up as girl dinner (see: Caesar salad, fries, and a Diet Coke), or loaded with toppings and eaten straight from the sheet pan, fries are the one food that almost no one can resist.

The $3 Tool That Transformed My Dishwashing Routine

Kelsey O'Halloran — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0400

One of the trickiest parts of any home renovation project is the seemingly endless list of decisions. As my family embarked on our long-awaited kitchen renovation, one choice I kept getting hung up on was our sink. Should we stick with a functional and traditional double-basin, or spring for a single-basin with space to wash larger dishes and more under-sink storage? It turns out the solution to my sink dilemma was shockingly simple: a $3 dishpan that's revolutionized our kitchen workflow.

The Surprisingly Brilliant Hack

Before the renovation, I spent years with an outdated but extremely functional double-basin sink. Our family system was clear: stack and soak dishes on one side, keep the other side free for washing. When I looked at friends' single-basin sinks, I noticed they inevitably wound up washing dishes on top of a pile of dirty ones—a workflow nightmare I wanted to avoid.

Villa-Worthy Breakfasts We’d Actually Wake Up For

Julia Youman — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:11:01 -0400

If you’ve been around literally anyone in the past month, you’ve probably heard chatter about Love Island—whether it’s the UK version or the ever-iconic USA one. Maybe you’re all in. Maybe you’ve only absorbed it passively, against your will. Either way, it’s hard to escape.

As someone who’d never tuned in before, I was surprised by the sudden cultural takeover. In the past few weeks alone, I’ve sat through full dinners where people debated their favorite couples, predicted drama, and ranked bombshells with passionate conviction. I finally had to get up to speed—if only to participate in what feels like a nationwide group project (slash networking event).

Sandwiches Everyone Loves (Even My Sandwich-Skeptical Preschooler)

Christen Vidanovic — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 13:00:00 -0400

I have a 4-year-old, which means even though I love a good sandwich, I rarely get to eat one without a little negotiation. Unless it’s a burger (she’s all in for burgers), meals between two slices of bread often fall flat. That’s why this week’s plan is all about flexible sandwiches: DIY-style builds, deconstructed options, and satisfying meatless takes that appeal to both kids and grown-ups.

Also included: a nostalgic breakfast sandwich inspired by my early 20s, when I helped open a cafe on the North Shore of O‘ahu. It was hearty, rich, and packed with meat-free protein—just how I like to start the day. As always, while the groceries are listed based on what you need, they’re flexible enough to swap based on what you’ve got—especially for things like mayo, hot sauce, or bread.

How to Spend the Perfect Long Weekend in Palm Beach—Like a Local

Kim Sunshine — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 10:00:00 -0400

Welcome to Like a Local, our series where writers share how to spend an ideal long weekend in their favorite towns. This time, Kim gives us an insider’s guide to Palm Beach, FL.

What started as yearly visits to Palm Beach turned into biannual trips, and no matter how often I went, I always had a great time. It wasn’t until I was lucky enough to get “stuck” in Palm Beach for months during the pandemic that I began to appreciate all this destination has to offer. Sure, it’s gorgeous ( like stepping into a Slim Aarons imagery time capsule), easy to get to (landing at PBI airport feels intimate, not intimidating) and its food rivals that of NYC and Rome. But living like a local made me appreciate all the nooks and crannies of this island. Here are my best bets for a perfect long weekend in Palm Beach.

I Tried the $20 Kendra Scott Smoothie—Here’s What It Tasted Like

Julia Youman — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0400

If you’ve felt like smoothies have gotten suspiciously expensive, you’re not wrong. We now live in a world where $17 blends with spirulina and collagen are a bit too normal—especially if you’re shopping somewhere like Erewhon. These LA luxury grocery stores aren’t just health havens; they’ve become known for their celebrity-backed smoothies, like Hailey Bieber’s now-famous Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie loaded with sea moss, peptides, and hyaluronic acid. I’ve even heard of hotels licensing the rights to serve these viral drinks in their lounges. This is not your average fruit smoothie.

While I don’t splurge often, I’ve definitely noticed the growing hype. Back in college, there was always a long line at the açai bowl truck that parked near the far quad (sometimes rivaling the line when Raising Cane’s opened). I never totally got the appeal or the price, but it was clearly a thing. And this wasn’t even in LA or New York—it was in east central Illinois, where smoothie prices still capped around $12 back then.