Maximalism isn’t about more clutter—it’s about more character. And in a small space, the best place to start? Right on the wall.

Wall sconces are the secret weapon designers reach for again and again: they save space, layer in light, and (in some cases) double as sculptural art. In the cozy corners and clever placements ahead, we’re taking cues from some of our favorite designer spaces to show how a well-placed sconce can turn even the tiniest nook into a major design moment. Ready to see why they’re a small-space essential? Below, you’ll find out how to use them just like the pros.

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In 2018, hard seltzer was everywhere. White Claw took over coolers, bar menus, and party tables, and beer suddenly had real competition. So when Grant Wood—a brewmaster with decades of experience—floated the idea of nonalcoholic beer to major players like MillerCoors, it didn’t exactly land. Everyone was still riding the fizzy wave.

NA beer? That felt like a niche at best.

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Welcome to Sunday Reset, where we share how we’re unwinding and what we have planned for the week ahead. This time, guest Nea tells us her summer cooking plans and how she's gearing up for summer in Sweden.

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Good morning! I can’t believe it’s already June 1st! I just got back from visiting my parents in Burlington, Vermont, where we blew lots of glass at their studio, AO Glass, grilled, and ate maple creemees. Now back in Brooklyn, I’m deep into planning summer recipes and gearing up to head to Sweden for a few weeks.

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Father’s Day can feel like a hard one to get right. Do you plan a full schedule of activities? Do you let Dad relax? Do you take him out for dinner? Or do you cook him a nice meal? And what about a gift? Does he really need another grilling set? How about a salami bouquet? The options are at once completely overwhelming and totally limiting. Lucky for you, we've got some good news. As it turns out, all dads really wants is a great breakfast. 

Here are 30 never-fail morning meals to whip up for the father figure in your life this Father's Day—from apple and pork sausage (with a side of eggs, of course) to the perfect waffles and pancakes. Serving a homemade card alongside never hurts, either. 

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As a luxury travel advisor, I send people all over the world to explore and make memories with their friends and families, and one place I recommend over and over is Mexico City (CDMX). I’ve spent time there myself and sent scads of clients there, too.

CDMX, in my opinion, is still underhyped for a lot of U.S. travelers, especially those on the east coast. It’s a relatively quick flight (4-5 hours max depending on where you leave from) and once you get there it’s pretty much the perfect long-weekend getaway—the food scene is studded with delicious hotspots in both the high end and the street fare categories, and the city is teeming with art, shopping, and history. And should you want to make a longer trip out of it, you can scoot out to the coast and see some gorgeous beaches.

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If you ask someone to finish this sentence—“They’re climbing the corporate…”—I bet we’d all say the same thing. “Ladder,” right? That’s because the go-to analogy for career growth has always been a ladder: vertical, linear, and only room for one at the top.

But what if we ditched the ladder altogether?

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Welcome to Come On Over, a Food52 newsletter about hosting life’s big and little moments. It’s where we share our personal tips and tricks, from modern-day etiquette—shoes off or shoes on?—to making extra seating out of every surface of an apartment. This week, Kelly is hosting a French fête.

This article was created in partnership with Maker's Mark.

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If there’s one thing I love in this world, it’s an unexpected cocktail—especially heading into the summer months, when Friday happy hours feel more joyous than ever. I’m always on a quest to perfect my espresso martini (more on that soon), but this month, I’m in the mood for something new.

And that leads us to the question that rolls around every June: What’s going to be the drink of the summer? A safe bet (that I’d put actual money on) is the Aperol spritz, still going strong five years later. The limoncello spritz has also gained steam—and honestly, I get the appeal. I recently tried Pallini’s version for their summer spritz activation, and their sunny vibes once again sold me.

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Welcome to the latest (and perhaps most bittersweet) edition of Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser’s newsletter, Hey There, It’s Amanda. As always, it’s packed with food, travel, and shopping chatter—plus one big personal update about what’s next for Amanda and the future of Food52.

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Sixteen years ago, nearly to the day, Merrill and I posted this video to Vimeo, introducing the company and laying out our proof of concept. We planned to build a company that served all the needs of people who loved cooking and home. There would be high-quality recipes, home content, and an assortment of products handpicked by us. It would feel edited yet welcoming, with beautiful photography and a strong sensibility. And, most importantly, our readers would be vital to it all.

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Welcome to Like a Local, our recurring series where travelers share their perfect long weekend itineraries—from the coffee shops and cocktail bars they swear by to the hidden corners worth wandering. This week, Chicago resident, Caroline Bratney focuses on the city's architectural highlights.

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Welcome to beautiful Chicago! I’ve lived in this Midwestern metropolis for ten years and have fallen in love with so much of what this broad-shouldered city has to offer.

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Father’s Dayis a time to raise a glass to any father figure in your life—the guy who shows up early for your move, texts weather alerts from three states away, or always knows how to make you laugh. It’s also a great excuse to mix up something special. From a classic old-fashioned or whiskey and coke to brunch favorites like a Mimosa or Bloody Mary, Dad will finally get the chance to do what he loves most—kick back and relax.

1. Zingy Michelada With Celery Salt

This is the perfect drink for a hot summer day and honestly, the ultimate Dad drink. Think of a michelada as a more refreshing, lower-ABV version of a Bloody Mary—this one is equal parts homemade bloody Mary mix and a light lager beer.

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Whether it’s a towering layer cake, a cozy loaf, or just a sweet vehicle for frosting, cake is one of the best ways to celebrate someone special. And this Father’s Day—June 16—we’re celebrating all the dads, grandfathers, uncles, and mentors who’ve made life sweeter.

Maybe your dad was the one who taught you how to flip pancakes on Sunday mornings or the guy who told you ghost stories on camping trips. Maybe he’s the one who texts silly jokes just to brighten your day. Or perhaps you’re honoring a father figure who always showed up, even when you didn’t expect it.

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© James Ransom

© James Ransom

© James Ransom

© James Ransom

© James Ransom

© James Ransom

© James Ransom

© James Ransom

© James Ransom

© James Ransom

My dad isn't much of a breakfast person. Like me, he lives to eat, but that takes shape mainly as a lunch, dinner, and snack pursuit. I've never known him to go crazy over a fried egg sandwich, or to make pancakes of his own accord. Most days, he has toast, either slathered with peanut butter while still warm, or with gently crushed avocado, olive oil, and salt.

So Father's Day brunch is really for the rest of the family (and for the dogs, who each year anew act like they've never seen a muffin scrap before). My dad will attend, of course, but menu planning is dictated by the tastes of my sisters and mother. Enter the cinnamon rolls and the cream cheese frosting. And the custardy, soft-scrambled eggs. Oh, and the biscuits.

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You’re a few steps into these community-favorite bran muffins when you realize: Uh-oh, no molasses in sight. The recipe only calls for three tablespoons—so can you swap it out? Good news: Yes, you definitely can. Whether you’re baking cookies, mixing BBQ sauce, or whipping up gingerbread, there’s a molasses substitute for you. Below, we’re diving into what molasses actually is, how it behaves in recipes, and the best molasses alternatives to use in a pinch (including two more options for subbing barley malt and date syrup, per your comments!).

What is molasses, anyway?

Simply put, molasses is a byproduct of sugar processing, whether that’s sugar cane or sugar beets. When sugar is refined, “the juice squeezed from these plants is boiled to a syrupy mixture from which sugar crystals are extracted,” according to The New Food Lover’s Companion. “The remaining brownish-black liquid is molasses.” Got it!

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Good morning! Memorial Day weekend is officially here, which always feels like a natural reset—whether you’re counting down the last days of school (with excitement, stress, or both) or just waiting for consistently warm weather.

Last week, Paul answered all your BBQ questions and made a strong case for ribs, which I second. There’s still time to make Emma Laperruque’s baby backs with dry rub, or if you’re cooking for a smaller crowd, her shrimp pasta is a no-brainer. For dessert, I’ve got my eye on EmilyC’s berries with rosé, this olive oil chocolate mousse, or a stunning raspberry pistachio pavlova.

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The crêpes were made, the eggs perfectly bedeviled when I noticed—with only a few minutes before my book club group was set to arrive—that the surface of my fridge was looking particularly grubby. I recalled seeing a tip on a blog earlier that week for something like a “genius cleaning hack” for stainless steel (was it rubbing in olive oil?). They say fools rush in, and thus it was.

I was left with a streaky mess when the doorbell rang. Later in the afternoon, while I was chatting with my friend Jade, she mentioned a miracle stainless steel cleaner she’d just bought. To be clear—oso as to not slander Jade—there was no passive aggression in her comment—her line of sight and her train of thought were easy enough to piece together. I asked her for the link, and both the time stamp on my pre-hosting photo and product invoice confirm I bought it immediately on her recommendation.

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Just because it’s a kid’s birthday party doesn’t mean the adults can’t have fun too—and no, we’re not just talking about wine and beer in Solo cups (although that doesn’t hurt). This summer, we’re rethinking what a kid-friendly birthday bash can look like: Think platters of French pastries, silver coupes filled with grapes, and homemade paper chains that are prettier than the ones you remember from kindergarten.

Most recently, we’re looking to Tess Gigone—Toronto-based creator and our resident recipe try-er in It’s Fine—for all the inspiration. At Food52, we’ve seen her tackle classic recipes for the first time ever (gracefully, might I add). And if there’s one thing we’ve learned from watching her, it’s that she has an incredible eye.

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What if you could text a friend who just gets home design—who knows the difference between a globe pendant and a drum shade, or what color temperature works best in a hallway? Meet Schoolhouse Switchboard, your new go-to resource for all things lighting, design, renovation, and DIY.

Inspired by Food52’s long-running community hotline—where home cooks can drop a question 24/7 (and even leave a voicemail!)—we’re bringing that same real-time, personalized advice to the world of home design. This time, it’s all happening over at our sister brand, Schoolhouse, and instead of cooking questions, we’re here for your lighting layout conundrums, rug-sizing woes, paint debates, and more.

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All Fired Up is our Shop’s monthly handmade ceramics drop, curated by Food52 and made by small and local makers. This month, we’re featuring Chicago-based artist Emily Christopherson of EMRIS studio.

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For a lot of artists, the dream is that someone—maybe a professor or a curator—spots their work and says, “You’ve got it.” Realistically, that rarely happens. But for Emily Christopherson, it kind of did.

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Let me get one thing straight: I have loved boxed macaroni and cheese for as long as I can remember. From the bright orange Kraft mac and cheese dinners my dad "cooked" when my mom was out of town, to the countless microwaveable single-serve Easy Mac cups I consumed in college, and fancied-up shells and white cheddar from Annie's that now fill my pantry, this gloriously convenient invention has always been a part of my life.

And while you can often catch me whipping up a batch of the stuff in its purest form (including last night, when I had zero desire to prepare a full dinner), there are times when I like to experiment with different combinations of ingredients. Some are based off my cravings (spicy, bright and herby, or totally carbo-loaded), and other times they're based off whatever leftovers are in my fridge. Sure, adding extra ingredients can take away a bit of the simplicity, but incorporating them is easy and rarely takes more than a few minutes—in fact, you can usually finish the prep while the pasta water boils. Most importantly, they pay off big time in terms of flavor.

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