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 the latest edition of Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser’s weekly newsletter, Hey There, It’s Amanda, packed with food, travel, and shopping tips, Food52 doings, and other matters that catch her eye. Get inspired—sign up here for her emails.

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I’m in Florida, visiting my mom Judy, otherwise known as the Oven-Fried Chicken Lady. I was reminded that as a myopic New York food media person, I often forget that in other places foods are in season at different times than they are in New York! The farmers market here has already blown through asparagus and strawberry season and marched on to zucchini, green beans, and cherry tomatoes. For Floridians, this Zucchini Butter recipe from Jennie Cook is a winner. (Here’s the pan I cooked it in.)

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Welcome to the latest edition of Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser’s weekly newsletter, Hey There, It’s Amanda, packed with food, travel, and shopping tips, Food52 doings, and other matters that catch her eye. Get inspired—sign up here for her emails.

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Food52 started with community. Before we launched the site, we put out a call for people to upload videos of their kitchens, highlighting their favorite tools and design details—and the annoying parts, too, like a dishwasher door that obstructs access to the garbage or cake pans that don’t stack neatly. When we launched the site in September of 2009, we held weekly recipe contests around themes like “Your Best Chocolate Cake” or “Your Best Paella.” We’d read all the entries, test and photograph the most promising ones, and put the best two recipes up for a vote. This is how we built a curated recipe database—and, more importantly, how we got to know each other!

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Welcome to the latest edition of Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser’s weekly newsletter, Hey There, It’s Amanda, packed with food, travel, and shopping tips, Food52 doings, and other matters that catch her eye. Get inspired—sign up here for her emails.

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I have a new (old) book out! My first book—The Cook and the Gardener—about cooking seasonally from a garden and about a crusty old French gardener whom I befriended when I worked as a cook at a château in Burgundy, France, was relaunched yesterday, on the 25th (26th!) anniversary of its original publication in 1999.

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Welcome to the latest edition of Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser’s weekly newsletter, Hey There, It’s Amanda, packed with food, travel, and shopping tips, Food52 doings, and other matters that catch her eye. Get inspired—sign up here for her emails.

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Emily, a reader of this newsletter, sent me photos of her kitchen and a note that said, “Renovated my dream kitchen a year ago, but cannot figure out how to style my countertop area, particularly corners. Help if ya’ll can!”

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Welcome to the latest edition of Food52 Founder Amanda Hesser’s weekly newsletter, Hey There, It’s Amanda, packed with food, travel, and shopping tips, Food52 doings, and other matters that catch her eye. Get inspired—sign up here for her emails.

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Oslo Food

I just got back from Oslo, where Merrill and I guzzled coffee, walked for miles, and ate as many pastries as possible. Here’s a short list of the restaurants, coffee shops, and bakeries we liked.

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