The food52 cookbook : 125 winning recipes from exceptional home cooks

After years of testing recipes, Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs know that the best meals come not from professional chefs at gourmet restaurants, but from the kitchens of home cooks, where practicality and inventiveness take center stage.

At Food52.com, skilled home cooks submit recipes and participate in a lively online community, competing each week by sending in their best seasonally appropriate recipe within a particular category.

While Amanda and Merrill choose the finalists, readers vote for the best recipe. "The Food52 Cookbook" contains all 104 winning recipes, along with dozens of wild card favorites, including: Summer Corn Chowder, Lamb Burgers with Cilantro Yogurt, Fasoolya Khadra (Beef and Green Bean Stew), Grilled Blade Chops over Greek Salad, Not Red Velvet Cake with Fudge Glaze, and Strawberries with Lavender Biscuits. "The Food52 Cookbook" captures the community spirit and flavor that have made the website a success, and includes the authors' expert comments on every recipe, plus behind-the-scenes photos, tips and variations, reader comments, and brief features on the contributors.