| | It’s a newsy week at Food52: We’re welcoming two new Cooks-in-Residence!
More than a decade ago, Mary and Brian Heffernan left their busy careers in Silicon Valley to start a new life as ranchers in Siskiyou County in Northern California. There, they refurbished an old homestead and called it Five Marys Farms (after Mary and their four daughters—yep, all named Mary!). They began raising Black Angus cattle, Navajo-Churro sheep, and Berkshire hogs on California grasses and now they sell their sustainable meats nationwide.
| | | | | | “We like doing things the hard way,” they write on their site. “We believe in muddy boots, calloused hands, and nurturing our land and livestock through dedication and hard work. We believe that healthy animals live in big spaces with lots of sunshine, and don’t need extra hormones, chemicals or antibiotics.” Those are values I can get behind.
Mary and her family will be sharing ranch life and lots of recipes with us in a video series, Raised on the Ranch—we’ll release new episodes every other week.
| | | | | | | I’m also delighted to welcome Harper Fendler, a former outdoor guide, ski instructor, and baker, who—happily for us—found his calling in the world of cocktails. For his new series, Cocktail Class, he'll (you guessed it!) show you how to make all sorts of drinks, starting with the classic Manhattan, and in future episodes will be demo-ing life-enhancing bar techniques, like how to freeze alcohol for slushie drinks. | | | | | We launched our Cooks-in-Residence program in 2020 to bring you food experts and inspiring cooks to follow. Mary and Harper will join some of our OG Residents:
| | | | - Erin McDowell, our pie maker and cake baker extraordinaire in Kansas City.
- Lucas Sin, who teaches us Chinese cooking, dish by delicious dish.
- Mandy Lee, an adventurous and indefatigable Hong Kong-based home cook.
- Melina Hammer, who focuses on seasonal cooking from her home in Upstate New York.
| | | | | | | Have you checked out Founder Files yet? Time to get on it! In the latest episode, I show you around my Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. We visit Instagram-famous croissant destination L’Appartement 4F and my go-to restaurant, Inga’s Bar, where chef Sean Rembold shows me how to make their signature Celery Victor. | | | What Our Editors Have Been Up To: | | | | | | | My Most Recent Shop Orders: | | | | - To replace a worn-out Microplane, I ordered this dapper one with a durable walnut handle.
- I sent this Seed & Mill Sampler Set with tahini and halva as a thank you gift for someone who gave me helpful advice recently.
| | | | | A New Product I Have My Eye On: | - Handy, wipeable placemats that are sustainably made (with paper!) and come in great colors. (And they can be wiped down with these Food52 waffle dish towels, which are part of our summer sale this week.)
| | | | | Follow-Up On My E-bike Search: | | Thank you all for your bike suggestions. Please don’t be mad at me but I ended up getting a Segway electric scooter instead! (This one.) I’m very pleased with the way it folds up, so I can carry it into our apartment building to charge it and lock it. Bonus: It’s zippy and makes my commute fun—and not sweaty! | |
Any thoughts on what you’d like to hear more about from me? Let me know at amanda.hesser@food52.com.
More soon! |  | Amanda Hesser
Founder & Executive Chair | | | | This edition of the newsletter contains products independently chosen (and loved) by Amanda. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we've linked to. | | | | | | | | | | |
