Snacks for Dinner

The author of Start Simple redefines “dinner” in this creative cookbook that elevates snacks and grazing foods to main-course status, filled with 100 recipes and 75 color photos.

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED COOKBOOKS OF 2022 Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Bookriot

We’ve all been there. Pressed for time, patience, or the will to cook yet another meal, we turn to eating snacks for dinner. While these “meals” are often thrown together, there is no denying that grazing on smaller bites is less stressful and often more pleasurable than planning and preparing a traditional meal.

In Snacks for Dinner, Volger transforms carefree noshing into nourishing meals with recipes to inspire your own make-from-scratch snack spreads that are not only quick to makes, but also deeply satisfying.

The perfect snack-y dinner revolves around 7 main components:

• Crispy-Crunchy: Savory Bites
• Tangy-Juicy: Pickles & Marinades
• Scooped and Smeared: Dips & Spreads
• Centerpiece-ish: A Little Heartier
• Small but Mighty: Spoon Salads & Soup Shots
• Vessels: Crackers, Breads, & Chips
• Sips-Sweets: Drinks & Desserts

Volger shows how these flavorful components can be mixed and matched to create a palate-pleasing meal. Following Volger’s guidance, you may start out with a few Smoky Glazed Pistachios for crunch and add some zesty Orange & Mustard Marinated Asparagus with a side of Honey Pickled Shallots. Craving something creamy Try a Toasted Walnut and Feta Dip or Gingery Green Tahini with homemade Nut & Seed Crackers or crudités. The possibilities are endless. Best of all, many of these bites can be made ahead and stored in the fridge or pantry for easy assembly.

With Volger’s simple, wholesome, recipes and pairing guidance, snacks for dinner is no longer shameful but a healthy, fun, and respectable choice.

About the Author

Lukas Volger is the author of three previous vegetarian cookbooks, including Bowl and Veggie Burgers Every Which Way. He's also the founder and editorial director of Jarry, a James Beard Award-winning biannual food magazine that explores where food and queer culture intersect, and previously founded Made by Lukas, a Brooklyn-based line of premium veggie burgers. His food writing has appeared in Vogue, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Time, The Splendid Table, Food52, and other publications