Snacks for Dinner (Lukas Volger)

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.

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.