It’s no secret that Bon Appétit editors cook a lot for work. So it should come as no surprise that we cook a lot during our off hours too. Here are the recipes we’re whipping up this month to get dinner on the table, entertain our friends, satisfy a sweet tooth, use up leftovers, and everything in between. For even more staff favorites, click here.
February 21
Gỏi tôm bắp cải
I’ve been on the road a lot lately, which has proved a bit dysregulating for me, as a guy who thrives on routine. On the short stretches I’m home, I’ve been mixing up versions of this Gỏi Tôm Bắp Cải salad from recipe developer Tyna Hoang. It has all the good things my body craves when I am all out of sorts: crunchy greens and veg, tons of herbs, and a punchy nuoc cham that is good on basically everything. When I’m fully leaning into couch rot mode, I swap out the coconut-poached shrimp for a simple grocery store rotisserie chicken. I throw in whatever vegetables I have on hand, like green onions, radishes, and cucumbers, which add even more crispness and heft to what is already a nourishing salad. And I also double the batch of nuoc cham, because my craving for it is near-constant. Plus I know I’ll use it all by the time I hit the road again. —Joseph Hernandez, associate director of drinks
Plate after plate of parsnips
I adore parsnips. They’re a staple on my fall and winter grocery lists and, honestly, I think they’re wildly underappreciated. The week my colleague Shilpa Uskokovic was testing these Parsnips With Spiced Peanuts and Garlic Yogurt was a really great week for me. I ate plate after plate of sweet parsnips, dragging pieces through garlic yogurt, nabbing crushed bits of spicy peanuts along the way. I gleefully brought leftovers home multiple days in a row. And now, I can make the recipe for myself whenever I want—which is often. Instead of roasting them (what I usually do), Shilpa relies on the stovetop. Just simmer the parsnips in water, butter, and spices, then brown them in the same pan after the liquid evaporates. They end up evenly cooked, tender to the very center, and golden brown: everything a parsnip deserves to be. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior service editor
Homemade pickles
There’s nothing I crave more than pickles. Snappy, briny spears to snack on, turn into a creamy dip, or chop into tuna salad. So when I woke up with a hankering for them, I strolled to the store and filled my tote bag with 3 pounds of Kirby cucumbers. Yes, perhaps excessive, but when I go through the effort of pickling, I like to reap the benefits for weeks. When I got home, I followed Sohla El-Waylly’s recipe to a tee; I cut the cukes into planks, snugly packed them into mason jars, and drowned them in a hot vinegar brine dotted with coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and peppercorns. And after just four hours, I was able to satisfactorily quench my thirst. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking
Radicchio, bean, and feta salad
For dinner, my husband made test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin’s Radicchio, Bean, and Feta Salad. In lieu of brussels sprouts, he threw in some pre-washed, pre-chopped Tuscan kale. And to go with, for balance, a sheet pan of crispy tater tots. It was a nourishing winter supper, but the real move here is the leftovers. If you too are a family of two, resist the temptation to halve this recipe for a smaller yield. You will absolutely want the extras for lunch the next day. —Emma Laperruque, associate director of cooking
Kid-approved chicken thighs
Cooking as a parent has been a gradual process of widening the scope of what we enjoy eating, constantly putting new things on the table knowing that someone will object. For years I would try to rigorously separate each element of a meal to allow for maximum flexibility: sauces on the side, vegetables not touching anything, and proteins as plain as can be. Fast-forward to this past weekend when I realized we have finally moved past that phase. I was cooking senior test kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk’s Orange-Wine-Braised Chicken Thighs, added some chunks of bacon—because why not—and served it with roast potatoes and garlicky green beans. Everything mingled on the plate as it should, and I pretended not to notice my kids picking off the garlic. I still count it as a win. —Chris Morocco, food director
February 14
Salad that gets better with time
Every February, like clockwork, I crave all things leafy, crunchy, and raw. By now, I’ve exhausted my appetite for soups and braises and all but mandate a salad a day. I can’t always pull this off, but when I can, fresh veggies remind me that warmer days are ahead. One way I’ve been able to achieve my daily quota is by throwing together my colleague Hana Asbrink’s Happy Fridge Salad. I do this on a Sunday, and keep it in the fridge to grab as the week wears on. Would you believe that a salad can get better the longer it sits? This one certainly does, as the citrus vinaigrette tenderizes the hardy broccoli slaw and sturdy kale. I’ve made it several times already. —Carly Westerfield, associate manager of audience strategy
Italian butter cookies
I adore a buttery, crumbly, shortbread-ish cookie. And that’s just what you get with Zoe Deneberg’s Italian Butter Cookies—a classic treat that makes your home smell like the coziest neighborhood bakery. Zoe gives you several decorating options: sprinkles, jam sandwiches, maraschino cherries. I skipped all of these and simply piped the dough into fingers. Still spectacular. Especially with a pot of this rooibos chai, my caffeine-free go-to for winter. —Emma Laperruque, associate director of cooking
Paneer and green bean stir-fry
Sometimes, a recipe will simply feed you, and sometimes, a recipe will send you down a pleasant rabbit hole. The latter happened when I made food director Chris Morocco’s Paneer and Green Bean Stir-Fry. When he cooked it in the test kitchen a few months ago, I was struck by the flavor—an elusive wok-hei-like smokiness, followed by a lick of sweetness. Not the blatant sweetness of sugar but the daintiness of mirin. Knowing I was going to make this at home, I searched for good mirin, the kind that’s aged like fine wine with no salt or sugar added. Turns out, that’s hard to find because it’s actually alcohol, and to avoid the alcohol tax and be able to sell it in grocery stores, companies add salt and sugar. I managed to track some down online and made the recipe for lunch last week (with the unauthorized addition of very unseasonal but nice shishito peppers). It was just how I remembered—chewy, smoky, a little sweet, paneer squeaking cheerfully with every bite. A recipe that fed me and taught me something new. —Shilpa Uskokovic, senior test kitchen editor
Winter citrus fattoush
I could not be more grateful for citrus season. Right when we need them most, happiness-boosting oranges, mandarins, and grapefruits are not just in stock but ripely juicy. So when I stumbled upon a pile of blush-toned Cara Cara oranges at the market, I grabbed as many as I could carry. Their fates were many: Some were eaten out of hand, others nestled atop my morning oats, and the rest carefully supremed for chef and cookbook author Reem Assil’s perfect Salatet Fattoush (California Fattoush Salad). The base is a mix of crunchy Little Gem lettuce, mustardy arugula, mint and parsley, pita chips, and a tart pomegranate molasses dressing. Following Assil’s recommendations for a wintry version of the often tomato-laden dish, I added those Cara Caras, and some roasted artichoke hearts (tossed with orange zest, avocado oil, salt, and pepper), alongside thin slices of radishes and red onion. It was so good I made it again the next day. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior service editor
Endlessly riffable noodles
Every time I make these Gochujang-Sesame Noodles, a beloved recipe and hallmark of our Bon Appétit 56, I take liberties. I’ll add fried tofu to the top, swap in cilantro as the herb, or even double the bold sauce. This most recent time—with little to nothing in the fridge—I skipped the torn basil and broccoli rabe, and instead threw in shriveled-up kale that was on its last leg. For some added protein, I served my noodles with a jammy egg and a showering of sesame seeds. A total win in my books. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking
February 7
Freezer-friendly green curry
I’ve been making freezer-friendly meals that I can rely on when it’s dark early and I have zero desire to cook. One of those is soup; another is a green curry. I sifted through some Bon Appétit recipes that use green curry paste and found two that piqued my interest: Shrimp and Coconut Curry With Rice Noodles and this Green Curry Pork Tenderloin. I ended up combining the two for a pork-and-shrimp green curry bolstered with sweet peppers from the farmers market, green beans, and carrots. If you haven’t used Maesri curry paste before, this is your sign to do so. With reliable big flavor, it’s a gateway to so many meals. Next time, I’ll be using the paste to make my coworker Shilpa Uskokovic’s Green Curry Pot Pie to stash in the freezer—Marie Callender’s, watch out. —Urmila Ramakrishnan, associate director of social media
Hands-off risotto
I am a Rice Cooker Evangelist and will talk anyone’s ear off if pressed on its merits. It is the kitchen appliance that gets as much (if not more) action as my coffee maker. When senior test kitchen editor Jesse Szewczyk suggested we make a Rice Cooker Risotto in this trusty dinnertime helper, I was all in. (It’s not the first time I’d lean on the rice cooker for a full-fledged meal, after all.) The end result is a hands-off riff on a classic that frees you up to do as you please while dinner is cooking. Don’t skip the bright lemon and fresh mint—they’ll have you almost believing spring is just around the corner. —Hana Asbrink, deputy food editor
An easy meal for moving week
Moving means not immediately having the fully stocked pantry of your dreams. But with some lingering honey and Dijon mustard that survived the U-haul trip, I decided to make this Ali Slagle sheet-pan dinner. Sausages, brussels sprouts (I subbed in broccoli), and baby potatoes mingle in a scorching oven. Halfway through the roast, they get coated in a sticky, honey-mustard glaze, then continue cooking until tender and caramelized. Eaten straight off the sheet pan (unpacking plates was tomorrow’s issue), this dinner was just the nourishment I needed. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking
Red curry tempeh and rice cakes
I should stop talking about former BA staffer Rachel Gurjar’s Red Curry Pork and Rice Cakes, but I can’t. This dish is savory and fast, reliant on a number of pantry staples, and so delightful to eat (thanks to the pairing of crisped-up ground pork and bouncy Korean tteok). This week I made the dish at home with a small tweak (the first time I’d dared adjust the perfect recipe)—vegetarian-ifying them with crumbled tempeh instead of pork. The pork is better, but this absolutely worked in a pinch. —Kendra Vaculin, test kitchen editor
Morale-boosting chocolate cake
My partner’s team has been working late nights to get a show off the ground at the end of the week (if you’re in New York, I highly rec Grangeville at Signature Theatre). So, I made my coworker Shilpa Uskokovic’s Chocolate Sheet Cake With Brown Butter Frosting to boost their morale. Nothing says, “Perk up, Buttercup!” like unicorn sprinkles. I knew Shilpa’s recipe was unstoppable as is, but I couldn’t help adding my own little twist. First, I replaced ¼ cup of the water in the cake batter with coffee liqueur. Next, instead of the dry milk powder, which Shilpa toasts in the brown butter to give it even bigger caramelized notes, I swapped in malted milk powder, adding an extra layer of flavor. —Joe Sevier, senior SEO editor, cooking
