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.
May 9
Salt and pepper fish
For our weekly fish dinner, I cooked Andy Baraghani’s Salt and Pepper Fish. I had a few pieces of sablefish in the freezer, and it seemed like a fine swap (buttery flake, mild flavor). The fish turned out perfectly lovely, but the frizzled ginger and scallions stole the show. Frankly, they deserve double the amount the recipe currently calls for. The final result was so delicious, it made me wonder what else I can apply the salt and pepper (and ginger and scallion) treatment to. Chicken, of course. Probably tofu. Maybe even Japanese eggplant. —Shilpa Uskokovic, senior test kitchen editor
One sturdy salad
I just love a salad, everything from a springy mix of delicate mâche to a leaf-free spoon salad. So when my colleague Nina Moskowitz’s Crispy Rice Salad With Spicy Tahini Dressing came through the Test Kitchen, I was beyond excited to make it at home. The recipe calls for sturdy purple cabbage, which holds well in the fridge for the majority of the work week (yes, even dressed). I always have leftover rice, so I crisped up the cold grains into crouton-like nuggets. Then I added creamy avocado, just-sweet mango, hearty edamame, and crunchy radishes and cukes. Any combination of these ingredients works well, as do new mix-ins like canned corn, blanched snap peas, or cherry tomatoes. The chili-crisp-tahini dressing is so good, I could pour it on a rubber tire and be a happy gal. —Hana Asbrink, deputy food editor
Early season garlic scapes
After months of waiting for them to come back into season, I finally found garlic scapes at the farmers market this past weekend. I got straight to work making this quick and simple stir-fry, courtesy of Bon Appétit contributor Serena Dai. With just three ingredients (garlic scapes, bacon, and a healthy glug of soy sauce), the recipe lets the produce do the talking. Throw in some fresh-cooked rice and an oozy fried egg and you’ve got a peak spring dinner. —Alma Avalle, editorial operations associate
If you see garlic scapes, grab them, then make this stir-fry.
A swoon-worthy chickpea pancake
Would you look at this chickpea pancake! The lush greens decorating the top. The golden brown edges peeking through. The delicate threads of lemon zest. I’m swooning. I had to make it, and oh my, did it deliver—crisp, savory, satisfying. As test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin suggests in her headnote, the smashed pea topping can be customized as the seasons progress. I’m thinking of a medley of tomatoes, sweet peppers, and Japanese eggplants in late summer; a roasted cauliflower, cabbage, and mushroom number come fall. —Kelsey Jane Youngman, senior service editor
Perfectly moist banana bread
Whenever I have a bunch of neglected, overripe bananas, there’s one recipe I always come back to: BA’s Best Banana Bread from Dawn Perry. I’ve made it a handful of times exactly as the recipe recommends (mascarpone included), and it always delivers a perfectly moist cake. This time around, I experimented with adding in almond flour and pecans with chopped bittersweet chocolate. It barely had enough time to cool before my partner tore off a corner to taste. —Urmila Ramakrishnan, associate director of social media
May 2
Asparagus season stir-fry
In the great spring produce debate that played out on a recent episode of Dinner SOS, I’m team Shilpa Uskokovic (that is to say, Team Asparagus). The soft color, the al dente snap, the grassy taste. I’m here for the spears! So to satisfy my cravings, I’ve been turning to a recipe by the asparagus queen herself: Shilpa’s Cashew Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry. With its savory pantry sauce, this dish fits into my favorite genre of weeknight cooking: sauce + veg + protein + an excuse to fire up my Zojirushi. It’s also infinitely adaptable. I’ve included chunky crimini mushrooms and plan to sub in crispy tofu for the chicken. But while it’s still in season, you won’t ever catch me skimping on the asparagus. —Michele O’Brien, senior audio producer
Birthday cake decorating
I went to New Hampshire for a friend’s birthday and instead of having a chill sit-by-the-lake-type weekend, everyone came prepared with activities. As the group’s resident baker, I marshaled a cake decorating contest. I baked two of my colleague Shilpa Uskokovic’s chocolate sheet cakes, cut out 12 mini rounds, and wrapped them in cling wrap for the road. To accompany the cakes, I toasted dry milk powder in butter to create the best brown butter frosting any of us had ever had. I packaged it all in piping bags, brought tip options, edible glitter, and sprinkles. With complete creative liberty, the group thoroughly enjoyed decorating the cakes. One had the state’s motto “Live Free or Die” piped atop. Another turned into a heart with an excess of glitter. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking
Moroccan beef stew
We’ve been on a chicken kick in my house, which is actually out of the norm for us. So much so that my partner mentioned just how much chicken we’ve been eating in the hope that something heartier would end up in the dinner rotation. I’ll cook a chuck roast any time of the year, but the flavors need to be seasonally appropriate. Our standard wintery profile of potatoes, carrots, and herbes de Provence isn’t what I want in spring. So I opted for a lively spiced Moroccan rendition with dates, apricots, and chickpeas. We ate it over couscous with fat dollops of Greek yogurt and a shower of parsley. Even our 15-month-old daughter seemed to appreciate the switch-up. She ate fistfuls of the stew at dinner with a big smile on her face. —Hali Bey Ramdene, content director
Clean-out-the-fridge frittata
I’ve been attempting to have more casual meals with my friends lately—less dinner parties, more “what are you doing for lunch today?” vibes, where I can clean out my fridge and hang with pals at the same time. For such an afternoon, I whipped up a version of this mushroom and leek frittata using a giant leek I got from the Test Kitchen grocery giveaway and the last few eggs from a recent farm trip upstate. —Kendra Vaculin, test kitchen editor
Ruffled crepes
I feel bad for anyone who has said “nonstick pan” around me in the past year. Seemingly harmless! And suddenly they’re trapped in my 12-minute monologue about how carbon steel is an underrated alternative that completely changed my cooking. The short version is: With proper seasoning, carbon steel is essentially nonstick. But unlike a coated nonstick pan—yes, even the newer non-Teflon ones—you can crank the heat with abandon. This is a game changer for crispy eggs, fried rice, and, my latest victory, beautifully browned crepes. After finally trying these at Cafe Mutton in real life, I made chef Shaina Loew-Banayan’s recipe at home. Thin, ruffled, and pooled with maple syrup, it’s as good a start to the day as you can get. —Emma Laperruque, associate director of cooking
