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Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Drew Aichele, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco
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.
September 12Focaccia for a non-baker
I am a confident cook but a very bashful baker. This year, I made a pledge to be less reticent in embracing and learning through cakes, cookies, and all things dough. When I saw Inés Anguiano developing this Double Tomato Focaccia recipe in the Test Kitchen, I knew I wanted to make it. I’ll be honest, I’ve never made focaccia before in my life. It’s always intimidated me. You have to knead the dough just right, and it’s not something you can just whip up on a whim. That being said, this focaccia didn’t last 15 minutes out of the oven because my partner and I ate almost all of it. This specific recipe will be on repeat for me every tomato season. It’s light and airy and crunchy in all the best ways. Tomato paste brings depth, and it has bursts of brightness from cherry tomatoes that get added on top. Thanks to Inés, I was able to make a bread I never thought I could make. I think everyone should make this recipe so they have that same feeling. —Urmila Ramakrishnan, associate director of social media
Chia pudding with a hit of caffeine
I have this problem where I get too sucked into work before eating breakfast. Then sometime around 11 a.m. I start to get a headache and speed-eat whatever’s nearby. In an effort to avoid this, I’ve started making chia pudding a couple times a week to stash in the fridge. Is it the most texturally exciting or visually appealing meal? Nope! At least it wasn’t until I tried Kate Kassin’s Matcha-Mango Chia Pudding. The matcha (I’ve been using one from Golde lately) dyes the pudding Elphaba-green, with a subtle grassy flavor. It works wonderfully with smashed mango per the original recipe, but to keep things fresh I’ve swapped in different fruit each week, inspired by other fruity matcha lattes I’ve enjoyed lately—the best so far was strawberry with a tiny splash of rose water. —Rebecca Firkser, contributing editor
Salmon with a slaw I’ll eat on repeat
I’m a devout fan of cookbook author Diana Yen’s recipes and the Crispy Salmon with Tangy Peanut Slaw from her new cookbook, Firepit Feast, was no exception. This recipe convinced me that I need to start salmon in a cold pan more often—seasoned just with salt and pepper, it’s slowly cooked skin side down. The skin (my favorite part) gets crispy like a potato chip while the flesh cooks perfectly fork-tender. The salmon is the perfect companion for the tangy peanut slaw. It combines cabbage, tomatoes, jalapeño, and cilantro with crunchy chopped peanuts and a light lime dressing. I doubled the slaw recipe, as it’s versatile enough to have alongside various proteins for the rest of the week (chicken tonight!). —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
Parent-approved mac
This week I needed to feed my kids FAST so I turned to this Stovetop Mac and Cheese. While most mac and cheese recipes build the sauce from a roux, this fuss-free one skips that step and uses cornstarch and cream cheese as thickening agents. The result is a silky, tangy mix that coats every little nubbin of pasta. Plus, the no-bake method easily makes this a massive win for all parents. —Chris Morocco, Food Director
Nourishing green soup
I love whole wheat pasta for its hearty chew and nutty flavor. But for those same reasons, it’s not a seamless swap for standard noodles. It has to be deployed at the right time, in the right place. Like in this Green Pasta e Fagioli from former Bon Appétit staffer Kendra Vaculin. It’s a comforting, nourishing soup that uses kale two ways—blended into a neon broth and wilted. The short ingredient list is part of the appeal, but next time I might add some chopped fennel along with the onion for even more greenery. —Emma Laperruque, associate director of cooking
September 5Coffee-enhanced cheesecake
Shilpa Uskokovic’s Basque-style tiramisu cheesecake looks like the most complex dessert. In reality, it’s a simple batter that’s split in two. One half is adulterated with instant espresso and cocoa, and then the halves are layered in a single pan so they swirl together, baking into a marbled mélange of cream and coffee. A splash of Marsala wine drives home the tiramisu theme (I swapped in sweet vermouth, which I usually use for tiramisu too since I always have it for Manhattans). Don’t skip the mascarpone topping. It might seem excessive, but the contrast between dense, custardy cheesecake and ethereal mousse-like topping is kind of the whole point. —Joe Sevier, senior editor, cooking and SEO
Tiramisu Basque Cheesecake
Shilpa UskokovicA simple bean and tomato salad
It might be September, but I’m still swimming in tomatoes and corn. I came across this recipe from Max Baroni for a simple butter bean and tomato salad that was super easy to make. I liked everything together, but the star of the show was the vinegar-marinated roasted tomatoes. The sherry vinegar brought out the tomatoes’ natural sweetness, and I found myself grabbing my leftovers to put on toast with the yogurt sauce. I’m making the salad again before the season is over for a savory-sweet breakfast that instantly sparks joy. —Urmila Ramakrishnan, associate director of social media
Salty-sweet tomato martini
There’s nothing like a summer tomato (we know them, we love them), but I raise you a summer tomato martini. In the past I’ve tossed together a version of my own with juices left over from tomatoes I’ve salted and left to sit for use in another dish, but when Jesse Szewczyk’s recipe went live, I almost immediately headed to the farmers market. His recipe calls for muddling sweet Sun Gold tomatoes and fresh basil, plus a smidge of salt and sugar until juicy; then stirring in gin, vermouth, and ice until well-chilled. I strained the drink into a glass with a large ice cube—I like martinis on the rocks, don’t sue!—and was delighted. Unlike the extra-dirty martini trend we can’t seem to escape, a tomato martini hits an ideal balance of salty-sweet and savory without overpowering the gin or tasting like an olive jar. I know the “perfect” martini already exists as a concept, but this is a pretty flawless way to toast to the end of summer. —Rebecca Firkser, contributing editor
Tomato Martini
Jesse SzewczykMeaty grilled swordfish steaks
Now that it’s officially September, I intend to grill as many nights as possible while the sun is still high in the sky at dinnertime and the weather is, at least this week, perfect. And when it comes to grilling fish, swordfish is one of my absolute favorites. It’s meatier and less delicate than other fish, so it takes well to the grill without having to worry about the skin sticking or the fillet falling apart. I love this recipe for Grilled Marinated Swordfish Steaks, which requires only 10 to 15 minutes of marinating in soy sauce, red wine vinegar, spices, and aromatics before throwing the fish on the grill (for just a few minutes per side). The recipe calls for serving with a string bean salad, but I paired it with a medley of grilled vegetables (peppers! eggplant! zucchini! onion!) and it was the perfect Labor Day dinner. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
Grinder salad
The dog days of summer are (hopefully, blissfully) behind us, so I may find myself cooking at the stove again soon. But for a while there it was so hot I could barely read a recipe, let alone make a thing to shovel into my face. I was a walking zombie, especially in the kitchen. Enter this salad. It’s basically an Italian hoagie that went on vacation for a week and came back changed. It carries itself with a certain je ne sais quoi: looser shoulders, slower steps, is that an accent? At the end of the day, it’s an iceberg-lettuce-based salad with a glow-up, stuffed with tangy, bright good things. On those nights when I want to sink to the very bottom of my couch because I forgot to eat lunch again, it’s been soul-sustaining. This recipe is so good and so easy to riff on, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with a sandwich in the first place—it’s a slop bowl, but, like, a cool slop bowl. Okay? —Joseph Hernandez, associate director of drinks & lifestyle
Italian Grinder Salad
Kendra Vaculin
Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit
Dining and Cooking