Innehållsförteckning för April 2013 från Bon Appetit

INSTA-TAKEOVER That’s right, we’re handing over our Instagram account. Each month, one of our favorite chefs or writers (like Wolfgang Puck, April Bloomfield, and Canal House) will chronicle the days—and meals—of their lives. Up this month? René Redzepi. NEW COLUMN! WHAT DO THE OWNERS OF RAMEN LAB, SEA URCHIN DIVERS IN CALIFORNIA,AND THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP THE CHALLENGES ON TOP CHEF HAVE IN COMMON? THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP THE CHALLENGES ON TOP CHEF HAVE IN COMMON? You’ll meet them all in Under the Table, Francis Lam’s new column for bonappetit.com, in which he steps outside the kitchen to hang with the craftsmen and experts who make the culinary world turn. Visit bonappetit.com/under-the-table to check it out.…

THE BA ARSENAL Take stalk ASPARAGUS MAY BE a year-round presence these days (gracias, Peru), but we can’t help feeling a little giddy when the “real,” seasonal stuff appears each spring. For a couple of too-short months, we indulge in these flavorful spears as often as we can. We serve them barely cooked with a simple vinaigrette (see below), but we also put their unique, grassy goodness to use in all sorts of other ways, from shaved raw in salads to grilled and spiked with harissa. If we follow any rule, it’s this: Do not overcook. No one likes limp, stringy asparagus. No one. Now turn the page for eight more ideas to diversify your stalk portfolio. 1 Grilled Asparagus with Harissa Thin harissa with a bit of olive oil;…

DENMARK Farmhouse upstarts and “gypsy brewers” are stealing mega-brewer Carlsberg’s thunder. Mikkeller Wheat Is the New Hops A wheaty IPA made in collaboration with Vermont’s Grassroots Brewing. $6 for 330 ml Amager Bryghus Rye Porter Try this one for dessert—maybe even over ice cream. It’s rich and complex. $9 for 500 ml ITALY In 1996, Italy had next to niente for craft breweries; now there are hundreds, especially in the north. Birra del Borgo ReAle Extra An American-style IPA that drinks great with wood-fired-oven pizza. $18 for 750ml Birrificio Montegioco Dolii Raptor Aged in Barbera barrels, this lip-smackingly sour beer is molto refreshing. $13 for 330 ml NORWAY Vikings loved their aul. Today’s Norsemen are brewing some wonderfully idiosyncratic beer. Nøgne Ø Porter Roasty and chocolaty: a hearty beer to…

DEAR CHEFS, ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME ? Chicken-fried bacon. Bone marrow hollandaise. Pig trotters stuffed with foie gras and short rib. Foie gras stuffed with pig trotters and short rib. I know it’s my job to eat out—to stuff myself, even. But ever since fat became your go-to ingredient, things have gotten out of control. Look, I love bacon, lard, butter, duck fat. They make bad food taste good, and good food taste great. I was an early supporter of the bacon boom. But now we’ve reached Baconageddon: bacon on brussels sprouts, bacon on steak, bacon on dessert, and in (and on) pretty much everything. It’s become a culinary crutch. Don’t know how to make that chicken dish thrill? Add bacon! Next you topped everything with a fried…

THERE’S A REASON CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA is so popular at Indian restaurants: The creamy tomato sauce, with its heady spices, is deeply comforting. There’s also a reason most of us don’t attempt it at home: It seems like you couldn’t possibly outshine the pros. But armed with the right spices, it’s easy to make it in your own kitchen. Pair it with homemade naan, the wonderfully chewy bread, to really impress your guests—and to scoop up every last drop of that wildly delicious sauce. Chicken Tikka Masala ACTIVE 1 HOUR TOTAL 5½ HOURS 6 SERVINGS The yogurt helps tenderize the chicken; the garlic, ginger, and spices in the marinade infuse it with lots of flavor. 6 garlic cloves, finely grated 4 tsp. finely grated peeled ginger 4 tsp. ground turmeric…

6 SERVINGS If you’ve never made a savory custard, now’s the time. Start with this minimal and delicate Japanese version, studded with fresh peas and tender shrimp. To learn more about magical dashi powder, see Prep School, page 112. 2 tsp. instant dashi powder (Japanese soup stock granules) 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine) 2 tsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce 1/8 tsp. toasted sesame oil 1/2 cup shelled fresh peas (from about 1/2 lb. pods) or frozen peas, thawed 12 baby shrimp or 4 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, coarsely chopped if large 4 large shiitake mushroom caps, finely chopped 3 large eggs 2 scallions, whites and pale greens only, thinly sliced INGREDIENT INFO: Dashi powder is available at Japanese markets. Mirin is available at Japanese markets and…

SPRING VEGETABLE RISOTTO WITH POACHED EGGS 6 SERVINGS Risotto only sounds intimidating—if you can stir, you can make it. Poaching the eggs ahead of time should quell any lingering performance anxiety. For tips on shucking favas, see Prep School, page 115. 2 cups shelled fresh (or frozen, thawed) fava beans or peas (from about 2 lb. pods) Kosher salt 1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar 6 large eggs 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided ¼ lb. chanterelles or crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, halved or quartered if large 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 large leeks, whites and pale greens only, chopped 1 fennel bulb, chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 cups arborio rice 1 cup dry white wine 1 bunch flat-leaf spinach, trimmed, leaves torn 2 Tbsp.…

PRESS ON Add a wooden muddler to your drink-making kit: It’s long enough to reach to the bottom of your tallest glass, where the pressure of the blunt end releases oils and juices from fruits, herbs, even tender vegetables. Enlist it for crafting the cocktails in our drinks story, as well as Mojitos and Juleps. Here are a few we like. 1, 4, 5. Sleek and functional, this one’s designed for mashing. PUG! Muddlers in Burmese blackwood, maple, and jatoba, $35–$75 each; 914-456-4250 2. From a renowned drumstick designer, a solid option for beginners and pros alike. Vic Firth Muddler, $15; surlatable.com 3. The wide base and satisfying weight lend power. $15; crateandbarrel.com 6. A smooth, rounded base is key for extracomfortable crushing. $9; potterybarn.com THE NEW BOUILLON CUBE Dashi,…

BYPASSING THE BAR ONCE A WEEK OR SO, my wife goes out to dinner with friends. Which means it’s up to me to get our five-year-old son, Marlon, fed, bathed, pj’d, and into bed. Once all that happens—and assuming Marlon doesn’t bound down the stairs minutes later, announcing that he’s thirsty or “heard a noise”—I’ve got the house to myself: the sofa, the flat-screen, and, most important, the icebox. Now, I know some people frown upon drinking alone. But if you can’t enjoy a cocktail with yourself, then who can you? Not only do I get to make what I want how I want, I also love how the evening unfolds. No phone calls, no conversations, just a chance to downshift and relax. I’m with colleagues all day; it’s high…

Connie Britton—the scene stealer who y’all-ed her way into our hearts on Friday Night Lights and Nashville—on caviar, Champagne, and, yes, the secret to perfect hair First things first. What’s in your fridge? San Pellegrino, Izze sodas, juices and smoothies and soups from New Leaf Living Foods. For my son, I have tortillas, milk, and cheese. He’s obsessed with cheese. I could never call myself vegan. Sounds pretty balanced. Is eating right a lifelong habit? My mother was a dedicated cook, but we did eat out of a lot of cans. One of my favorite dinners was a casserole of ground beef, tomatoes, onions, and Kraft Singles melted on the top. So good. When did you learn about food beyond casseroles? My family used to visit New York to see…

TOTALLY RAD CONSIDER THE RADISH. We relegated the root to garnish status for years, learning nothing from the French, who had been marrying its subtle heat and satisfying crunch to butter and salt. Thankfully, America has finally caught on to its charms. We’re not only shaving radishes raw to headline salads with bite, but also pickling, grilling, and—our favorite—roasting them to a mellow sweetness. And the spicy green tops, usually mere fodder for the compost pile, are a revelation in salads or soups. Chefs today can’t use enough of them. “The textures you can get out of radishes are so cool,” says chef Ari Taymor of Alma in Los Angeles, who taps a handful of varieties to make a silky radish “tofu” dish (at right). And did we mention there…

FAST, EASY, FRESH Parmesan Bread Pudding with Broccoli Rabe and Pancetta ACTIVE 15 MINUTES TOTAL 1 HOUR 4–6 SERVINGS Use regular broccoli instead of broccoli rabe for a more kid-friendly version. 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1 medium bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed, cut into ½" pieces 2 tsp. kosher salt plus more ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper plus more 6 large eggs 1½ cups whole milk ½ lb. country-style white bread, cut into 1" pieces (about 8 cups) ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan 6 thin slices pancetta (Italian bacon) Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir until garlic is softened, about 30…

AMID ALL THE BUZZ about its big-name chefs and its outposts of classic American restaurants, one thing gets lost in the mix: Las Vegas just might have some of the best Asian food in the country. Every year, a splashy casino opens a megasize modern Asian palace staffed by chefs skilled in teppanyaki grilling, hand-pulling noodles, and delicate sashimi-knife work. And while we know you go to Vegas to hit the Strip, the strip malls branching off Las Vegas Boulevard are home to some seriously authentic Asian dining, with pho joints, Filipino turoturos, ramen houses, and sushi bars dishing up the real deal. So if you’re looking for winners, here are the spots you can bet on. Hugh Garvey is articles editor at Playboy and a frequent contributor to Bon…

“HERE’S AN INTERESTING ONE FOR YOU,” handing me a burgundy-and-yellow-petaled flower. “Never eaten a begonia before, have you?” he asks, grinning. “Neither had I. Tried one at the garden center one day and thought, Holy f–ck! Now we put them on the menu with wallaby when they’re in season.” We’re near Melbourne, standing in what used to be the staff parking lot behind Shewry’s restaurant, Attica. Shewry replaced the cars with raised beds of holly flax, Osaka purple (a peppery mustard green I would happily eat raw every day by the handful), 12 varieties of basil, and 800 unexpectedly citrusy begonia plants. The sun is explodingly bright, highlighting every leaf in this miniature, alley-facing urban garden. The 15 espressos I drank are starting to counteract the jet lag. I’ve come…

1 TO THE POINT French provenance meets East Village cool in this collaboration between Astier de Villatte and John Derian. “Arrow” oval platter, $153; John Derian Company, 212-677-3917 2 MAKER’S MARK Each one of these bold-brushstroke platters is handcrafted in South Africa. “Durban” small platter, $98; serenaandlily.com 3 A THIN RED LINE How’s this for a whimsical—and ultra-affordable—spin on the traditional Parisian bistro plate? “Abbesses,” $12; canvashomestore.com 4 COARSE WORK Slip-cast porcelain with a wash of barely there pink brings a whisper of spring to the table. “Beachstone” platter, $75; gleena.com 5 SWEET STUFF A layer of honeycomb is pressed into wet clay for a textural vibe. “Honeycomb” small oval, $148; dbohome.com 6 ONE OF A KIND Ceramist Jan Burtz creates every piece from scratch, right down to the glaze.…

As the delusional, self-sabotaging vice president of the United States on HBO’s Veep, Julia Louis-Dreyfus conveys more with one eyebrow than most actresses do in a season. Much of Veep is improvised, but in the kitchen, this mother of two sticks to the script. “I feel safer with a recipe,” says Louis-Dreyfus. “The problem I have with cooking is that it takes time. Twenty-five minutes into it I think, What have I gotten myself into? I could’ve had almond butter on a rice cake and called it dinner.” Still, she bakes a Key lime pie for her son’s birthday each year and has been known to whip up pancakes if there’s a little bacon fat left on the griddle. Um, bacon fat? “I just adore bacon,” she says. “I don’t…

Bass Lake, CA MISO-YAKI SEA BASS 2 SERVINGS The miso marinade lightly cures the fish, which results in a pleasantly firm texture and great flavor. ¼ cup sugar 2 Tbsp. mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine) 2 Tbsp. white miso (fermented soybean paste) 2 6-oz. skin-on black sea bass or branzino fillets, pin bones removed 1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 4 cups mixed salad greens 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar INGREDIENT INFO: Mirin and white miso are available at some supermarkets. Whisk sugar, mirin, and miso in a medium bowl to blend; add fish and turn to coat. Cover and chill, turning fish occasionally, at least 12 hours and up to 1 day. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Remove…

BY OLIVER STRAND Chemex Filters Heavy paper filters ensure that Chemex coffee is clean and sludge-free. $8 for 100; sweetmarias.com Kone Filter A reusable option, this perforated steel filter lets oils through, creating a richer drink. $60; ablebrewing.com Hario Digital Coffee Scale For accuracy, measure and brew coffee by weight (like the pros do) instead of by volume. $90; amazon.com Porlex Hand Grinder Grinding your beans just before you brew means a fresher, more flavorful cup of coffee. $75; clivecoffee.com Bonavita 1-Liter Kettle A gooseneck kettle gives you more pouring control than a standard spout. $30; prima-coffee.com Chemex Pot Invented in 1941 by chemist Peter Schlumbohm, the stylish Chemex was added to the design collection of the Museum of Modern Art in 1943. 8-cup pot, $40; surlatable.com THE TECHNIQUE Making…

WE WISH WE COULD TELL YOU that we raised our daughters to think of dessert the way one is supposed to: as a treat in the true definition of the word; something you get if you’re lucky; part of a celebration, like ice cream after a hard-fought soccer game. But the sad truth is, our kids consider dessert—like water, shelter, and allowance—to be their birthright. It’s at the point where our ten-year-old will finish dinner, walk to the pantry, and begin plunking sweets on the table: chocolate raisins, shortbread cookies, leftover Halloween candy. The question is not “Can I have dessert?” It’s “How many can I have?” We tell ourselves we’re only partly to blame. Back when the girls were toddlers and picky eaters, we had no choice but to…

A LIFETIME OF BUTTERY lobster and well-marbled steaks takes a toll. Which is why, two years ago, star chef José Andrés decided to lose weight. The 43-year-old originally drank shakes to keep a 1,000-calorie-a-day diet—but that’s hardly sustainable, especially for a chef. So how did Andrés drop more than 40 pounds from his 278-pound frame? Quality over quantity. Now he keeps the 1,000-calorie daily guideline in his sights with foods he loves. “I don’t say no,” Andrés says. “I have butter, but I don’t have the entire bar of butter. And I make sure it’s good butter and good bread, so it’s worth it.” He eats small, tapas-style portions throughout the day, filling up on vegetables along with small bites of more indulgent foods. It hasn’t always been easy, especially…

IN EARLY SPRING, when snowflakes can still fill the air, rhubarb begins to push up through the frozen earth. Both of us live in old houses and have inherited clumps of rhubarb that were planted in our gardens generations ago. Not much else is happening out there in the yard, so we watch with wonder as these mighty plants come on, their heart-shaped leaves unfurling and their heroic stalks rising out of the cold dirt. Last year, we gave each other several Victoria rhubarb plants—an 1837 variety prized for its fat stems, bright red skin, tender texture, and citrusy tartness—to replenish our crop. It’s ready to harvest now. After we cut the first rhubarb stems, we dip them into sugar and chomp the crisp stalks, savoring the sweet and the…

You know how to make a sandwich. Bread, meat, mayo, mustard, lettuce, cheese. That’s the formula, isn’t it? And you take a bite and bang your fist on the table, squealing with glee? Well, no. We were afraid of that. Chances are your skills could use a reboot. We’re craving a different kind of sandwich these days, one that is inspired by the beauties we’ve sampled from some of the country’s top chefs. They’re turning their attention to assembling elevated creations with the same care that they’d give to any other composed dish, layering them with satisfying textures and bright flavors. We’ve gotten some of their best recipes—and their best advice. The lessons you can take from these chefs will transform how you make a sandwich at home. Don’t worry:…

THE NEW YORK SOUR This wine-spiked whiskey sour is our pick for comeback cocktail of the year. Combine 2 oz. rye or bourbon whiskey, 1 oz. fresh lemon juice, and 1 oz. simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice, cover, and shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Gently pour ½ oz. fruity red wine (such as Shiraz or Malbec) over the back of a spoon held just above the drink’s surface so wine floats on top. Makes 1 THE VESPA Martini drinker? Try this Italian take on the Vesper, which uses the slightly sweet aperitif Cocchi Americano. Combine 1 oz. London dry gin, 1 oz. vodka, and ½ oz. Cocchi Americano (Italian aperitif wine) in…