Innehållsförteckning för December/January 2020 från Bon Appetit

I WOULDN’T TYPICALLY RECOMMEND taking professional advice from an 11-year-old, especially one wearing a pink corduroy bucket hat. But sometimes you need to listen to those who know what they’re talking about—no matter who they might be. “Dad, here’s what you should do,” my son, Marlon, explained to me while sitting at the kitchen table a couple of weeks ago. “You need a midseason drop.” “We can do that?” “Yes—gosh!” Marlon isn’t the first tween to think his dad is a total noob. But in this instance I got it: I needed Marlon more than he needed me. A few months back, Bon App launched an online merch store at shop.bonappetit.com (see a sampling of the goods on p. 49), and I quickly realized that our target audience—thanks in part…

Having People Over In her new column, Alison Roman shares her unfussy dinner party recipes, starting with a tangy, herby brisket she can get behind MY GRANDMOTHER is a horrible cook with a lot of heart. The kind of woman who’d spend hours carving swan figures out of crookneck squash but couldn’t even make a good brisket (the fattiest, most mess-up-proof cut of meat). Unfortunately for my family, this was what she made for literally any holiday. The Jewish ones, the non-Jewish ones, the Jewish-ish ones. Jews and those who love them know the kind of brisket I’m talking about: smothered in ketchup with too much sugar and too little salt, cooked either not enough or too much but somehow either way results in a sweet, gloppy, underseasoned, too-tough hunk…

Throw 1 cup (2 sticks) room-temperature unsalted butter and ¼ cup chopped jarred Calabrian chiles into a food processor. Finely grate in zest of ½ lemon and 1 garlic clove Season with kosher salt and pulse until mixture is bright orange and mostly smooth (some visible flecks of chile are fine!). Slather on fat slices of toast and top with high-quality tinned sardines for a appetizer, toss some into a pan of roasted vegetables (we’re partial to crispy potatoes!), or dollop a spoonful onto a thick steak or pork chop while it rests.…

Poor packing and bumpy car rides have dashed the dreams of even the most ambitious cookie swappers. Here’s how to make sure your cookies travel safely. Good For a cookie whose decor is baked in rather than layered atop (like the ancho mole, p. 70), plastic quart containers can accommodate stacks of up to a dozen. Separate them with sheets of parchment. Better Cookies nestled into bakery boxes or small (unused!) pizza boxes padded with tissue paper travel farther without crumbling. Make friends at your local bakery/pizzeria or buy boxes at the Container Store for $1 a pop. Best Seasoned swapper? Invest in a reusable tiered container like the Baker’s Sto N Go ($20; bakersstongo.com), which can safely transport up to 40 heavily decorated cookies on its nifty shelves.…

1 Meet the Whole Chocolate Family On a stroll down the baking aisle, you’re most likely to see these chocolate products. But the labeling system (white, milk, dark, “Kisses”) is confusing and vague. What you really need to understand is the cocoa percentage: how much of the chocolate is made up of cocoa solids—that is, roasted cocoa beans that’ve been ground into a liquid. So a 60% bar is 60% cocoa solids, 40% other stuff (usually sugar, vanilla, and soy lecithin, to hold it all together). The other thing to know? That it’s okay to love milk chocolate more than dark. Dark chocolate A big umbrella category with no meaningful standards, it includes bittersweet, semisweet, unsweetened, and all of that pretty-packaged chocolate we think of as “adult.” Semisweet and bittersweet…

People We Love ON THE Gifts They Give “Before we opened our shop, we were looking around for tote bags to stock,” say Michelle Mungcal and Ken Concepcion, owners of Now Serving in L.A. “When we saw this, we thought, Why didn’t we think of that? The Àplat Culinary Dish Tote is so smart. It allows you to carry things horizontally: casseroles, cobblers, and stone fruit that you don’t want to stack on each other and bruise. Plus, whenever we bring it out, we get lots of ‘oohs.’” The Opener With a Sense of Humor Liana Finck, New Yorker cartoonist and illustrator “I’ve always enjoyed collecting little objects because they make me feel like I’m home. Now I have a revolving crew of tiny things I’ve picked up as I’ve…

The 101 BUYING Good-quality whole beans are plump, shiny, and moist. Extract should contain only vanilla beans, alcohol, and water, with no added sugar, artificial colors, or flavors. STORING Wrap vanilla beans tightly in plastic wrap so they don’t dry out, then place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to six months. Store extract indefinitely in a cool, dark place. VANILLA BEAN WHIPPED CREAM For a sweet and tangy topping for pie, sundaes, or mousse, scrape seeds from 1 vanilla bean into a medium bowl. Add 1 cup chilled heavy cream, ⅓ cup sour cream, and ¼ cup sugar. Using an electric mixer or whisk, beat until soft peaks form. But Can I Just Use Extract Instead? Here’s how to decide when it’s worth it to spend on…

As soon as the temperature drops, we seek out a vacation that can help us escape the cold spell: Think bathing suits, not long johns. But for the team behind Montreal’s extremely hip “coffee, pizza, wine” restaurant Elena, nothing says winter break like a cozy weekend away in a snow-covered town beneath Mont-Tremblant, two hours north of the city. So we followed a crew of Elena staffers to a quintessential Quebecois cabin to learn how they like to eat, drink, and be merry during their time off. Turns out it’s more or less how they do it on the job: with uncomplicated food driven by Italian traditions and Quebecois provisions. Plop chef Janice Tiefenbach in a log cabin with a bunch of coworkers and the only difference is a few…

It comes as no surprise that for a country without an army, love for the natural world comes first. That sensibility comes through at every point of connection in Costa Rica. And the cuisine is no exception. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east, Costa Rica is a country rich in resources. This “rich coast” lays claim to about 6% of the world’s biodiversity. And pura vida — the phrase meaning “pure life” that permeates the culture — isn’t just lip service; it accurately expresses the deep-rooted appreciation for the real and unadulterated. What’s more, Costa Rica established the National Sustainable and Healthy Gastronomy Plan, defining the country’s commitment to sustainability and traditional cuisine. Thoughtful attention to fresh, locally grown produce and…

It’s Just Dinner Between the cookie swapping, the holiday shopping, and the gift wrapping, elaborate weeknight dinners probably aren’t high on your list of priorities this month. These low-stress recipes, which are anchored in pantry staples, long-lasting vegetables, and hands-off cooking methods (like slow-roasting fish), will help you keep meals simple. That means more time at parties and less time standing in front of the stove. Roast Salmon With Citrus Salsa Verde Preheat oven to 250°. Combine 1 thinly sliced shallot and 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a baking dish just large enough to hold salmon. Finely grate in half of zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon. Season 1 lb. salmon fillet, preferably wild, with salt and place in baking dish. Turn fish to coat. Arrange skin side…

Ice Cream Scoop Rick uses his to make consistently shaped and sized dough balls (and meatballs). Parchment Paper No need to grease (or clean) your pans with this nonstick, heatproof paper. Stand Mixer Still waiting for Santa’s drop? Use a hand mixer. Wire Rack The bad news: Cookies can burn in the pan, even once out of the oven. The good news: A rack prevents that. Rolling Pin Crucial for creating that uniform decorating surface. A wine bottle works too. Oven Thermometer Trust no oven. Temperature reads are more precise with the ThermoWorks ChefAlarm ($64; thermoworks.com).…

1. SPICY CITRUS REFRESHER Juice 6 navel oranges and 4 limes into a large pitcher. (You should have about 1¼ cups orange juice and ¾ cup lime juice.) Discard lime rinds and half of the orange rinds. Cut remaining orange rinds into quarters; place in a large saucepan. Coarsely chop 1 small jalapeño and add to orange rinds along with 1 cup sugar and ½ tsp. kosher salt. Using a muddler, muddle rinds until thoroughly smooshed and much of the sugar and salt is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup warm water and let orange syrup sit at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour. Strain orange syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into pitcher with juice, gently pressing with a spoon to extract as much liquid as…

LIGHT + DARK SOY SAUCE Light soy sauces are richer in flavor, but dark soy sauces provide color and texture. Most light versions are just called soy sauce. SWEET POTATO STARCH Also known as tapioca starch, this is Taiwan’s panko—the best coating for fried foods. Be sure to buy the coarse texture—it feels like pebbly sand. TOASTED SESAME OIL An essential base seasoning in Taiwanese cooking. Cook with an Asian brand, like Kadoya—those have a ton more flavor. CHILI CRISP Use this on anything from steamed veg to eggs. There are many recipes and several great brands, like Su (to use as a finishing oil) or Lao Gan Ma (to use as a condiment). SOY PASTE Soy sauce cooked with glutinous rice to add body. You can get it online…

TRAVEL PLANNER GIFTS pp. 11–38 ARDOR NATURAL WINES 4243 SE Belmont St., Portland, OR; 971-420-6278; ardornaturalwines.com BOOKS ARE MAGIC 225 Smith St., Brooklyn; 718-246-2665; booksaremagic.net BOULTED BREAD 614 W. South St., Raleigh, NC; 919-999-3984; boultedbread.com DEDALUS WINE SHOP 388 Pine St., Burlington, VT; 802-865-2368; dedaluswine.com DYLAN + JENI For information, go to dylanandjeni.com ELSKE 1350 W. Randolph St., Chicago; 312-733-1314; elskerestaurant.com FREEHAND NEW YORK 23 Lexington Ave., NYC; 212-475-1920; freehandhotels.com GREAT JONES For more information, go to greatjonesgoods.com JOHN DERIAN CO. 6 E. Second St., NYC; 212-677-3917; johnderian.com KITH AND KIN 801 Wharf St. SW, Washington, D.C.; 202-878-8566; kithandkindc.com LEON’S OYSTER SHOP 698 King St., Charleston; 843-531-6500; leonsoystershop.com LITTLE JACK’S TAVERN 710 King St., Charleston; 843-531-6868; littlejackstavern.com MARTHA STOUMEN WINES For more information, go to marthastoumen.com MELFI’S 721 King St.,…

Can I bring my significant other to the company blowout? —SIGNIFICANT SERGIO Nah, thanks. This is your one chance to blow off a year’s worth of coffee-breath-flavored steam with your trenchmates. Partners add an awkward couples cruise dynamic, not to mention they seem to unnecessarily highlight who has their conventional societal whatnot together and who is a wild and free bohemian. When can I commandeer the playlist? I’m an experienced DJ—it went over really well at my cousin’s bat mitzvah. —BOLD BART You need to have people on your side before you storm the DJ booth. Do you have the undying support of at least five others? Okay. But if they shake their heads saying, “No, man, I love these Kidz Bop versions of early 2000s R&B songs,” then let…