Bon Appétit

In this episode, Chris and Amiel Stanek answer a mix of questions from our inbox, about cooking in an AirBnb, Castelvetrano olives, what to do with a surplus of nuts, and more.

Recipes & Links:
Chris Morocco's Extremely Extra Travel Coffee Kit
Sizzling Turmeric-Dill Fish Tacos
Date-Almond Party Snack
Kale Salad with Pecan Vinaigrette
Aromatic Rice Pilaf
Chicken Tinga Tostadas
Dinner by Meera Sodha

Put on the kettle, grab your finest Earl Grey, and join Jesse & Shilpa to discuss their recipe for Coffee Cake Scones. They'll discuss the recipe development process (and the existential journey it took them on), answer questions from bake clubbers, and introduce listeners to New Orleans-based recipe developer and pastry chef Bronwen Wyatt... who ALSO recently developed a coffee cake scone.

Recipes & Links:
Mary ...

Shivani LOVES salad. But by Friday, the lettuce she bought on Monday is just... sad. To help Shivani get a fresh, crisp salad on the table every night, Chris calls on Jess Damuck, the cookbook author behind Salad Freak and Health Nut. The key? Rethinking what a salad can be. 

Recipes & Links:
Cantaloupe, Cucumbers, Lime, and Mint
Watermelon Salad with Shiso, Plum, and Salt
Crunchy Beans

We get messages in our inbox ALL the time from listeners who have planned dinner parties, picnics, and other gatherings... but want our advice on what to serve. So this week, Chris is joined by hostess-with-the-mostess Kendra Vaculin to tackle a bevy of listener questions and menu-plan for strawberry-picking lunches, murder mystery dinner parties, and more!

Recipes & Links:

Brisket Bourguignon
Preserved Lemon and Toma...

Natalie and her husband are capable, adventurous cooks, but they can't seem to get leafy greens on the menu outside of a salad. So Chris and Kendra Vaculin team up to sell Natalie on their favorite greens and techniques.

Recipes & Links:

Lemony Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Dill

Salmon Rice Bowl with Green Curry Creamed Spinach

Mostly Chard Tiny Pasta Salad

Charred Kale with Citrus and Green Tahini

Garlic-and-Parm...

Join Jesse and Shilpa to dive into each layer of Jesse's decadent, pantry-friendly Millionaire's Shortbread and answer questions from bake clubbers. Starting with the key differences that make this shortbread extra-toasty and tender, this episode travels through Jesse's caramel-studded past and obsession with the perfect, aesthetic slice.

Recipes & Links:

Millionaire's Shortbread

Chocolate Chipless Cookies

Caramel Apple Mo...

Spring has sprung, but Chris isn’t sure spring produce is actually worth the hype. So noted asparagus enthusiast Shilpa Uskokovic joins him to gush about the joys of the season. They’ll also answer listener questions about ramps, managing the first few weeks of CSA season, and more.

Recipes & Links:

Crispy Miso-Butter Fish With Asparagus

Grilled Asparagus with Tahini Super Sauce

Cheesy Green Pea Fritters

Asparagus and Endiv...

Janae has been struggling to make the perfect matzo balls for 6 Passovers now. What's worse, even though everything else on Janae's seder table is delicious, her mother-in-law won't let her forget her matzo ball fails. So Janae turns to Chris & Kate Kassin for help making tender, fluffy dumplings that won't fall apart in her soup.

Recipes & Links:
No-Nonsense Matzo Balls
Matzo Ball Soup
An Ode to Ma...

Pistachios are Having A Moment. And Shilpa LOVES cake. Enter: the tender, flavorful Pistachio Bundt Cake. Jesse and Shilpa break down why this blender cake (and other nut-based cakes) work and address listener questions, including the one on everyone's mind this month: how to properly grease a bundt pan so your cake comes out in one piece, every time.

Plus! Shilpa and Jesse introduce listeners to Rose Levy Berenbaum...

Cait often devotes her weekends to involved kitchen projects that yield restaurant-quality results. But she's looking to bring that feeling into her weeknights, when time is harder to come by. Chris enlists Kendra Vaculin's help to give Cait's weeknight cooking that chefy quality she's been missing.

Recipes & Links:
Meatball Soup with Beef Stew Vibes
Gorgeous Green Shrimp
Everything-Spice Fish with To...

George has heard that quinoa is a high-protein superfood, but he's never been able to cook it right. Chris and Shilpa step up to help answer the question behind his SOS. See, while quinoa is higher-protein than other grains, there are better options when it comes to plant-based protein. So Chris and Shilpa try to get George on board with lentils and tofu—two plant-based protein sources that pack more of a punch.

Rec...

Welcome to Back to Basics Week! All week, Chris and his Bon Appétit colleagues are answering listener questions about the fundamentals of cooking, to help level you up as a home cook.

In this final installment, Chris and Shilpa talk about the intangibles of cooking— how to get into the right mindset, manage your time efficiently, and course correct when something goes wrong. They also answer a grab bag of sliiightly...

Welcome to Back to Basics Week! All week, Chris and his Bon Appétit colleagues are answering listener questions about the fundamentals of cooking, to help level you up as a home cook.

Today, Chris and sauce king Jesse Szewczyk stir up a discussion on the wide world of sauces, dressings, glazes, and more. They dive in to aromatics, making the case for the humble shallot, and discuss the art of making pan sauces and d...

Welcome to Back to Basics Week! All week, Chris and his Bon Appétit colleagues are answering listener questions about the fundamentals of cooking, to help level you up as a home cook.

Why is making stovetop rice so dang hard?! Today, Chris and Kendra Vaculin address the world of grains, including how to make the perfect pot of rice and why the package directions might be the reason behind a bad batch. Plus, Kendra m...

Welcome to Back to Basics Week! All week, Chris and his Bon Appétit colleagues are answering listener questions about the fundamentals of cooking, to help level you up as a home cook.

Animal proteins can be the most expensive part of your dish, and that's a lot of pressure. So today, Chris and Amiel Stanek are here to make perfection attainable, from juicy chicken breast to tender steaks and delicate seafood. Grab y...

Welcome to Back to Basics Week! All week, Chris and his Bon Appétit colleagues are answering listener questions about the fundamentals of cooking, to help level you up as a home cook.

Today, Chris and Shilpa Uskokovic break down how to really read a recipe — and what some common recipe language means. Then, they'll talk about the basic equipment that your kitchen needs... and what to skip!

Recipes & Links...

Join Shilpa and Jesse as they dig into Shilpa's Tiramisu Basque Cheesecake—a delicious, shockingly easy, and decadent bake. They'll discuss the ins and outs of ingredient choices and the recipe development process, plus end with an Ask a Baker segment all about the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

You can find instructions for joining the Club at bonappetit.com/bakeclub - and of course, you can always send your questi...

This episode is from our friends at This Is TASTE. Abi Balingit is the author of Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed, a delightful cookbook full of maximalist personality and transfixing sweets, like the adobo chocolate chip cookie. She’s a singular force in the NYC baking scene, and it’s so fun to have her on the show today to talk about what she’s been up to since publishing her first book, her love of kitsch, and...