Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2013 i Bon Appetit

THE BA TEST KITCHEN AND WIRED TEAM UP IN SEARCH OF UMAMI WHEN WIRED ASKED US TO HELP WITH THEIR FOOD ISSUE, we didn’t have to think twice. After all, they might have the last word on all things tech, but we have a test kitchen. Then we heard they were exploring umami, the savory “fifth taste” experienced when chewing a perfectly seared steak or nibbling a hunk of Parmesan, and we got even more excited. This was a chance to go deep on one of our favorite subjects. So we reached out to David Chang’s Momofuku Culinary Lab, where Dan Felder, head of R & D, spends his days coaxing the flavor from a range of ingredients. “Creating umami from scratch is something we take very seriously,” says Felder.…

We Southerners have a thing for food in jars. It could be pickled okra, peach salsa, or pawpaw jelly—as it was for me growing up in Georgia. Which brings me to a dish I recently had at Empire State South in Atlanta. Simply called “In Jars,” five of them were packed with inventive spreads, dips, and pickles, and served with toasted bread. I quickly dubbed it the Southern Pupu Platter and adapted it for my next party. Sure, I mixed in a few bowls with my jars, but my friends still scraped ’em all clean. —ANDREW KNOWLTON OUR TAKE ON SELF-SERVE, SOUTHERN-STYLE For an inviting appetizer platter, set out these dips and spreads in diferent-size canning jars. (We love most anything by Ball, Kerr, or Weck.) Made ahead, they’ll hold…

Pitcher cocktails save time, look cool, and deliver a spot-on drink—over and over (and over) There’s nothing sadder than a host so busy muddling and shaking drinks that he misses his own party. Fortunately, there’s a solution: complex potables prepared in batches. before the event. and you can serve a higher-caliber drink,” says Andrew Volk of Portland in Maine. That means mixing and chilling ingredients in advance and prepping garnishes before the event. Do that-starting with these three drinks—and you might actually enjoy the night. —ROB WILLEY EVENING IN KINGSTON Sparkling wine and Jamaican rum make for a compelling riff on the Negroni. Plus, it’s a quick finish once it’s batched. Combine 11/2 cups amber rum (such as Appleton Estate), 1 cup Campari, and 1 cup sweet vermouth in a…

1 ELIZABETH SPIRIDAKIS OLSON ART DIRECTOR “The graphics on vintage beer coasters are so cool, it masks the fact that I’m being a nerd and making people actually use a coaster.” 2 AMIEL STANEK ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR IN CHIEF “Six nubs of cheese on a platter says: ‘I’m worried about pleasing you.’ I prefer to serve one whole cheese that I feel strongly about. It says: ‘Trust me, I know what I’m doing.’” 3 MERYL ROTHSTEIN SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR “After dinner and before dessert, I bust out the dominoes. They’re conducive to two of my party essentials: conversation and drinking.” 4 JULIA KRAMER ASSOCIATE EDITOR “Who would dry dishes with something this good-looking? I use these striking oversize [29x28"] flour sack tea towels as table runners instead.” 5 CARLA…

Making pasta from scratch elevates lasagna from great to legendary. The sauce gets its depth from a blend of pancetta and ground pork and beef (and hours spent on the stove). You’ll need Parmesan, of course. A lot of Parmesan. LASAGNA BOLOGNESE WHAT YOU’LL NEED 8 SERVINGS BOLOGNESE SAUCE 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 1 medium carrot, peeled, coarsely chopped 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 lb. ground beef chuck 1 lb. ground pork 4 oz. pancetta (Italian bacon), finely chopped Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup whole milk 1 14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided FRESH PASTA DOUGH ½ tsp. kosher salt 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more 4 large eggs, room temperature BÉCHAMEL 5…

“With a table this minimal, precision is key. Get obsessive and align the distance from the place mat to the table’s edge, to the spacing between utensils.” If you’re doing flowers, line up low, tight bouquets of one type of white bloom, like calla lilies, peonies, or tulips.” “Always iron the linens! Save yourself time by ironing them right after you wash them, while damp.” 1 MODERN FORMAL The setting perfected for the dinners that Calvin Klein hosts after its fashion shows is spare and precise: all the better to show of the food. “Branches are a sculptural way to anchor a bufet table. I go into my yard with pruning shears and see what’s around.” “A stack of plates tells everyone they can help themselves without having to wait…

Tad’s Roasted Potatoes Cod with Lemon, Green Olive, and Onion Relish Red Wine–Braised Short Ribs Recipe Strategy 1 START SIMPLE Either make the hors d’oeuvres or make cocktails. Do both, and the party gods will be angry. I like to buy the appetizers (see below) and ofer simple drinks. For this ginger-spiked Prosecco number, you can make the ginger syrup a week ahead; then all you have to do is add the bubbly. Ginger Fizz GINGER SYRUP Bring one 3" piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced, ½ cup raw or granulated sugar, and ½ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Let cool. Strain syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a small jar or bowl; discard ginger. DO AHEAD: Syrup can be made…

IT’S ALMOST 11 A.M. in Portland, Oregon, and Duane Sorenson’s cofee isn’t ready yet. The founder of Stumptown Cofee Roasters is preparing three pots in large glass Chemexes. His two youngest daughters hang of his tattooed arms as they watch the beaker-like vessels brew the essential beginning of any brunch. Back in 1999, when cofee in America meant choosing between a light and a dark roast, the young barista-turned-roaster opened Stumptown, a small storefront in then-sleepy Southeast Portland. “I wanted to take care of people, make them happy,” Sorenson says. “Even if that was by making really badass cofee.” Mustachioed baristas pulled shots of single-origin espresso, the walls were decorated with deer heads, and AC/DC blasted through the (excellent) speakers. Sound familiar? Stumptown’s blend of thoughtful design and perfect pours…

IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME. The plan was to take a charcoal grill a friend had given us, remove the legs, embed it in the ground in the strip of yard behind our apartment, and use it as a makeshif fre pit. Or at least that’s how my wife explained it to me last November. You see, we were throwing a dinner party. And Simone had the idea that we should do something diferent, something other than the usual cocktails-meal-dessert–hang out at the table thing. So the fre pit was born: Afer dinner, we’d all head outside to make S’mores and enjoy a bourbon or two. I liked this plan for a number of reasons. First, a dinner party should be fun—even silly at times. It…

From Belons to Beau Soleils, oysters come in more varieties than ever these days. Fortunately, the perfect slurp is just a FedEx truck away West Coast oysters are smaller but richer, with a creamy, melon-like flavor. East Coast oysters are bigger and brinier, almost like gulping a mouthful of ocean. 1 Belon, a.k.a. European Flat Damariscotta River, ME $24 per dozen; oysterfarm.com 2 Island Creek Duxbury Bay, MA $84 for three dozen; islandcreek oysters.com 3 Blue Pool Hood Canal, WA $18 per dozen; hamahama oysters.com 4 Beau Soleil Miramichi Bay, NB, Canada $21 per dozen; aquabestnyc.com 5 Lone Point Mobjack Bay, VA From $60 for four dozen; ilovebluesea.com 6 Olympia Hammersley Inlet, WA $12 per dozen; taylorshellfish store.com 7 Sunset Beach Hood Canal, WA $80 for five dozen; farm-2-market.com 8…

I like host gifts that go beyond a bottle of wine. This party season, I’m handing out Short Stack editions, small, hand-bound cookbooks, each of which focuses on one ingredient. The first three include mini manifestos (with recipes) on strawberries, tomatoes, and eggs. Unlike that bottle of wine, it’s a gift your host will actually appreciate. $12 each; shortstack editions.com Mussel Man The best one-pot dinner party dish is also one of the easiest to make. Go figure One question I get a lot (second only to “Where should I eat in...?”) is: “What should I make for my dinner party?” My answer? Mussels. To be more precise, mussels in white wine. Thought I was going to say chicken, right? You can screw up chicken. You can’t screw up mussels.…

Salmon and broccoli cook side by side in this low-fuss dish. Turn the page for the recipe. Kohlrabi and Apple Salad with Caraway ACTIVE 20 MINUTES TOTAL 20 MINUTES 4 SERVINGS If you’ve never bought kohlrabi before, here’s a great reason to try it. For purchase and prep info, plus more ideas for using it, see Prep School, page 139. 1 tsp. caraway seeds 3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 2 medium kohlrabi or 1 medium celery root (celeriac), peeled, thinly sliced on a mandoline 2 small heads frisée, torn into bite-size pieces (about 6 cups) 1 crisp red apple (such as Pink Lady or Honeycrisp), thinly sliced 4 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives, divided Toast caraway seeds in…

WE’VE STARTED a new Canal House tradition: weeknight soup suppers at our studio. “Stop by afer work,” we say to friends. “We’ll just make a big pot of soup with loaves of garlic bread and pour a good red plonk—a Sangiovese.” We are generous with the invitations, the more the merrier. If everyone shows up, we’ll just use smaller bowls and make more bread. When Thursday comes, the table is set simply—a brown paper “tablecloth,” dish-towel napkins, old hotel silverware, mismatched glasses for wine and water. We put everything down the center: wine bottles, long loaves of warm garlic bread, tureens of soup, and bowls of green salsa. Everyone can help themselves. When we entertain, we care frst about the food and wine. Our favorite soup is Squash and Bean…

CONFITING A traditional confit requires buying a lot of additional duck fat. The genius behind our quick method is that the duck legs cook in their own fat (see Prep School, page 139, for how this works). Once done, the confited legs will keep for a week. Hit with high heat before serving to crisp them up. MAKING STOCK A rich brodo, made in advance with fish bones and roasted vegetables, is the flavor base and the cooking vehicle for this sophisticated stew. Ready? Just drop in the cockles, then the fish fillets. In just a few minutes, you’re at the table. BRINING Submerging the roast in a mixture of apple cider, salt, sugar, and coriander seeds a day ahead yields a juicier, more evenly seasoned piece of meat. PREPPING…

That’s Mimi. And, yes, she’s wearing her wellies to cocktail hour. To read Mimi Thorisson’s blog, Manger, or scroll through her Instagram feed is to realize that someone stole your fantasy life. You know, the one where you’re a stunning woman who lives with her beautiful family in a rambling French farmhouse. When not antiquing and visiting winemakers and food artisans, you perfect the classic recipes you grew up eating with your mother’s family in the South of France during your visits from Hong Kong. Your handsome photographer husband captures each dish in mouthwatering detail on your just-right vintage tableware. You get an American book deal. A French TV show. Everything you do seems so perfect. So…nonchalant. Well, you can’t be Mimi Thorisson (okay, the six kids and 14—yes, 14—dogs…

MAGIC BUBBLES Eggs are a breakfast staple, a key ingredient for bakers, and the transformative element that gives carbonara sauce and Caesar dressing their creaminess. But you probably haven’t been adding them to your cocktails. Well, you should. Raw eggs have long been used to add a foamy top and silky texture to mixed drinks, namely sours, flips, and fizzes (it’s not a real Ramos Gin Fizz without the lift that egg whites deliver). Yes, consuming raw egg carries some risk, but it’s negligible—if you like your eggs over easy, you’ve already made the leap. Ready to get cracking? Follow these pointers. —CARLA LALLI MUSIC CATCH BIG AIR As raw egg whites are shaken, the proteins expand and trap air, creating a stable network of tiny bubbles. TWICE IS NICE…

—ANNIE DUFRESNE, Montréal, Québec PORTUGUESE BAKED EGGS 6 SERVINGS Baked eggs are great for brunch, and this version is no exception. But with a salad of leafy greens, it’s also hearty and satisfying enough to double as dinner. ¼ cup olive oil 3 bell peppers, any color, thinly sliced 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced 2 beefsteak tomatoes, cut into wedges 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 jalapeño, with seeds, halved lengthwise ¼ cup fresh basil leaves 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves 1 ½ tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. paprika Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 1 cup ricotta 6 large eggs 1 cup grated sharp white cheddar (about 4 oz.) ¼ cup grated Parmesan (about 1 oz.) Toasted country-style bread (for serving) Heat oil in a large heavy pot over…

Throwing a killer party: The Roots drummer, jimmy Fallon foil, and owner of Hybird restaurant never hosts without for-hire bartenders-and the Golden Girls theme song THE GOLDEN RULE "Women are the most important element at any party. If you get the Women to dance, you can get anybody to dance.” Be Spontaneous "I throw a lot of last-minute parties. Just ask permission from the people in your building.” Ditch the Invites "I’m in a tight-knit circle, so it’s never a guest-list situation. I tell one person, then that person trickles the information down. Soon enough, 50 people are at my house.” Hire a Bartender “I’m the absolute worst at drinks. When I do Mad Man parties, I hire pop-up bartensers via Craigslist. I say, ’Big on the Martinis and Old…

When it comes to dinner parties, a turntable is always better than an iPhone. Musician James Murphy explains I find it interesting that the turntable has become a conversation starter. When you own one, guests tend to gather around it and say, “Oh, nice.” They treat it as if it’s a piece of conscious design—an object. But for me, it’s just what works to play the thousands of records I own. The thing about relying on a turntable for music during a party is that you’re forced to make choices: It’s not just a playlist you threw together once and use for every occasion. With a record, music becomes an active choice, all night long. It never loops, you never accidentally repeat a song, and you can’t skip ahead—and believe…

ONCE UPON A TIME, coconut was considered a ticket to high cholesterol and heart disease. But recently, it’s taken a cue from the avocado, morphing into a health food–store staple that’s touted as a healing superfood for everything from diabetes to Alzheimer’s to—you guessed it—high cholesterol. How’d that happen? First, the products have changed. The virgin coconut oil in stores now, for example, has a healthier makeup than the processed oil used in early studies. Also at work: the discovery that not all saturated fats are created equal. Coconut fat con-sists mostly of medium-chain fatty acids, which aren’t stored in the liver like other fats, says Celine Beitchman, nutrition counselor at the Natural Gourmet Institute: “They’re used for immediate energy and help our bodies burn calories.” More research must be…

Logan Square has long been the domain of bike messengers, musicians, and the dive bars they hole up in. But there’s been a shift: Now, people in Logan, as the area is known, are just as likely to order house-bottled artisanal cocktails as they are an Old Style beer—and the drinks are just the beginning. The Square (actually the park in the center of the ’hood is in an oval) has become home to many of the most exciting openings of the past year, seducing diners away from downtown and onto its historic, greystone-lined streets. The oferings range from the izakaya-inspired Yusho to the fire-blasted bagels at Reno; together, they make up Chicago’s new restaurant row. YUSHO Matthias Merges took a sharp turn in his career when he left his…

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Sommeliers tend to reinforce the wine-is-intimidating stereotype: They parade through dining rooms cradling bottles like newborns. They ponder a glass with such consternation you’d think the cure for cancer was hidden deep inside. They decant like biochemists. Is wine really this complicated? No, it’s not. Good wine service is about simplicity and comfort, not pomp and circumstance. Use a decent glass. Serve your reds cool. Consider the menu before you buy. And remember these tips, tools, and tricks that follow. Entertaining with wine at home—yes, it’s that easy. Boss Your Guests Around We all do this: Friends ask, “What should I bring?” and we’re, like, “Oh, don’t worry, whatever… maybe dessert?” Instead, ask them to bring a bottle. Be specific about which one you think would pair best with what…

Jessica Alba There’s nothing new about celebrities preaching the merits of buying organic. What’s refreshing about Jessica Alba and her business, the Honest Company, though, is the straight-talk mission statement: She wants to find the overlap between living organically and, you know, just living. That means she isn’t afraid to indulge in dumplings at L.A.’s Din Tai Fung, nor does she believe all food needs to be organic. (Blueberries, however, are worth the splurge: “The use of pesticides is next-level bad,” she warns.) Alba recently took a break from the lifestyle world to star in A.C.O.D. (Adult Children of Divorce), out this month, alongside Parks and Recreation’s Adam Scott. She liked ad-libbing on set, but when it comes to entertaining, this mother of two sticks to the script with an…