Bon Appetit August 2013

FIND, FOLLOW, AND CONNECT WITH US ONLINE NEW COLUMN: PRESERVED The Hashtag “What’s your favorite unusual burger topping?” @bonappetit “I’m a purist. Cheese definitely. And anchovy–Calabrian chili mayo.” @chefjeremyfox Jeremy Fox, executive chef, Rustic Canyon, Santa Monica, CA “Pickled grapes! (halved, w/crispy onions & American ‘cheese.’)” @TheLeeBros Matt Lee and Ted Lee, authors, The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen “Kimchi burger. One of my favorites! A little spice and tang is perfect on a fatty yummy meaty burger!” @StephAndTheGoat Stephanie Izard, chef and owner, Girl & the Goat and Little Goat PICKLED CORN Combine 2 small dried chiles, 1 seeded thinly sliced jalapeño, ¼ thinly sliced medium red onion, 2 cups corn kernels (from about 2 ears), ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, and…

LAST SUMMER, MY WIFE AND I decided to get all grown-up and rent a beach house. We settled on one in Montauk, on the far end of Long Island. It had a screened-in porch and a big gas grill next to a not-so-big pool, and I suppose you could say that it was close enough to the beach that the drive to the shore didn’t feel so long. So, no, it wasn’t some Hamptons-esque dream house, but it was a house. And after years of bunking in Montauk motels with damp, sandy carpets, we finally had a place that we could call our own. We settled into a rhythm. Each morning, I’d cruise into town for an iced red eye and the chance to breeze through the sports page. Some…

DEAR BON APPÉTIT, NO COCKTAIL IS MORE REFRESHING THAN THE GINGER-SPIKED JULEP FROM RIVER OAKS RESTAURANT IN MEMPHIS. SHARE THE SECRET, PLEASE! PEACH JULEP 4 SERVINGS Good ginger beers are made with actual ginger and deliver a nosetingling hit of spice along with bubbles. Look for Fever-Tree, Reed’s, or Fentimans brands. GINGER SYRUP 1 1"-piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced 1 whole cardamom pod, cracked ¼ cup sugar ASSEMBLY 2 ripe peaches, peeled, sliced 8 sprigs mint plus more for garnish 8 oz. bourbon 4 oz. fresh lemon juice 12 oz. ginger beer GINGER SYRUP Bring ginger, cardamom, sugar, and ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Let cool, then strain into a jar. Cover and chill. ASSEMBLY For each cocktail, muddle ¼ of…

The Chill Zone WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE RATIO OF “WOW” FACTOR to effort, few desserts rate higher than homemade ice cream. Just take some milk, cream, eggs, sugar, salt, and a vanilla bean, and with an inexpensive ice cream maker and 10 minutes of hands-on time, you can pretty much achieve superhero status. I have three serious vanilla fans in my family, so that’s what’s usually spinning at my house. Once you’ve mastered our recipe, go ahead and riff. Need a head start? We’ve included a couple of our favorite options on the next page. —ALLIE LEWIS CLAPP There’s nothing, um, vanilla about our homemade version of the classic. Of course, it also makes a great base for your favorite flavor upgrades. IT ALL STARTS HERE True Vanilla Ice Cream…

Let’s start with the basics: What’s your approach to eating? I hate women who say they can eat whatever they want, because I don’t relate to that at all. It isn’t fair! I absolutely live for food. Favorite meal of the day? I didn’t grow up in a traditional family and I never had a family dinner around the table, so whenever I actually had a dinner “plan,” it meant a lot to me; it made me feel excited and safe. And now that I’m an adult, dinner is a great pleasure. How did you start cooking? I became obsessed with food sometime in the last decade. I’m pretty late to the game. I’m such an avid magazine reader—music, art, beauty magazines—and I found that food and restaurants were pouring…

The Gin and Tonic is swinging again, thanks to new distillers who have made gin cool. (Plus, it’s easier to find lesssugary tonic water full of zippy bubbles.) We might even catch up to Spain, where takes on the Gin Tónica—think herbs, spices, citrus—are a national obsession. The upshot? There’s never been a better time to drink this summer refresher. GIN & TONIC Add 2 oz. gin (preferably Tanqueray) to a highball glass filled with ice. Squeeze in 1–3 lime wedges to taste, then add them to glass. Add 3–4 oz. tonic water; stir to combine. Makes 1 The New Standard JOSÉ’S GIN & TONIC THE BAZAAR BY JOSÉ ANDRÉS, Miami Combine 1 lime wheel, 1 strip lemon zest (removed with a vegetable peeler), 1 lemon verbena leaf, 3 juniper…