Bon Appetit December 2013

CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD REMEDY Steel yourself against cold and flu season with boozy, steaming-hot drinks that double, however arguably, as preventive medicine. Find recipes for immuneboosting cocktails, such as this warmer from Chicago barkeep Benjamin Schiller, at bonappetit.com/RxCocktails. BRAN’S DRAM Steep 1 bag berry herbal tea in a mug with 6 oz. hot water, 2-3 minutes; Discard tea bag and stir 11/2 oz. white rum, 1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice, and1 tsp. honey. Garnish with a lemon twist. Makes 1 “If rum won’t give you that warming glow of wellness, the hot tea will.” —Benjamin Schiller, beverage director of The Berkshire Room NSTA SATISFACTION What’s the point of making a gorgeous standing rib roast if you don’t Instagram it? This holiday season, hashtag your centerpiece-worthy meats #roastboast. We’ll…

GIFTED I’M GOING TO BET that the Rapoport-Shubuck household is like most others: Duties are clearly divided between husband and wife. I do the dishes (though Simone often points out that I forget to scrub the backs of pots and plates). And I happily iron—I find it strangely calming. Simone is like the family’s creative director: She curates the look of our apartment, she coordinates our vacations, and, as I’m always reminded this time of year, she handles all of the gift giving. When I’m mumbling, “Wait, we’re supposed to bring a gift to this thing?” she’ll not only have bought a present, she’ll have already wrapped it, too. And that’s where her real talent lies. Simone is a working artist, and she never settles for a basic wrap job.…

READERS’ FAVORITE RESTAURANT RECIPES —TARYN KLINGER, Boulder, CO ROAST TROUT WITH LENTILS AND VERJUS 4 SERVINGS Yes, there is butter in the sauce, but the key ingredient is verjus. If you can’t find it, use half white wine and half unseasoned rice vinegar. LENTILS 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 small carrot, peeled, finely chopped 1 celery stalk, finely chopped ½ small onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 cup black beluga lentils or French green lentils 2–3 cups low-sodium chicken broth 2 tsp. Sherry vinegar Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper VERJUS BEURRE BLANC 1 small shallot, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, peeled, crushed 1 whole star anise pod 1 bay leaf 6 black peppercorns 1 cup white verjus ½ cup dry white wine ½ cup (1 stick) chilled…

WHAT A HAM! The holiday ham-bone-in. baked, and glazed for a burnished sheen-is the real Christmas miracle. It Offers an impressively high return for almost embarrassingly minimal effort. Its mere scale (one ham feeds up to 20 for dinner) gives it the appearance of a culinary triumph. Yet, since the ham is smoked and cured and therefore already fully cooked, the porcess is practically foolproof. Turn the page for the fundamentals of buying, scoring, glazing, and devouring your own porky marval for days on end.-JULIA KRAMER AND ALISON ROMAN 4 STEPS TO HAM NIRVANA 1 BUY IT For a recipe that requires so little actual cooking, the quality of your pork is of utmost importance. We effusively recommend D’Artagnan’s fresh applewood-smoked bone-in heritage ham ($112 for 12–14 lb.; dartagnan.com). But…

Decorate Like Clark Griswold “I’m pulling out all the stops this year. It will be tastefully and tactfully done, but I still want people passing over in airplanes to see it.” No Bailing "Weather is a unifying factor in the Midwest. There might be a blizzard, we might be snowed in, but by gosh, we’re coming anyway." Cook for Yourself, Not the Relatives "Don’t we all think picky eaters are a pain in the rear end? The good thing about the holidays is that it’s a buffet-style thing, so you can pick what you want. It’s about filling your belly, not theirs." Start a Gag Tradition "My mom has this ugly Santa ornament, and one year I took it off the tree and clipped it to her pillow. We’ve been…

Top-Seeded Sprinkled over lamb chops, folded into muesli, or blended into a brilliant syrup—pomegranate seeds look as festive as they taste LAMB CHOPS WITH POMEGRANATE RELISH “The tart sweetness of the pomegranate cuts through the richness of the lamb.” —Claire Saffitz, recipe tester Prepare grill or grill pan for mediumhigh heat. Mix½ cup pomegranate seeds, ¼ cup chopped black olives, ¼ cup crumbled feta, ¼ cup olive oil, and 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley in a bowl; season with salt and pepper$ HkX 8 lamb rib chops with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and 2 tsp. crushed fennel seeds; season with salt and pepper and grill to desired doneness. Serve with relish. 4 servings POMEGRANATEORANGE SYRUP “Use this syrup in vinaigrettes, to glaze meats, and in place of grenadine in…