Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2020 i Bon Appetit

MY FAMI LY HAS OUR THANKSGIVING system down to a T. Or, I should say, down to the manila folder in which we keep a decade’s worth of menus marked up with quantities and guest lists, keeping tabs on the first dish to go (mac and cheese) and the biggest hits (Dad’s chicken-and-waffles appetizer, Mom’s perfect squash soup). Every year I perform a sleight of hand, making sure we end up with an extra tray of cornbread dressing (p. 73), my favorite, that I can eat for days afterward, sometimes straight from the fridge like a teenager, until it’s gone. My brother mixes cocktails, his girlfriend roasts the turkey, and a family friend always brings the most beautiful carved glass platter decorated artfully with half-moons of winter fruit. Inevitably someone…

TOASTED RICE powder gives Laotian larb its distinct pebbled texture and nutty flavor. Making it is easy: Slowly toast uncooked glutinous rice in a pan until it’s golden and deliciously fragrant, then pulse in a spice mill until it’s the consistency of coarsely cracked black pepper. Use it in cookbook author Lara Lee’s tofu larb recipe on p. 20 (and don’t skip her shiitake-and-soba stir-fry on p. 25). Make extra rice powder and keep the leftovers in a jar to add texture to noodles and salads…or another batch of that larb.…

4 SERVINGS 3 Tbsp. ghee, virgin coconut oil, or vegetable oil1 large red onion, finely chopped1 2" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated4 garlic cloves, thinly slicedKosher salt4 tsp. garam masala1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder or ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes2 Tbsp. honey1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes1 13.5-oz. can coconut milk3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1½ lb. total), sliced 1" thick½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro 1. Heat ghee in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes; season with salt. Add garam masala and chile powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in honey…

“Evan Blackwell is a Black painter here in Atlanta. She made this piece when the George Floyd protests began to spread globally, inspired by people coming together for one purpose.”COMING TOGETHER PAINTING $450 “Who doesn’t want to start every morning with the Obamas? A pair of women in Vermont make and paint each of these delicate mugs by hand. Barack is on the other side.”BARACK & MICHELLE MUG $50…

In a normal year I try to bring balance to my family’s Thanksgiving menu, serving a bright crunchy salad and at least one green vegetable. However, in this highly abnormal year, we’re eschewing notions of balance in favor of serving what we really want to eat: an unapologetically carb-focused meal. In addition to stuffing and potatoes in multiple forms, I’ll be making these buttery Parker House–inspired rolls. The dough starts with tangzhong, a roux-like mixture often used to make Japanese milk bread, which keeps the rolls super soft and light. The slight onion flavor of chives and tang of sour cream give them oomph. They’re as equally excellent at mopping up gravy as they are at holding the contents of a leftover turkey sandwich. If food could give you a…

Our Indigenous community in San Francisco’s East Bay doesn’t really relate to the narrative of the first Thanksgiving because when that was happening on the East Coast, our Ohlone ancestors were living in a traditional way, still very unaffected by colonization. But those same forces of harm came here much later for a similar reason. Colonizers settled this place for themselves and cleared people from the land by any means necessary, including genocide and slavery. Our people survived that. Now we use this time to be together, spend time with family, express gratitude, and eat good food, though how we connect with our community will look different this year since our current interactions with our elders are limited to Zooms and weekly community food drop-offs. This dish has traditionally been…

Usually there are 20 of us, or even more than that. Basically all my grandmother’s children, her grandkids, and her great-grandkids. We all sit around the table together, and there’s no space at all, and it’s one of the most fun things. But unlike any holiday ever before, this year’s dinner will be set for only five—my husband, my kids, and me. I got teary-eyed thinking about it. But there will be some good things about it. I’ve tried to be creative a few times in the past—I’m a professional!—and it has not gone over well with my family. They’re like, “Oh, you can do that for the cookout or for game night.” They want really traditional Thanksgiving food. But I wanna have some fun! These desserts are an homage…

SHOPPING LIST THE BUY p.11 ESTELLE COLORED GLASS $195 for six; estellecoloredglass.com COOKING WITH CHAEY pp.12–14 P.12 NAGATANI-EN HAKEME CLASSIC-STYLE ALL-PURPOSE DONABE $80; toirokitchen.com THE POUR p.26 OENOPS “RAWDITIS” $30; astorwines.com MANOLIS GARALIS “TERRA AMBERA” $22; astorwines.com DOMAINE GLINAVOS “PALEOKERISIO” $15; leisirwine.com SWEET SPOT p.28 FOOD-GRADE SILVER LEAF $10 for 10 sheets; amazon.com SHOP TOUR p.34 SWAHILI MODERN OLIVE WOOD SALAD SERVERS $40 EVAN BLACKWELL COMING TOGETHER PAINTING $450 MACRINA MATEO MARTINEZ MICAELA BEAN BOWL $189 COPAVIC ROLY POLY DECANTER $30 BARACK & MICHELLE MUG $50 All items available at yoursustainablehome.com BASICALLY pp.81–85 P.81 8" CHINESE CHEF’S KNIFE $56; dexterrussellcutlery.com P.81 7" MIYABI KAIZEN II SANTOKU $170; zwilling.com P.81 6" PETTY UTILITY KNIFE $160; newwestknifeworks.com P.81 7" TETON EDGE SANTOKU CHEF’S KNIFE $300; newwestknifeworks.com P.81 8" MAHOGANY ROYAL BLUE INOX…

Time for a Toast Decorative gourds aren’t necessary when mint green coupes from Estelle Colored Glass ($195 for six; estellecoloredglass.com) are on the table. Stephanie Summerson Hall’s Technicolor line of handblown glassware turns any evening into an Event. Sipping a martini never felt so festive. PLUS! Away A Brooklyn take on Myanmar’s national dish, shopping in Atlanta, and more! THE ALMOST - PERFECT POT 12…

MAKES 10–12 4 medium beets with greens (about 1 lb.)1 large or 2 medium Yukon Gold or russet potatoes (about 10 oz.)1 medium onion1½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more4 Tbsp. (or more) extra-virgin olive oil, divided2 large eggs, beaten to blend6 Tbsp. panko¼ cup cornstarch2 tsp. coriander seeds, crushed2 tsp. cumin seeds, crushed1 lemon, halved½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt½ cup coarsely chopped dillFreshly ground black pepper 1. Preheat oven to 300°. Line a sieve with 2 layers of paper towels; set over a large bowl. Remove stems and greens from beets; set aside. Scrub beets and potato, then grate on the large holes of a box grater into prepared sieve, followed by onion. Season with salt and toss well. Let vegetables sit at least 25 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, finely chop…

4 SERVINGS 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. black (Chinkiang) vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar6 Tbsp. light soy sauce, divided12 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced, divided1 5" piece ginger, peeled, cut into matchsticks, divided½ cup raw cashews½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut8 oz. dried soba noodles2 Tbsp. kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)6 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided12 canned baby corn, halved crosswise8 oz. green beans, trimmed, cut into thirds6 small shallots, thinly sliced 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat sugar, ½ cup vinegar, 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, and ⅓ cup water in a small saucepan over low, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add a quarter of mushrooms and half of ginger. Return to a simmer and cook 4 minutes. Let pickles cool. 2. Spread out cashews on one side…

I am notorious for traveling with little to no notice during the holidays. While plenty of people want to be with their loved ones, I see this chunk of time as a chance to go somewhere new, somewhere faraway (please don’t be alarmed, I love my family very, very much). But this year, thwarted by the pandemic, I’ll be spending the holidays at home. We have certain staple Thanksgiving dishes, like our maple roasted carrots and morasa polo (Persian jeweled rice), and then I’ll make this bright and textured kale salad to balance everything out. Half the kale gets crisped up in the oven like chips while the rest is tossed with a gingery soy-tahini dressing. Some cut-up grapefruit goes in, and there’s extra crunch from toasted coconut flakes. It’s…

Thanksgiving is an adopted tradition in our house, so there are no rules when it comes to the meal. We moved to the U.S. from Australia in 2015, and for a year or two we tried the classic turkey-and-veg-sides combination. But as we found our feet as an immigrant family, we realized that these dishes held no historical context, or nostalgia, for us. To suit our mainly vegetarian household, we decided that the sides would become our mains. A huge spinach lasagna, vegan hazelnut-potato gratin, leek bread pudding, and always, always some form of tater tots (it’s the only time of the year my kids are allowed to eat them). While I usually bake them on top of mac and cheese, hot dish style, this year I decided to turn…

I’ll never forget my first turkey-less Thanksgiving: a small group of close friends, our kids, and a few private acres in upstate New York. It was glorious. Don’t get me wrong. I missed the usual six pies that my family serves, but at the end of the day, there was gravy—and for me, that’s the thing that makes Thanksgiving feel like Thanksgiving. I wish that this year I could recapture the spirit of that simple gathering where I served this Squash and Caramelized-Onion Tart, ringed by tons of bright vegetable side dishes, to the mostly vegetarian crowd. Instead, I’ll be with my wife and kids, watching in quiet desperation as my sons pick all the skin and flavorful bits off this garlic-coated chicken. But that destruction will be instantly forgotten…

Think about your Thanksgiving meal. It’s a lot of butter, warm spices—just decadence. The next day, I’m looking for something to contrast all that. Something acidic, bright, and spicy enough to open my nostrils a little. Which is why I’m making mouthwatering turkey, a nod to the Sichuan dish ma la ji pian that typically features chicken. I’m shredding the remaining turkey meat, then drenching it in chile oil and black vinegar, serving it with glass noodles, and throwing a bunch of herbs on top. Something about this year makes me feel like: Screw it. I want to eat leftover turkey the way I want to. Mouthwatering Turkey With Glass Noodles 4 SERVINGS The heat level for chili oil can vary greatly from brand to brand. Use a sesame-based one for…

FROM LATE OCTOBER to early April, one piece of cookware takes up permanent residence on my stovetop, quietly burbling up hot pots and soups on cold nights. People message me on Instagram whenever I post photos of my donabe: What is it? (A Japanese earthenware pot used for cooking and serving.) Where did I get it? (Toiro Kitchen in L.A.) What do I make in it? (Everything!) At a basic level, a donabe is a pot that just happens to be pretty enough to double as a striking serving piece. High-quality versions have thick walls that effectively retain heat and are especially good for gently cooking the vegetable-heavy meals I want constantly this time of year. When I’m short on time, I opt for a quick nabe, or hot pot,…

4 SERVINGS ⅓ cup (or more) fresh lime juice¼ cup light soy sauce1 Tbsp. palm or light brown sugar2 tsp. (or more) chile powder1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more¼ cup glutinous rice2 Tbsp. vegetable oil6 small shallots, thinly sliced3–4 lemongrass stalks, bottom third only, tough outer layers removed, finely chopped1½ lb. smoked or firm tofu, drained, cut into ¼" cubes2 Tbsp. black sesame seeds, plus more1¼ cups chopped mixed tender herbs (such as Thai basil and/or mint)Tender lettuce leaves (for serving) 1. Mix lime juice, soy sauce, palm sugar, chile powder, and 1 tsp. salt in a large bowl to combine; set dressing aside. 2. Toast rice in a dry medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and nutty-smelling, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a spice mill and let…

AS THE SOMMELIER at Pinch Chinese in New York City, I get a lot of questions from friends and family about which wines to pair with Chinese food. But this time of year I field one specific crisis call: What should I drink on Thanksgiving?! Even among somms, Thanksgiving dinner is a notoriously difficult meal to pair because of all the sides. How do you find a wine that plays well with a green bean casserole, three types of stuffing (it’s a competition in my family), and creamy mashed potatoes? In the past I’ve leaned on tried-and-trues like Prosecco and Lambrusco, but this year I’m tying the meal together with a few bottles of orange. Also known as skin-contact wines, they’re made by fermenting white grapes with the skins on,…

The Shallot Fritter “At the mohinga stalls in Burma [also known as Myanmar], there are many fritters to choose from,” Moe says. Her favorite is chickpea-flour-battered shallots, which she supersizes for dramatic effect. The Broth “Back home,” says Moe, “mohinga was breakfast, but at Rangoon the restaurant, it’s dinner.” She makes four gallons of broth daily, boiling catfish with turmeric, onion, ginger, lemongrass, and rice flour. Then she removes the fish, smashes it into a paste, sautés it till toasty, and adds it back for maximal fishy flavor. The Lotus Root Traditionally this soup gets its crunch factor from slices of banana stem, the fibrous flower stalks of a banana plant. But finding them in New York isn’t easy, so Moe instead uses lotus root, boiled and sliced thin. “It…

Most everyone in our family had a key to Nana’s house. But it was impossible to sneak in, even when the Sacramento sun was rising and the late November light was still soft—robbin’ hour. As soon as I’d turn the key in the door and push it open a few inches, I could hear her penetrating campo intonation: “illy?” I’d assure her it was me and listen as the melody of her coughs mingled with the creaking of her white enamel bed and then each stair step as she made her way down to the microscopic kitchen. There Nana would open the refrigerator door to reveal the turkey, already on its roasting throne. She’d start her coffee, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (because that’s the chosen Fahrenheit of our…

STEP-BY-STEPS TIPS & TRICKS 1 You Don’t Need a Knife Set When you buy a knife set, you’re paying for knives you don’t need and probably won’t use. (As a vegetarian, do I really need six mediocre steak knives?) Most home cooks will be just fine with three knives: one large, one small, and one serrated. And choosing them individually lets you get exactly what’s right for you. 2 One Size Doesn’t Fit All The first step in figuring out what type of knife to buy is to think about how you cook (and how careful you are in the kitchen). If you’re aggressive—like, you’ve used your knife to hack through bone—you’ll want a Western knife that isn’t easily damaged (see No. 3). If you value sharpness and precision and…