It’s no secret that Bon Appétit editors cook a lot for work. So it should come as no surprise that we cook a lot during our off hours too. Here are the recipes we’re whipping up this month to get dinner on the table, entertain our friends, satisfy a sweet tooth, use up leftovers, and everything in between. For even more staff favorites, click here.
May 2
Asparagus season stir-fry
In the great spring produce debate that played out on a recent episode of Dinner SOS, I’m team Shilpa Uskokovic (that is to say, Team Asparagus). The soft color, the al dente snap, the grassy taste. I’m here for the spears! So to satisfy my cravings, I’ve been turning to a recipe by the asparagus queen herself: Shilpa’s Cashew Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry. With its savory pantry sauce, this dish fits into my favorite genre of weeknight cooking: sauce + veg + protein + an excuse to fire up my Zojirushi. It’s also infinitely adaptable. I’ve included chunky crimini mushrooms and plan to sub in crispy tofu for the chicken. But while it’s still in season, you won’t ever catch me skimping on the asparagus. —Michele O’Brien, senior audio producer
Birthday cake decorating
I went to New Hampshire for a friend’s birthday and instead of having a chill sit-by-the-lake-type weekend, everyone came prepared with activities. As the group’s resident baker, I marshaled a cake decorating contest. I baked two of my colleague Shilpa Uskokovic’s chocolate sheet cakes, cut out 12 mini rounds, and wrapped them in cling wrap for the road. To accompany the cakes, I toasted dry milk powder in butter to create the best brown butter frosting any of us had ever had. I packaged it all in piping bags, brought tip options, edible glitter, and sprinkles. With complete creative liberty, the group thoroughly enjoyed decorating the cakes. One had the state’s motto “Live Free or Die” piped atop. Another turned into a heart with an excess of glitter. —Nina Moskowitz, associate editor, cooking
Moroccan beef stew
We’ve been on a chicken kick in my house, which is actually out of the norm for us. So much so that my partner mentioned just how much chicken we’ve been eating in the hope that something heartier would end up in the dinner rotation. I’ll cook a chuck roast any time of the year, but the flavors need to be seasonally appropriate. Our standard wintery profile of potatoes, carrots, and herbes de Provence isn’t what I want in spring. So I opted for a lively spiced Moroccan rendition with dates, apricots, and chickpeas. We ate it over couscous with fat dollops of Greek yogurt and a shower of parsley. Even our 15-month-old daughter seemed to appreciate the switch-up. She ate fistfuls of the stew at dinner with a big smile on her face. —Hali Bey Ramdene, content director
Clean-out-the-fridge frittata
I’ve been attempting to have more casual meals with my friends lately—less dinner parties, more “what are you doing for lunch today?” vibes, where I can clean out my fridge and hang with pals at the same time. For such an afternoon, I whipped up a version of this mushroom and leek frittata using a giant leek I got from the Test Kitchen grocery giveaway and the last few eggs from a recent farm trip upstate. —Kendra Vaculin, test kitchen editor
Ruffled crepes
I feel bad for anyone who has said “nonstick pan” around me in the past year. Seemingly harmless! And suddenly they’re trapped in my 12-minute monologue about how carbon steel is an underrated alternative that completely changed my cooking. The short version is: With proper seasoning, carbon steel is essentially nonstick. But unlike a coated nonstick pan—yes, even the newer non-Teflon ones—you can crank the heat with abandon. This is a game changer for crispy eggs, fried rice, and, my latest victory, beautifully browned crepes. After finally trying these at Cafe Mutton in real life, I made chef Shaina Loew-Banayan’s recipe at home. Thin, ruffled, and pooled with maple syrup, it’s as good a start to the day as you can get. —Emma Laperruque, associate director of cooking
