Skip to main content
Alex Lau head shot - Epicurious

Alex Lau

Staff Photographer Emeritus

Alex Lau is the former staff photographer at Bon Appétit. Born and raised in New York City, Lau moved to San Francisco at the age of 12 until returning to the East Coast to attend Emmerson College in Boston, earning his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. Lau is currently represented by 2D Creative Artists. His clients include Boylston Trading Company, Nylon Guys, Esquire, and more. He has shot both food and travel photography for countless cookbooks—and he takes photographs of other things sometimes as well.

Popcorn with Dried-Shrimp Salt

Can’t find dried shrimp? Straight up Old Bay and some salt will capture that “down the shore” vibe we’re after.

Popcorn with Herb Salt

The salt acts as an abrasive to help break down the herbs. The mixture is quite salty as a result, so season sparingly at first, then to your liking.

Lambs in a Blanket with Cilantro Yogurt

Thinner links of merguez sausage are ideal for these nibbles, but if you can’t find them, just halve larger ones lengthwise into quarters before wrapping in pastry.

Popcorn with Nutritional Yeast and Aleppo Pepper

This popcorn captures the essence of even the most addictive flavored chip or corn puff, without the dairy or fluorescent-orange food coloring.

Apple and Fontina Grilled Cheese

We use Edmond Fallot brand Tarragon Dijon for these (and many other sandwiches), but if you can find it, blend some chopped fresh tarragon into your favorite Dijon mustard.

Duck Confit Crostini with Pickled Cherries and Duck Cracklings

For a slightly more casual vibe, pack this sweet-and-savory mixture into a jar and serve with a knife for spreading on the toasts.

Deep-Fried Beets with Horseradish Dip

The beets are steam-roasted till tender, then deep-fried, so you don’t have to worry about cooking them through after they’re breaded.

Black Tie Crudite with Whipped Ricotta

Intentionally burning vegetables—it’s a thing! The burnt onion powder adds a smoky, slightly bitter finish to the rich dip, and is responsible for the black part of this tuxedo-inspired crudite.

BA’s Best Beignets

The best beignets come from New Orleans, but the high protein content in bread flour gives this classic-style beignets recipe an authentic texture.

Lemon Bars

Baked lemon bars will be stable and set at room temperature. Unbaked bars should be refrigerated until ready to serve, otherwise the lemon curd will soften. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Lemon Marshmallow Pie

The addition of gelatin is what makes the meringue-like topping stay billowy but firm, without weeping, even at room temperature.

Popcorn Toffee Crunch Bars

The toffee mixture will harden as these cool, transforming into a snappy, crunchy layer that holds everything together.

BA’s Best Rice Pudding

We know raisins are controversial in rice pudding, so rather than fan the flames, we kept them separate. (But guys, there’s rum.) This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Beef Chili

Three kinds of dried chiles add just the right amount of smoky heat when you cook this best beef chili recipe, and three cuts of beef deliver robust flavor. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Smoky Salsa Roja

The smoky flavor of the fire-roasted tomatoes fits in here, but regular tomatoes would be good, too. This goes great with our beer-braised brisket.

Fully Loaded Black Bean Nachos with Red and Green Salsas

You might have more of the salsas than you need; serve them on the side for dipping. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Indian-Style Nachos with Warm Spices and Tamarind Chutney

Indian grocers sell prepared tamarind chutney, which you can easily substitute for the homemade version here.

BA's Best Buffalo Wings

Two key steps ensure extra-crisp wings: letting them sit at room temperature evens the cooking time, and the cornstarch dredge transforms into a crunchy shell when fried. If you like your wing sauce super spicy, increase the amount of cayenne in our best hot wings recipe. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.

Pork Nachos With Red Cabbage and Wonton Chips

Coat seared ground pork in a Thai-inspired glaze, then scatter over fried wonton wrappers, and pile on the nacho treatment with two kinds of cheese, pickled jalapeños, and a shredded cabbage and cilantro salad.

Chestnut Mousse

The gelatin in the mousse stabilizes it, so you can make and fill the roll a day ahead without worrying about it weeping or deflating.