
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.
Beef, Onion, and Cheddar Pierogies
These are ideally made with ground shortrib, but using chuck will give you an equally savory filling.
Cottage Cheese and Blueberry Pierogies
These sweet pierogies help balance out the savory fillings from Kielbasa, Sauerkrat, and Potato Pierogies, Beef, Onion, and Cheddar Pierogies, and Bacon, Mushroom, and Spinach Pierogies, making them perfect for any pierogi party.
Kielbasa, Sauerkraut, and Potato Pierogies
Why choose between boiled or fried? The key to these pierogies is doing both.
Tuna Poke
The real key here is to use the best-quality tuna you can find. When in doubt, ask your fishmonger if he would eat it raw. If the answer is no, neither should you.
BA's Best Peanut Butter Cookies
What makes this peanut butter cookie recipe The Best? Well, there’s a few reasons actually. We call for natural peanut butter so that you can dial the sugar and salt amounts exactly. Instead of just adding roasted peanuts from the can, we roast them a second time for even more peanutty flavor. And the pan of water in the oven creates a burst of steam that gives the finished cookies the perfect crunchy-chewy texture. Now you know! This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.
Colcannon
There are as many colcannon recipes as there are cooks in Ireland. This one uses softened and crunchy savoy cabbage, as well as garlic and leeks for extra depth.
BA's Best Fried Chicken Sandwich
This sandwich is engineered for maximum impact. Each element is awesome, but it’s the way they come together that puts it over the top. Mmmmm, yeah.
Chicken and Mushrooms with Giant Croutons
The key to browning chicken skin in butter is to crowd the pieces so the butter doesn’t burn in the skillet—then it makes the most beautifully browned skin!
T.H.Ghee
To bake or cook with the finished ghee, figure ½ tsp. infused butter per portion (e.g., make 24 cookies from 2 oz. butter). Wait at least one hour after eating before having more—it can easily take that long for the effects to be felt, and you don’t want to overdo it.
Tamale Pie With Mint Yogurt
Ras-el-hanout is a Moroccan spice blend that contains several warming spices (such as cinnamon and nutmeg) with a little ginger and chile for heat. If you can’t find it, use garam masala instead.
Spanish Breakfast Casserole With Eggs and Bacon
This is ideal for a brunch party; the entire casserole can be assembled the night before so all that’s left to do is bake it the next day. And let’s be real: We’d happily eat it for dinner, too.
BA's Best Masala Chai
This chai is definitively ginger-forward. Feel free to add a little more maple syrup if you like it on the sweeter side. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.
Spicy Marinara Sauce
Add another ½ tsp. red pepper flakes if you like it fiery; omit them all if you don’t. This sauce pairs perfectly with our mozzarella sticks.
Cheesy Grits with Poached Eggs, Greens, and Bacon
Winter’s answer to the grain bowl, this feels super hearty and satisfying.
Beet and Rye Panzanella
Use whatever bread you have lying around, but we like the earthy flavor combo of rye and beets.
Sour Cream and Scallion Drop Biscuits
All that sour cream keeps these drop biscuits super moist and tender—they reheat well, even after sitting out for hours (pop back into 350° oven for 5 minutes).
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Think of this as a universal buttermilk ranch dressing that you could use to dunk your veggies or onion rings or drizzle onto your pizza.
BA's Best Onion Rings
The secret to our best onion rings is a batter made with beer and club soda; make sure both are very cold before stirring into the batter. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.
Sweet-and-Spicy Chex Mix
Don’t scoff at the sour cherries in this Chex mix recipe! Their sweet bite and chewy texture are the perfect foil for all the crunch and salt and spice. But if you’re really not into it, sub mini chocolate chips instead.
Thyme-Roasted Walnuts
These simple, flavorful walnuts go perfectly with our Herbed Baked Brie.