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.
Maple, Pecan, and Sour Cherry Granola
If you chop up the granola in a food processor, you can sprinkle it on fruit or ice cream or dip ice pops into it.
Strawberry Milk
The strawberry syrup is perfect for topping ice cream and yogurt or mixing into butter for spreading onto biscuits, pancakes, and French toast.
Savory Porridge with Pickled Radicchio and Roasted Apples
Yes, savory porridge is a thing. And if you bolster this creamy bowl of grains with lots of surprising toppings, it’ll also be a thing you crave for any meal of the day.
Gnocchi With Sage, Butter, and Parmesan
To achieve pillow-light gnocchi, choose potatoes that are roughly the same size and be careful not to overcook them.
Watermelon Margarita
Out of tequila? Never fear: Using vodka instead makes this watermelon margarita recipe just as delicious.
BA's Best Blueberry Muffins
You can make these blueberry muffins with just all-purpose flour, but using whole wheat too gives them a heartier, nuttier flavor.
Indoor S'mores
Feel free to try whatever toppings you’d like; if it goes well with chocolate, it will go well with these.
Grilled Cauliflower Steaks and Scallions
Slicing the cauliflower into steaks from the middle helps the head stay intact as you cut.
Grilled Tofu with Chimichurri
No offense to all the vegetarians, but the chimichurri is also pretty fantastic on your favorite steak.
Grilled Eggplant and Lemons With Garlic Labneh
Use whatever type of eggplant looks most appealing at the market; they should be firm to the touch, with glossy skin. Small globe eggplants are easy to find, but this is also a terrific time to use long Asian types, small round white ones, or any of the cool-looking striped varieties.
BA's Best Sandwich Bread
For BLTs, French toast, grilled cheeses, bread and jam, the daily lunchbox sandwich, or whenever an absolutely perfect loaf of white bread is required. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.
Apple-Fennel Chicken Salad
You know what most chicken salads are missing? Crunch. Not this one!
Salad Sandwiches with Ranch Spread
This recipe is adapted from April Bloomfield’s version in A Girl and Her Greens. For a dippable version of the ranch spread, sub sour cream for the buttermilk and serve with crudités.
Zucchini and Rice Pancakes
Somewhere between a frittata, a fritter, and fried rice, these little pancakes are packed with protein and delicious with almost any cooked grain or leftover greens in the filling.
Pinto Bean and Ham Torta
These fillings would also work wrapped up in a tortilla or lavash.
Smashed Chickpeas with Pita
This easy salad has all the flavors of a falafel without the deep-frying. Add a little feta if your kid prefers.
Pepperoni Panzanella
Panzanella salads are a great way to use up the last of that loaf of crusty bread. Change it up as summer progresses by tossing in other vegetables or herbs. Just don’t skip the tomato: It helps soften the bread.
Tofu Summer Rolls
Imminently adaptable and riffable: Use any leftover protein or shred a rotisserie chicken in place of the tofu, and use whatever crunchy vegetables you’ve got in the produce drawer.
Broccoli Pesto Pasta
This pesto pasta recipe gets heft (and a side of veggies) from the addition of broccoli to the purée. They won’t know it’s there unless you tell them...wink wink.