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Alex Lau head shot - Bon Appétit

Alex Lau

Staff Photographer Emeritus

Alex Lau is a freelance photographer based in New York City. Originally from Queens, New York, Alex moved to San Francisco when he was 12 before returning to the East Coast to attend a journalism program at Emerson College. A true muti-hyphenate, Alex has at times studied jazz, trained in competitive swimming and weight lifting, and worked as a celebrity dog-sitter. It was by chance, after a Hail Mary application for a summer internship to work with Bon Appétit’s visuals team, that Alex solidified food photography as his primary source of interest.

He followed that internship with one at Boston Magazine, working as a digital writer and photographer. Upon returning to New York, he was offered staff roles at both Food & Wine and BA, and we eventually welcomed him back as our new staff photographer. Alex left BA in 2020 to pursue a broader scope of projects; check out his most recent work at 2dcreative.com.

Recipes

The New Classic Stuffing

A protein like sausage lends the stuffing those all-important crispy bites, and the fat contributes essential flavor.
Recipes

Kale BLT Salad

Thick slab bacon is key to this dish. Buy it packaged if you can find it or from the butcher.
Recipes

Celery on Celery Salad

When shopping for celeriac, look for firm, unblemished roots that feel heavy for their size, with a greenish hue.
Recipes

The All-American Stuffing

For cornbread stuffing, toasting the dried-out cornbread is essential; this will keep it from falling apart during mixing.
Recipes

Celery Root and Carrot Soup

This classic, creamy soup is brightened with fresh ginger.
Recipes

The BLT Oyster Stuffing

Adding oysters and bacon incorporates textural contrasts and bold flavor hits to up the intrigue.
Recipes

Skillet-Roasted Cauliflower with Panko

Browning, then steaming the cauliflower lets you get color on it while ensuring it’s tender in the center.
Recipes

Celery Root Steaks with Tomatillo Salsa Verde

To prevent peeled or cut celery root from browning, submerge it in cold water with the juice of 1 lemon for up to 1 day.
Recipes

Celery Root Hash

You can store celery root in the fridge, unpeeled, in an unsealed plastic bag, with a dry paper towel to absorb excess moisture, for up to 3 weeks.
Recipes

Pull-Apart Potato Rolls

Use these to make amazing leftover turkey sandwiches.
Recipes

Crunchy Winter-Vegetable Salad

The mix of lettuces and crisp vegetables is up to you (and we recommend a mandoline for slicing).
Recipes

BA’s Best Apple Cider Doughnuts

These sugared doughnuts are craggy and crunchy on the outside, tender and moist on the inside. Apple butter (not sauce!) is key to their texture and flavor; look for it alongside jams and jellies in the supermarket, or at farmers’ markets, or make your own.
Recipes

Whiskey and Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies

To maximize the tangy flavor of the rye flour, use rye whiskey instead of bourbon.
Recipes

Achiote Paste

This gorgeous bright red paste is so much better than the store-bought stuff. Rub it on chicken, pork, or fish—it's especially delicious for these tacos al pastor.
Cooking

Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice Latte (That Other One Has Issues)

Recipes

Real Pumpkin Spice Latte

If you’re in a hurry, you can use very strong coffee instead of the espresso, and warmed half and half or cream instead of the steamed milk.
Recipes

Summer Squash Frittata with Herbs

Grating the zucchini helps release more water as it cooks, giving you more of that concentrated summer squash flavor.
Recipes

Oven-Roasted Kimchi Chicken

A smaller chicken (something in the two- to three-pound range) will fit in a cast-iron skillet and can go straight from oven to table.
Recipes

Sunset Strip

Ron Zacapa Centenario is a dark rum produced in Guatemala and adds warm, sweet, and smoky flavors to any cocktail.
Recipes

Chocolate Halvah and Dark Cherry Concrete

Sesame paste takes the place of hazelnuts in this Nutella-ish concoction. If you don’t want to make the concrete, schmear the chocolate-sesame spread on warm bread and thank us later.
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