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
Tecate Skirt-Steak Tacos
Any fairly thin cut of beef will work with this marinade; try flank or New York strip.
Recipes
Caponata With Pine Nuts
This caponata uses a technique called a "cold fry." Instead of frying the vegetables in preheated, hot oil, you combine the vegetables and room temperature oil in a pot and heat them up together. The benefit of this method is that you use less oil than you would normally use when you "hot fry" and there is very little splatter because the food and oil are always at the same temperature. And, like "hot frying," you still get a golden crispy exterior and soft, creamy interior but with no mess.
Recipes
Pad Prik King
This vegetarian Thai curry from the restaurant Thai Fresh in Austin is less spicy and more fragrant than you might expect; add a dried chile de árbol if you like heat.
Culture
Get to Know Bob, the Man Behind Bob's Red Mill Products
If you've ever used Bob's Red Mill flour or grains, you probably recognize the face on the package. Now get to know the man behind the blue hat.
Recipes
New-New Bloody Mary
Our favorite Bloody Mary is an instant classic. Great-quality tomato juice, bright lemon juice, savory Worcestershire, and a tangy hot sauce deliver on all fronts.
Recipes
Pasta Primavera with Crispy Onion Gremolata
We wanted a recipe that was a better expression of “primavera,” literally "spring" in Italian. We swapped the oft used tomatoes and angel hair pasta for sturdy linguini and the first of spring’s green offerings.
Cooking
3 Chocolate Cake Recipes You Need in Your Life
Learn how to make chocolate cake, the easy, intermediate, and advance ways.
techniques
How to Make the Chocolate Layer Cake of Your Dreams
Associate food editor Claire Saffitz is here to help you make the best chocolate cake of your life.
Recipes
Four-Layer Chocolate Birthday Cake with Milk Chocolate Ganache and Nutella Buttercream
This chocolate birthday cake recipe calls for dark chocolate in the ganache to balance out the sweetness of the Nutella. For a more kid-friendly cake, use milk chocolate. This is part of BA's Best, a collection of our essential recipes.
Recipes
Simple Two-Layer Chocolate Birthday Cake with Milk Chocolate Ganache
Icing on top and in the middle, sides left bare: This modern-looking style shows off the cake’s decadent (and perfectly even) chocolate layers.
Recipes
Chocolate Birthday Sheet Cake
The genius part of this rich and moist sheet cake recipe is the “reverse creaming” method. Instead of creaming butter and sugar before adding the liquid ingredients and flour, you’ll gradually add the liquid ingredients into the flour. As a result, the cake bakes almost perfectly flat—no domed tops, no layers to trim.
Recipes
BA's Best Cream Scones
This basic scone recipe is perfect as is, but the upgrades and flavor add-ins are nothing to scoff at, either.
Restaurants
That Time I Traveled by Train Like it Was 1959
What it's like to travel from New Orleans to Chicago in a vintage 1950s Pullman railcar.
Restaurants
Traveling (and Partying) Across the Country in a Vintage 1950s Pullman Railcar
What it's like to travel from New Orleans to Chicago in a vintage 1950s Pullman railcar.
Culture
How to Make Baking With Kids a Recipe for Success
The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen made graham crackers for Take Your Child to Work Day. Here's what we learned about baking with kids.
Cooking
By Reader Request: Recipes From Breads Bakery, A.O.C., and Rioja
From lamb-bacon burgers to a very green cocktail, these are the restaurant recipes our readers want to cook at home this month.
Recipes
Grilled Naan with Burrata and Roasted Potato and Lemon
This vegetarian-friendly recipe was created by James D. Giannis out of Chicago, the winner of our 2015 Readers' Choice Week contest. Look for naan in the bread aisle of your local supermarket.
Recipes
Lahore Deli's Chai
Customize this chai recipe blend by adding a crushed cinnamon stick or big pinch of grated fresh ginger to the first step.
Recipes
Sherry Cobbler
The best reward for walloping a bag of ice is this drink—it’s like a grown-up snow cone.
Recipes
Crab Cakes with Roasted Tomatillo Mayo
Try not to pack the crab mixture too tightly; you want these to just hold their shape so they fry up light and airy. And remember: Crab cakes are only as good as the crab you use; buy the best you can afford.