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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

O.D.A.

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Grilled Sesame Shrimp with Herb Salad

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Gilded Youth

Bonal is a French apéritif infused with gentiana, a low-growing wildflower common in many parts of France
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Bourbon & Tepache Cocktail

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Tepache Highball

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El Coco

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Veranda Way

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Tepache

Tepache is a fermented pineapple liquor commonly sold by street vendors in parts of Mexico.
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Sausage Burgers

You know those days when you can’t decide if you want to grill sausage or burgers? Problem solved.
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Corn and Scallion Tart

Because it’s equally good at room temperature, this is a great make-ahead recipe for brunch or a lazy lunch.
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Green Gazpacho

Because flavors become muted in cold dishes, season this gazpacho as you go and taste again after chilling. Soon this recipe will be in your summer repertoire.
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Skirt Steak with Pickled Fennel Salad

You know when steak is so good that you don’t bother with a knife and fork and just eat it with your hands? Yeah.
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Diner Burger & Fries

The cooks at Diner, in Brooklyn, change up burger toppings according to the season: lettuce and pickled onions in winter months; sliced tomato and housemade bread-and-butter pickles in the summer.
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Summer Babe

The bartenders at Reynard, in Brooklyn, use Greenhook Ginsmiths’s botanical American dry gin in this citrusy cocktail, but feel free to make it with your favorite.
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Turnips with Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese and Sesame

You can also use radishes or golden beets (red beets will turn everything pink!) in place of the turnips.
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Grilled Chicken Wings With Vinegar and Chiles

These wings are hot, sweet, and tangy.
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Grilled Zucchini and Ricotta Flatbread

The only way to make flatbread even better? Grill it.
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Long Bean Salad

Find long beans at Asian or specialty grocers.
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Fresh Ginger Moscow Mule

Moscow Mules are usually made with bottled ginger beer, but nothing compares to the aromatic heat from the real thing.
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Cilantro-Parsley Chutney

This sauce goes with pretty much any grilled meat; stir leftovers into yogurt to make a dip.
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