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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.

Preserved Limes

If you like lox, bacon, or anchovies, you should thank salt—and time. That's all that it takes to turn supermarket limes into this pleasantly salt-tart-funky pantry staple, the sibling of preserved lemons.

Black Rice Bilo-Bilo

A Filipino comfort food that’s traditionally made with chewy rice dumplings. The one served at Bad Saint, made with black rice, has an amazing color, addictively chewy texture, and earthy flavor to balances the sweetness.

Coconut-Vegetable Slaw

An addictive slaw with sweetness from the fresh coconut and sneaky, creeping heat from the chiles. Be warned! This recipe is from Bad Saint, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Pork, Vegetable, and Tamarind Stew (Sinigang)

The finished stew should be decidedly sour, tamarind’s calling card, but you’re in control of how puckery things get. You can sub other vegetables or simplify the array, but be very careful not to overcook them. This recipe is from Bad Saint, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Yellow Chicken Adobo

Though widely accepted as the national dish of the Philippines, no two adobos are the same. This one calls for an unapologetic amount of turmeric, which has a somewhat bitter, definitely earthy flavor, and those deep, dark notes are backed up by charred coconut. This recipe is from Bad Saint, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Shaved Cauliflower Salad

Thinly sliced raw cauliflower takes center stage in this salad, tossed in a bright, limey dressing and dusted with nutritional yeast.

Yellow Pepper and Corn Salad with Turmeric Dressing

The pepper skins add smokiness to the salad, so don’t peel them. Bonus: That makes life a lot easier.

Onigiri

Make sure to rinse the rice in several changes of water before cooking so that it isn’t too gluey.

Salted Butterscotch

Like your desserts extra-salted? Just keep adding more and tasting the butterscotch until you reach your personal sweet-salty threshold.

Dashi Stracciatella

Sometimes all your body wants is a vacation from intense eating. That's where this feel-good (but fill-you-up) broth comes in.

Grilled Broccoli and Arugula Salad

An unexpected side dish that can be made hours ahead of a party; wait until the last minute to toss together.

Carla's Tomato Soup

Make any modifications that suit you and the preferences of your eaters: Onions in place of shallots; carrots for fennel; add garlic; omit the cayenne; a splash of cream instead of butter, as you wish.

Salt-Roasted Potatoes

Remember those pink salt blocks everyone was searing steaks on for a minute? A bit of kosher salt performs a similar function: transmitting heat.

Salt-As-You-Go Pasta

The combination of salty water and salty Parmesan puts this pasta at risk of becoming oversalted. If that happens, throw in a knob of unsalted butter at the end to mellow it and add a smooth finish.

Chicken Milanesa With Ranch Sauce

This irresistible matchup of crispy and creamy releases more dopamine than a bag of Cheetos.

Pantry Pasta

If you've got a can of tomatoes, a jar of spicy peperoncini, and a hunk of Parm in your fridge, you're halfway to a satisfying pasta dinner.

Coconut Beef Curry

There's a time for a 20-ingredient, four-hour curry, and it's not 5 p.m. on Tuesday. This shortcut version yields a hearty crowd-pleaser.

Warm Cocoa Pudding with Candied Pecans

Makes you wonder why you would ever serve cold pudding again.

Salami and Pickle Grilled Cheese

This sandwich can be lunch, a snack, or a late-night thing. Eat it with potato chips and lemonade; it's also great with a simple green salad for dinner.

Gluten-Free Triple-Chocolate Chunk Cookie

After testing with lots of other brands, these cookies are best when made with Cup4Cup gluten-free flour.