We Had the Most Fun Office Lunch Ever, Thanks to the COOK90 Cookbook
There are really only two things people want to know once you tell them you work at Bon Appétit. The first: Whether you know Brad and Claire? And the second: If you eat delicious, amazing, awesome food all day long. Well people, I’ve got answers.
YES! I know Brad AND Claire and they’re both lovely humans. As for the other... Um. Sometimes? But TBH, most of the time we’re eating sad desk lunches, and nibbling on whatever new Doritos flavor we got in the mail.
So when David Tamarkin and the rest of our friends at Epicurious (they sit right next to us) released COOK90, we knew what needed to be done. You see, this isn’t a special occasion cookbook. This is an every day, real life cookbook, with recipes for stressed out Tuesday night dinners and Friday lunches thrown together that morning. So with that in mind, we decided to do something a little different at Cookbook Club this month. This month, we each cooked a dish from COOK90, brought it in for lunch, and swapped it with someone else—as determined by a little luck, some pieces of paper, and a yellow trucker hat. The results were neither sad, nor at our desks. And we were all the better for it. Below, some of our favorite dishes from lunch.
Photo by Emma Fishman1/5Spanish Frittata with Herby Yogurt and Greens
Christina Chaey, associate editor: This is weekday lunch at its simplest. It’s the kind of thing you can throw together over the weekend, then pack up during the week with some tangy herb yogurt sauce on the side.
Alex Beggs, senior staff writer: Yes, we’ve been going on and on recently about eggs for dinner but now it’s time to talk about eggs for LUNCH! And maybe even eggs for dessert? Nah, let’s just talk about this frittata with herby yogurt that Christina Chaey made. The plus is that you can eat it cold so you don’t have to wait in line for the office microwave, especially after Cathy from accounting just finished microwaving her fish.
Photo by Emma Fishman2/5Antipasto Salad Jars
Rachel Karten, senior social media manager: Just like dressing for the job you want, I chose a recipe that I would be pumped to get (mostly for salami reasons). I spent a lot of time getting to know the olive bar at Whole Foods yesterday, and I added some pasta in to really bring those Fourth of July picnic vibes home. Now if only it were that warm out.
Carey Polis, digital director: I ate the antipasto salad and thought it hit the right note: enough going on but not overly complicated. (And really, how could you go wrong with salami and castelvetrano olives?)
Photo by Emma Fishman3/5Spiced Chickpeas with Salmon, Radishes, and Greens
Sasha Levine, senior editor: As someone who typically tries to squeeze a bunch of meals out of a single recipe, the Nextover approach was a revelation. Slow-Roasted Sheet-Pan Salmon with Broccolini and Lemon for dinner on Sunday eased the way to this lunch bowl for Monday (which I also test tasted—duh). Both dishes were satisfying and straightforward, and quick to toss together at the end of a busy weekend. Also: Please listen to David and keep the salmon as “undercooked” as possible!
Rachel Karten: I’m the person who forgets to eat lunch until 2 p.m., and then comes back to my desk spewing out apologies for the fish or cauliflower smells from my current lunch sitch, so choosing Sasha’s salmon bowl felt like it was tailored just to my inner most lunch cravings. Perfectly cooked salmon, crunchy radish and greens for #health, plus enough chickpeas to keep me full all day, this was the lunch of my dreams.
Photo by Emma Fishman4/5Steak Soba Salad
Joe Sevier, Epicurious contributing editor: This recipe was insanely easy to prep. Pro tip: keep all of the components separate so tossing them together at the last minute (i.e. work lunch) is a breeze.
Sasha Levine: Joe’s execution was on point. The whole thing—cold noodles, crunchy cabbage and pepitas, fresh cilantro—was fortifying, without feeling heavy. Plus, no matter how many bites I took, I couldn’t make a dent in the bowl, which means I get to eat it again tomorrow. Hallelujah.
Photo by Emma Fishman5/5Everyday Granola
And at the end of the whole thing? Epicurious site director David Tamarkin presented us with individual bowls of his Everyday Granola. Always! Be! Snacking!
