The New Recipes That Won Our Hearts in 2018
The BA staff cooks a lot of BA recipes. All year long, we take to our own kitchens after work and on the weekends to try out that elaborate layer cake or super simple grain bowl we watched get developed down in the Test Kitchen. And while there’s something to be said for the daily inspiration we all experience here, there are certain recipes every year that stand out, that stick with us, and that we will never give up making—not in 2019, not ever. Here they are.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen1/23Crispy Tofu With Maple-Soy Glaze
Asking me to choose my favorite recipe of 2018 is like asking me which child I love the most. I mean, I definitely have a favorite but I's pretty rude to tell the whole world about it. However, since this was also the year that my younger child decided to become a vegetarian, I choose the crispy tofu that has been served on repeat for many months in our house. My son, who is 9, went from a guy who wouldn’t touch tofu with a ten-foot chopstick to someone who clapped his hands and did the happy food dance every time it was on the menu. For good reason: It’s crispy, it’s glazed, it’s sweet and salty, and it’s easy to make. One thousand gold stars. —Carla Lalli Music, food director
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser2/23No-Fail Roast Chicken With Lemon and Garlic
I had never roasted a whole chicken before this (I know, I know) and was quite certain I would fail, but I don’t think there’s any way this recipe could have been easier—or more pride-inducing when I actually nailed it. I felt like a goddamn Martha Stewart pulling that cast iron skillet full o’ chicken out of the oven. Crisp, burnished skin; insanely juicy interior; and lemony, buttery, garlicky flavor throughout. It’s my new dinner party staple. —Hilary Cadigan, associate editor
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Drew Aichele, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka4/23Frozen Greek Yogurt Blackout Pie
I LOVED Chris’ Frozen Greek Yogurt Blackout Pie. The balance of sweet to tangy was perfect, it’s shockingly easy, and it’s a familiar dessert with a cool twist. I tried to eat just one slice and then I ate half the pie in one sitting. And the olive oil! What a fruity, delightful surprise of a topping! If this is what healthy-ish means in 2018, I am 100 percent on board. —Priya Krishna, contributing writer
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens6/23Pasta al Limone (Lemon Pasta)
I cannot get over Molly Baz’s rendition of pasta al limone. I made it when it first landed on BA and have been threatening (joking-but-not-joking) to make it every night since. It comes together so quick and easy, it’s hard not to reach for it when crunched for time, and it’s satiating in a way that only a creamy, lemony pasta can be. I could eat the whole pot myself, but I know butter—I mean better. —Sasha Levine, senior editor
Photo by Alex Lau7/23Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice with Barberries (Tachin)
Andy’s tachin, which we called descriptively, “crunchy baked saffron rice,” was my favorite recipe in 2018. It introduced me to Persian food, something I felt pretty distant from before—would I be able to find the ingredients? (Yes.) Flip the thing without breaking it? (Yes.) Do justice to this iconic dish? (I think I did!). It’s veryyyy delicious, the textures so satisfying, all crunchy and then creamy inside, thanks to full-fat yogurt. But this is about more than flavor—this recipe is a symbol of Andy, the love of his family combined with his love of cooking, his love for rice... It’s an embodiment of all that love, and you can taste it. —Alex Beggs, senior staff writer
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson8/23Grilled Short Ribs with Pickled Daikon
These thinly cut flanken-style short ribs became my absolute go-to quick cooking protein this summer. The thin strips are able to soak up SO much marinade in just a few minutes and cooking them fast and hot leaves them just barely cooked through in the center and tender as hell. Braising short ribs for hours is a thing of the past. Now I grill them and it takes 10 minutes. —Molly Baz, senior associate food editor
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Chris Morocco, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen9/23Caramelized Leek and Fava Bean Toast
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Judy Mancini10/23Summer Squash and Basil Pasta
I’m a sucker for summer produce, but even I can’t survive on tomato toast alone. This pasta from Healthyish’s Farmers Market Challenge reignited my soul in the humid throes of August, reminding me that even peak-season produce can be improved with a bit of cooking. The jumble of summer squash breaks down until jammy and saucy, coating each fat paccheri tube and enriching all that fresh basil. Summer can’t come soon enough. —Aliza Abarbanel, editorial assistant
Photo by Alex Lau12/23Charred Sweet Potatoes With Toum
I used to think sweet potatoes were easy to burn. I would watch those edges go past golden and head towards the dark side when roasting them and think, oh crap, I blew it again. Then this recipe happened, and I started to rethink what it means to “burn” a sweet potato. Isn’t it just deepening and intensifying the flavor to caramelize and lightly char that sweet buttery flesh? Now I crave sweet potatoes taken all the way to the edge of burning. Paired with this eggless mayo (that tastes like injecting garlic directly into your veins, but in a good way), it is sensational. —Chris Morocco, senior food editor
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou13/23Roast Chicken Legs with Lots of Garlic
Hot take: I never want to roast a whole chicken again. I can just roast chicken legs, my favorite part of the chicken, with lots of garlic in a low-and-slow oven while I watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Chicken legs are an affordable, difficult-to-overcook cut of meat, and I love to eat them with roasted vegetables (sometimes I toss in potatoes when roasting them, or do brussels sprouts or broccoli on the side so they get extra crispy) and rice for a meal that doubles as meal prep for the week. There is a ton of garlic in this, so in the end I also get to save a little tub of confit garlic that I can spread on bread, whisk into a vinaigrette, or top a chicken salad later in the week. Twofer! —Alyse Whitney, associate editor
Photo by Alex Lau14/23Classic Focaccia Bread
My favorite thing to nibble on in the BA test kitchen during development was Claire’s focaccia bread. It’s tender and chewy in the middle, with a crisp, snappy bottom. I still dream about the combo of warm olive oil–soaked bread and crunchy and flaky sea salt. Maybe I’ll actually make it in 2019—that's what New Years resolutions are for, right? —Emily Schultz, social media manager
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson15/23Romesco Pasta Salad With Basil and Parmesan
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski16/23Broccoli Caesar
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson18/23Coconut Rice Noodles with Ginger and Turmeric
You know when a recipe claims to only take 15 minutes, and then an hour later, you’re standing there muttering,"That was not 15 minutes," feeling generally dissatisfied? Yeah, this isn’t that kind of recipe. This is the 15-minute recipe that actually takes 15 minutes. And tastes like you spent a hell of a lot longer in the kitchen. My weeknight meal of 2018. —Alex Delany, associate editor
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Emily Eisen19/23Ricotta Panna Cotta with Nectarines and Honey
This ricotta panna cotta is the least intimidating + most rewarding dessert in my BA arsenal. I have brought her to BA soirées, dinner parties, and put candles in her for a celebratory birthday panna cotta (yes, I am making birthday panna cotta a thing). I top with a generous amount of olive oil, honey, and cracked black pepper. —Emma Fishman, associate visuals editor
Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski21/23Pork, Beef, or Lamb Larb With Cabbage Cups
The most common response to my daily-ish text to my roommates about what to make for dinner is this: “Larb.” And by that they mean Andy’s weeknight-friendly larb (I make it with pork, but lamb and beef work too). It’s sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and umami-y. And, most importantly, it gets all your roommates to agree on what to have for dinner. No easy feat. —Rachel Karten, senior social media manager
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski22/23Glazed Shallots With Chile and Thyme
This recipe came out pretty recently, but I’ve already made it three times—for Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, and another dinner party not at all related to giving thanks. It is the easiest, most truly delicious side you could ever ask for and I will be making this dish from now until forever. Long live the humble shallot!!! —Emma Wartzman, editorial assistant
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen23/23Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
