Bon Appétit

Every year at BA, one lucky person is called upon to develop holiday cookies worthy of baking, swapping, eating, and gifting. This time around, that lucky person was Rick Martinez, and here he explains how he rose to the challenge of making sweets that look as good as they taste. Then, Alex Delany is back to share the three cocktails we should be drinking now that winter has officially hit.

Get the recipes from this episode:

6 Holiday Cookies That Will Win You the Cookie Swap

Champagne Cocktail

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When are you supposed to salt mushrooms? How do you know when the wild ones are worth the splurge? Do you really need to clean them? Basically editor Sarah Jampel is answering all of your mushroom questions. Then, digital director Carey Polis chats with Catherine Bailey and Robin Petravic, the owners of the iconic Heath Ceramics. Last but not least, senior staff writer Alex Beggs is back with the next installment of Cook, Marry, Kill.

Get the recipes from this episode:

Seared Mushrooms with Garlic and Thyme

Mushroom Carbonara

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If you're a last-minute decision maker when it comes to Thanksgiving dessert, you've come to the right place. The one and only Chris Morocco developed three stunning, towering pies—lemon meringue, banana cream, and chocolate pudding—and here he walks us through how to make each one. After that, four staffers share their Thanksgiving stories.

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This year, our big Thanksgiving feature in the November issue is based on our video series called Making Perfect. In both the magazine and videos,  we challenged the food editors to make their best version of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, sides, and pie. Today, we chat with the editors about the dishes they were assigned—what went right, what went wrong, and how it all came together for the perfect meal.

Get the recipes from this episode:

Bon Appétit’s Absolutely, Positively Perfect Thanksgiving Menu

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This week, we’re going behind the scenes of It’s Alive, our video series that chronicles Brad Leone's fermentation experiments (and adventures) and is edited by Matt Hunziker. It was a big leap from videos we used to make—less hands in pans, more humor—so Brad and Hunzi sit with Adam to talk about the series' evolution. After that, we're reading letters and comments we receive. A lot of them are nice, a few are mean, and some are constructive—the kind that we like to engage with. Finally, we're airing the first of a new recurring segment called Cook, Marry, Kill with senior staff writer Alex Beggs.

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The newest member of our Test Kitchen team, Sohla El-Waylly, talks about her recent recipe for chicken thigh biryani based on her mom’s lamb version. It took a lot of testing to get it just right—and now it really is. After that, associate editor Hilary Cadigan chats with Donny Sirisavath, chef and owner of Khao Noodle shop in Dallas and this year's no. 2 Best New Restaurant.

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Erika Nakamura and Jocelyn Guest left their NYC butcher shop and restaurant about two years ago. They were tired of the long hours and wanted to start a family. So they did just that and founded their own sausage company, J&E Small Goods, which they talk about with Carla Lalli Music. After that, Basically editor Sarah Jampel tells you everything you need to know about cooking with nuts.

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We were lucky to have Yasmin Khan stop by the offices a few weeks ago, so we’re airing that conversation for you today as a bonus episode. Healthyish editor Amanda Shapiro chats with Yasmin about her latest book, Zaitoun. It chronicles her travels throughout Palestine, sharing the stories and recipes of the people she met along the way.

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Alison Roman is back to talk about her new cookbook, Nothing Fancy, which just came out yesterday. It’s as beautiful as her first and filled with recipes developed around the idea of having people over. That’s right: not entertaining, just having people over. Here she explains how the book came together—and how hosting friends doesn’t have to be a big fussy thing.

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Questlove just released his fifth book, Mixtape Potluck, which also happens to be his first cookbook. It's a collection of recipes from his friends—chefs, musicians, entertainers, and artists—and meant to inspire the kind of potluck-style dinner parties he hosts. He swung by to talk about what went into making the book, how food and creativity overlap for him, and, of course, his favorite Philly cheesesteak spots.

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