Bon Appetit September 2021

WHAT KIND OF COOK ARE YOU? Do you sit down on Sunday and plan your meals for the rest of the week, or do you flip through the pages of BA at 4 p.m. to figure out what’s for dinner at 8? In the summer I lean toward the latter. With near endless daylight and ubiquitous farmstands, I can almost get away with it. But with the end of summer and the return of tight schedules, it’s time to get more organized. Our pantry story (page 62) comes to the rescue with wonderful weeknight recipes and plenty of intel to make dinner faster, easier, and tastier. We’ve also got a braising feature (page 38) that’s perfect for autumn. There’s Braised Short Ribs With Onions and Curry Leaves, an update on…

Remember Packing Lunch? This Takenaka x Poketo bento box is the real reason I’m excited to be back in the office; it perks up my leftovers and it’s a magnet for compliments. It’s roomy enough for whatever I pack for lunch, and a grippy lid for the top compartment keeps saucy things from leaking all over my canvas bag. Plus, it’s microwave and dishwasher-safe. Now I just gotta brush up on my office small talk. Bento box, $32; chopsticks, $12; poketo.com…

Culture Editor HILARY CADIGAN Whenever I visit my in-laws in Charleston, Graft Wine Shop & Wine Bar is my first stop. There I’ll ask owner-somms Femi Oyediran and Miles White for bottles as funky as whatever’s playing on the speakers (Rick James? Amel Larrieux?). Now national shipping (where it’s legal) means I can recreate the Graft experience almost anywhere with Oyediran’s Spotify playlists (graftchs.com/playlist) and a staff-curated six-pack delivered to my door. Restaurants Editor ELYSE INAMINE on The Patties She’s Pining For I WASN’T HUNGRY when I picked up my bag of Bajan patties from Bridgetown Roti, chef Rashida Holmes’s Caribbean pop-up in L.A. But after one minute in the car, overwhelmed by the meaty aroma of braised oxtails, I was. My husband and I shared a single patty, letting the turmeric-tinged dough melt in our mouths…

A COLD NOODLE SALAD is only as good as its dressing, and chef Simone Tong uses a technique popular in Chinese cooking to pack big flavor into the Sichuan peppercorn dressing on p.22. She starts with quality spices and aromatics, like Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and scallions, and carefully drizzles hot oil over them to create an aromatic base that comes together quickly. To ensure success, heat the oil in a heavy saucepan until the first sight of smoke—oil that is too hot will burn the spices and make them bitter. With an added touch of balsamic vinegar for both acidity and sweetness, this versatile vinaigrette can be saved for marinating smashed cucumbers and dipping dumplings. Lamb Keema Tacos Ground lamb mingles with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices to create a fragrant taco…

DESIGNER Pamela Shamshiri of Studio Shamshiri HOME BASE Los Angeles BEST DESIGN TIP “Things look better with age.” GO-TO MEAL “Persian breakfast spread, with lots of things to nibble on.” Knock Wood “We’re moving more and more toward wood,” says Shamshiri, who finds the naturally occurring grain of bleached walnut or oiled oak to be timeless. In this La Jolla, CA, home, Shamshiri complements wood cabinets with green slate countertops and metals like copper Waterworks faucets and a stainless steel Wolf Dual Fuel range. Form and Function Top-quality equipment doesn’t have to sacrifice style. For the Ojai, CA, home of Anne Hathaway, Shamshiri went with a handcrafted La Cornue Château 120 range with a pale gray finish and mixed-metal trim. But she’ll often go even bolder, choosing bright appliances by Lacanche. (We also love Smeg.) Sink Skirts Traditionally used to mask plumbing or…

THE CHOICE OF RESTAURANT was important. It needed to be not too large, not too small. Not too noisy but not oppressively quiet either. Not formal but definitely not casual. And no hovering waiters. We needed to be free of interruption. The cuisine? There had been some discussion over email: Greek? French? Italian? We chose easy, cozy Italian. The geographical parameters were also specific. My lunch date would be staying in New Jersey for a few days, just a two-hour drive from my home in Connecticut. I obsessed over every detail. How would I greet him? Shake his hand? Give him a hug? Who should pick up the check at the end of the meal? The lunch loomed in my calendar for months, eclipsing all else. The possible faux pas seemed…