Inhoudsopgave van December 2025/January 2026 - Bon Appetit

COD WITH LEMON BUTTER SAUCE No wine? No problem. Lemon gives all the brightness and lift necessary—tempered with a little honey and a few pats of butter. Dusting the fish with flour helps it achieve that golden brown color. RECIPE BY KENDRA VACULIN 4 SERVINGS 1½ lb. small potatoes, halved, quartered if larger2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more⅓ cup all-purpose flour4 4–6-oz. cod fillets, patted dry with paper towelsFreshly ground pepper1 shallot, finely chopped5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided¼ cup fresh lemon juice1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard1 tsp. honey¼ cup tarragon leaves, plus more for serving 1. Preheat oven to 450°. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and season with salt. Toss to coat…

For an entire week I’d been lying as still as possible, sitting upright only to breastfeed my two-month-old baby girl, Penelope. Any time I moved, sharp rays of pain slithered up my lower back, radiating so intensely I had to clamp my eyes and mouth shut just to keep from crying out. My two-year-old son, Julian, took notice. “Did that baby hurt you?” he asked, chunky little hands caressing my cheek. “No,” I reassured him. “Penelope didn’t hurt me, Mommy hurt herself.” My predicament was not labor-related. In fact, I’d been stunned by how quickly I’d recovered post-C-section. Just a couple of weeks earlier, I had been flushed with an energy I never experienced when I gave birth to my son. It was with this renewed vigor that I’d come…

This year, to assemble our own overstuffed cookie box, the Bon Appétit team created six recipes inspired by the flavors of their hometowns. From shortbread bars with Chicago’s preeminent caramel-and-cheese popcorn mix as their muse to a delicate sandwich cookie evoking an afternoon tea in Chennai, India, these treats taste like our holidays of years past, spent in the places we hold most dear. We invite you to share in the memories and make them a part of your gathering. Each will bring a little sweetness to your table no matter where you’re celebrating.…

Tam Pham and Harrison Ramhofer are ready to cook (and drink) at home again. Their Vietnamese drinking food and natural wine spot Tâm Tâm has been open for two years, during which time it garnered accolade after accolade (including being named one of Bon Appétit’s Best New Restaurants of 2024), and their home kitchen renovation is finally complete. At work, the husband-husband duo divide and conquer responsibilities—Pham is the chef and Ramhofer is the sommelier—but they applied a more blended process to their kitchen redesign. Together, they landed on an app-connected smart oven that doubles as an air fryer, a rice cooker that makes delicious use of restaurant leftovers, and a clever system that helps them keep their 26-bottle wine fridge full while still enjoying sips of their favorite vintages.…

I’ve long been a fan of the roll cake: its tubular shape, hypnotically coiled cross section, and puffy round slice. Yet, decoration rarely ventures beyond a smattering of berries and cream or, in the Yule log’s case, a fork-carved grain. The bûche de Noël first originated in 19th-century Parisian patisseries, inspired by a timeworn European tradition in which a village or household member scoured the wintry woods for a log massive enough to burn for 12 consecutive days. The festive dessert evokes Christmas hearths of yore with an unmistakable chocolate “bark” and marzipan-and-meringue-sculpted fairy-tale forest embellishments. Though the yule log had once sprouted from a place of whimsical evolution (not many of us are reliably lugging colossal hunks of wood home), its flavors and construction have yet to experience the…

SHRIMP SCAMPI BISQUE 8–12 SERVINGS Straining the soup after blending catches any lingering pieces of shells so the final texture is completely smooth and creamy. ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided2 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, cut into ½" pieces, shells reserved3 medium onions, finely chopped1 large russet potato (about 14 oz.), peeled, cut into 1" pieces3 celery stalks, chopped2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped16 garlic cloves, 10 smashed, 6 thinly sliced2 bay leaves⅓ cup double-concentrated tomato paste1 cup dry white wine½ cup cognac8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth½ cup heavy cream1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more Freshly ground pepper1 lemon2 Tbsp. unsalted butter¼ cup finely chopped parsley Heat ¼ cup oil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Cook reserved…

baccarat harmonie colored tumblers ‘An effervescent soiree deserves elevated drinkware, and Baccarat has set the bar for heirloom-quality glass since 1765. Serving cocktails in these candy-colored pastel or jewel-toned low balls makes it crystal clear it’s party time. —Abbey Stone; $650; neimanmarcus.com FOR UPPING THE ANTE ON GAME NIGHT frank lloyd wright playing cards ‘Earn a standing invitation to game night by gifting your host these playing cards featuring the iconic architect’s geometric illustrations. When you’ve collected your poker winnings or completed your (prairie) house of cards, stow the decks in their box that’s stylish enough to put on display and small enough to slip into a stocking. —Emily Farris; $17; galison.com FOR BLOCKBUSTER SNACKING popsmith popper ‘Making popcorn becomes part of movie night’s main attraction with this retro-inspired tool…

During the halcyon days of sun soaked spring and summer, wines like zesty Sancerre or easy-drinking Pinot Grigio feel as effortless and familiar as the “girl [or boy] next door,” says Eun Hee Kwon, sommelier at Saga in Manhattan. But as the air chills, veering into raw and rude, winter begs for something altogether more comforting. Red wine may seem the obvious choice, but consider embracing white wine’s moodier alter ego. Think brooding, nostalgic wines with an unwillingness to fade away quietly — bottles with gravitas, texture and complexity. Enter the heady, untamed sensuality of Condrieu, or the dreamy marzipan and melted candle textures of Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. These wines operate on the opposite flavor spectrum as their zippy counterparts. Frost-bitten nights call for savory wines rich with salinity and nuttiness,…

There are many takes on mug cakes out there, but this truly pantry-friendly version is one you’ll want to save. It’s egg-free, but the lack of an egg isn’t a compromise; it’s a deliberate move. Without an egg, the crumb is loose and delicate, leaving the cake with a pudding-like center that allows the intensity of the cocoa powder to shine through. It delivers all the vibes of chocolate cake—rich, sticky, satisfying—with barely any effort. Perhaps the most important thing in the making of this mug cake is harnessing the transformative precision offered by your microwave’s power button. Cooking the cake at 50 percent power ensures it’s cooked through but moist from edge to center, with little to no risk of erupting out of the mug. Just one more reason…

HAM-AND-CHEESE-CROISSANT BAKE 8 SERVINGS Ham-and-cheese croissant meets quiche in this breakfast casserole, making it both flaky and delightfully lush. If you have stale or less than perfect croissants on hand, this is the time to use them. Any croissant will shine bright here, so no need to be fancy. But make sure to measure them out by weight as every croissant is different. 9–10-oz. croissants (about 10 small), split6 oz. thinly sliced Gruyère6 oz. thinly sliced ham5 large eggs2 cups heavy cream2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt1 tsp. freshly ground pepper¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmegThinly sliced chives (for serving) Cover bottom croissant halves with a slice of Gruyère and a slice of ham, trimming and tucking as desired to fit; close up with…

WHY WE LOVE IT A colorful produce-packed vibrantly flavored meal in the middle of winter? Sounds too good to be true. But Emma Laperruque’s fattoush-inspired Sheet-Pan Halloumi defies the odds. Spread onto a preheated rimmed baking sheet, oil-slicked Halloumi and torn pita become croutons (in the case of the cheese, gooey-centered ones). They’ll soak up a zingy-sweet dressing to nail that signature crispy-gone-soggy texture. Take your mind off the bread and cheese for a moment—admittedly a challenge—and you’re rewarded with a flash of juicy citrus and buttery avocado, plus bites of jalapeño to keep things sharp. I’ve even added a can of chickpeas or smoked fish to stretch the serving size further for dinner parties. The only concern is who will score the crispiest pieces of Halloumi. 4 SERVINGS 3–4…

Dear Reader, For Bon Appétit’s food editors, the holidays roll around when the heat of summer still roils the sidewalks outside the Test Kitchen. It’s an incongruous time for winter recipe planning to reach its buttery peak. The smell of our extraordinary spread of holiday cookies (page 52) had barely faded when we gathered to reflect on our year in cooking. A lot of what we learned was from each other, as twice a day the Test Kitchen staff gathers to taste the recipes in development. Everyone is expected to offer critical feedback, evaluating each dish on its construction, flavor, appearance, and the delight it inspires. “Good enough” doesn’t cut it. We are also constantly absorbing the wisdom of other chefs, particularly through their cookbooks. This year there were so…