Bon Appétit Foodcast

Nancy Singleton Hachisu traveled to Japan for a stint abroad 30 years ago, fell in love with a Japanese farmer, and never left. We take a look at her latest book, Japan: The Cookbook, a compilation of over 400 recipes, and talk about how to build a Japanese pantry (it all starts with really good soy sauce).

Eater's national restaurant editor, Bill Addison, and our own deputy editor, Julia Kramer, discuss what it's like to be a restaurant critic in 2018. The landscape is vastly different than it was even 5 years ago with more "best of" lists than ever, diminishing local platforms, and a political climate that can't be ignored. There's a lot to be celebrated out there in a country that cares more about food than ever before, so how do they do it?

Sean Dimin, founder and CEO of Sea to Table, talks about all those confusing terms surrounding seafood. Do you want wild caught? Domestic? Fresh? Frozen? And how do you find a source you trust? After that, Carla Lalli Music convinces Adam Rapoport that he needs to start cooking fish at home.Get the recipes from this episode:Slow-Cooked White Fish with Charred CabbageGreen Posole with Cod and CilantroHerby Napa Cabbage Salad with LimeSlow-Roasted Salmon with Fennel, Citrus, and ChilesSlow-Roasted Salmon with HarissaCrispy-Skinned Fish with Herb Sauce

Food director Carla Lalli Music and senior editor Amiel Stanek are back by popular demand, talking about rice again. This time around they cover everything from how to cook brown rice to different methods of making crispy rice. It's just as... entertaining as part one. After that, Rumaan Alam, author and special projects editor of the New York Times books section, reads an essay he wrote for our May issue, Drinking in Dhaka.Get the recipes from this episode:Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice with BarberriesChicken with Crispy Rice

Ruth Rogers opened London's The River Cafe with her partner, the late Rose Gray, 30 years ago. When they started, they were two women already with families and virtually no professional training. This week we talk to Ruth about what it took to see through her vision and create such a dynamic, successful, and enduring restaurant.

Salt is the most important ingredient in your kitchen—it can make or break your food. We talk through different varieties, the importance of seasoning as you go, and how other ingredients can bring saltiness to a dish. Then, we chat about our new Salted Caramel-Chocolate Tart recipe. It's a good one.

This week we're telling you how to care for and cook with the hardest-working pan in your kitchen: the cast-iron skillet. After that, Natasha Pickowicz, pastry chef at NYC's Cafe Altro Paradiso and Flora Bar, talks about how she develops her food, the importance of collaboration in the kitchen, and making dinner for herself every night when she gets home.

We don’t cook like we used to. Our pantries, our techniques, and our cravings take us on new culinary adventures. It’s hard to pin down the exact moment we noticed things had changed—we might not have been making these dishes a decade ago but we can’t imagine our lives without today. This week we delve into the 29 recipes that define the way we cook now.Get the recipes:The New Essentials: 29 Recipes That Define the Way We Cook Now

Olympic bronze medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani, a.k.a. the “Shib Sibs,” stick to a pretty regimented diet while training—but it turns out they’re actually as food-obsessed as we are. This week we talk to the ice dancing duo about beignets, egg McMuffins, and their dad’s famous eggplant Parm. After that, with wedding season around the corner, we go deep on the dos and don’ts of registries. (Unsurprisingly, we've got lots of opinions on platters, wine glasses, sheets, and more.)

After 18 years at Bon Appétit, deputy editor Andrew Knowlton is becoming our editor-at-large. This week, we're saying goodbye by asking him to reflect on everything from the best meal he ever ate, to how he's feeling about his move to Austin. Later, senior food editor Andy Baraghani reads an essay he wrote in our April issue about how cooking helped him accept his cultural and sexual identities.

We have strong opinions about pretty much everything food-related—but perhaps nothing more than sandwiches. In our March magazine, our do's and don'ts of sandwich building made their way into 26 A-to-Z rules for ultimate sandwich satisfaction. This week, we're talking about some of our favorites. (For the full alphabet, pick up a copy or head here.)

Rice is seemingly simple, and yet even experienced cooks can find it daunting. Do you rinse? Do you add salt? What's your ratio of water to grain? This week, we're here to answer those questions. After that, we're talking the Oscars with Vanity Fair's Richard Lawson because food and movies go together like popcorn and peanut M&Ms. 

JJ Johnson was the chef at Harlem's sister restaurants, The Cecil and Minton's, where he honed his point of view in the kitchen, inspired by the African diaspora. He recently left to find his own footing in the culinary world. We talk to JJ about what to expect from his forthcoming restaurant, his recently-published cookbook, and his love of 90’s hip hop and R&B.

Olive oil is one of the most-used ingredients in our kitchens, but do you really know what to look for when buying a bottle, or how best to store it? This week, we make sure you do. Then, senior food editor Andy Baraghani talks about how his upbringing in a Persian-American household and his travels around the Middle East have influenced his cooking.

It took a lot of trials and tribulations to create BA's Best Lasagna. Test kitchen editor Chris Morocco tells the tale of perfect bolognese sauce, the creamiest bechamel, and more. Then, we go deep on sous vide cooking at home. We promise it's not nearly as intimidating as it sounds.Get the recipes from this episode:BA's Best LasagnaSimple Sous Vide SteakSous Vide Chicken with PestoSous Vide Sweet and Spicy Pork BellySous Vide Salmon with Lemon and Dill