Alex Lau
Staff Photographer Emeritus
Alex Lau is the former staff photographer atBon Appétit. Born and raised in New York City, Lau moved to San Francisco at the age of 12 until returning to the East Coast to attend Emmerson College in Boston, earning his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. Lau is currently represented by2D Creative Artists. His clients includeBoylston Trading Company,Nylon Guys,Esquire, and more. He has shot both food and travel photography for countless cookbooks—and he takes photographs of other things sometimes as well.
BA’s Best Carrot Cake
Our favorite carrot cake recipe gets a crunch from toasted walnuts and a boozy punch from rum-plumped raisins, which are optional but recommended.
Roasted Broccoli
Oven-roasted broccoli is exceptionally versatile. Once you master the basic recipe, you can finish it with any number of sauces or toppings.
Garlicky Bok Choy
This simple bok choy recipe, flavored with shallot, garlic, and soy sauce, is ideal for when you’re short on time and ingredients.
BA’s Best Chocolate Lava Cake
A deep, dark, molten chocolate cake recipe with a liquid chocolate center thanks to a spoonful of ganache, which melts as the cake bakes.
Spaghetti With Tomato and Walnut Pesto
Basil is a mere garnish in this nutty, cheesy, peak-season pesto sauce.
Scallion Pancakes
The secret to layered, flaky, chewy-crunchy Chinese scallion pancakes? It’s all in the roll (and the spin, and the re-roll).
BA's Best Guacamole
This easy guacamole recipe is best made in a Mexican mortar and pestle called a molcajete, but a bowl and a fork works fine. Just don’t rush to get it on the table. It takes a while for the avocado to absorb all the flavors you add to it.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Firm yet tender veg is simply a matter of getting the quantity, time, and temperature right—and this roasted sweet potato recipe has all three.
Butternut Squash Shakshuka
If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet for this shakshuka recipe, just cook everything in a medium skillet and transfer to a 2-quart baking dish before cracking the eggs.
Omelet With Bacon, Mushrooms, and Ricotta
Don’t sweat rolling this into a perfect omelet; just top the cooked eggs with mushrooms and ricotta, and fold like a taco.
Crispy Thai Chicken Salad
A half a cup of olive oil may seem like whoa, too much, but that's the key to crisping up the chicken.
Grilled Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches with Apple–Cherry Chutney
You can serve this addictive chutney alongside roasted meat (rotisserie chicken); it’s also good on a sandwich with deli cold cuts.
Rotisserie Chicken Stew with White Beans
If you’re not following our weekly meal plan and not making the Grilled Cheese (though you really should; it’s delightful), which you need wheat bread for, use country loaf or sourdough bread, crusts removed, for optimal breadcrumbs for this chicken stew recipe. Check out step-by-step photos here.
Shrimp and Pimiento Cheese Grits
Quaker brand grits work really well in this recipe, and they are distributed very widely. If you can’t find them, use any other white, medium-grind, long-cooking grits.
Spicy Pasta with Shrimp and Tomatoes
For a hearty vegetarian version of this pasta recipe, use squash, mushrooms, or eggplants in place of shrimp.
Herbed Chicken Salad over Crispy Rice
As you’re crisping the rice for this chicken salad recipe, the leeks and carrots may look very dark. Don’t be scared or angry at us; the veggies aren’t burnt, they’re just deeply caramelized and will add lots of flavor to the final dish. Check out step-by-step photos here.
Butternut Squash Cacio e Pepe
Think of this butternut cacio e pepe recipe as pasta cacio e pepe...with sausage. It’s comfort food-y, so it could use some fresh greens and/or veggies to help balance it out. Check outstep-by-step photos here.
Chicken Pot Pie with Acorn Squash
Sauerkraut is our new secret flavoring weapon. It adds a little bit of acid and funk, and this chicken pot pie recipe proves there are so many other uses for it than a hot dog topping. Check out step-by-step photos here.
Minestrone Soup with Acorn Squash
If you don’t happen to have or particularly enjoy pastrami, bacon or pancetta would be a delicious substitute for this minestrone recipe. Check out step-by-step photos here.