Inside the Test Kitchen: What Bon Appétit Editors Are Cooking This Month

It is no secret that the editors at Bon Appétit spend the majority of their professional lives thinking about, preparing, and refining recipes for the magazine and website. However, the boundary between the workplace and the home kitchen is often porous. For these culinary professionals, the creative drive doesn’t stop when the clock strikes five; instead, it often migrates to their home stoves, where they tackle the universal challenges of getting a nourishing dinner on the table, hosting friends, satisfying late-night cravings, and finding ingenious ways to repurpose leftovers.

As the seasons shift and the air turns crisp in October, the Bon Appétit team has been leaning into recipes that balance comfort with technical curiosity. Whether it is an elaborate, multi-day project involving a whole roasted chicken or a rapid-fire solo meal whipped up from whatever happens to be lingering in the crisper drawer, the following dishes represent the current culinary landscape of the staff’s own kitchens. These are the meals currently fueling the editors, offering a window into how those who write about food choose to feed themselves when the cameras are off and the workday is done.

The Comfort of Seasonal Produce: October 2nd

For Emma Laperruque, the magazine’s cooking director, the arrival of autumn at the local farmers market serves as a primary catalyst for kitchen inspiration. During a recent visit, the sight of vibrant, sturdy leeks sparked an immediate culinary plan: a return to a colleague’s signature dish. Laperruque turned to Rebecca Firkser’s recipe for cheesy baked pasta, a dish that has become a firm favorite within the Test Kitchen.

The appeal of this particular recipe lies in its paradoxical nature; it manages to feel both minimalist and dramatic. For Laperruque, it is the perfect selection for a chilly October evening, particularly when hosting friends. Beyond the flavor profile—a rich, savory marriage of leeks and molten cheddar—there is a practical elegance to the meal. The recipe calls for a cup of white wine, which serves the dual purpose of elevating the sauce and leaving the remainder of the bottle to be enjoyed by the host and guests as a pairing for the meal. It is a dish that requires little more than good ingredients and patience, yet it yields a result that feels intentional and indulgent.

Finding Balance in Solo Dining

While entertaining is a central theme of the season, the reality of a busy editorial schedule often necessitates solo dining. Rebecca Firkser, a Test Kitchen editor, has been vocal about her commitment to the "Me, Myself, and Dinner" philosophy. For Firkser, a solo meal is not a compromise; it is an opportunity to experiment or to lean into personal comfort foods without the need for consensus or elaborate plating.

Firkser’s current go-to remains her signature fried shallot, apple, and fontina omelet. It is a dish that effectively bridges the gap between a simple breakfast and a sophisticated dinner. However, when the demands of the work week leave little time for a trip to the grocery store, Firkser shifts to a "refrigerator raid" style of cooking. These impromptu meals have led to several recent successes, such as a bold omelet featuring chopped kimchi and yellow cheddar, a classic combination of spinach, feta, and fresh dill, or a more robust iteration incorporating black beans, avocado, and a drizzle of spicy salsa macha. These meals underscore a broader culinary truth: with a few staple ingredients and a willingness to improvise, a solitary meal can be just as satisfying as a planned feast.

The Art of the Roast and the Gift of Leftovers

In a departure from her usual quick-turnaround cooking, Emma Laperruque recently revisited a classic technique that she had largely set aside for years: roasting a whole chicken. The experience proved to be something of a revelation, proving that the most rewarding meals are not always the most complicated. Drawing inspiration from the methodology detailed in Kitty Cowles’s cookbook, Laperruque opted for a straightforward approach: a generous salting of the bird, a few hours of resting in the refrigerator, and a high-heat blast in a convection oven.

The result was a dish that provided immediate gratification—a golden, crackling skin and a tangy gravy made from the pan juices and white wine—and long-term utility. Beyond the initial "cozy" dinner, which Laperruque noted felt surprisingly romantic, the chicken provided a foundation for days of subsequent meals. By simmering the carcass with onion and ginger, she created a restorative broth, while the surplus meat was integrated into a variety of formats, from rice bowls to hearty sandwiches and lunchbox portions for her toddler. This exercise served as a reminder that a single, well-executed roasting project can provide a sense of culinary stability for an entire week.

Repeat-Worthy Solutions for Busy Weeknights

For Sam Stone, the senior editor, the search for the perfect weeknight dinner is a perpetual cycle. The requirements are strict: the meal must be protein-rich, relatively effortless to prepare, and flavorful enough to warrant being cooked for several consecutive days. Stone acknowledges that this cycle is inevitable—the point at which a favorite recipe is cooked so frequently that it eventually loses its novelty, prompting the start of a new search.

This week, the solution came in the form of soy-glazed salmon bowls. By cubing the salmon, Stone is able to accelerate the cooking process significantly, allowing the fish to absorb the salty-sweet soy and honey glaze in minutes. Served over a bed of rice and customized with whatever vegetables are on hand—typically shredded carrots and cucumbers—the dish is rounded out with the crunch of nori sheets. It is a functional, balanced, and highly repeatable meal that satisfies the immediate need for sustenance without demanding an excessive investment of time.

Innovation Through Simple Hacks

Finally, the team continues to rely on professional hacks that can transform home cooking, particularly when it comes to the texture of ground meats. Nina Moskowitz, an associate editor in the cooking department, noted that a technique shared by colleague Shilpa Uskokovic has fundamentally altered her approach to ground chicken. By incorporating a small amount of baking soda into the meat, the protein achieves a unique, "bouncy" texture that elevates standard stir-fries and wraps.

Moskowitz applied this method to a batch of spicy chicken lettuce wraps, a dish characterized by a fiery, sweet sauce of sriracha, brown sugar, soy, and fish sauce. The sauce clings to the tender, bouncy meat, which is then served in crisp butter lettuce cups. A final garnish of fresh mint and a squeeze of lime juice provides the necessary brightness to cut through the heat. It is a testament to the idea that even the most familiar ingredients, when treated with a bit of scientific curiosity and thoughtful preparation, can yield results that feel entirely new and deeply satisfying. These dishes, as varied as they are, reflect the collective ethos of the Bon Appétit kitchen: a balance of practicality, tradition, and a constant, underlying desire to find the next great flavor combination.