Dinner SOS by Bon Appétit

You might know Michele Norris from her work as a journalist (including a decade-plus stint at NPR, where she co-hosted “All Things Considered”). You might know her from her Peabody Award-winning Race Card Project, or the two books she’s authored. Or you might know her as the host of the podcast Your Mama’s Kitchen. Michele joined Chris for a conversation about food memories and a mailbag full of listener questions all about hosting. Recipes:Peggy King's Macaroni & CheeseBroken Lasagna Pasta SaladCrunchy Ramen Noodle Salad With CabbageCast-Iron Roast Chicken With Crispy PotatoesSlow-Roast Gochujang ChickenAndy Garcia's Fricase de PolloNonna Wambach's Pasta for ThousandsEgg Bhurji StrataFruit Salad

Gabe and her husband have befriended an American couple in Treviso, Italy, where they all live. In order to give them a taste of home, Gabe would love to cook her new friends an American meal. But what typifies American food? And how can she source the right ingredients in the Veneto? Chris enlists the help of Bon Appetit's resident Aussie, Adam Moussa, and sommelier André Mack of BA's World of Wine series, to figure out what Gabe should make. Recipes:BA's Best Mac and CheeseSkillet-Fried ChickenBA's Best Fried Chicken SandwichBA's Best Apple Pie

Most weeks on the show, we help out home cooks who have had a kitchen fail. This week, the "fail" is coming from inside the test kitchen. Test Kitchen Editor Kendra Vaculin joins Chris to chat about the fraught recipe development process of Kendra's Foolproof Lemon Bars — which was caught on camera as part of our "How I Developed" video series. Chris and Kendra also share how the team works together in the Bon Appetit test kitchen to bring you recipes you'll be excited to cook at home.The Recipe: Foolproof Lemon BarsThe Video: "Developing These Perfect Lemon Bars Nearly Broke Me"

Izzy and Nina are twin sisters who love to cook together. But while Izzy loves baking, Nina finds the precision it requires endlessly frustrating. So Izzy's got one more shot to get Nina to love baking with her. Chris and Shilpa come to their rescue, helping the sisters capture the joy of baked goods that taste even better from your own kitchen than from a bakery. The Recipes:BA's Best Chocolate Chip CookiesPavlovaChocolate Chip Cookie BarsChocolate Sheet Cake with Brown Butter FrostingGluten-Free Chocolate Cake 

Dan Pashman, of The Sporkful podcast, is somewhat of a pasta fanatic. In 2021, he invented the pasta shape Cascatelli (and documented the process on his show). Now, he's back with a cookbook, Anything's Pastable. He joined Chris to nerd out about pasta and answer some listener questions.Recipes:Cacio e PepeBaked Pasta IdeasIdeas for Using Ground MeatShrimp ScampiSoup Weather InspirationBagna Cauda with Spring Vegetables

Erin is an accomplished baker who regularly makes both meringue and lemon curd. But when she tried a lemon meringue pie recipe last year, it turned into lemon meringue soup. Chris and Shilpa are on the case to help Erin figure out what went wrong and make a citrus pie that will hold its shape and delight her friends.The Recipes:BA's Lemon Meringue PieCherry Lemonade Beach PieTriple Citrus Creamsicle Pie

Michelle loves all things French, and dreams of making the perfect Beef Bourguignon at home. But there's a slight issue: her husband has an intolerance to garlic and onions, the bedrocks of French flavor. Chris enlists the help of Chef Tanya Holland to teach Michelle how to develop deep umami flavors without alliums. The Recipes:- Tanya's Chicken Fricassee- Beef and Bacon Stew- Red Wine and Soy-Braised Short Ribs- Tuna Niçoise Salad- Pissaladière- Coq au VinFor more French cooking techniques, Chef Tanya recommends:- La Varenne Pratique- Lulu's Provençal Table

Sarah's family loves pasta... almost too much. So she turned to Chris and Kendra for help finding vegetarian meals that bring more veggies and plant-based protein to the table. Recipes Mentioned:Sheet-Pan Tomatoes and Feta with ChickpeasSpring OrzottoCrispy Tofu with Peanut SauceBrothy Pasta with ChickpeasBlack Pepper Tofu and AsparagusSesame Tofu with BroccoliBroccolini and Walnut Pesto PastaBalsamic Mushroom and Sausage Pasta

Whether you're in a relationship or not, the question of what—and where—to eat on Valentine's Day can feel overwhelming. Out or in? Fancy or casual? Chris, Shilpa, and Kate solve this perennial dinner emergency once and for all. Dinner Ideas from Bon Appetit and Epicurious:Valentine's Dinner Ideas That Make the Case for Staying InValentine's Day Dinners You'll LoveChocolate Desserts for Pure RomanceValentine's Day Desserts for Love at First BiteEverything You'll Need to Make a Romantic Meal at Home

Twenty one countries make up Latin America—and within those countries lies myriad food cultures, recipes, and histories. This week, Women Who Travel host Lale Arikoglu chats with guest Sandra A. Gutierrez about her latest cookbook Latinísimo: Home Recipes from the Twenty-One Countries of Latin America, an encyclopedic exploration of the region through its dishes and the home cooks who make them. Plus, her travels in countries like Peru and Colombia, and insider tips for tracking down the best eats in a new city.

Kaylee inherited a tagine from her husband's family, but her first attempt to cook in it was a total fail. Chris enlists Leetal and Ron Arazi of New York Shuk to teach Kaylee about the Middle Eastern and North African flavors and cooking techniques she'll need to make incredible tagines, every time.Recipes & Links: Braised Chicken with Harissa and Olives New York Shuk

Our caller this week, Maya, really thinks about how she cooks. She’s identified more than a dozen types of recipes that she knows she can rely on, and even adapt. But, she’s in search of more like these. She wants more meal frameworks that will allow her to think outside the bounds of following a recipe. So, Chris taps Claire Saffitz to help Maya discover more meal types to add to her repertoire.Recipes featured in this episode:CHRIS: One pan chicken thighs with burst tomatoes, harissa, and fetaCLAIRE: -Cold Noodles i.e.: Cold Miso-Sesame Noodles, Ramen with Steak and Sesame-Ginger Dressing, Rice Noodles with Shrimp and Coconut-Lime Dressing, Udon with Chicken and Garlicky Peanut Dressing, Soba with Tofu and Miso-Mustard Dressing- Cutlet & a Salad: i.e. Cutlet Story, japanese curry w Chicken Katsu

Tobi lives in the Alaskan interior, and her partner is an avid hunter, so they have a lot of game meat in their freezer — 90 pounds of moose meat, to be specific. So Chris, along with Elias Cairo of Olympia Provisions, helps Tobi to learn how the (moose) sausage gets made.RECIPES & LINKSSpicy Italian SausageBrad Leone and his Dad Make Venison KielbasaOlympia Provisions Cookbook

Making dough has left Eddie embarrassed on more than one occasion. He's tried making his own pasta and naan – he's even tried leavened flatbread. All these experiences left him confused and frustrated. But, Eddie has not given up yet, he still wants to be able to whip up pasta from scratch. Naturally, Chris enlists Shilpa's baking genius to boost Eddie's dough making skills and confidence. RECIPES & LINKS: Fresh Pasta with Buttered Tomatoes  More on the magic of the 50% hydration ratio  Check out last year's Noodle Package, including Three-Cup Chicken with Scissor Cut Noodles and Spicy Kimchi Sujebi

Winter cooking calls for low-and-slow braises, baking projects, and embracing ease and warmth. So Chris, Kendra, and Jesse are here to answer all your questions about cooking more cozily. RECIPES & LINKSBrisket BourguignonEggplant BiryaniCheesy Roasted Cabbage WedgesSlow-Roasted Salmon with Fennel, Citrus, and ChilesGremolataCrispy Tofu with Peanut SauceVegetarian Meatballs with Soy-Honey GlazePerfectly Creamy Potato SoupSpiced Dal with Fluffy Rice and Salted YogurtDal PalakCoconutty Beans and Greens StewPasta e Fagioli with EscaroleBrothy Pasta with ChickpeasSimple Ribollita

"In the years since the pandemic began, the experience of dining out has been utterly transformed. Coveted tables now disappear seconds after they’re released, and influencers dictate what’s in demand—or even what’s on the menu. On this episode of Critics at Large, the staff writers Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz make sense of our new culinary landscape. The hosts are joined by Hannah Goldfield, who covers restaurants and food culture for The New Yorker. Together, they consider how TikTok is changing the way we eat, and how the rise of Resy has introduced a sense of scarcity and competition into the reservation game. Then, the critics discuss “Menus-Plaisirs - Les Troisgros,” a new Frederick Wiseman documentary about a Michelin-starred French restaurant that offers a very different, behind-the-scenes view of the labor and creativity that goes into fine dining. These examples raise the question of how to balance art with the experience that informs and surrounds it. One answer is found in venues that sidestep the hype, and that remind us of why we dine out in the first place. “I don’t need to feel this grand drama of struggle and triumph,” Schwartz says. “I simply want to feel welcomed.”"

Kathryn is a mom of four hoping to start a delicious, new Christmas morning tradition. So Chris and Shilpa Uskokovic team up to help Kathryn with the makeahead breakfast of her family's dreams.RECIPES:- Breakfast Crunchwrap for a Crowd- Cowboy Breakfast Casserole with Sausage and Spinach- Biscuits and Gravy

Ruby loves her role as the Christmas Dinner chef for her in-laws, but she's working with a range of dietary restrictions that makes choosing a festive menu difficult. Chris and Hana Asbrink put their heads together to help Ruby find recipes that satisfy everyone, so making this holiday dinner can remain a joyful endeavor year after year.RECIPES:- Confit Turkey with Chiles and Garlic- Twice-Roasted Squash with Parmesan Butter and Grains- Cheesy Roasted Cabbage Wedges- Brisket Bourguignon- Soy-Braised Brisket

Inés Anguiano, Rachel Gurjar, and Kendra Vaculin join Chris to talk about what they love and don't love about cookies, plug their favorite cookies developed in the Test Kitchen this year, and answer some listener questions!THE COOKIES:- Rachel's Chile-Cheese Cookies- Kendra's Matcha Swirl Spritz Cookies- Inés's Baklava Sugar Cookies- Jesse's S'mores Sandwich Cookies- Hana's Tiramisu Snowball Cookies- Zebra-Striped Shortbread Cookies- Anything Goes BiscottiCheck out the whole Cookie Swap package here!

A short, bonus episode with some dispatches from your Thanksgivings!