Carla Lalli Music
Food Director Emeritus
Carla spent 10 years working in NYC restaurants and was the first General Manager at Shake Shack before making the leap to food media. Her books include the James Beard Award-winning Where Cooking Begins and That Sounds So Good. Since leaving Bon Appétit in 2020, Carla has increased her online presence via a podcast, cohosted with fellow BA alum Rick Martinez, and YouTube channel. She spends most weekends cooking for friends and family, and packs one helluva school lunch.
Recipes
BA’s Best Masala Chai
This chai is definitively ginger-forward. Feel free to add a little more maple syrup if you like it on the sweeter side. This is part of BA’s Best, a collection of our essential recipes.
Recipes
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio With Lots of Kale
A mountain of greens cooks down into one very satisfying bowl of pasta.
Recipes
Salt and Smoke Margarita
With black pepper, toasted sesame oil, and Castelvetrano olives, this margarita is for the savory drink lovers.
Recipes
BA’s Best Risotto
With four ways to dress it up, this simple risotto recipe is worthy of a dinner party—but it’s also delicious topped with nothing at all.
Recipes
Instant Pot Chicken Stock
This deep, savory stock comes together in an hour. No stovetop babysitting required.
Recipes
Fettuccine Alfredo
Classic, silky Alfredo sauce comes from the emulsion of grated Parmesan, cold butter, and starchy pasta water. Keep the cream out of it.
Recipes
A Better Turkey Chili
Pair ground turkey with white beans and a robust dried chile purée for a bowl of winter comfort with major body and richness.
Recipes
Instant Pot Collard Greens
These collard greens are great to make for a dinner party when you need to keep your oven and stovetop free.
Recipes
Tostones With Creamy Green Sauce
Make this easy recipe for tostones for any get-together. The twice-fried plantains with creamy, spicy cilantro dipping sauce is the ultimate party flex.
Recipes
Salt-and-Sugar Pork Rib Chops
Carla Lalli Music's ingenious shortcut for perfectly browned pork chops is the weeknight dinner cheat code we all need.
Recipes
Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts With Crunchy Radish Salad
This fast technique brings out the best (a.k.a. the juiciness) in boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Recipes
Extremely Cheesy Potato Gratin
Creamy, cheesy potatoes with crispy edges, tender middles, and just a whisper of heat—need we say more?
Recipes
Coffee-Hazelnut Biscotti
Embrace biscotti as the anti-gooey-chewy cookie that can be packed with coffee, chocolate, and nuts, and dunked in amaro, bourbon, or cold milk.
Recipes
Grilled Pork Shoulder With Butter Vinegar Sauce
A crispy-crusted pork shoulder glazed with a tangy vinegar and butter sauce.
Cooking
It Isn’t Spring Until I’ve Had Rhubarb
I have many big plans for the slim pink-and-green stalks.
Recipes
Grilled Pizza
This grilled pizza is the perfect mix-and-match situation. Top it with fresh mozzarella, sliced cured meat, juicy burst tomatoes, or whatever else you like.
Recipes
Rosemary Agrodolce
This versatile condiment brings a balanced mix of sweet, salty, acidic, and herbaceous flavors that complement virtually any pizza. If it’s not pizza night but you’ve got leftovers, drizzle this over roasted vegetables, cooked chicken, or a crispy-skinned piece of fish.
Cooking
The Do-Nothing Dinner I Make at Least Once a Week
Relieve dinner fatigue with this low-lift meal.
Cooking
The Only Time I Panic Is When These 5 Condiments Run Low
They’re the razzle dazzle all my meals need.