Blog Posts by bon appétit magazine

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth SpiridakisBy Adam Rapoport, Bon Appétit

Funny how the tastiest dishes are often the simplest.
Last summer, my wife and I invited two couples over for what we hoped would be a fun backyard dinner. I splurged on a dry-aged, bone-in rib eye as well as a whole branzino. Our friend Matt, an enthusiastic--and rather particular--mixer of vodka Martinis, promised that he'd take care of the cocktails.

Read More: The Top 20 Best Tasting Burger Recipes

But just before the guests arrived, I realized I hadn't thought about what to serve before dinner. I scanned the kitchen and zeroed in on a few ripe avocados and half a loaf of rustic bread. Once the coals were blazing hot (but still about 15 minutes from being ready for the steak and fish), I threw eight slices of bread on the grill. When they began to take a char, I plucked them off and rubbed one side of each with a cut clove of garlic. I then layered the toasts with buttery avocado slices, doused them with good extra-virgin olive oil, and finished

Photo by Christopher TestaniBy Alexandra Zissu, Bon Appétit

Want better burgers? And meatballs, and...? Then start grinding your own meat. It's a major upgrade in flavor and quality, and easier than you think. You don't need butchering skills or an old hand-crank grinder to reap the benefits. What it lacks in convenience it makes up for in texture: light and airy meatballs, burgers that actually taste like steak. Just as important: You're in charge, so you control the sourcing and additives. (Would you mix past-their-prime steaks or notorious "pink slime" into meat your family will eat? Buy ground and that's what you could get.) Plus, grinding at home drastically reduces the risk of E. coli contamination. That's true whether you start with great meat from butcher shops and farmers' markets or whole cuts from the supermarket. So get cranking.

How to Grind Your Own Meat
The BA Test Kitchen crew swears by D.I.Y. grinding. Here's our guide to doing it right.

1. Pick Your Protein
Grinding at home means you can

Photo by Zach DeSartBy Hunter Lewis, Bon Appétit

What's our favorite kind of rib for the grill? Any one that comes from a pig. (Sorry, Texas--those beef ribs are just too huge.) From meaty slabs of spare-ribs meant for smoky slow cooking to pork chop-like country-style ribs that take well to direct heat, here's our guide to four rib cuts you need to know.

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1. Spareribs are what's left over once the meat has been cut from the belly. Look for racks with a thick layer of meat. A full, 11-to-14-rib slab should be in the three-pound range and feeds three people.

2. Trim the breastbones from spareribs and you've got St. Louis-style spareribs. They cook evenly and fit better on the grill than full spareribs. A two-pound rack feeds two people.

Read More: The Top 20 Best Tasting Burger Recipes

3. Dainty one-to-two-pound baby back rib racks are super tender and cook in half the time of spareribs.

4. Whether cut from the blade end of the pork loin or from the Boston

Photo by Romulo YanesBy Bon Appétit

How to achieve burger nirvana? It's easier than you think. In fact, all you need to do is follow our simple guide.

The Meat: Fat Is Good (It's True!)
You want a burger packed with rich, beefy flavor and drip-ping with juice, right? Well then, you want--and need--fat. It's the source of all that messy goodness. So do two things: (1) Find a butcher you trust and order freshly ground chuck (stay away from the stuff that's been sitting around in a Styrofoam tray for days), and (2) ask for a ratio of 80 percent meat to 20 percent fat--the magic formula. It'll yield a juicy burger, but not one that triggers flare-ups when excess grease hits the coals. Memorize this ratio and you can't go wrong.

Read More: The Top 20 Best Tasting Burger Recipes

The Patty: Be Gentle
The less you handle the meat, the better--kneading is for bread. A loosely formed patty will be more succulent, more...luscious. To shape it, grab a handful of beef and form a round patty by gently turning the

Photo courtesy of CN Digital StudioBy Mickey Rapkin, Bon Appétit

For centuries, we mortals have obsessed over aphrodisiacs--those naturally occurring sexual stimulants we could enjoy before (you know) enjoying. It turns out it's not some fools errand, and there's actually some legitimate science at work here. Oysters? (The secret is zinc.) Kale? (Yes, really!) Here, we break down 10 foods to help boost between-the-sheet performance. Let us know how they work for you in the comments section. Then again, maybe don't.

WHEAT GERM
There's an 80s nostalgia kick happening in fashion and film, and it extends all the way to the cupboard with wheat germ, a secret sexual booster. Not only is wheat germ high in fiber (good for your heart and stamina), it's rich with the amino acid L-arginine (the same substance found in energy supplements like N.O. Xplode). "Arginine is a vasodilator," explains Dr. Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh. "We call it 'athlete's Viagra.' It increases oxygen

Photo courtesy of CN Digital StudioBy Meryl Rothstein, Bon Appétit

We're getting mixed signals about calcium.

If you're a woman who's been to an internist in the past decade, chances are you've been told to take calcium and Vitamin-D supplements daily. But a few weeks ago, the New York Times published a story saying "Healthy Women Advised Not to Take Calcium and Vitamin D to Prevent Fractures." Huh. A few days after that, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology declared that people who take vitamin D and calcium supplements may live longer than those who don't.

WTF.

We called Ethel Siris, director of the Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center at Columbia University Medical Center, to ask just that.

Read More: The Top 20 Best Tasting Burger Recipes

Don't throw out your supplements just yet, Siris says. "For adequate bone health, you're much better off if you have adequate--but not extra--calcium and vitamin D in your system."

Here's what you need to do.

1. Learn your target number.
Pre-menopausal

Photo by Chris GentileRecipe by Charlie Hollowell, Bon Appétit

With a dish this simple, you need the freshest possible fish-and good technique. Score the flesh down to the bone to encourage even cooking, and be patient when making the first turn: If you oil the grill grate well and give the fish time to cook through, the skin won't stick.

Read More: The Top 20 Best Tasting Burger Recipes

Ingredients
1 5-pound, two 2 1/2-pound, or three 1 1/2-pound head-on fish, such as gray or pink snapper, black sea bass, or branzino, scaled, gutted
Kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil plus more for oiling and drizzling
2 limes or 5 Key limes (preferably from Mexico), thinly sliced, plus 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 bunch each basil and cilantro, stems and leaves separated

Preparation Build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to high. Score fish: Cut 1 slash lengthwise down to the bone, then crosswise in 2 places, spacing apart; repeat on other side. Season fish cavity and skin with salt; drizzle

By Christina Stanley, Bon Appétit

Whether it's homemade or store-bought, barbecue sauce is likely a major player in your kitchen (or on your deck) this summer. We all know how to use it: baste it onto some chicken and grill it, or straight-up use it as a dipping sauce. But there are so many more ways to work this wonder-condiment into your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Here are ten of them, from deviled eggs to dessert (seriously!).

More from Bon Appétit:

10 Snacks You Thought Were Healthy But Really Aren't
10 Quick and Easy School-Night Dinners

25 One-Bite Appetizers

Junk Food Makeover: Healthier Chicken Nuggets