Blog Posts by bon appétit magazine

by Franklin Fountain Restaurant in Philadelphia, PA

Matt Duckor

Cherry Compote
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups pitted fresh (or frozen, thawed) Bing cherries (about 20 ounces)
1 cup brandy or orange juice
1/2 cup sugar

Preparation
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large heavy saucepan; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until cherries are softened and start to release juices, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cherries to a medium heatproof bowl.

Simmer juices until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 15-20 minutes. Pour reduced syrup over cherries. Serve warm.

Related: 21 Over-the-Top Chocolate Desserts

Matt DuckorSweet-and-Salty Peanut Butter Sauce

Ingredients
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation
Purée all ingredients in a food processor, scraping down sides, until smooth.

Matt Duckor

Hot Fudge Sauce
Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light agave

by Kay Chun, Bon Appétit

Avocados might be known as nature's butter, but they're one of the most nutrient-dense fruits, packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy fats. The only tricky thing is cutting them into uniform pieces. Follow the steps above to produce recipe-ready cubes.

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

Tobias Zarius

by Bon Appétit

This summer's--and this Memorial Day's--best frozen treats don't require an ice cream maker. In fact, these five great ice cream flavors only require a trip to the supermarket. These are our tried-and-true editor favorites

Haagen-Dazs Five Vanilla Bean
Vanilla doesn't seem so boring when it's this good.

See also: 10 Recipes to Spice Up Ordinary Hot Dogs

Talenti Sicilian Pistachio
Talenti's rich gelato would be terrific in a BombeBastick. Or an ice cream sandwich. Or...

Related: 13 Craveable Salty-Sweet Desserts

Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate
Please the vegans and--we swear--everyone else with this dairy-free, Mounds-like choice.

Il Laboratorio del Gelato Hazelnut
You'll get past the sticker shock ($15 for 20 ounces?!) after the first bite.

Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch
Put out the candy-filled classic at a sundae bar and watch how fast it disappears

More from Bon Appétit:
10 Snacks You Thought Were

Marcus Nilsson

by Hunter Lewis and Janet McCracken, Bon Appétit

Even though it's a cookout classic, chicken can be tough to get right on the grill. How do you know when it's done? When should you slather on sauce? What temperature should you cook it at? We consulted the good people of the BA Test Kitchen for solutions to the most common mistakes people make. Read on to crown yourself the king or queen of chicken on barbie.

See also: 9 Delicious Hot Dog Recipes for Summer

Not Starting with a Good Bird
It should be antibiotic and hormone free at the very least. If the yardstrutter was raised right, then chances are that it will taste good.

Forgetting the Seasoning
Make sure you sprinkle it with salt and pepper before you throw it on the grill.

Cooking it at Too High a Temperature
If you cook the chicken on too hot a grill, the skin will burn before the flesh cooks. Medium-low is the best temperature on a charcoal grill, and medium on a gas grill. This way, you'll crisp the skin and

Conde Nast Digital Studioby Joanna Sciarrino, Bon Appétit

No one wants to be stuck in the kitchen on Memorial Day while everyone else is outside having fun (drinking). But you know what? A tasty meal doesn't have to keep you cooped up inside. Here are five simple menus that will let you enjoy both good food and good times with your homies.

Conde Nast Digital Studio

Romulo Yanes

Conde Nast Digital StudioGrilled Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa

Maria del Mar Sacasa / Ennis, Inc.

by Julia Bainbridge, Bon Appétit

Parties tend to be pegged to something: birthdays, Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo. And that's all well and good. But what about a simple ode to the season? Sitting outside and eating good food with people you like for the sake of sitting outside and eating good food with people you like? Yes, it sounds amazing. So throw a spring garden party this weekend. Why the heck not? We've planned it all out for you: what to serve, what to serve it on, and even a fun activity.

by Julia Bainbridge, Bon Appétit

We tend to think of avocados chopped into fresh salads or smushed onto whole-grain breakfast toast. But, thanks to the Internet, we recently learned that they can also be coated in batter and submerged into a vat of bubbling oil until golden and crispy and retaining very little of their nutritive properties. And, you know what, Internet? That's why we love you.

Click through the wacky world of deep-fried food below and you'll find bricks of mac and cheese, molten Cadbury Creme Eggs, and more. It ain't pretty, but it sure is educational. Don't miss the avocado fries.

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

Tara Donne

by Elizabeth Gunnison, Bon Appétit

In our column Fake It or Make It we test a homemade dish against its prepackaged counterpart to find out what's really worth cooking from scratch.

Those frozen, pre-packaged pizza crusts hanging somewhere near the pitas in a supermarket's bakery aisle have long been a mystery to me. Who buys them? What do they taste like? And how long have they been hanging there, anyway? Since NYC baker Jim Lahey recently introduced his couldn't-be-simpler, no-knead pizza dough to Bon Appetit readers, the time seems right to test-drive those prefab pizza bases against Lahey's homemade version. But I had low expectations for the pre-made crusts, so I threw Whole Foods' store-brand frozen pizza dough into the ring as well for a special, three-way Fake It or Make It comparison.