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Amiel Stanek head shot - Bon Appétit

Amiel Stanek

Contributing Editor

Amiel has worked at Bon Appétit in some capacity since 2012(!)—a sentence that makes him feel very old indeed. In that time, he has focused primarily on writing and editing service-driven cooking content across all platforms but has also developed recipes, penned travel guides, and hosted more than a few videos. These days, he mostly works on the Basically section of the print magazine and helps to report BA’s annual Best New Restaurants package. He has worked as a line cook, caterer, private chef, and in various other kitchen roles since he was 18, and is currently the culinary director of Moonburger, a plant-based fast food restaurant in Kingston, NY. Amiel lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife, Lauren, their snaggle-toothed puggle, Chunky, and more than a few jars of bubbling ferments.

Lifestyle

Live-Fire Cooking Is the 2015 Technique of the Year

Chefs are all about the big-risk, big-reward spectacle of live-fire cooking.
best-new-restaurants

Hummus Is the 2015 Dish of the Year

Spread the news: This Middle Eastern dip is our creamy, dreamy dish of the year.
techniques

Take It Outside: How to Use a Propane Burner to Cook Your Way Through Summer

Open-air cooking bliss is just a simple—but insanely powerful—backyard propane burner away.
techniques

Consider the Oyster, Or Just Learn to Shuck One Like a Pro

Follow these steps and soon you'll be popping oysters faster than you can eat them.
Culture

Nobody Picnics Like Daniel Boulud Picnics

Daniel Boulud has created the most delightful spread in the history of picnics.
Cooking

Blue Crush: The Blue Cheese Matrix

From creamy to crumbly, milk-mild to intensely funky, trust us: There’s a blue cheese out there for you.
techniques

This Cooler Will Make Your Summer Approximately 100% Better

The Icemule Pro XL is the one cooler you need in your life.
Culture

Happy Campers: How to Eat & Drink (Very) Well in the Great Outdoors

The smell of bacon sizzling, a mug of (truly good) coffee as you roll out of your sleeping bag. It’s not just romantic, it’s our birthright as Americans. Oh, and it’s delicious, too. Pack up the wagon, we’re going camping.
techniques

This Simple, Homemade Spice Blend Is the Only Seasoning You Need in Your Pantry

When chefs need a shortcut to deep flavor, they go to spice master Atef Boulaabi. The expert shows how to make your own custom blend at home.
Culture

Behold: The (FREE!) Bon Appétit Grilling App!

We've got a brand new grilling app, and we're stoked.
Cooking

Why You Should Make This Pickled Beef Recipe Immediately

This pickled beef recipe is a sleeper hit and just really amazingly good.
Cooking

Squid Is the Real Chicken of the Sea

Don't be scared of squid. Cook it, already!
techniques

Put Butter in Your Pesto, and More Cooking Tips From the Winner of Bravo's 'Best New Restaurant'

What can you learn from a real live Italian chef? A lot, when it’s Paolo Dorigato, the charmer behind Dolce Italian in Miami. The winner of Bravo's "Best New Restaurant" takes us to school.
Restaurants

Traveling (and Partying) Across the Country in a Vintage 1950s Pullman Railcar

What it's like to travel from New Orleans to Chicago in a vintage 1950s Pullman railcar.
techniques

Be a Rebel: Cook Your Vegetables to Death

There's something really wonderful about cooking vegetables for a very long time. If you know how to do it right, that is.
Recipes

Cooked-to-Death Vegetables

We don’t always want to eat vegetables crisp-tender—sometimes our favorites are best when they’re cooked low and slow, until they completely surrender.