J. Kenji López-Alt

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science is On Sale Now!

J. Kenji López-Alt is the Managing Culinary Director of Serious Eats, author of the James Beard Award-nominated column The Food Lab, and a columnist for Cooking Light. He lives in San Francisco. A New York native, Kenji cut his cooking chops the old-fashioned way by working his way up through the ranks of some of Boston's finest restaurants. With an education in science and engineering and as a former Senior Editor at Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen, Kenji is fascinated by the ways in which understanding the science of every day cooking can help improve even simple foods. His first book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science will be released this September, followed by a second volume in September of 2017.

Online: Live Cooking Class with Milk Street - How to Stir Fry
Oct
25
6:00 PM18:00

Online: Live Cooking Class with Milk Street - How to Stir Fry

What’s on the Menu:

  • Peel and Eat Shrimp with Garlic, Scallions and Chilies

  • Vegetable and Egg Fried Rice

  • Tiger-Skin Peppers

J. Kenji López-Alt is back! This time, he’s here to teach you how to stir-fry like a pro. After tackling key stir-frying quandaries—like choosing and caring for the right pan—we’ll dive right into cooking. First up, a boldly flavorful shrimp dish that comes together in just 25 minutes. You’ll learn that when prepared well, shrimp are so flavorful that even a quick stir-fry in olive oil and a sprinkle of salt can yield delicious results, but we’ll level ours up with a combination of sweet slices of fried garlic and fresh chilies. Kenji will answer all of your shrimp questions, from what to look for when buying shrimp to how to thaw them successfully. You’ll learn the science behind the baking soda and salt soak that Kenji recommends and will come away confident about cooking your shrimp perfectly: no overdone, rubbery tragedies here. Snack on your shrimp while we make a batch of vegetarian fried rice, an economical dish that is truly extraordinary when done right. You’ll learn how to pick the right rice for the job, and we’ll talk through the steps for using either pre-cooked or fresh rice. From there, Kenji’s fried rice recipe is essentially a blueprint for future fried rice adventures. You can choose to use the same combination of onion, carrot, scallions and garlic that he does, or venture out on your own with different combinations of vegetables and aromatics. Finally, you’ll learn a simple, chili-forward dish whose evocative name comes from the way pepper skins will split as they char, forming stripes like a tiger’s coat. You’ll come away from this class having leveled up your stir-fry game.

About Kenji: J. Kenji López-Alt is the author of the James Beard Award–nominated column "The Food Lab," as well as an IACP award and James Beard Award-winning book of the same name. He is also the chef of Wursthall restaurant and bierhaus in San Mateo, CA, writes for various publications, including The New York Times, and has been a regular contributor to Milk Street Radio.

Get a copy of "The Wok: Recipes and Techniques" and use discount code MILK2022 for 10% off your order here!

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Seattle and Online: Cooking Class at Book Larder for Welcome to Chinatown
Oct
18
6:00 PM18:00

Seattle and Online: Cooking Class at Book Larder for Welcome to Chinatown

100% of funds raised will be donated to Welcome to Chinatown. One $15 ticket= one raffle entry. THE RAFFLE CLOSES AT NOON PACIFIC TIME OCTOBER 12TH. Please scroll down to "How This Works" for more details. Thank you! 

We are excited to partner with J.Kenji López-Alt, author of the widely-acclaimed The Food Lab and, most recently, The Wok: Recipes and Techniques, to raise money for Welcome to Chinatown - a non-profit that offers pro-bono resources to small businesses in Manhattan's Chinatown. 

In this 2-hour deep-dive into wok cooking, you will learn everything from how to buy, season, and maintain a wok to how to properly wield it for quick, fiery meals. Once the basics are covered, Kenji will put the wok to action and teach you how to make Bacon and Egg Fried Rice, Yu-Xiang (Fish-Fragrant) Pork, and Stir-Fried Greens with Garlic and Ginger. There will be plenty of time for all your wok-related questions and, of course, a book signing at the end. 

HOW THIS WORKS: This is a demo-style cooking class that will be offered in-person, as well as be livestreamed free to the public via Kenji's YouTube channel. 

In-person spots will be raffled off. One $15 ticket = one raffle entry. THE RAFFLE CLOSES AT NOON PACIFIC TIME OCTOBER 12TH. Winners will be contacted and given 24 hours to claim their spot. Those who enter the raffle, but don't win, will receive a recipe packet and prep list on Friday, October 14th to follow along from home.  THE IN-PERSON CLASS WILL BE AT BOOK LARDER IN SEATTLE.

The livestream portion of class can be accessed via Kenji's YouTube Channel (https://youtube.com/c/JKenjiLopezAlt). There will be a live link on his page starting at 6PM PST that will start streaming at 6:30PM PST. While the livestream will be free and open to the public, only those who enter the raffle will receive a recipe packet and prep list beforehand. 

In-person class will be limited to 20 people. Small bites of each dish will be passed around, but will not constitute a full dinner. Students will be required to wear masks during the non-eating portions of class. Please note that raffle entries are non-refundable. If you have questions, please email info@booklarder.com

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Online: Jacques Pepin and the Art of the Chicken
Oct
6
6:45 PM18:45

Online: Jacques Pepin and the Art of the Chicken

The humble chicken may not be considered an extravagant ingredient, but for master chef Jacques Pépin, it is the one he turns to regularly. Drawing on his new book, Jacques Pépin Art of the Chicken, Pépin reminisces on his life through the lens of the humble bird, from his childhood in rural France, where he chased chickens and watched as his maman turned them into her poulet à la crème, to his demanding apprenticeship and long, illustrious career cooking for Charles de Gaulle and his family, turning down the role of chef in the Kennedy White House to work at Howard Johnson’s, and appearing on television alongside luminaries like Julia Child.

Spend a delightful evening as Pépin engages in conversation with J. Kenji López-Alt, New York Times food columnist, and author of bestselling cookbooks The Wok and The Food Lab. They discuss Pépin’s lifelong love of chickens, his celebrated paintings of them, and recipes from the book, as well as the poignant and humorous stories behind them.

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Apr
8
6:00 PM18:00

Portland, OR: Powell’s Books with Bill Oakley

Powell's Books is honored to welcome J. Kenji López-Alt for the release of his latest cookbook, The Wok. López-Alt will be joined in conversation by Bill Oakley, former The Simpsons head writer and showrunner — also known as “The Gordon Ramsay of Fast Food.” In addition to enjoying the presentation, ticket buyers will receive a hardcover copy of J. Kenji López-Alt’s book, The Wok.

Get tickets here.

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Mar
24
6:45 PM18:45

D.C. and Online: The Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art

  • The Smithsonian Natioanl Museum of Asian Art (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Registration Advisory: This program has multiple ticket options depending on your choice to attend in person at the Freer Gallery of Art's Meyer Auditorium or as a streaming program using Zoom.

In conversation with Ed Levine, founder of Serious Eats and the creator, host, writer, and co-producer of the James Beard Award-nominated podcast Special Sauce with Ed Levine, hear López-Alt discuss the science and technique of cooking in a wok and endless ideas for brightening up dinner.

Tickets available here.

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Mar
22
3:00 PM15:00

Online Class: Wok Cooking with Milk Street Live

Join guest chef J. Kenji López-Alt, the celebrated author of “The Food Lab” column and book and, most recently, of “The Wok: Recipes and Techniques,” for a class that will answer all your questions about wok cooking. We’ll start with the basics: choosing the right wok for you and preparing it for daily cooking. Then, you’ll see a wok in action as Kenji teaches you two of his favorite dishes from the new book. First up is Mapo Tofu, a classic Sichuan dish that literally means “pockmarked grandmother’s tofu” and that achieves the perfect balance of tender tofu, rich ground beef, fragrant aromatics and a perfect finishing drizzle of chili oil. Then, you’ll learn how to use your wok to make a batch of restaurant-worthy Kung Pao Chicken, which highlights the importance of a bit of prep work before you start cooking in a wok. Plus, we’ll throw together a crunchy and vibrant cucumber salad that will leave you addicted—as Kenji is—to the combination of yogurt and Sichuan Málà chili oil. As we cook, Kenji will walk you through good wok care, from washing to re-seasoning to storing. He’ll answer all your wok-related questions, leaving you feeling confident and inspired to cook with a wok as often as possible.

Register online here.

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Mar
20
6:30 PM18:30

New York: The Bell House, with Ed Levine

J. Kenji López-Alt’s debut cookbook, The Food Lab, revolutionized home cooking with its science-based approach to everyday foods. The obsessive mastermind behind one of the decade’s best-selling cookbooks returns with a delicious new tome, The Wok: Recipes & Techniques. Join Kenji and Serious Eats founder Ed Levine (host of the Special Sauce podcast) for an evening of high-heated conversation and cooking, in praise of the most versatile pan in the kitchen. Discussion and cooking demo followed by audience Q+A.

Tickets available here.

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Mar
10
8:00 PM20:00

Los Angeles: Live Talks, LA with Molly Baz

J. Kenji López-Alt is a chef, parent, and New York Times best-selling author of The Food Lab and Every Night Is Pizza Night. He is a wildly popular New York Times food columnist; the chief culinary advisor for Serious Eats; and the host of Kenji’s Cooking Show, which has more than a million subscribers on YouTube. He lives in Seattle, Washington.


Molly Baz is a recipe developer, cookbook author, caesar salad enthusiast, and weenie dog lover with a lifelong love of cooking, eating and teaching other people how to cook. Molly runs a successful Recipe Club with thousands of paying subscribers, hosts The Sandwich Universe podcast, releases quarterly drops of Molly Merch on her website, and recently launched a New York Times‘ bestseller cookbook, Cook This Book..

Tickets available here.

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Mar
9
6:00 PM18:00

SOLD OUT San Francisco: Sporkful Live! With Dan Pashman

The nation's #1 food podcast comes to town for its first-ever Bay Area live taping! Join James Beard Award-winning host Dan Pashman for a conversation with J. Kenji López-Alt, best-selling author of The Food Lab, to celebrate the release of Kenji's new cookbook, The Wok: Recipes and Techniques. The book will be for sale and Kenji will sign copies after the show.

Tickets available here. (SOLD OUT)

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Mar
5
7:00 PM19:00

SOLD OUT Seattle: In Person Author Talk

The Wok: Recipes and Techniques is finally here! We’re thrilled to celebrate J. Kenji López-Alt’s highly anticipated new book with a LIVE, IN-PERSON event at Town Hall Seattle. We’ll kick off Kenji’s book tour with this hometown show, 3 days before The Wok’s official release date, so you’ll even get you:r copy early. Kenji will be in conversation with Spilled Milk podcast hosts Molly Wizenberg and Matthew Amster-Burton, so this is sure to be a lively conversation about cooking with the most versatile pan in your kitchen.

Tickets available here. (SOLD OUT)

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Discussion at Inforum SF
Sep
2
12:00 PM12:00

Discussion at Inforum SF

J. Kenji López-Alt, Chef; Chief Culinary Consultant, SeriousEats.com; Columnist, The Food Lab; author, Every Night Is Pizza Night

Gianna Ruggerio, Illustrator, Every Night Is Pizza Night

Soleil Ho, Restaurant Critic, San Francisco Chronicle — Moderator

George Bernard Shaw once said that there is no love more sincere than the love of food. Pipo, the main character in the new children's book Every Night is Pizza Night, holds the sincerest love of all… for pizza. Pipo is determined to prove that pizza is, in every aspect, the best food out there. However, by cooking and tasting foods with six new friends, Pipo discovers that what makes a food “the best” transcends taste as only one ingredient in the melting pot of tradition, family and friendship.

Written by the Food Lab’s J. Kenji López-Alt and illustrated by artist Gianna Ruggerio, the book highlights the importance of gastronomic diversity for children and adults alike. Join them both at INFORUM where they will discuss how, like Pipo, even the pickiest eaters can grow an expansive palette and grow to appreciate the various cuisines around them. This conversation will be moderated by SF Chronicle food critic Soleil Ho.

Location: Online

Notes: This program is free, though we invite you to make a donation during registration; this program will be online only, and you must pre-register for a link to the program. López-Alt photo by Aubrie Pick. This is a Food Lit event – Underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation

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Wursthall Popup Dinner at Kitchentown
Jun
22
6:00 PM18:00

Wursthall Popup Dinner at Kitchentown

At this very special popup dinner, I'll be serving some of the menu items in the works for Wursthall, a new beer hall in downtown San Mateo, slated to open by the end of 2017. A Bavarian-American feast featuring mustard-braised pulled pork sandwiches along with bread and pretzels will made by my friends at the amazing Backhaus bakery.

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Mar
11
7:30 PM19:30

Cambridge, MA: Kimchi-Brined Fried Chicken Sandwiches Strike Back!

  • 428 Memorial Drive Cambridge, MA, 02139 United States (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

My friends at Roxy's Grilled Cheese in Allston are helping me throw another fried chicken party. The truck will be parked in front of 428 Memorial Drive on MIT campus serving up spicy kimchi-brined, double-fried chicken sandwiches. Grab a sandwich, get your book signed, say hi, and have fun.

There is a limit of 230 sandwiches being sold, stay tuned on my twitter feed where I'll keep al live update of how many we have left. I don't want anyone to come and not get a bite!

Chicken sandwiches are cash only. Discounted signed books are available for purchase via cash or credit card.

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Dallas, TX: The Science of Breakfast at Central Market
Feb
25
6:30 PM18:30

Dallas, TX: The Science of Breakfast at Central Market

Learn more about the 'why' behind the 'how to' and you'll become a much better cook. That's the philosophy of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of The Food Lab fame. He'll unravel the science of home cooking as he shows you how to make:

  • Perfectly Poached Eggs
  • Foolproof Hollandaise Sauce
  • Potato Hash with Peppers & Onions
  • Maple-Sage Breakfast Sausage.

THE FOOD LAB: Better Home Cooking Through Science will be for sale on the day of class. Mr. Lopez-Alt will personalize copies after class. 

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Houston, TX: The Science of Breakfast at Central Market
Feb
24
6:30 PM18:30

Houston, TX: The Science of Breakfast at Central Market

Learn more about the 'why' behind the 'how to' and you'll become a much better cook. That's the philosophy of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of The Food Lab fame. He'll unravel the science of home cooking as he shows you how to make:

  • Perfectly Poached Eggs
  • Foolproof Hollandaise Sauce
  • Potato Hash with Peppers & Onions
  • Maple-Sage Breakfast Sausage.

THE FOOD LAB: Better Home Cooking Through Science will be for sale on the day of class. Mr. Lopez-Alt will personalize copies after class. 

View Event →
Austin, TX: The Science of Breakfast at Central Market
Feb
23
6:30 PM18:30

Austin, TX: The Science of Breakfast at Central Market

Learn more about the 'why' behind the 'how to' and you'll become a much better cook. That's the philosophy of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of The Food Lab fame. He'll unravel the science of home cooking as he shows you how to make:

  • Perfectly Poached Eggs
  • Foolproof Hollandaise Sauce
  • Potato Hash with Peppers & Onions
  • Maple-Sage Breakfast Sausage.

THE FOOD LAB: Better Home Cooking Through Science will be for sale on the day of class. Mr. Lopez-Alt will personalize copies after class. 

View Event →
Palo Alto, CA: The Science of Breakfast at Sur La Table
Jan
23
1:00 PM13:00

Palo Alto, CA: The Science of Breakfast at Sur La Table

In this very special demo class, J. Kenji López-Alt joins us in the Sur La Table kitchen to introduce you to the science of breakfast. He’ll demonstrate the steps for making some of his morning favorites—from perfectly poaching eggs to creating a scrumptious hash to making a foolproof homemade Hollandaise. Plus, he’ll share kitchen wisdom on everything from selecting equipment and honing knife skills to dispelling common cooking myths. The demo class runs for about two hours and you’ll enjoy a taste of each delicious dish. Don’t miss this unique opportunity! Space is limited, so reserve your spot today.
 

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Santana Row, CA: Cooking Demo and Signing
Jan
22
1:00 PM13:00

Santana Row, CA: Cooking Demo and Signing

Visit Santana Row and meet J. Kenji López-Alt the Managing Culinary Director of Serious Eats, and author of the James Beard Award-nominated column The Food Lab, where he unravels the science of home cooking.  J. Kenji López-Alt will host a quick demo plus Q&A in Santana Row Park (across from Left Bank Brasserie) at 12 p.m.  Immediately following will sign his New York Times best-selling cookbook The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, inside Sur La Table. 

The Q&A is free and open to the public.  All cookbooks must be purchased at Sur La Table Santana Row to receive signature

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Walnut Creek, CA: The Science of Breakfast at Sur La Table
Jan
19
6:30 PM18:30

Walnut Creek, CA: The Science of Breakfast at Sur La Table

In this very special demo class, J. Kenji López-Alt joins us in the Sur La Table kitchen to introduce you to the science of breakfast. He’ll demonstrate the steps for making some of his morning favorites—from perfectly poaching eggs to creating a scrumptious hash to making a foolproof homemade Hollandaise. Plus, he’ll share kitchen wisdom on everything from selecting equipment and honing knife skills to dispelling common cooking myths. The demo class runs for about two hours and you’ll enjoy a taste of each delicious dish. Don’t miss this unique opportunity! Space is limited, so reserve your spot today.

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