The first time I made this salad was for a friend’s dish-to-pass baby shower, and I was so happy with how it turned out. This salad just gets better as it sits with its flavors melding, and it makes a really pretty addition to a buffet style line up. I know it may look like it has a lot of ingredients, as a lot of Thai cooking does, but I promise you it’s worth it. More recently I made it on Sunday to act as a few weekday lunches, and I was thrilled with it again. The flavor combination of this dish is honestly a little bit life-altering. I love hearty cold salads and this one fits the bill better than any other I’ve encountered. With juicy medium-rare skirt steak and plenty of crunchy vegetables, this tastes like so much more than a salad. It’s got great texture, great color, and obviously great flavors of salty soy sauce, lime, vinegar, cilantro, and a little heat from sriracha. Go make this right now!

FoodThe PasticheAugust 31, 2015salad, Thai, steak, make-ahead, summer, spring, lunch2015 Comments

Portland, Maine

The blue/sea foam/white/gray/green views of the ‘rocky coast of Maine’ made my heart go pitter-patter in a way that only travel and adventure to new places can do. I love that feeling.

TravelThe PasticheAugust 28, 2015Portland, Maine, New England, Airbnb, Omi's, Fore Street, Standard Baking Co., schooner, sailing, lighthouse, coastComment

Cherry tomato and creamed feta crostini

This summer was my first ever actually keeping a basil plant alive for longer than a couple of days. And with him by my side, I have grown to be a little more creative with my basil uses. This recipe is not exactly a creative use of basil (with tomatoes, garlic, and lemon?), but it is a really really tasty one. I'm so partial to cherry tomatoes in this case because they are so dependable for flavor and sweetness. Although in the right months, heirloom tomatoes would be amazing and look even prettier.

FoodThe PasticheAugust 26, 2015make-ahead, cherry tomatoes, basil, crostini, appetizers, summer, fall, vegetarian Comments

French farm tablescape for brunch

I had some best friends over for one of my very favorite things: a boozy brunch on a Saturday afternoon. I wanted to dress up the table to be a little bit special, but nothing too fancy or serious. This look seemed to come together on its own and had a French rustic farm-table feel.

HomeThe PasticheAugust 25, 2015brunch, tablescape, entertaining, French, budget, DIY, table settingComment

Rosemary potato galette

...so much greater than the sum of its parts. Crispy potatoes, sour cream, and dill might just be one of the most delicious combinations out there, and it also happens to be a beautiful and impressive looking dish. Potatoes are obviously a very versatile ingredient, and this is great way to serve them for brunch or for dinner with a slightly more elegant feel. It also requires very few ingredients which is always nice.

FoodThe PasticheAugust 24, 2015potato, rosemary, sides, dill, sour cream, summer, fall, winter, spring, vegetarian, brunch2015Comment

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