Posts in Food
Autumn panzanella salad
Autumn panzanella salad

This is a salad I found in Saveur around this time last year, and I've kept it close to my heart ever since. It made me realize that you can get all the herbaceous and savoriness of fall flavors without making a big ol' casserole or roast chicken. I had never before thought to use thyme, rosemary, sautéed shallot, and crispy pancetta in a salad, combined with big hunks of toasted bread.  And even though this salad might make its way onto a table alongside said glorious casserole or perfect roast chicken, it will seriously still hold its own—which is hard for any leafy green to do. Speaking of: baby arugula, I choose you all day / every day for my green of choice. Arugula is so packed with peppery flavor that it doesn't even taste like a form of lettuce. It takes dressing so well without losing its spice and crispness, and each piece is already in bite sized form, with such a pretty shape.

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FoodThe Pastichefall, salad, panzanella, arugula, sides, dinner2015, salad2015, sides2015 Comments
Smoked salmon spread with lemon and dill
Smoked salmon spread with lemon and dill

As hard as I try to change it, I’m just not a huge fan of salmon. It’d be the last thing I’d order off a menu, and I’ve had too many bad versions of it to leave me very hopeful about having my mind changed. However, I can name a lot of people whose favorite fish is salmon! It’s just a divisive taste, I suppose. I absolutely love, though, all of the flavors that are so often served alongside of it—dill, lemon, creamy yogurt and sour cream, red onion, etc. And I’ve discovered a particular kind of smoked salmon that I really, really enjoy.

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FoodThe Pastichesalmon, smoked salmon, dip, dill, lemon, appetizers, make-ahead, party foods, fish, seafood Comments
Croissant bread pudding with old fashioned lemon sauce
Croissant bread pudding with old fashioned lemon sauce

I love anything and everything that has to do with custard. And because I'm not a big chocolate fan, my weakness lies with custard desserts, and if they're combined with lemon—goodnight. This dessert is another inspired by my grandma, but with a twist. The lemon sauce is one she's been serving with her bread pudding forever, and it's divine. The sweet citrus is what takes the bread pudding to a whole other level. So, using her old fashioned lemon sauce, I'm upgrading Ina Garten's delicious croissant bread pudding. This is such a comforting dessert—perfect for fall and winter—and it's very, very easy to make.

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FoodThe Pastichebread pudding, lemon, pudding, Grandma, baking, croissants, make-ahead, brunch2015, sweets2015 Comments
Good Mornin' Granola hostess gift
Good Mornin' Granola hostess gift

One of my very favorite things about the holidays is the little displays of thoughtfulness that seem to be so much more prevalent: people hosting get-togethers, writing and sending holiday cards in the mail, giving away cookies, etc. I think it’s so fun being on both the giving and receiving end of these little gestures. Since so many people travel for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I thought it’d be a sweet and easy idea to feature a few DIY host/hostess gifts in the upcoming weeks.

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Food, DIYThe Pastichegranola, hostess, hostess gift, mason jar, fall, vegetarian, snacks, brunch2015 Comments
Lemony celery and parmesan salad
Lemony celery and parmesan salad

Sometimes simple is just the best, and sometimes healthy and light is what your body is craving (a weekend full of burgers and eggs Benedict and Indian takeout and wine and cocktails helps get you and your skinny jeans there real quick).  Ina Garten’s celery salad is truly the answer, and every time I make it I’m amazed at how flavorful and refreshing it is. I had never thought of celery as an ingredient to shine in a dish (I usually eat it smothered in blue cheese—#health—or chopped up in soup), but the citrusy dressing and salty parmesan turn it into something wholly different and I am all about it. This salad is the perfect light side dish to chicken or grilled fish for dinner, and it makes a great lunch salad as well.

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FoodThe Pastichecelery, salad, sides, parmesan, light, healthy, summer, fall, spring, vegetarian, lunch2015, salad2015 Comments
Dijon and wine braised chicken thighs
Dijon and wine braised chicken thighs

It's a cow's world and chickens are just living in it. In fact, it's a world shared by cows, pigs, fish, even plants, and chickens are just living in it. That's how I tend to feel about it, anyway—I'd choose steak, a burger, pork, halibut, shrimp, scallops, etc. over chicken nearly any day of the week—unless, of course, we're talking about chicken thighs. "To me, you are perfect" - Love Actually, and also me talking to chicken thighs. A rose among thorns. A diamond in the rough. AKA chicken thighs.

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FoodThe Pastichechicken, chicken thighs, dinner, fall, winter, Dutch oven, mustard, thyme, braised, rosemary Comments
Baked eggs with blistered cherry tomatoes
Baked eggs with blistered cherry tomatoes

This goes down in history as one of the prettiest dishes to photograph/serve/eat. It’s so colorful, silky, and multi dimensional—it looks gorgeous from every angle. It’s actually incredibly simple to make, too, and I don’t feel it’s very sensitive to such things as what ingredients you throw in (don't fret if you don't have exactly what my version calls for), what dish you cook it in, etc. The most important thing to keep in mind is seasoning! Eggs need proper seasoning—namely salt and pepper—but fresh herbs and sharp cheese go so, so well too. 

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FoodThe Pasticheeggs, cherry tomatoes, baked eggs, brunch2015Comment
Roast beef sandwiches with caper-horseradish mayo and arugula - to go!
Roast beef sandwiches with caper-horseradish mayo and arugula - to go!

Jon is a man of many hats—one of the more common ones is workman. He has completely gutted and/or renovated and/or built out all three of his restaurants, and he really, really enjoys it. He is currently engaged in the overhaul of the kitchen at the bar, and on Sunday, he and two friends planned to work on it all day. I thought it would be nice to bring them over lunch, so I made what is my favorite deli meat sandwich, inspired by one from a local bakery that I can't get enough of: good white bread, roast beef, provolone, arugula, red onion, and caper mayo with a little bit of horseradish. Grilled. And served with kettle chips. It's perfection.

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FoodThe Pasticheroast beef, sandwiches, arugula, summer, fall, winter, spring, lunch2015 Comments
Pumpkin cookies with caramel brown butter frosting
Pumpkin cookies with caramel brown butter frosting

My best friend has coined these things ‘pumpkin delights’ because they’re actually the most delightful and heavenly little cookies of all time. These are another of my grandma’s recipes, and certainly one of my favorites. They are soft and pillowy and cakey, with incredible frosting made by caramelizing brown sugar and butter. They are the perfect pumpkin cookie—with no fake pumpkin flavor or forced sweetness or too many spices. I can’t express how much I love them. If you’re going to bake anything this fall, bake these!

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FoodThe Pastichedessert, pumpkin, fall, cookies, caramel frosting, pumpkin cookies, brown butter, vegetarian, sweets2015 Comments
Asian sesame chicken salad
Asian sesame chicken salad

For all my office worker bees, or anyone who packs a lunch during the week: this is for you! I understand the effort required to A. make lunch ahead of time, B. pack it up for work, C. make and pack up a lunch for work that still sounds appetizing come lunchtime when there are paninis/pizza/pho just around the river bend AKA block. I rely on make-ahead lunches for work and I promise I’ll only ever tell you about them if they’re worth it. Chicken salad is one of my favorite things to make because there are so many directions you can go with it (traditional, with celery and tarragon / summery a la Pioneer Woman with sweet corn, blueberries, and feta / Asian, loaded with veggies, Sriracha sauce, and sesame notes—the list goes on), and all feel indulgent and satisfying.

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FoodThe PasticheAsian, sesame, salad, lunch, make-ahead, sandwiches, chicken, fall, summer, winter, spring Comments
Pulled pork sandwiches, and why I love tailgating
Pulled pork sandwiches, and why I love tailgating

I’m such a sucker for sports culture—the comradery, the excitement, the sportsmanship, the win-big together / lose-big together attitude, the drinking, the tailgating, everything. I’ve never been a diehard sports fan, although I loved playing sports myself, but I love the community surrounding sports. There’s a book by political scientist Robert Putnam from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government called Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. It is about the decline in all forms of social and communal engagement among Americans—and he famously uses the example of how the number of people who bowl has increased in the US, but membership in bowling leagues has steadily declined over the last couple of decades. Putnam is concerned about the education, enrichment, and general sense of civic duty being lost if people choose to do these kinds of activities alone, rather than with other people. (I promise this will eventually be about pulled pork)

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FoodThe Pastichethoughts, tailgating, football, party foods, make-ahead, pulled pork, BBQ, cole slaw, sandwiches, fall, summer, lunch, dinner Comments
Grilled Greek-style lamb lollipops with perfect hummus
Grilled Greek-style lamb lollipops with perfect hummus

Greek food and Thai food—the two cuisine types I crave most often. Luckily, we have some really great Greek restaurants in Rochester that consistently deliver great flavor. But every now and then, I really love making a Greek feast at home. This usually comes in the form of pitas with chicken or steak, tzatziki, grilled onions, tomatoes and cucumbers, the works. But this time, we used some of the same great ingredients to go in a totally different direction. These petite lamb chops are my favorite way to eat lamb, because they're so easy to cook, they're tender and full of flavor, and they're much less gamey than other cuts of the lamb. Lamb chops were actually what converted me into a lamb lover (after a couple of years spent traumatized—because bad lamb is bad bad bad), so consider them a gateway of sorts. Topped with herbaceous, lemony gremolata, and served alongside endless pita bread and hummus, this Greek feast is top notch.

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FoodThe Pastichelamb, dinner, Greek, hummus, lamb lollipops, appetizers, make-ahead, grilled, fall, spring, summer Comments
My Grandma’s custardy French toast with raspberry butter
My Grandma’s custardy French toast with raspberry butter

French toast is the ultimate breakfast comfort food. It starts with smelling it while it’s cooking. I have this thing about the smell of eggs on a skillet and it might be one of my favorite smells in the world. With French toast, though, the scent isn’t just eggs. It’s buttery, custardy, and just absolutely dreamy. Another thing about French toast is that I’m not sure what’s more satisfying—having someone cook it for you, or cooking it for someone else. Also, how gorgeous is a plate of French toast topped with a pat of butter and glossy hot maple syrup? Clearly I could go on forever—I’m telling you, it’s the stuff comfort is made of.

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FoodThe PasticheFrench toast, bread, family, Grandma, raspberries, fall, summer, winter, spring, vegetarian, brunch2015 Comments
Spicy butternut squash soup with coconut milk and peppered croutons
Spicy butternut squash soup with coconut milk and peppered croutons

I'm constantly searching for cures for the Sunday Scaries. Sundays begin with such promise—slowly, in bed, with coffee, drenched in morning light. But I find they always very quickly morph into day-before-Monday mode and suddenly feel daunting and depressing (dramatic but true). I like Sundays to be filled with just enough productivity to trick me into feeling like it's any other day, and just enough relaxation to slow the clock a little. My favorite solution so far, especially in the cooler weather of fall: cooking laid back low-and-slow meals or low maintenance soups. It's a leisurely way to be productive without the whirlwind feeling of cooking/eating/cleaning/digesting (and repeat) that so often comes along with cooking meals. 

Butternut squash is one of those seasonal foods that is so exciting to see again after so many months of not even thinking about it. It even looks like fall, with its beautiful orangey gold color. And even though it's not a Thai ingredient, it lends itself really well to Thai flavors such as curry, coconut, and chiles.

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FoodThe Pastichebutternut squash, fall, soup, coconut milk, bisque, comfort food, Thai, vegetarian, soup2015, lunch2015, dinner2015 Comments
Kale salad with barley, cranberries, and goat cheese
Kale salad with barley, cranberries, and goat cheese

I’m afraid I may have just corralled all the kale fanatics and scared away all the kale opponents. But please stay. I fancy myself somewhere in the middle—I sort of hate food trends that take over the scene, but I also really do like kale. So I promise this post will be a quiet, under-the-radar cheer for kale. I won’t declare that it’s changed my life or pretend that if you eat this, you'll get all the vitamins and minerals you need in one day in a single salad and that it helps fight off seasonal depression and increases your metabolism.  This salad purely tastes good and travels well, which is why I’m featuring it. It doesn’t hurt that it’s got some supposed nutritional value too—but that’s honestly not the point. 

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FoodThe Pastichemake-ahead, barley, goat cheese, kale, all-purpose dressing, healthy, fall, summer, spring, vegetarian, salad, salad2015, lunch2015Comment
One-pot farro with tomatoes
One-pot farro with tomatoes

I think everyone has a go-to food blog, and mine is unabashedly Smitten Kitchen. I have never made one of Deb's recipes and not loved it. In pursuing my own blog, it was and is one of my goals to always be authentic in every way, and part of that is to only post those recipes I really and truly feel 100% about. I like to follow recipes that are delicious and that are worth it—worth the money, the effort, the time. And being able to serve those dishes to other people is the best part. That's why I love Smitten Kitchen. 

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FoodThe Pastichetomatoes, one-pot, basil, farro, healthy, summer, fall, winter, spring, vegetarian, dinner2015, lunch2015 Comments
Making a charcuterie board
Making a charcuterie board

There are a few man-made sights in this world that are hard to beat. One of those is a crafted charcuterie board. It doesn’t matter whether it’s neat and simple, rustic and hodgepodge, or messy and thrown together, it’s a beautiful sight. It’s probably because a charcuterie board signifies my favorite way to eat food—slowly, in a group, sharing bites (and usually with wine).  I know I’m not the first to profess what is important in a charcuterie plate, but these are a few simple things I like to consider when I’m making one.

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Food, HomeThe Pastichecheese, entertaining, appetizers, charcuterie, party foods Comment
Moroccan shakshuka with yolky eggs
Moroccan shakshuka with yolky eggs

There’s something about Brunch @ Bobby’s that is so stinking mouth-watering and a true feast for the eyes. Bobby Flay, to me, is a chef who demonstrates poise, comfort, and talent. He is so fun to watch because he is smooth, effortless, and creative in the kitchen, and he produces such elevated dishes. I always get inspired to cook when I watch him, and I always feel like I’m learning something new from a trustworthy source, and those two things are what I love most about a cooking show. 

One Sunday morning, I was watching Bobby’s “Marrakech Express Brunch” episode, and he made Moroccan eggs. It looked so good that I had to make it. And that’s incredibly rare—it takes a lot to actually inspire me to go to my least favorite place (the grocery store) on a whim and whip up a dish from a recipe I’ve never made before when I’m already starving—that’s what bagels are for in my life—but this time was different. I was so inspired to recreate the dish, and I am so, so glad I did. 

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FoodThe Pasticheeggs, one-pot, moroccan, tomatoes, fall, winter, spring, shakshuka, brunch2015, moroccan stewed tomatoes Comment
Lemon curd tart and the nostalgia that ensues
Lemon curd tart and the nostalgia that ensues

San Francisco is a city that holds a special place in my heart. I visited for my first time about one week before meeting Jon. I was out there for a work conference, and my mom met me for the second half of the trip to walk and shop and eat our way around the city. Upon recommendation, we went to Tartine bakery, waited in the ridiculously long line, and sat like sardines at the cozy and bustling tiny bakery’s tables. I loved it from the second I walked in. It’s on an unassuming street corner, and the smells coming from within are divine.  Although we’d never been before, something about the way that everyone else was behaving just made us follow suit, unintimidated. 

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FoodThe Pastichelemon, tart, lemon curd, nostalgia, san francisco, Tartine, summer, spring, vegetarian, sweets2015, dessert2015 Comments
Cinnamon sugar coffee cake
Cinnamon sugar coffee cake

The best gift I ever received was a book full of all my grandma's baking recipes. She built a collection for me over the course of a few months, writing down for the first time some of her very best recipes that she knows by heart. Others are newspaper clippings or type-written rules passed down from some of her family members. The pages are decorated with little stickers and little notes of advice and tips from her. When I opened it up on Christmas I was blown away by the thoughtfulness, and to say that I cherish it is an understatement. 

My grandma will always be my favorite cook and my favorite baker. She has been making some of her specialities for us since we were very little, and I am so excited to be able to share them with my own kids someday. 

She makes the best coffee cake. It's old fashioned, straight forward, and delicious. It'd be the perfect lazy Labor Day breakfast-in-bed with a good cup of coffee.

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FoodThe Pastichecoffee cake, cinnamon, cake, fall, summer, winter, spring, vegetarian, sweets2015, brunch2015 Comments