Happy Spring

Surprise, I’m dropping in your inbox mid-week!

Apr 08, 2025

I thought it would be fun to get one more Bits & Bites newsletter out to you before I touch down in Europe for a few weeks. Josh and I have been hustlin’ a little too hard lately so we’re off to unwind through the sites and foods of Italy, France, and Spain. Don’t worry, I’ll fill you in on the best bites and I’m sure I’ll be sharing too many pictures over on IG.

Spring is springing all around us and last time we visited Italy in the spring, I was introduced to fava beans. I was quite grouchy one day in Rome and wandered into a farmer’s market looking for a distraction. I think this woman took pity on the sad looking little American because as I strolled past her stall, she stuck a fava bean pod in my hands, showed me how to rip into it, then gave me a chunk of pecorino to enjoy with the fresh beans. It was everything and that grassy, salty bite turned my day around. So needless to say, I’m pretty giddy about what we’ll come across this time, especially in this bitter-and-briny taste era.

Mixed in with a busy workload and back-to-back weekend trips to Austin and Seattle, March was the kick-off point for spring cookbook season and my favorite vegetables all hit the markets so the free time felt minimal but the inspiration was high. I developed a bunch of new recipes last month that I’ll be rolling out on the blog throughout the spring—the blog did get a refresh after all so new spring recipes are a must! Check out a few of the new recipes I dropped in March below and stayed tuned for the rest after this trip. Think: artichokes with sesame aioli, spring panzanella, brothy soba noodle soup… buckle up, pals.

With that—let’s chat about this week’s bits and bites

Luxe & Laid-Back — because life is about balance

Luxe: Shrimp and Pork Dumplings with a Peanutty Chili Sauce

I’m putting these puppies in the luxe category this week because they were absolutely delicious—and took me almost three hours to fold (which was fully my fault for accidentally buying smaller wonton wrappers and doubling my folding efforts). The recipe comes from the newest gem in my cookbook collection: Salt, Sugar, MSG by Calvin Eng, the chef behind Bonnie’s in Brooklyn. The book is stunning, full of flavor-packed recipes that mix tradition and play. These dumplings were totally worth the effort—especially since I now have a freezer stash ready to go.

Laid-Back: creamy dill dip with aleppo pepper, chives and kennebec chips

Over the last few years Seattle has become a home away from home so naturally, I’ve built up a running list of my favorite spots and my need-to-try restaurants. While Josh and I were in town this past week for a friend’s wedding, we crossed a brunch spot off the list: The Whale Wins by the lovely Renee Erickson. The chorizo and bean gordita with pistachio salsa verde hit every savory craving I had, but if you know me, you know I can’t skip a good dip—especially if it’s a creamy dill situation—and this one did not disappoint!

Have you had any bites lately that you can’t get enough of & I should try too? Tell me, share the love, expand my palette!

Spring Recipe Round Up

As I mentioned earlier, I was pretty excited to see so many of my favorite veggies back in the markets the last few weeks. Asparagus, peas, fava, artichokes… the girls are back in town and I went wild working on recipes for you all so ICYMI, here’s a recap of the recipes that hit the blog recently. Run to the farmer’s market, grab those fresh greens and give them a try! Let me know how they turn out, comments are so welcomed and truly, so helpful with growing this blog.

Springy Little Gem Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

This vibrant and refreshing Springy Little Gem Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette brings together a perfect balance of tangy citrus, crunchy veggies, and herby greens. A quick and easy salad that’s perfect for light lunches or as an impressive side dish for your next dinner gathering, this is one of my go-to recipes for the Spring!

Roasted Chicken, Fennel & Radishes with Herbs & Feta

This Roasted Chicken, Fennel & Radishes with Herbs & Feta is a simple yet flavorful one-pan meal, combining crispy chicken with roasted veggies for a satisfying dinner. The fennel, sweet shallots, and radishes are topped with feta, fresh herbs, and a burst of lemon— a bright, delicious dish that’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal with minimal cleanup.

Roasted Asparagus with Brown Butter Hollandaise

Roasted Asparagus with Brown Butter Hollandaise is the ultimate springtime side dish. Tender, lightly charred asparagus is draped in a rich, nutty hollandaise sauce for an easy yet elegant addition to any meal. Perfect alongside meaty dinners or as the base for a stunning Springtime Eggs Benedict.

New season, new books to cook from

Twice a year publishing houses roll out their most anticipated new cookbooks, and for those of us who are *ahem* obsessed, these are our bonus holiday seasons. Spring and fall bring a fresh wave of inspiration to our kitchens with books that capture the season’s best ingredients or explore new techniques and dishes. My wishlist is already growing, but here are the first few spring releases I’m most excited about:

Family Style by Peter Hom — I don’t think I’ve ever bought a cookbook so fast without knowing the author. This one arrived at the bookshop where I moonlight, and flipping through it felt like rifling through my own internal recipe box—only with more Chinese-American pantry staples. Peter merged his Chinese American childhood in SF and a clear love of French cuisine in these pages in such a beautiful way. From parm broccoli with honey chili crisp to chicken thighs with miso romesco, I can’t wait to start cooking through this one.

By Heart by Hailee Catalano — TikTok’s sweetheart, Hailee Catalano’s debut cookbook is here and it’s gorgeous. Hailee pivoted from restaurants to content creation sometime in the pandemic and quickly became one of my favorite escapes and recipe developer girl crushes. She has such a gentle soul with the punchy-yet-cozy taste buds you’d expect out of a former midwesterner and CIA graduate living in a sleepy NJ beach town. Highly recommend checking out her content and this book filled with all the recipes to know by heart.

Also: brownie points for her gorgeous illustrated cover by Maxine McCrann. While publishers in the States still swear by food photos on book covers, I’ll always swoon over a well-done art cover and this one nails it.

Salt, Sugar, MSG by Calvin Eng — there’s something about Chinese-American food that’s pure comfort for me—it was the cuisine I asked for over and over again growing up, and now it feels like a nostalgic craving. Calvin’s book feels like coming home, but a home where the next generation is in charge of the meals now and your trendy cousin is teaching you how to twist up your parents classics. It is full of big flavor recipes that dance around tradition and everything I’ve made so far has been a winner. Highly recommend a copy.

I know my collection is pretty big, but what’s your favorite go-to cookbook that I should add to my shelf?