French-Cambodian Mee Siam Adventure

June 24, 2021 by Alyssa D

Boston was on my mind frequently over the past year. I was a post-grad there on 9/11 trying to eke out a living, carrying around a brick of a cell phone. When uncertainty permeated everything, a local Cambodian-French restaurant provided respite.

This restaurant served an incredible dish called mee Siem. It was unlike anything I’d ever tried at that point: rice noodles in a complex spicy sauce piled with bean sprouts, sweet bell peppers, fresh cilantro, fried tofu strips, crackly pork, and omelet ribbons. They published a cookbook. That recipe wasn’t in it.

An early Google search for the dish produced zero results.

Patient Pastitio Adventure

June 25, 2020 by Alyssa D in baking, main course

On a winter hiking trip in high school, I struggled to ascend the steep trail, sweaty and red-faced with an overstuffed pack. An older student saw me falter. She positioned herself directly in front of me and set a slow, methodical pace. Step, breathe, step, breathe.

With everything happening now, that old impatience is resurfacing. I want us, as a people, to get there already — the virus vanquished, systemic racism and bigotry excised, good defeating evil, the environment restored. Our packs are so full.

I realize that this might feel a bit heavy for a fun little food blog. *Takes a deep breath.*

You know what else is heavy? Pastitio.

Cold Sesame Noodles Adventure

June 29, 2018 by Alyssa D in main course

This was the happy kind of hospital visit. As we raced across town, the car trunk full of our friends’ belongings, all I could think about was what food to make for them.

The summer sun beat down as we brought the suitcases and diaper bag across the shimmering parking lot. This was not the right time for casseroles or cake. My mind twirled. A new baby had just been born. His parents would need fuel.