Spring Pea and Proscuitto Crostini

Happy Monday! A sunny, dreamy weekend at the horse races with my boyfriend -- my spring dress finally liberated from the closet, my Bloody Mary and bet in hand -- prompted this springtime staple. For a party of one, go "tartine" style by spooning the English pea spread on a large toasted slice of bread. For a gathering of many, use a slender baguette to create bite-sized appetizers when sliced on the diagonal. You can't skip out on the mint garnish, which screams "Hello Spring!" in every bite. It's fabulous. Enjoy, and don't forget to soak up a few rays of sunshine this afternoon...

spring pea & proscuitto crostini

Makes 6 small servings

1 demi French baguette, sliced on the diagonal

6 thin slices proscuitto

1 cup steamed English peas

1 teaspoon mint, coursely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Brush baguette slices with olive oil and toast until golden brown.

2. Gently mash peas with a fork and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Place peas on each crostini, and garnish with a slice of proscuitto and sprinkle of mint! Serve warm.

adapted from martha stewart

Hatchery Box Honey Spring Carrots

Snail mail is unmistakably one of my favorite things in the world. Its tangible satisfaction etches on my memory like a ballpoint pen on fine paper (which I rarely see these days). The usual cardboard package excites me for the remainder of the day upon which I receive it; so you can imagine my feelings of elation when seeing a bright red box on my doorstep.

Oh yes, Hatchery had finally arrived.

This month's ingredients touched destinations across the country, from New Orleans and Atlanta to Brooklyn and Vermont. It's impossible to pick a favorite due to the purposefully multi-varied flavors and textures for recipe enhancement. But I did quickly find the jalapeño garlic olive oil (top right) from family-owned Calivirgin in Lodi, CA to become a true cooking essential. The unfiltered, bold flavor is just enough to upgrade a filet of tilapia or a vegetable medley.

A quick overview of the other culinary goodies...

• Strawberry Chipotle Jam from Potlicker Kitchen (you'll love the smoky undertones)
• Sweet and Smoky Sauce from Causey's BBQ (sweetened with molasses and brown sugar)
• Ohia Lehua Honey from Big Island Bees (see recipe below!!)
• Original Blend Spice Rub from Ole Man's 
• Fuego Salsa from La Fundidora

The delicate and uniquely creamy Big Island Bees honey is made from an exclusively Hawaiian Lehua blossom. With spring's suddenly sweet entrance and the iconic Easter holiday right around the corner, I thought I'd sweeten up a symbol of the new season (rainbow ones, in fact!) with simple instruction and unforgettable taste. One teaspoon of this essential Hatchery ingredient will provide the ultimate complement to any picnic, Easter feast, or spring dinner party.

Oh, and if you're feeling generous - or anxious to treat yourself - gift with my newest favorite foodie essential!

honey glazed rainbow carrots

Makes 2 servings

8 rainbow carrots, trimmed and peeled

1 teaspoon Big Island Bees Ohia Lehua Honey

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1 teaspoon olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Add all toppings to a small bowl and heat in the microwave for 15 seconds to melt honey.

2. Place carrots evenly on baking sheet and brush honey glaze on each carrot with a pastry brush. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring carrots once half-way through baking. Serve immediately.

*This post was in partnership with Hatchery. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!

The Peached Tortilla (Austin)

When I got "peached" for the first time at Icon.me's launch party last February, I was instantly hooked onto the unique concept of Austin's must-try food truck, the Peached Tortilla.  Since starting with one food truck less than four years ago, the Peached Tortilla has acquired a huge fan base, grown a thriving catering business (led by the lovely Hope Furst), and hosted fabulous pop up dinners with local Austin vendors. They recently crafted Snoop Dog’s favorite breakfast sandwich before his SXSW performance earlier this month in Austin!

Business Development Director Hope Furst, who has quickly become a great friend in the Austin food scene, invited me to the Tuesday night truck stop at Draught House (it's parked every Tuesday from 6-9 p.m.!). We shared the infamous bacon jam fries with fried egg (above) over hilarious conversation, where I learned fascinating news about the Peached Tortilla's newest brick-and-mortar restaurant venture.

The Southern-Asian-Texan fusion influence is evident in every facet of owner Eric Silverstein's concept. Born in Tokyo, raised in Atlanta, and now thriving in Texas, Eric chose a name that honors the iconic Georgia peach and Austin-coveted staple. I'm a huge fan of the creative blend of Southern fare and Asian ingredients.

Now, onto the street food. Above is the glorious combo of a BBQ brisket slider (braised for four hours) with apple slaw and roasted peach BBQ sauce, and the Bahn Mi taco on corn with pickled carrot, sriracha mayo and cilantro. I mean...can it get any better than that? Nope. Most of these orders are versatile, if you prefer slider or taco or bowl.

The tasty pad thai taco spoons the traditional noodle dish into a warm corn tortilla with an irresistible garnish of crushed peanut and lime. I don't think I'll ever appreciate traditional pad thai again. How have we never been served this peanut goodness in taco form?!

Keep up with the two trucks' whereabouts here, but don't miss the Tuesday night hangouts off Medical Parkway and 38th street this Spring. Get excited for the Burnet brick-and-mortar location to open this October. It'll feature the street food fare as specials, but the dinner only and craft cocktail service will kick the cuisine style up a notch for the ultimate date night or bar spot.

And thank you again, Hope, for the hospitality!

Asian Chopped Salad

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Thank goodness for my last name, otherwise I'd be getting pinched for my way-too-neutral wardrobe's lack of green (besides my current mint obsession). Rather than wear green, why not eat green? You'll be pinching yourself over this dreamy salad with a color palette unlike any other. I sided with a vegetarian option for the occasion, but I highly recommend adding protein such as a soy-glazed salmon filet, shredded chicken, or coconut shrimp.

I must mention my sentiment for the salad's palm tree serving piece, which I purchased in Cambodia from a new friend. The whimsical market's flavor carries through the dish in unspeakable ways. Talk about Asian influence for this Asian chopped salad, eh?

asian chopped salad

Makes 2 servings

1/2 avocado, sliced

1 handful baby spinach, julienned

1 handful frisee lettuce

1 handful shredded napa cabbage

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup shredded red cabbage

1/2 cup edamame

1/4 cup shredded red radish

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Salt and cracked pepper

Light vinaigrette (I love Jeanine's chili orange recipe on Love and Lemons)

1. Place vegetables in a serving bowl.

2. Toss in vinaigrette and sprinkle with cilantro, salt, pepper, and a few extra edamame!

Snap Kitchen Juice Program (Austin)

Swimsuit season is finally creeping upon us, and my crawfish-po' boy diet this past weekend in New Orleans surely did not assist in that preparation...woops. Detox time. Luckily, Snap Kitchen saved the day with a three-day juice program geared specifically toward people like myself who simply need to kickstart a "spring cleaning" lifestyle, if you will. Clean Start, one of three specific programs featured on Snap Kitchen's brand new juice site (launched last Tuesday!), provided a sufficient, 1200-calorie diet with six sweet and savory juices to dote on throughout the day. Of course, if you aren't a fan of certain provides juice ingredients, Snap has a few other juices to substitute toward your liking.

I went into the cleanse expecting utter starvation, but I surprisingly felt full and satisfied from start to finish besides an occasional 6:00 p.m. slump. It's pretty unbelievable that two pounds of raw fruits and vegetables can be transformed into one 16 ounce bottle -- "a salad in a bottle, without the dressing," as expert nutritionist Andrea Hinsdale pointed out in the newest cold pressed juice promotional video.

Being the obsessive foodie that I am, I found juicing difficult simply because I lacked the ability to fuel my daily form of creative freedom and entertainment in cooking and dining at new spots with gals. I felt the FOMO (fear of missing out!), especially during daytime Camille Styles food photo shoots and dinnertime with my roommates. Let's just say that I had never realized my deep passion and appreciation for everything food until day two...pathetic yet confirmed. However, I did feel empowered and rewarded for completing the challenge with ease.

I urge you to try a juice program yourself; it will not only teach you motivational will-power, but will also place your body in a refreshed stated of mind. Spring break in Cabo, here I come! Scroll below for a step-by-step of my daily juice intake, and find out a few of my favorites...

8:00 a.m. SUPER GREENS :: I was hesitant about its lack of sweetness for such an early morning start and would have prepared the kale and cucumber taste later in the day, perhaps at around lunchtime. However, the cool flavors were refreshing and placed a punch in my step as I began my day.

10:00 a.m. ENERGY BOOST :: Oh, energy. I could not find my energy throughout the juicing process. I am fairly confident that external factors such as my Starbucks addiction and lack of sleep during Mardi Gras contributed to the feeling; but luckily, this watermelon-mint combo was absolutely delicious and kept me going throughout the mornings at work. The medley of fruits and coconut placed my mind in beach-mode bliss for next week's trip to Cabo.

12:00 p.m. ANTI OXIDANT :: A kick of cayenne and a hearty beet-apple union are ideal for that lunchtime fuel I yearned while ironically food prepping and styling for work! I found it quite humorous to be cooking up a salad for a photo shoot while chugging a salad-turned-juice for my own lunch. It's all about will power, people!

2:30 p.m. CARROT GINGER ELIXIR :: Thank goodness for this naturally sweet bottle, whose refreshing ginger kept me feeling fresh during afternoon classes and errands. Big fan of this one. Can you tell I have a sweet tooth?

5:00 p.m. SPICY BASIL LEMONADE :: Emphasis on spicy. The light lemonade gets a buzz of basil and big hunk of cayenne. I needed the punch of spice at this point in the day, which seemed to be the lowest level of energy after long days at work and class. Honestly though, this bottle was my least favorite taste-wise! I am sure you spice lovers would have enjoyed it much more.

7:30 p.m. CHAI CASHEW PROTEIN SHAKE :: See what I did there?! The "chai" finale to daily juicing is utterly divine; in fact, it almost beats the iced chai latte I typically order at Starbucks. Snap Kitchen clearly knows how to help a Starbucks addict cope! I would drink this shake on a daily basis for the protein-packed benefits and, not to mention, the handmade blend of some of my favorite sweet ingredients.

Henri's Cheese and Wine (Austin)

Upon first glance, I fell in love with this quaint swiss-colored shop, a perfect reflection of the cheery, sunny skies up above. My motto these days always seems to be, "more cheese, please;" and yes, Henri's can handle that request. Henri's is the expert in the art of cheese and its complements--wine, charcuterie, breads, and the like.

The wine and cheese grocer and café hosts a wealth of options for an amateur or connoisseur. Sure, the selection seems overwhelming, yet the talented and friendly faces behind the counter display passion in every answer.

Since lunchtime was upon us, Alex and I selected sandwiches from the chalkboard menu to the left of the entrance. His BLT with avocado and aoili on grilled sourdough was pretty unreal, and the light arugula salad subdued the filling nature of most bacon sandwiches I have tried in the past. I was extremely impressed with the details, especially the champagne tossed vinaigrette.

Without a doubt, I went for a classic combination that manifests the art of cheese in pure and innocent delight. I ordered half of a gruyere grilled cheese special with caramelized onions and pear. The rich tomato bisque served as the ultimate foundation for skinny dipping my sandwich. To be honest, I wish I had ordered the other half of the grilled cheese!

I absolutely will be back soon for either a wine and charcuterie tasting in the evening, or perhaps their new monthly burger night! Hear the latest cheesy updates on their entertaining Facebook page.