What you're bringing to the party

Besides your beautiful self

Jun 14, 2025

Hello and happy weekend! I’m 12 hours away from my red-eye off to Parma (for a trip with Barilla Pasta, more to come!), which is going to be kicking off a very exciting period of travel this summer. It starts with Italy, then goes into a trip to St. Louis to develop a very exciting [flavor] for a very exciting [company] this holiday season, then ends with a weekend in Chicago to film a cooking demo, and then there’s a pause for a month where I’m (hopefully) going to slot in a work trip to South Korea, and then I’ll be traveling with Elsewhere to Chile to see Humboldt penguins. The penguin part is extremely important.

So, summer has been busy, and I know yours has, too. It’s a universally busy time, there are plans to make! Friends to see! People! to! Feed!

Which is why this week I’m excited to share a bonus recipe from my friend Casey Elsass’ book: What Can I Bring?: Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life

You’ve probably heard of this book, seeing as since it released in May it has taken us not-chill hostesses by storm.

As a fan of Casey’s (both him as a person and his food!) I can easily say he’s dissected the art of how to bring something thoughtful to a party - both thoughtful for you AND the host. The recipes are easy to transport, vibrant and fun, unique but still crowd-pleasers, and each recipe is smartly marked for how ambitious you are feeling. Which is great because I toggle between zero-ambition and layer-cake-ambition…often (see said layer cakes here).

When we were chatting about what recipe to use for this newsletter, he said this salad was very Snacks-coded - so think of it as tailor-made for us! Crunchy celery and pops of apple feel like they could edge on autumn, but I’d like to kindly remind you that crispy, refreshing salads go with parties all year. (And celery is oh-so affordable right now).

And if you love it (which I know you will because I did!!), you can buy Casey’s book here.

Waldorf Salad with Poppy Dressing

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

For the poppy seed dressing:

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1⁄4 cup mayonnaise

1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the salad:

2 cups walnuts

6 large celery stalks

2 Granny Smith apples

Juice of 1 lemon

2 cups seedless green grapes

8 ounces blue Stilton cheese

METHOD

Make the dressing: In a small skillet, spread out the poppy seeds. Set over low heat, shaking the skillet often, until the poppy seeds smell nutty, about 2 minutes. Pour them into a small airtight container and whisk in the mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, mustard, and salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, or for up to 2 days. This makes 3⁄4 cup.

Make the salad: While that skillet is out anyway, add the walnuts and set over low heat. There will be more walnuts than surface area, so keep flipping or stirring constantly so everything can have some time in the hot seat. When you can really smell the walnuts toasting, pour them into a small bowl to cool.

Use a chef’s knife to trim the tops and bottoms off the celery stalks (save the leaves if there are any!). Set a mandoline (see Party Tricks) over a medium serving bowl and hold each celery stalk at a 45-degree angle while slicing into long triangles. Stand the apples upright and cut them into four pieces around the core, then run each piece over the mandoline to make thin slices. Juice the lemon directly into the bowl and toss to coat the apples especially so they don’t brown. Cut the grapes in half and add to the bowl. Roughly chop the walnuts and scrape them in. Crumble in the cheese, and if there were any celery leaves, pick them off and add them in whole.

Just before serving, add the dressing and toss to fully coat the salad.

Casey’s party tip:

If you’re packing this to go, make the salad just before walking out the door. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pack the dressing separately, and toss when you get there.

That was the party, now our weekly round-up!

Avocado Chickpea Salad with Tzatziki-Style Dressing - Another crunchy, refreshing salad, but this one leans much more into the meal-prep side. It makes two servings so I love making a fresh batch for dinner, then having lunch the next day set. Also - it’s an excuse to eat a ton of avocado. Very guacamole coded.

Summer Tomato Tteokbokki - I will eat simmered rice cakes any day, any way. They are such a unique craving and I really don’t think anything compares. This is a vegetable-forward version of tteokbokki, but if you’re looking for a version with a bit more protein, there’s also this recipe here.

Radio Bakery Sourdough Focaccia - I don’t know what took hold of me I WAS IN THE MOOD FOR A PROJECT. No but really, I’ve been working on perfecting Radio Bakery’s focaccia for a month, and I am so happy to say we have it down.

Smoky Tomato Quinoa with Tilapia - She doesn’t look like much, but I have such a soft spot for this dinner. I love quinoa, like really love it, and if you don’t I’d venture to say you haven’t given it time to soak into a truly delicious sauce. This one-pan meal lets quinoa mix into a deeply savory tomato base, and the fish finishes on top. (You can tell by now that’s my favorite technique).

Also, if you’re in America, it has been an incredibly fraught week. If you are attending any protests this weekend, please stay safe. If you are feeling helpless in how to support immigrant rights, please consider donating here. Most of all, staying aware of what is happening in our country is the first form of keeping our constitutional government safe. Now is not the time to tune out, and I’m sending you strength <3

Xoxo,

Snacks