Appetizers

I wasn’t expecting cooking advice from the quietest guy at the office potluck, but there I was, standing by the break room sink, rinsing coffee … Read more

My nephew Leo asked why I couldn’t just use pretzel sticks for the turkey feathers instead of shaping them out of bread. I started to … Read more

My neighbor Marianne wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a cup of sugar—cliché, I know, but my baking plans were falling … Read more

There used to be a tiny Tex-Mex place on the corner of Elm and 5th in my old neighborhood that made this unforgettable creamy dip … Read more

This was supposed to be a slow-roasted chicken with a herb butter crust. I had the garlic ready, the rosemary chopped, the butter sitting on … Read more

My friend Jen asked why I couldn’t just swap out half the cream cheese for Greek yogurt in my cheese ball recipe. I started to … Read more

I was standing in the checkout line at the grocery store last October, staring blankly at a display of candy corn, when the smell hit … Read more

I was at the community garden swap last fall, standing next to a woman named Clara who was trying to balance three bags of kale … Read more

The office holiday party was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. I was standing in my kitchen at 7 AM in my robe, staring … Read more

I was standing in line at the post office—a Tuesday, I think, right before Halloween—when the man behind me, who I’d only ever seen walking … Read more