Appetizers

This was supposed to be a full-blown Oktoberfest party. I had the invites planned, the playlist ready (think oompah bands and maybe some German folk … Read more

My friend Dave asked why I couldn’t just boil the dough balls in baking soda water instead of that fancy food-grade lye I’d been ordering … Read more

I was at the farmers’ market last September, clutching a bag of green tomatoes I’d impulsively bought because they looked so perfect—firm, pale green, almost … Read more

My roommate, a self-proclaimed pretzel purist, asked why I couldn’t just buy the frozen ones from the grocery store instead of making these crispy Oktoberfest … Read more

I used to think charcuterie boards were just for parties. You know, the kind where everyone stands around awkwardly holding a napkin and trying to … Read more

Someone asked me last week why I always bring the same dip to every Halloween party. It’s a fair question—I mean, there are hundreds of … Read more

My niece asked why I couldn’t just use a store-bought taco seasoning packet for the dip. I started to explain why that wouldn’t work — … Read more

It was 10:47 PM on a rainy Tuesday in October, and I had a sudden, desperate need to make something grotesque. I didn’t have any … Read more

The Halloween party was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. My neighbor, Carol, had texted me the week before about the annual block party … Read more

I wasn’t expecting a snack mix recipe to change my entire fall hosting game, but there I was, standing in the middle of a craft … Read more