Appetizers

Karen wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by her place on a Tuesday afternoon to pick up a book I’d lent her months ago, … Read more

This was supposed to be a proper dip. You know, the kind you spend an hour on, carefully layering ingredients, making sure every stripe of … Read more

It was 9:47 PM on a rainy Thursday in late September, and I had a ridiculous, burning desire for something sweet, spicy, and utterly jewel-like. … Read more

This was supposed to be a simple side of roasted vegetables. I had this whole plan for a Mediterranean sheet pan situation with bell peppers … Read more

My brother-in-law, Mark, asked why I couldn’t just wrap the little sausages in bacon and throw them in the oven. I started to explain why … Read more

It was 10:47 on a rainy Wednesday night, and I was hit with a craving for something spicy, something crispy, something that felt like a … Read more

I was standing in the checkout line at the hardware store—of all places—when the guy behind me, who I’d only ever seen buying lawn fertilizer, … Read more

My neighbor, a retired florist named Rose, watched me struggling to peel a peach with a vegetable peeler one sticky July afternoon. She didn’t say … Read more

The Super Bowl party was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten I was supposed to bring snacks. Everyone else would be bringing those elaborate … Read more

I was standing in the parking lot of my local grocery store last October when it hit me—the faint, sweet smell of hickory smoke drifting … Read more