Appetizers

My neighbor, Carol, wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a ladder—mine had mysteriously vanished into the garage abyss—and the smell hit … Read more

I was standing in the middle of the fluorescent-lit dairy aisle at my local Kroger last Tuesday, staring at a block of cream cheese like … Read more

I was supposed to be making a charcuterie board. A nice, normal, autumnal charcuterie board with fancy cheeses, some prosciutto, and maybe those little pumpkin-shaped … Read more

There used to be a tiny, slightly-crooked Mexican joint on the corner of 7th and Elm called El Monstruo Verde that made the best guacamole … Read more

Last October, I was hauling a too-heavy grocery bag up my front steps when my new neighbor, an older woman named Carol whose garden I’d … Read more

It was 10:47 PM on a random Wednesday in October, and I had the weirdest craving for something crunchy, creamy, and honestly, a little bit … Read more

I was standing in the produce aisle last October, staring at a carton of eggs like it held the secrets to the universe, when this … Read more

There used to be a tiny German pub tucked behind a laundromat on the south side of town called Fritz’s that made these warm, chewy … Read more

The neighborhood Oktoberfest potluck was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing slow-braised pork shoulders, homemade spaetzle from their grandmother’s … Read more

I wasn’t expecting cooking advice from my accountant, but there I was, sitting in his cluttered office during tax season, watching him pull a crumpled … Read more