Appetizers

It was 11:47 PM on a random Tuesday in early December, and I had a sudden, almost desperate craving for something bright and festive. I … Read more

Jen wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by her place on a crisp Saturday afternoon to pick up a book I’d lent her months … Read more

My brother-in-law Mark had claimed to hate Buffalo sauce for fifteen years. Fifteen years of watching him push wings to the side of his plate … Read more

This was supposed to be a savory, spicy, “knock-your-socks-off” kind of snack. I had the cayenne pepper measured, the garlic powder ready to go, and … Read more

There used to be a tiny wine bar tucked behind a bookshop in the west village that made the most incredible fall board I have … Read more

The Halloween party was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing elaborate themed platters—a friend had spent three days on … Read more

I was standing in the frozen foods aisle last October, staring at a bag of pre-made pigs in a blanket, when a cold draft from … Read more

Leslie wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by her place to grab a garden stake I’d loaned her last spring — a completely mundane … Read more

I wasn’t expecting cooking advice from a plumber, but there I was, standing in the hardware aisle at Lowe’s, listening to a man named Gary … Read more

I was elbow-deep in suds at my kitchen sink, scrubbing a baking sheet that had seen better days, when my neighbor—a retired plumber named Sal … Read more