Dinner Recipes

My brother-in-law Mark asked why I couldn’t just wrap the whole beef tenderloin in puff pastry like a giant present and call it done. We … Read more

There used to be a tiny bakery tucked behind a florist shop on a side street in Portland that made the most incredible rosemary focaccia. … Read more

There used to be a little meat-and-three joint off Highway 78 in my hometown called Miss Pearl’s Kitchen. It wasn’t fancy—just a few Formica tables … Read more

My brother-in-law Mark asked why I couldn’t just roast the squash with the skin on. We were standing in my kitchen, a mountain of honeynut … Read more

It was 11:47 PM on a random Wednesday, and I was staring into the fridge like it held the secrets to the universe. The craving … Read more

The woman at the community garden plot next to mine watched me shivering over my sad little kale plants for about ten minutes before she … Read more

My neighbor Carlos had claimed for years that chili was “just sad meat soup.” He’d say it at every block party, every Super Bowl gathering, … Read more

The neighborhood chili cook-off was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing their grandfather’s secret recipe, slow-simmered for two days … Read more

My daughter asked why I couldn’t just cook the salmon in a little pouch of foil with the sauce already on it. I started to … Read more

My neighbor asked why I couldn’t just toss everything into the squash cavities raw and let the oven do the work. I started to explain … Read more