Appetizers

This was supposed to be a simple batch of deviled eggs for a Halloween party. I had everything planned out—perfectly boiled eggs, a silky yolk … Read more

My sister-in-law Jen wasn’t trying to impress anyone that Tuesday afternoon. I’d stopped by to borrow a cake pan for a birthday party the next … Read more

Maya wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by her place last Saturday afternoon to drop off a book I’d borrowed—something about Mediterranean cooking, which … Read more

I wasn’t expecting party planning advice from my plumber, but there I was, standing in my kitchen with a leaky faucet, listening to Frank describe … Read more

It was 10:47 PM on a random Wednesday in October, and I was supposed to be meal-prepping for the rest of the week. That was … Read more

My friend Jen asked why I couldn’t just pipe the sriracha mayo mixture onto the eggs in a web pattern instead of stirring it all … Read more

My brother claimed to hate cream cheese for thirty-two years. Thirty-two years. He’d pick it out of cheesecake, scrape it off bagels, and push casseroles … Read more

My youngest had refused pumpkin seeds for years. “They taste like cardboard,” she’d announce every October, wrinkling her nose as I scooped the slippery guts … Read more

The woman at the community garden stall watched me picking through her pumpkin pile, probably looking way too serious about it. I was squeezing each … Read more

This was supposed to be a fancy baked brie. You know, the kind you wrap in puff pastry, bake until it’s a molten mess, and … Read more