Appetizers

The Halloween party was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing elaborate themed desserts—a “graveyard” brownie cake, a pumpkin-shaped cheesecake, … Read more

My friend Jenna had claimed to hate deviled eggs for as long as I’d known her. Twelve years, at least. She’d make a face at … Read more

My nephew, Leo, asked why I couldn’t just pipe the yolk mixture through a tiny hole in the egg white instead of carefully slicing each … Read more

It was 10:47 PM on a random Wednesday in October, and I had a very specific craving for something salty, wrapped in carbs, and vaguely … Read more

I was standing in line at the DMV—a place where culinary inspiration goes to die—when the woman behind the counter started talking about cheese. Not … Read more

My cousin Mark had claimed to hate charcuterie boards for years. Years. Every Thanksgiving, he’d walk past the fancy spread my aunt arranged on the … Read more

Last December, my sister-in-law, Jen, was helping me prep for our annual family Christmas Eve get-together. I was running around like a headless chicken, pulling … Read more

The power went out halfway through my annual Halloween party prep last year. There I stood, covered in flour, staring at a dark oven with … Read more

It was the night before Halloween and I had completely forgotten that I volunteered to bring the snacks for my daughter’s classroom party. I mean, … Read more

My niece asked why I couldn’t just use a store-bought veggie tray for Halloween. I started to explain why that wouldn’t work — then stopped. … Read more