Appetizers

I was standing in line at the DMV—the one on Elm Street that always smells faintly of burnt coffee and desperation—when the woman behind me … Read more

The neighborhood Halloween block party was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing those elaborate themed desserts—you know, the ones … Read more

My neighbor wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to grab a garden hose we’d borrowed the week before, and the smell hit me … Read more

My sister had a rule for years. She refused to eat pumpkin seeds. “They taste like crunchy dirt,” she’d say every single time I’d pull … Read more

I was digging through the back of my pantry last Tuesday—looking for a can of black beans, of all things—when my fingers brushed against a … Read more

There used to be a dive bar on the corner of 7th and Elm in my old neighborhood that made the best Buffalo chicken dip … Read more

It was 11:47 PM on a rainy Tuesday in late October, and I was hit with the most specific craving — I wanted something warm, … Read more

My neighbor wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a ladder—something mundane, right?—and the smell hit me before I even got through … Read more

I was standing in the frozen foods aisle last October, staring at a box of crescent rolls, when the smell hit me. Not a real … Read more

I was standing in the cereal aisle of the local grocery store last October when the scent of cumin and roasted chilies hit me from … Read more