Appetizer Recipes

This was supposed to be a batch of my standard party Chex Mix. You know, the one with the garlic powder, onion powder, and that … Read more

My neighbor Rosa watched me wrestling with a too-big cutting board on my tiny kitchen counter last November, and she didn’t say anything at first. … Read more

I was halfway through sorting a pile of dusty vinyl records at a flea market in early October when the guy running the booth next … Read more

Laura wasn’t trying to show off. I’d stopped by her place on a random Tuesday afternoon to grab a book I’d loaned her months ago, … Read more

This was supposed to be a sensible after-school snack. I had the grapes washed, the cheese cubes lined up, even those little fish-shaped crackers my … Read more

Marta, who runs the little corner market near my apartment, watched me staring at her display of fresh cranberries one chilly November morning. She didn’t … Read more

My sister swore she hated Halloween. For years. The fake cobwebs gave her the creeps, the candy gave her a headache, and the whole thing … Read more

The school Halloween party was in four hours and I’d completely forgotten. Every other parent was bringing elaborate cookie displays and those fancy cupcake towers … Read more

My neighbor, a retired florist named Clara, watched me wrestle with a carving knife and a very stubborn pumpkin one October afternoon. She didn’t say … Read more

I was standing in the middle of the grocery store aisle last November, staring at a block of cheddar like it held the secrets to … Read more