Appetizers

My neighbor, a retired schoolteacher named Carol, asked me last week why I couldn’t just crush the ramen noodles right in the bag instead of … Read more

I was standing in the frozen food aisle last Saturday, staring at a box of pre-made nacho chips with that weird powdered cheese packet, when … Read more

My neighbor, Sarah, wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to grab a measuring cup I’d lent her—a very boring errand—and the smell of … Read more

There used to be a sports bar on the corner of 4th and Main in my old neighborhood called The Rusty Nail. It wasn’t fancy … Read more

Tuesday afternoon, 3:15 PM, and the hangry meltdown had officially begun. My youngest was sprawled on the kitchen floor like a starfish, insisting that “there’s … Read more

There used to be a tiny tapas place tucked away on a side street in Portland that made these little meatball appetizers that I still … Read more

This was supposed to be a simple batch of caramel popcorn. I had the brown sugar measured, the butter softening on the counter, and a … Read more

Someone asked me last week why I always volunteer to bring the appetizer to parties. And I mean, I had to stop and think about … Read more

I was standing in the frozen food aisle last Saturday morning, half-listening to my phone buzz with texts from friends about the big game later … Read more

The power went out halfway through the second quarter. I remember because I was staring at a half-assembled mess on my kitchen counter—slices of salami … Read more