“I have absolutely no interest in those frou-frou holiday desserts,” my cousin declared every summer, arms crossed and unwavering. For years, she claimed she was … Read more
“You better not mess this up,” my neighbor chuckled as she watched me fumble with arranging cheeses and berries on a tired wooden board. I … Read more
The neighborhood block party was in less than two hours and I still had no ribs prepped. Everyone else had been bragging about their slow-cooked, … Read more
The summer I turned twenty-three, I was waiting in the parking lot of a tiny, bustling farmers market when the sharp scent of cinnamon sugar … Read more
“Last Fourth of July, I wasn’t planning on sticking around long at my neighbor Joan’s place. I’d just popped over to borrow some sugar, but … Read more
There used to be this tiny, sunlit café tucked away on a narrow street corner in Charleston that made the most unforgettable fresh sparkling strawberry … Read more
This was supposed to be a straightforward stack of classic buttermilk pancakes. I grabbed the wrong food coloring—red, instead of the usual yellow for my … Read more
The summer I decided to join that neighborhood softball league, I wasn’t expecting my culinary horizons to expand quite so unexpectedly. I was standing by … Read more
It was 11:17 PM on a sleepy Wednesday, and I suddenly craved something light, sweet, and, well, festive. I didn’t have a fancy cake pan … Read more
“Why not just toss the shrimp in crushed tortilla chips instead of bread crumbs?” my friend asked while I was fussing over the coating for … Read more
