Appetizer Recipes

I was killing time in a dusty antique shop last October, waiting for my car to get new tires, when the shop owner—a woman named … Read more

My friend Sarah asked why I couldn’t just throw the brie in the oven without wrapping it in puff pastry. I started to explain why … Read more

I was waiting in line at the hardware store—of all places—when the guy behind me, a retired electrician named Frank, started telling me about his … Read more

My niece, who is eight and has very strong opinions about food, watched me fussing over a batch of puff pastry. She asked why I … Read more

I was at my local hardware store last November, of all places, buying a new snow shovel, when the woman behind me in line started … Read more

This was supposed to be a roasted persimmon and prosciutto appetizer. I had the whole thing planned out in my head—sliced Fuyu persimmons, caramelized in … Read more

There used to be this tiny wine bar tucked away on a side street in Portland, the kind of place with mismatched chairs and a … Read more

The woman at the community garden plot next to mine—her name is Rosa—watched me struggle with a bag of chicken thighs that wouldn’t fit in … Read more

It was 11:47 PM on a random Wednesday, and I had a very specific craving for something warm and savory—but not a full meal. My … Read more

I was standing in the checkout line at the grocery store last Tuesday, totally zoned out, when the woman in front of me cracked open … Read more