Appetizer Recipes

This was supposed to be a seven-layer dip. I had it all planned out—the refried beans, the guacamole, the sour cream, the whole nine yards. … Read more

The neighborhood holiday party was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing those elaborate, multi-day preparations—the kind of thing you … Read more

I was standing in the spice aisle of my local market last Tuesday when the smell hit me—that distinct, earthy scent of dried dill mixing … Read more

There used to be a tiny wine bar tucked behind a bookstore in Portland called “The Gilded Grape” that made the most incredible fall cheese … Read more

I wasn’t expecting party planning advice from my tax accountant, but there I was, sitting in his cluttered office in late October, listening to him … Read more

This was supposed to be a jack-o’-lantern cheese ball. I had it all planned out—cream cheese, cheddar, some fancy shaping tools I’d bought online. The … Read more

My nephew asked why I couldn’t just use olives for the spider bodies instead of cutting up black olives into tiny, fiddly pieces. I started … Read more

Hand me that bag of frozen nuggets, my friend Marta said with a sigh last Saturday, already pulling open my freezer door before I could … Read more

It was 11:47 PM on a random Wednesday in October, and I was wide awake with a very specific craving. Not for something sweet, but … Read more

My brother claimed to hate pumpkin seeds for thirty-seven years. Thirty-seven years of Halloween pumpkins being carved on newspaper-covered tables, and he’d scoop out the … Read more