Comfort Food Classics

My neighbor, Carol, wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by on a drizzly Tuesday morning to return her slow cooker—she’d loaned it to me … Read more

This was supposed to be a lemon herb chicken thing. I had the lemons on the counter, the thyme in my hand, and a very … Read more

This was supposed to be a simple weeknight pan sauce. I had a single chicken breast, some leftover thyme, and a vague memory of my … Read more

There used to be a little diner off Route 9 in upstate New York called The Copper Kettle that made the most incredible green bean … Read more

My brother-in-law Mark asked why I couldn’t just use canned yams and skip the whole peeling-and-boiling ordeal. I started to explain why that wouldn’t work—then … Read more

I was standing in the frozen foods aisle of our local grocery store last November when the smell of someone’s sage-and-thyme scented candle from the … Read more

I was standing in the frozen foods aisle last November, trying to remember if we were out of peas, when a woman walked past me … Read more

Maggie wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by her place to pick up a book I’d loaned her months ago, and the smell hit … Read more

I was at a hardware store. Not a farmers market, not a cooking class, not even a grocery store. I was holding a paint swatch … Read more

This was supposed to be a simple turkey pot pie, the kind you throw together the day after Thanksgiving when you’re tired and the kitchen … Read more