Dinner Recipes

I was loading groceries into my car last Tuesday—a gray, forgettable afternoon in the parking lot of a strip mall—when the smell hit me. It … Read more

The neighborhood potluck was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. I mean, completely. I was standing in my kitchen at 2 PM, staring into … Read more

I was standing in line at the DMV—that place where time goes to die—when the woman behind me started talking about carrots. Not complaining about … Read more

I swore I hated beef stew. For years. The kind of beef stew I grew up with was a sad, gray-brown affair—mushy carrots floating in … Read more

I was sorting through a box of old vinyl records at a flea market last October when the woman running the booth—a retired librarian named … Read more

I was standing in the frozen food aisle of our local grocery store last Tuesday, staring at a row of soup cartons, when the smell … Read more

My brother asked why I couldn’t just throw everything in one pan. I was mid-lecture about layering flavors and browning meat properly—the whole spiel I’d … Read more

There used to be a little diner called Mabel’s on the corner of Oak and 3rd Street that made the most incredible chicken and dumplings. … Read more

I had refused to order salads in restaurants for the better part of a decade. Honest. It wasn’t a health thing—I just found them boring, … Read more

The neighborhood chili cook-off was in twelve hours and I’d completely forgotten. I mean, completely. My friend Jenna texted me at 10 PM the night … Read more