Appetizer Recipes

I was sitting in a waiting room—my car’s oil change, not exactly a glamorous setting—when the man next to me, a retired plumber named Frank, … Read more

The neighborhood pumpkin carving party was in four hours and I’d completely forgotten about the snack assignment. Everyone else would be bringing elaborate dips, perfectly … Read more

There used to be a tiny wine bar tucked behind a vintage bookstore in downtown Asheville called The Gilded Grape that made what I still … Read more

The Halloween classroom party was in three hours and I’d completely forgotten. My son’s teacher had sent home that permission slip weeks ago, and it … Read more

I was standing in the frozen food aisle last Tuesday—just grabbing a bag of peas, nothing special—when a kid zoomed past me in a full … Read more

I was at my accountant’s office last April, staring at a stack of receipts I’d rather forget, when Mr. Henderson—a man who wears suspenders and … Read more

My neighbor Jen wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a ladder—our fence had taken a beating in that last windstorm—and the … Read more

The plumber was fixing the leak under my kitchen sink—the one I’d been ignoring for a week—when he started talking about pretzels. Not about pipe … Read more

My nephew took one look at the board I was putting together, pointed at the Candy Corn Grapes, and said, “Wait, those are just grapes? … Read more

The legs. Honestly, that’s what I was after. Not the creamy yolk filling, not even the perfect hard-boiled egg white—just those eight spindly black olive … Read more