Hand me that squash, my neighbor said without even looking up. She was watering her front porch plants, and I was awkwardly trying to juggle … Read more

I had avoided stuffed winter squash for years. Honestly, it always felt like one of those dishes that looked prettier than it tasted—all that effort … Read more

The office potluck was in four hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing their grandmother’s slow-simmered masterpieces or some elaborate dish they’d … Read more

There used to be a Panera Bread on the corner of Elm Street and Main that I practically lived in during the gray, drizzly winters … Read more

Michele wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by her place on a random Tuesday to pick up a book I’d lent her, and the … Read more

I was standing at the counter of a tiny hardware store in rural Iowa, waiting for someone to cut me a new key, when the … Read more

I was standing in the canned goods aisle at the grocery store last Tuesday when the smell of cumin hit me — not from a … Read more