Appetizers and Sides

The oven was already hot.Not for any good reason—just leftover heat from Mae roasting sweet potatoes for a salad she forgot to finish.And I had …

The mayonnaise had a crust. I used it anyway. That’s the kind of day it was—fogged in, fridge humming too loud, the cat staring at …

I wasn’t going to bake.It was too warm for it. One of those spring days that pretends to be summer until the wind snaps back …

The towel was already damp. not from use—just air. thick, April kind of damp. the kind that clings to your jaw, not your skin. I …

I didn’t mean to make anything.There was still toast on the counter from the morning, still coffee in the pot I hadn’t touched since eight, …

Didn’t plan on making anything.The house was quiet in that lonely way. Not peaceful. Just… low. I hadn’t slept well. Mae texted from college about …

It was too hot to bake.I did it anyway. The bread started with spite, as most of my best things do. Mae had left the …

I wasn’t planning on latkes.I was trying to clean the freezer. That’s how it started. Found the applesauce Mae made last year—pink, lumpy, way too …

The fridge was humming like it had something to prove.Mae hadn’t texted back. The house smelled like rain that wouldn’t commit.And I needed to chop …

It wasn’t planned. I wasn’t hungry. I wasn’t even looking for a recipe. I was just trying to shove the junk drawer closed and the …