It was too hot to think.Not summer-hot. Emotional-hot. That weird heat that rises when you’re holding too much in — jaw, gut, fists. I opened …

Recipes Inspired by Martha Stewart, Cooked in Real Life
It was too hot to think.Not summer-hot. Emotional-hot. That weird heat that rises when you’re holding too much in — jaw, gut, fists. I opened …
The dog was barking at the wind again and I couldn’t find the lid to the sugar jar. That’s how it started. Not with a …
It started with the pink food coloring.I wasn’t even planning to bake. I’d opened the drawer for a tea towel—one of the good ones, the …
The kitchen smelled like oil before I even started.Not the clean kind. The kind that lingers in your clothes and hair and makes you wonder …
It started with the knife.The dull one. The one I should’ve sharpened weeks ago—the one with the crack in the handle that pinches your thumb …
It was the kind of cold that settles in your joints before you even open the door. Not dramatic snowstorm cold—just the gray, unforgiving chill …
The kitchen smelled like broth and wet rope.Not bad—just strange.November was late this year, and I was late with it. The fridge had grapes rolling …
The radiator was clicking again. That uneven clack it makes when the air’s too dry and I’ve forgotten to bleed the pipes. I wasn’t planning …
The jar already had something in it.Hard to say what. Looked like lemon pulp and regret. I rinsed it half-heartedly, left one seed floating, didn’t …
The milk was already sour. not enough to ruin the cake—just enough to make me remember the fridge in the old place. the one with …