Appetizer Recipes

My brother-in-law Mark swore he hated soft pretzels. For years. And I mean, this guy would turn up his nose at the whole concept—too doughy, … Read more

There used to be a sports bar called The Rusty Nail over on 12th Street, the kind of place with sticky floors, a jukebox that … Read more

There used to be a sports bar on the corner of Elm and 5th in my old neighborhood—The Rusty Nail, they called it—that made the … Read more

My neighbor Marcus wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a folding chair for a backyard barbecue and the smell hit me … Read more

The tailgate was in six hours and I had absolutely nothing prepared. My buddy Marcus texted me that morning—”You’re on appetizers, right?”—and I’d completely forgotten. … Read more

My sister asked me why I couldn’t just dump everything into one bowl instead of fussing with separate layers. I started to explain why that … Read more

This was supposed to be a calzone. I had the dough proofing, the ricotta draining, the whole plan mapped out in my head for a … Read more

I was waiting in line at the hardware store, of all places, holding a new showerhead I didn’t really know how to install, when the … Read more

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much. My neighbor, a quiet guy named Leo who mostly keeps to himself, had mentioned he was “throwing some stuff on … Read more

My sister-in-law, Jen, wasn’t trying to be the star of the Halloween party. I’d stopped by to drop off a bag of my nephew’s outgrown … Read more