Comfort Food Classics

Marcus wasn’t trying to impress anyone with his cooking skills. I’d stopped by to return a borrowed set of cast iron skillets and the smell … Read more

The rain was hammering against the windowpane, a rhythmic drumming that usually helps me sleep. But tonight, the house was too quiet, and my stomach … Read more

The neighborhood cookie exchange was in three hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing their grandmother’s secret recipes—elaborate layered bars, perfectly piped … Read more

My daughter asked why I couldn’t just stir the risotto from a can instead of standing there for forty minutes. I started to explain why … Read more

My neighbor, Mrs. Gable, watched me struggling with a jagged knife and a stubborn acorn squash on my porch steps. She didn’t say anything at … Read more

My husband had sworn off stuffing for a solid decade. Ten Thanksgivings came and went, and he’d politely slide the bowl past his plate without … Read more

I was standing in the frozen food aisle last November, staring at a cardboard box of green bean casserole like it held the answers to … Read more

This was supposed to be a simple roasted chicken dinner. I had the bird seasoned, the potatoes quartered, and a beautiful pile of sweet potatoes … Read more

My friend Jenna asked why I couldn’t just blend roasted squash into the cheese sauce instead of making a separate puree to stir in at … Read more

My husband had sworn off stuffed squash for years. Five years, actually. Ever since a rubbery, under-seasoned version at a holiday potluck turned him into … Read more