Comfort Food Classics

My roommate asked why I couldn’t just dump a block of cream cheese into the chili pot. I started to explain why that wouldn’t work … Read more

Megan wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by her place on a rainy Tuesday to drop off a book I’d borrowed, and the smell … Read more

The power went out at 4:17 on a Tuesday afternoon in late October. I know the exact time because the microwave clock blinked at me … Read more

My friend Jen asked why I couldn’t just dump everything in one pan and bake it. I was mid-sentence, explaining the proper layering technique for … Read more

Hand me that butter dish, my neighbor Gina said, peering over my shoulder as I stared blankly at a pack of chicken breasts on my … Read more

There used to be this little steakhouse off Highway 9, not far from where I grew up, called The Rusty Skillet. It wasn’t fancy—worn leather … Read more

My neighbor Brenda wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I’d stopped by to borrow a lug wrench—my car had made a concerning noise on the way … Read more

There used to be this tiny, unassuming restaurant called The Gilded Onion tucked away on a side street in Portland, Maine, that made a Thanksgiving … Read more

This was supposed to be a simple roasted vegetable side dish for a Friendsgiving potluck—the kind you throw together without thinking, the kind nobody raves … Read more

My younger brother asked why we couldn’t just put the cheese course and the appetizers all on one big board this Thanksgiving. I started to … Read more