Slow Cooker

This was supposed to be stir-fry night. I had the flank steak sliced thin, the broccoli florets washed and ready, and my wok sitting on … Read more

My neighbor, a retired mechanic named Frank who lives three doors down, asked me why I couldn’t just toss the beef into the slow cooker … Read more

My neighbor, an older woman named Rose who keeps a garden that would make a seed catalog jealous, watched me wrestling a whole chicken into … Read more

My work potluck was in six hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing these elaborate dishes—slow-cooked brisket, homemade lasagnas, fancy layered salads … Read more

I was standing in the frozen food aisle of our local grocery store last Tuesday, staring at a bag of shredded hash browns, when the … Read more

This was supposed to be a slow-simmered, from-scratch chicken tortilla soup. I had the dried chiles soaking, the fire-roasted tomatoes ready, and a plan to … Read more

The neighborhood soup swap was in three hours and I’d completely forgotten. Everyone else would be bringing their grandmother’s famous minestrone, or that French onion … Read more

I was standing in the community garden last October, staring at a butternut squash the size of my forearm, when a woman named Clara from … Read more

There used to be a tiny, slightly crooked cafe on the corner of Elm and 4th called “The Red Door Kitchen” that made the most … Read more

There used to be a tiny Italian place tucked between a laundromat and a used bookstore in my old neighborhood—the kind of spot with checkered … Read more