Writing
For the Best Tomato Sandwich, Just Add Coleslaw
Walking through a downtown summer festival I passed a tomato-and-coleslaw sandwich stand. To be clear, it was less a "stand" and more a "folding table covered by a vinyl tablecloth next to a Chrysler PT Cruiser charity raffle." While I did not win a PT Cruiser that day, the gift I received was far more valuable.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell for Epicurious
Photo by Alexandra Stafford
The Truth About Kylie Jenner’s Chocolate Chip Cookies and Other TikTok Baking Secrets
Depending on the day, I am either charmed by TikTok baking videos (They’re short! They’re funny! They’re satisfying!) or turned off (Everyone’s making the same recipes! What’s with all the eye contact?). And though I’d been inspired by TikTok on occasion, until recently I hadn’t actually baked from one of the videos, step by step. Curious, I rounded up a few notable examples and tried to do just that.
Grilled Greens for Dinner May Not Sound Like A Lot (But It’s What I’ve Got)
Could you make this on a hot cast-iron grill pan? Sure. But it’d be a little less fun. For me, the quick act of grilling outside is what transforms a bunch of kale, some tomatoes, and a loaf of bread into a proper dinner. When all those components are sizzling on the grill together, and I know a proper meal is on the way, I can pretend for a moment that I’m a person with a normal schedule. Sometimes I even believe that I'm a person who can meal plan.
Photo: Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling: Kate Buckens for Epicurious
Photo: Amanda Hakan for The Fader
Sigrid is the chillest pop star in the world
If listening to a string of Sigrid's low-key pop songs has ever left you with the impression that she’s a talented, versatile artist with a powerful voice and a level head on her shoulders, you'd be right.
Photo: Photo by Christopher Hirsheimer
This Recipe Convinced Me I Could Do COOK90
I’m okay with breakfast, I’m just fine with a 22-minute dinner, but the moment a recipe even hints at being a project? My pulse starts racing. Can I cook? Have I ever cooked before? I just know there will be at least one stress-related fight before dinner is on the table. And in the back of my mind, I’m certain that after hours of labor, what I put out will never look like what [insert influencer] had in their book.
I Found a TV Tray Worthy of Prestige Television
The options available to me on Amazon fell into two categories: "Way Too Whimsical" and "Office-Supply Store Eleganza". Next I tried my luck with the vintage section on Etsy. And while I found some cute and colorful lap trays, I needed something with legs. Even though I'm streaming while dining, I still set out a cloth napkin and a wine glass. (Sorry, I didn't ask to be this way!)
Photo: Photo by Joseph De Leo for Epicurious
Why I Skip the Thanksgiving Food Flex and Always Make Strawberry Pretzel Salad
This is what you need to know about strawberry pretzel salad: It’s a sweet, but it’s not a dessert. As my Memaw might explain, it’s just “a little bit of sugar on your plate at dinner.”
The recipe is so simple I’ve long had it memorized. The crust is butter, sugar, and crushed pretzels. The middle layer is of Cool Whip (one tub), cream cheese (one block), and sugar. It’s topped with a strawberry Jell-O layer, where, in an inspired bit of country chemistry, frozen strawberries take the place of the ice cubes that set the gelatin. The whole thing chills together, and if you’ve done it right, you get three distinct layers best suited for a vintage Pyrex dish.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
Photo by Alex Lau for Bon Appétit
I Never Buy Packaged Produce Unless It’s Butternut Squash
Personally, I can’t justify buying produce that’s been robbed of its natural wrapper, exposed to air, and rewrapped in plastic. Yes, I am specifically talking about summer corn that’s had its ends trimmed and a peekaboo window of the husk peeled off. (Sure, you’ve saved some time but at what cost?) But I am also speaking more generally of the farm-to-plastic-wrapper-to-table pipeline. I find that pre-prepped produce isn’t as tasty—you can’t un-oxidize something once it’s exposed to air. And all that unnecessary packaging! Plus, it’s more expensive. It’s just not for me. Unless we’re talking about butternut squash.