All on the Table

Grief Closed Me Off to Love. His Salmon Dip Made Me Reconsider

Losing her father (and a string of bad dates) made writer Laurel Braitman think romance wasn't for her.

Laurel Braitman

We Said We’d Be Friends Forever. This Dish Started It All

On a stoop in Brooklyn, I met my new neighbor. When she invited me in for meat-filled pastelillos, fried golden and crisp, my whole life changed.

Jacqueline Woodson

culture

I Was Prepared for Blending Cultures. I Was Not Prepared for Jell-O Salad

After marrying into a Mormon family, my Thanksgiving table got a bit more…wobbly.

MacKenzie Chung Fegan

culture

Her Style Was Legendary. So Was Her Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

Anna Barbara Mitchell’s husband was one of the most prominent producers in the music world—and one of the most generous cooks in Memphis.

Dolen Perkins-Valdez

culture

I'd Avoided Apples My Whole Life. At the Foot of Mount Sinai, I Realized Why

“Like an Old Testament Eve, I’d ignored the portents until they caught up with me here," writes poet Rita Dove.

Rita Dove

culture

He Was Smart, Handsome, and Funny. But Would His Taste in Food Be a Dealbreaker?

Writer Adrienne Brodeur was falling in love. The only issue: His affinity for bland foods.

Adrienne Brodeur

culture

My Egyptian Family Was Eager to Meet My American Husband—but What Would They Feed Him?

The problem was serious. They had heard Chris was a vegetarian.

Aisha Abdel Gawad

culture

I Almost Got Away With Playing Hooky. Then I Baked a Cake

I wasn't supposed to have the energy to bake a cake from scratch. So how does a girl hide an entire spice cake before her parents get home?

Julia May Jonas

culture

The Sweet Easter Bread That Finally Won Over My Mother's Italian In-Laws

For my mother, victory meant her in laws' approval—and acceptance.

Adriana Trigiani

culture

After a Family Tragedy, the French Food Markets Just Made Sense to Me

For author Julia Langbein, the market offered no coherent picture of the good life, of easy pleasures and satisfying trades. But there was comfort in its chaos.

Julia Langbein

culture

I Thought My Grandmother's Fried Pie Recipe Was Lost—But My Mother Had Secrets of Her Own

When novelist Andrew Sean Greer's grandmother passed away, he was afraid her beloved family recipe was lost forever. He was wrong.

Andrew Sean Greer

culture

I Was Estranged From My Husband’s Mother. Then He Got Sick—And She Came to Cook

Author Tembi Locke, whose memoir From Scratch inspired the hit Netflix series, shares the untold story of some very special Sicilian cookies.

Tembi Locke

culture

A Waffle Maker Seemed Unnecessary—Until I Shared It With Others

For author Hua Hsu, a single-use appliance brought along a beloved weekend ritual.

Hua Hsu

culture

A History of My Exes—As Bowls of Risotto

When a person dates for 20 years, is it so surprising that many people will come to know her signature dish?

CJ Hauser

culture

It Was Quite Possibly the Worst First Date Ever. Then I Ordered the Scallops

“I’m highly allergic to scallops,” he said, as soon as they hit the table.

Bonnie Garmus

culture

I Thought I'd Have to Break Myself to Feed My Baby. Then I Found These Cookies

An effortless breastfeeding journey is rare, but there are ways to make it gentler.

Jessamine Chan

culture

Over Fried Fish, I Said Goodbye to My Wife—And to a Version of Myself

I thought I could save my marriage by repressing my transness. I couldn’t.

Torrey Peters

culture

Despite the Heaviness I Carried, I Kept Stirring

Cooking the annual lasagna de carne was always Mami’s territory—until the year I had no choice but to take over.

Elizabeth Acevedo

culture

Two Strangers With a Stunningly Intimate Connection Walk Into a Restaurant...

Bestselling author Dani Shapiro had no idea what to expect when she made lunch reservations at a cozy suburban Italian restaurant.

Dani Shapiro

culture

My Mother's Fried Chicken Was a Link to My Past—and My Daughter's Future

Recreating her signature recipe without her meant solving an intergenerational puzzle.

Kwame Alexander

culture

My Life Story in Eight Drinks

From college Kamikazi shots to lounge martinis, novelist Dawnie Walton’s taste in booze has evolved, and so has she.

Dawnie Walton

culture

I Thought Beef Stroganoff Was For Fancy People, Until I Made It My Own

As a Vietnamese refugee growing up in the Midwest, Beth Nguyen spent a lot of time trying to figure out what American was supposed to mean. Turns out she already knew.

Beth Nguyen

culture

With Mommy, Food Wasn’t Simply Sustenance—It Was an Adventure and a Celebration

Maya L. Harris, lawyer, writer, and sister to the Vice President, shares the family traditions she’s passing on.

Maya L. Harris

culture

I Didn't Really Know My Mother. But I Did Know Her Pilaf

An Armenian American meal connects celebrated memoirist Nadia Owusu to a mother and culture she thought she had lost.

Nadia Owusu