D. Walker - The Snacking Dead

¾ pound sliced ham

¼ pound sliced Cheddar cheese

¼ pound sliced pepperoni

1 large tomato, sliced

1 In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, horseradish, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

2 Split the French loaf in half and spread both cut sides of the loaf with the horseradish mayonnaise. Spread the lettuce evenly over the bottom loaf and layer the toppings, starting with the turkey, then Swiss cheese, ham, Cheddar cheese, pepperoni and tomato slices. Top with the top half of the loaf, mayonnaise side down and cut into 4 equal pieces. Serve immediately.

Heroes don’t need to eat their darn veggies—if you can’t get tomatoes and lettuce, leave ’em out.

T here hadn’t been much to hunt in the woods,and now Daryl was too close to town to find anything worth shooting at all. Good thing he knew poison oak from parsley.

He came across a gazebo swallowed by honeysuckle, surrounded by a weedy garden. He sat down on a bench to rest and think about dinner. He had some pitas and a little jar of yogurt the yoga ladies had pushed on him. Probiotic this and whole-grain that. His gut squirmed just thinking about all that hippie stuff. But he didn’t have much of a choice.

He dug through the garden. Pockets of mint and cress were holding out bravely against the ravenous weeds. He picked what he needed, then pulled the thorny weeds around the edible plants. They had a right to survive, too.

The weeds hid more than herbs, though. He found a detached forearm, its skin dried tight, still wearing a medical ID bracelet. A rag of skin covered the name, but whoever it was, in addition to having a missing an arm, was allergic to penicillin.

The salad sandwich was better than no sandwich at all. And anyway, he didn’t really feel like eating meat anymore.

serves 3

1 garlic clove, peeled

3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon salt, plus more as needed

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 small bunch watercress (about 3 cups)

½ small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced fresh mint

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

3 pita breads, halved

1 Violently smash the garlic clove with a pinch of salt and crush into a smooth paste. In a small bowl, combine the garlic paste, yogurt, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir in the olive oil. Set aside.

2 In a medium bowl, toss together the watercress, cucumber, mint, and basil. Dress with garlic yogurt until just coated. Open up the pita halves and stuff the salad into the pockets. Serve.

Knowing what herbs, greens, and other vegetables grow wild in your area can mean the difference between snacking like a king and dying like a rat.

D aryl was at the edge of town now.The houses were closer together and the only sound in the twilight was the crickets. But more houses meant more biters.

He came to a rundown split-level that looked like some lowlife’s squat. There was no decoration inside except a faded Motörhead poster. Kind of place where you just drank till you fell down, puked in the backyard, and raised hell all night long. It felt like home.

In a room with colorless carpet he found a beat-up boom box with a cassette tape still in it. He pulled out the tape—“Metal Mix.” Shit, he bet he knew every song on there by heart. Batteries looked good. He was sorely tempted to flip it on just for old times’ sake.

Daryl had spent a big part of his life in places like this. Had the world really changed that much? Did he miss those friends, the alcoholic assholes whose names he couldn’t recall? Where had the past gone? Where was the girl who’d fed him sandwiches?

He felt a wolf clawing at his insides. No, he could never let anyone close to that beast. But that girl had tamed it a little. The girl had been timid, pretty, and generous, but strong inside. He’d never worked up the nerve to touch her, but, man, he had demolished those sandwiches.

A sound in the backyard woke him from a shallow sleep. He spied six biters back there. Probably more coming. He was too tired to fight.

It was time to party.

He lit a small fire with newspapers in the middle of the room. In the smoky light he cranked up the boom box and hit play.

The flickering light and thundering bass drew the walkers into the house. Safely outside the window he could see them swaying mindlessly around the smoky room, looking around for something to eat, the thudding metal shaking the windows.

It looked pretty much exactly like his life before the outbreak.

He left it behind him without regrets. But he slammed his head to the music as he walked toward his goal in the light of the rising sun.

makes 4 sandwiches

½ cup mayonnaise

1½ tablespoons hot sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Coarse kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large russet potato, peeled

4 slices bacon, cut in half lengthwise

2 tablespoons butter

4 large eggs

4 large English muffins, split and lightly toasted

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

2 cups arugula or lettuce

1 In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

2 Line a medium bowl with a clean dishtowel. Grate the potato directly into the towel-lined bowl. Gather the dishtowel in a bundle and squeeze in a death grip until the potato is dry.

3 Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.

4 Spoon half of the bacon fat into a bowl and return the skillet to the heat. Add half of the potatoes and toss with the bacon fat. Using a spatula, divide the potatoes into four 3-inch round, flat cakes. Cook, turning once, until the hash browns are golden brown and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet, season with salt, and repeat.

5 Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and add a tablespoon of butter. Return to medium heat and swirl the pan until the butter melts. Add 2 eggs and fry to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the eggs to a plate and repeat.

6 Place the English muffin halves, toasted sides up, on a plate. Spread each with a tablespoon of the spicy mayonnaise and top with a hash brown round. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the Cheddar on top of each bottom half. Top the cheese with 2 pieces of the bacon and carefully place an egg on top of the bacon. Top with ½ cup of the arugula and place each second muffin half on top, hash brown side down. Serve immediately.