D. Walker - The Snacking Dead

3 To make the gravy, crumble the sausage into a heated skillet and cook until brown all over, about 5 minutes; drain the meat on a paper towel–lined plate. Leave the fat in the pan.

4 Return the skillet to the stove over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk; increase the heat to medium high and simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes.

5 Stir in the sausage and season the gravy with salt and pepper. To serve, split the biscuits and top with generous spoonfuls of gravy.

So-called because they’re about the size of a cat’s skull, cat head biscuits make a hearty breakfast any time of day. Just try not to think too hard about skulls.

S he hunted alone again,far from the swarm. She didn’t mind sharing, but the swarm had no standards. Alone, she could be choosy. She didn’t have to just take whatever she could grab.

Snacks were near. Not the kind of snack that ran around screaming, but small snacks in wooly wrappers that stuck in her teeth. They might fill her until a really fulfilling nosh came her way.

She tackled one as it slept and took a big bite.

“Baaaa!” said the snack.

But it wasn’t really up to snuff. Something wasn’t right. She paused and stared blankly at her dinner. Hunger burned her from the inside out, but her hands wouldn’t bring the snack to her mouth. Her frustration grew.

She shambled over to some tall grass. She ripped some fragrant leafy plants up by the roots and returned to her meal with them. She dropped them tentatively on the mound of carnage. The plant wouldn’t help fill her hunger, but the smell was nice and it enhanced the overall experience. She went back to chewing.

When she was done she stumbled around after the other wooly snacks for a long time, but they were awake now and trotted away faster than she could follow.

Somehow she knew this was all wrong. Nothing satisfied her. The dark painful hunger drove her ever onward, but she knew she could do better with a little effort. She just wanted the pain and hunger to end.

Eventually she wandered out of the trees and saw a building with a door. She had her heart set on the shrieking, fearful snacks that she loved best, and buildings with doors were where they usually were.

The awful hunger had already caught up with her again. It drove her inside.

serves 6

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed

½ cup heavy cream or whole milk, or more as needed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1 pound lean ground beef

½ pound ground lamb

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup fresh or frozen peas

¼ cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving

1 Fill a medium pot with cold water, add the potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and then cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.

2 In a small pot over low heat, warm the cream and melt the butter. Add the warm mixture to the cooked potatoes and, with a masher or fork, mash the potatoes. If the potatoes are too dry, add more cream or milk as needed. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, or to taste, and set aside.

3 Preheat the oven to 425°F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onion and carrot and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and lamb, using your spoon to break up the meat. Stirring occasionally, cook until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain any excess fat and then add the dried thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, black pepper, Worcestershire, tomato paste, and white wine. Stir to combine and cook until the wine is reduced, about 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and then fold in the peas and parsley.

4 Place a 1½- to 2-quart baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread the meat mixture over the bottom of the baking dish and then spread the mashed potatoes over the surface. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the surface of the potatoes is golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes and then serve garnished with more chopped parsley.

A garnish provides a striking contrast to the eye as well as the taste buds, supplying a boost to morale in a world ruled by wilted undead.

S omething smelled really, really good.Something that was more than a snack, something that made her whole body wobble.

The building was dark and twisty. Large sharp things sat everywhere. But she was sure if she looked hard enough, she’d find the snack.

As the scent grew more distinct, even her raging hunger couldn’t mask a new feeling that was working its way upward inside her. Images ran through her decomposing brain. Someone’s hand on hers. Hunting together. Sleepy sexy eyes. Taking the head off a snack, not with her teeth, but with a sharp, metal gleam. She liked the gleam. She dreaded it, but it comforted her.

She followed the luscious scent with halting steps. The snack stood there waiting for her. The snack didn’t run. Good snack, good. End this hunger. Nothing else mattered.

The snack stood up from behind a large machine. It had big, juicy arms that made her feel itchy. This was the snack for her, had always been the one for her.

She felt her body leaning forward, mouth first. She wanted to feed on it. She wanted to feed it. She wanted just to look at it. She opened her arms. Did it want her as much as she wanted it?

The snack raised an arm and moved forward, a bright, cutting gleam in its hand. The sharp thing whistled sweetly and plunged deep into her head. The last vestige of her rotted brain stem surged and went dark.

She went limp and fell with a grateful gurgle. The hunger had left her in peace at last.

makes about 36 meatballs

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

½ onion, finely chopped

1 pound ground pork

½ cup bread crumbs

½ cup heavy cream

1 large egg

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Coarse kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup beef or chicken stock, warm

2 tablespoons sour cream