(Today, we have a guest FN staff contributor to The FN Dish)

By Secretary Confidential:

I’m stepping away from my desk. Where to? The vending machines! This isn’t a casual snack, but an FN Vending Machine break. Depending on season, scents of chicken pot pie may fill our office.

Shall I select Paula’s amazing Frozen Chocolate Mousse Pie (i heart chocolate) or maybe her yummy Piggy Pudding? (Paula, I love ya but “piggy”? Not a great mental image while I’m digging in.) Ellie’s Spiced Chicken & Grape Skewers or Giada’s Spicy Bean Soup are healthy… Who am I kidding? I want the mousse.

Ok, clearly I’m a little FN delusional. Too much toner, too many stamps, WAY too much coffee! The vending machine doesn’t have Ina’s Chicken Pot Pie, though I’ve requested it as a replacement for Twizzlers. It’s your average, run-of-the-mill vendor. Candies, crackers…you get the idea. Each item only costs a quarter, but nothing fancy here.

I could sneak into the FN kitchens, hope the stars are aligned and find myself munching on a little sumthin’-sumthin’ that was tested for a show, challenge or cookbook. It’s all good there. Wait, is that Anne Burrell heading for a shoot in the kitchen? Definitely time for my snack break!