Is that classic checkout line question—“How’s your day going?”—intrusive or endearing? Is the dinner party dead? Lastly, who exactly is the “average” home cook?Gathering around the mics this week are Megan Scott, editor, recipe developer, and project manager for The Joy of Cooking; Laura Russell, cookbook author, food writer, and recipe developer; and Heather Arndt Anderson, culinary historian, botanist, and food writer.