“Part of the fun of hot pot is mixing and matching your favorite things for a very customizable experience,” Pickowicz says. “If you love meat, get a lot of meat. If you’re vegan, go for vegetables.

My dad always says that at the hot pot table, you could sit next to a stranger, and by the end of the night they’d be your best friend,” Pickowicz writes. “Now, more than ever, we need these moments ...