On rare occasions, I do manage to escape the bakery. (Sometimes, we get calls at nine o’clock at night from unknowing customers wishing to place bread orders, who are unaware that we live here, too.) To celebrate our daughter Jamie’s 24th birthday this month, we’d purchased for her two tickets to see “Kinky Boots” on Broadway. Her ultimate decision to take her mom with her to see it made it a double celebration. As Jamie and I made our way to our seats—center orchestra—in the

After all the end-of-year celebrations and far too many rich, gourmet meals consumed, it’s a relief to go back to cooking simple meals at home. Since I’m not the most organized person when it comes to food preparation—it’s an ongoing joke at our house that I’ll make a recipe without a key ingredient—it’s a safe bet to go for something that doesn’t require a shopping list of ingredients, such as pizza. All you need is a can of pureed tomatoes, garlic, cheese, and, of course,