Leah Eskin

They have Santa and carols and presents under the tree. We have potato pancakes. I'm good with this division of revelry. Except for the lights. Lights are pretty. They're twinkly....

The massive holiday meal should be followed by a trifle of dessert. Nothing so overbearing as to make the revelers repent, and nothing so trifling as to be mistaken for...

Downloading apps is a compelling pastime. As soon as you get your Angry Birds and Grocery iQ nicely aligned, it's time to download something new. Just like the cocktail party....

The first time papa brought a babka, it was gone in a flash. He set the white bakery box on the kitchen table, then turned to get a knife. There...

The kitchen staff is housed in the kitchen. Company policy dictates that pots, pans and wooden spoons work and live on the premises. The serving staff — platters, bowls and...

Sports confuse me. First the ball rolls one direction. Then the other. Who can keep track? Other parents, apparently. They shout strange incantations. Like: "Match up!" Or: "Good eye!" I'm...

Sunday seemed like a good day for pot roast. It would scent the house homey, which is nice, especially when someone's actually home. We dropped by the butcher. We chose...

"Mad Men" drives its audience mad. Who knew that the repressive '60s had such style? Who knew that sexism, duplicity and drinking made such engaging hobbies? Who knew that the...

If beans competed on "Project Runway," the cranberry bean would win. The ordinary bean loafs around in the lumpy green pod or the lumpy brown pod. Maybe beige. Maybe russet....

The coconut offers many a charm — sweet milk, squeaky flesh and the architecture of the early brassiere. It also offers many a frustration. To wit: the flake. The snowflake...