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We are in a long stretch right now. School over, camp not yet begun. Very little break from children.

Very. Little. Break.

(Overheard in my house this morning: “PLEASE. PLEASE just leave me alone when I’m in the bathroom. Please. I’m begging you. Just a few minutes. Please. I NEED PRIVACY JUST FIVE MINUTES OF PRIVACY RIGHT NOW!!!!!!”)

Actually, what I need is a drink. A stiff one. Which brings me to my new boyfriend, Mark Bittman.

Mark Bittman is my boyfriend not simply because his cookbook, How to Cook Everything, is one of the best kitchen purchases I have made. His recipes are simple to master, they call for few ingredients, and they rarely require precise attention to detail. (I’m not the only one who likes it; the book spent a whoppin’ 130 weeks on the Los Angeles Times Cookbook Hot List. His other cookbooks ain’t bad either).

Mark Bittman is my boyfriend not simply because he believes you don’t need expensive gear to be a good cook ($200-$300 should do it says my smart, frugal beau. To which I reply “You mean $221.95 - $321.95, honey!!! Can’t forget your cookbook, among the best evah, Sweetums!).

Mark Bittman is my boyfriend not simply because his recipe for a no-egg vanilla pudding is fast, simple, and super tasty, particularly when made with an actual vanilla bean and local, whole-fat milk (yes, this recipe uses cornstarch. Yes, cornstarch is processed. But I still put this in the category of more-or-less from scratch, and if you do, too, you should try it tonight. It takes 20 easy minutes, and you probably have the ingredients on hand).

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