First Person Singular by Wendy Braitman

Browsing Online for Holiday Bargains

This painting, 6.99, is a collaborative piece by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol from 1985. Forget cyber shopping. If you’re lucky enough to be in Paris right now (like my good friend, Matty) go see a retrospective of Basquiat’s exhilarating work at the Musée d’Art Moderne.

Is It Harder to Be Flexible When You’re Single?

As a former dancer, I stretch every day. I’m convinced that being limber is the secret to long life, or at least a life staying upright. But being flexible with others is another story. When it comes to making group decisions (where to eat, what movie to see, how high to keep the heat, which political party should be in power), I don’t like to compromise. This could be an outcome of singleness, or simply a question of temperament. In any case, it’s a good muscle to exercise. Maybe tomorrow.

Image: Dancers, 2010, by James Jean

Celebrating Oil and the Potatoes We Fry In It

Potato latkes are one of my favorite foods, though making them is messy business. On Saturday, I’ll be cooking latkes for eleven people. And the only way I can get through it, is to do something my old-world grandmother never would’ve permitted. Fry them ahead of time, and reheat (425 degree oven, 2-3 minutes) before guests arrive.