Sylvia, thanks for refining the translation. My Dutch friend Frank sent an email too and he agrees with you.

Thanks, Melinda, for pointing out a couple of omissions in Jonelle's recipe for Oh So Good Pie. The amount of sugar is 2 cups. As for cooking it--Jonelle says she cooks it at 375 for 10 minutes, then lowers the temperature to 325 for about 20 more minutes, until it's firm and just golden brown. You can store it in the fridge.

From Christine Webb-Thomas by email: Interestingly enough, I stumbled across an interview of Pamela Druckerman this morning on Radio France Internationale. She was handing out her advice--all of it interesting. Too late for me since my youngest is 25 and, as I recall, didn't sleep through the night until he was 12 (or at least it seemed that way), and was best at interrupting even the briefest of phone conversations. There was something magnetic about being needed most at the instant the phone rang. . . I grew up with rice pilaf that my mother cooked often starting with sauteed onions in butter, then adding the rice for a few minutes before adding double the amount of broth, turning it way down to simmer and cooking with the top on. Makes for lovely rice. I'd love to be able to make sticky rice, however, the kind one uses in sushi. Do you have a magic bullet for that, Lynn?

From Andra Paddio by email: The Wisdom of French Parenting? I beg to differ, Pamela Druckerman. Wisdom? NOT! "Image and Reality: A French Passion" Based on my personal experience, children are simply not encouraged to have a normal or fun childhood in France. Perhaps it is because of this, that the French are known for their French indifference and stoic attitudes - this really is "What makes France So French"! (a reference to my first book).

Sue, I'd never heard of Cherry Heering either, had to look it up---I was sure it was spelled wrong, but no! It's a Danish liquor, not too sweet but with the taste of black cherries. Sounds yummy, n'est pas?