Things I think are funny: there are no fewer than ten--that's 10, x, diez, dix--recipes for brisket in my daughter's elementary school family cookbook (yes, I counted). Three recipes for mandelbrot. Six for cheesecake. Everyone hide! The Cossacks are coming!

It's nice that in this day of postmodern, fusion, fresh-ingredients-from-all-over-the-world eating, when it comes down to the heirloom recipes, we don't want no steenking jicama or coriander.