The Lost Strudel

I have a certain soft spot for Nora Ephron even though I find a lot of her work schmaltzy. As the author of Heartburn, When Harry Met Sally and You've Got Mail, she not only weaves food into her tales, but also understands the importance of food institutions to New Yorkers. Afterall, who could forget Meg Ryan's feigned orgasm in Katz's deli? And You've Got Mail is as much a paean to the Upper West Side as it is a love story. Food as a metaphor? What about food as a character?

This column about losing and rediscovering the cabbage strudel is a delight to read.