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Perfect waffles, simplyGood morning, and happy Mother’s Day! It’s a bittersweet one for me because I miss my mom, Rita, who died in 2023. If she were still here, we’d be going to her house with bagels and lox and a batch of something homemade and citrusy — lemon bars or a tangy, cookie-crusted tart. My mother would, if necessary, accept a dessert made from chocolate or caramel, but lemon was always the flavor she loved best. What’s on the Mother’s Day menu in your family? Do you go for bagels and lox or breakfast sausage and frittata? Are you a pancake household, or a waffle one? We lean waffles for reasons of crunch, and the way those little indentations are so perfect for holding butter and syrup. These classic waffles are in heavy rotation because they have a feathery texture and slight tartness from yogurt mixed into the batter. And you can whip these up from pantry staples in about half an hour. Featured Recipe WafflesAlso on the menuOven bacon: Extra-crispy and supremely easy to make, Ali Slagle’s bacon is an ideal partner for waffles, pancakes, eggs or as the foundation of a BLT. Black bean chilaquiles: You’ll need thick tortilla chips, either homemade or store bought, to make Cybelle Tondu’s smoky, spicy chilaquiles, which also feature homemade tomatillo salsa, canned black beans and plenty of avocado. Shakshuka with feta: Adding a little crumbled feta to this traditional Middle Eastern and North African egg dish gives it a creamy saltiness that goes well with the runny yolks and spicy, tomato-pepper sauce. Serve it with flatbread or challah to mop up every cumin- and paprika-scented drop. Edna Lewis’s busy day cake: This simple, buttery cake dusted with nutmeg is just as good for breakfast as it is for dessert or an afternoon snack. The recipe is adapted by Korsha Wilson from Edna Lewis’s beloved cookbook, “The Taste of Country Cooking,” which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. You can read more about Edna Lewis and her deep influence in Korsha’s great article here. Reading and eatingThis Mother’s Day has me thinking about a couple of mother-daughter memoirs that really moved me: Vivian Gornick’s “Fierce Attachments” and Elissa Altman’s “Motherland.” Like me and my own mother, both Ms. Gornick and Ms. Altman grew up in Jewish families in 20th century New York City. Their stories certainly deepen my understanding of that postwar, proto-feminist milieu my mother came up in. But the real resonance is universal: Mother-daughter relationships are complicated and very rich in so many ways. Do you have a favorite mother-focused memoir? Let me know at hellomelissa@nytimes.com. I’m always looking for my next great read. That’s all for now. I’ll be back tomorrow. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started.
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