The Comfort Issue

What I’m cooking and a soothing Sondheim song

Nov 04, 2024

How is everyone doing?

I’m feeling a little…anxious. I thought we all could use a little comfort right now, and I certainly could use the distraction, so I decided to make a spur-of-the-moment newsletter.

When Nicholas was little, his favorite song for me to sing to him was “Not While I’m Around”. It always made him feel better. Of course, it concerned me that the one song that would soothe my boy was from Sweeney Todd. 😄

In 2008, I gave a 2-act Sondheim concert at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona with my long-time pianist, Alex Rybeck. When I was putting together my program, I wrote to Steve and asked him if he knew if any of his shows had been produced in Barcelona. A week later, a package arrived with the recording and Catalan translation of Sweeney Todd.

It wasn’t easy, but I learned “Not While I’m Around” in Catalan with the assistance of Broadway actress Donna Murphy’s late husband, Shawn Elliott. While digitalizing cassettes and VHS tapes (one of my Pandemic projects), I came across my Barcelona concert and put “Res No Haurà de Témer” on my YouTube channel.

I watched the video yesterday and I was struck by how soothing it was to hear the song in another language. I stripped the audio so you can listen to it without distraction. (Thanks to

Rob Walker

for inspiring me to try my first audio element for this newsletter.)

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And here is the video from the concert— it includes the story I told the audience and their very kind reception. I probably butchered the language, but they appreciated my effort to learn a song in Catalan!

I’ve had this idea about recording an album called “Lullabies for Grown-Ups”. “Not While I’m Around” would be a nice song to include.

So, what’s everyone making for dinner on Tuesday night?

In 2016, Nicholas came to our house for election night. He told me “I want to be with my Mom if the first female president is elected. Or if the unthinkable happens.” Nicholas is coming up again tomorrow night. After I vote, I’m going to cook some comfort food—dishes with a lot of melted cheese—hunker down and pray for a better outcome.

Here are some of my favorite cozy, gooey dishes to make.

Pasta Rustica with Chicken Sausage and Three Cheeses (My Mom LOVED this and always requested that I make it when she came to my house. Dan requested that I make it for election night.)

Gnocchi Lasagna with Spinach, White Beans, and Sausage (My friend Joe Thalken shared this recipe with me— it’s kind of similar to the recipe above, but a little lighter. I make it with Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi.)

Spicy Butternut Squash Pasta with Spinach (Another delicious Yasmin Fahr recipe—I buy pre-cut squash and use 8 oz of pasta—fresh mozzarella is a must.)

Tuna Casserole (A childhood favorite, this is Nicholas’s request for tomorrow night. The recipe is based on a recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, the first cookbook my Mom ever gave me. I haven’t made this in years!)

What are you having for dinner on Tuesday night? If you have any favorite cozy recipes, please share them in the comments!

And I knew I made it when…

Last week, I canceled my Washington Post subscription. (Like over 250,000 other subscribers) Imagine my surprise when the British tabloid The Daily Mail referenced a tweet of mine about the subject. Ha!

Drawing As Anti-Anxiety Meds

I subscribe to a lot of Substack newsletters, including several by artists. DrawTogether with WendyMac by

Wendy MacNaughton

is one of my favorites. This came into my inbox yesterday- I love Wendy’s suggestion that we all draw together on Tuesday night, and she includes some fun Anti-Anxiety Drawing exercises. I want to do this- care to join me? CLICK HERE TO READ

Where in the World is Liz?

On Wednesday, I’m off to Fayetteville, AR for three concerts. Other gigs include 5 shows (and a livestream) Thanksgiving week in NYC with my sister, Ann; symphony concerts in Kentucky and Florida; and two Caribbean music cruises.