Things aren't always black and white...

Things aren't always black and white, but I sure love when they are! I am an obsessive rule-follower. The kind that actually arrives at the doctor's office 15 minutes before my appointment because that's what I was told to do. Even though I know we'll be sitting in the waiting room with 15 snotty-nosed, hacking kids for at least an hour.

The kind that plans trips and activities around my four-year-old's school schedule so that she doesn't miss pre-K. Not that her attendance really counts for anything. But she's supposed to be there. I even remember as a kid that my mom would beg me to stay home from school for a day so we could play or I could recover more fully from an illness, but I refused every time.

And when I bake or cook, I scrape the top of the measuring spoon or cup so I can put in EXACTLY the right amount of an ingredient that the recipe calls for.

I've never been late to work. Or received a speeding ticket. Or had a cavity, since I obsessively brush my teeth every morning and night (unfortunately, flossing is not yet one of my "rules").

I guess you could say that a lot of things are very black and white in my mind.

And maybe that's why I love classic New York City black-and-white cookies so much. And last month, I stumbled upon the best of the best...the black-and-white at Orwasher's Bakery on the Upper East Side.

The cookie is cakey, yet dense enough not to be crumbly. The thickness of the cookie is perfectly balanced with a thin layer of delicious fondant frosting. And surprisingly, I liked the white side just as much as the chocolate! The vanilla fondant was sweet with a slight hint of almond flavoring. And the black side was a rich dark chocolate that I would be happy to have coating any cookie, or fruit, or a peanut butter sandwich, or almost anything! Now to try their highly recommended jelly-filled donuts. I was also thrilled to learn that Orwasher's has a presence closer to us in the All Good Things market in TriBeCa!

Also, if you're looking for another good black-and-white, you must hit up Glaser's Bake Shop, also of the Upper East Side. Their cookies are a close second in my opinion.

Despite the joy brought by easy black and white decisions and the delicious cookies of the same name, it's best that those grey areas exist. And that the very best bites of every black-and-white are those straight down the middle with both the chocolate and vanilla. And in the words of the wise Jerry Seinfeld, the world would be a better place if we just "look to the cookie!"