The Other Sides of the Black and White Issue

I am a 40-something native Angeleno and (together with my brothers and husband) have always enjoyed black-and-white cookies (“Black-and-White, Eaten All Over,” April 17). In my childhood there were many more Jewish bakeries than today near my grandmother’s house in the Beverly-Fairfax area. Black-and-whites were a staple.

For a short time, my family moved to San Francisco where there were no black-and-whites to be found. My grandmother would order dozens of them at a time, have them frozen and walk off of the plane carrying pink bakery boxes which we would cherish until her next visit, or our next visit to L.A. My children now love these as well.

JODY LITVAK

Los Angeles

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I was thrilled to see an article about one of my favorite treats until I realized that my favorite source of black-and-white cookies in the San Fernando Valley was omitted. S & J Baking Co. in Northridge, formerly Brown’s Bakery of North Hollywood, has without a doubt the best-tasting black-and-white cookie. The others don’t even come close.

MOLLIE BARON

Via E-mail

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Thanks for the article on one of my favorite comfort foods: black-and-white cookies. As a kid, I used to nudge my mom into buying them for me on her trips to the now-defunct Brown’s Bakery in North Hollywood. For some reason, they were known as “drop” cookies in our household.

SANDY SIEGEL

Via E-Mail

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I would like to take writer Rick Nahmias to Germany and he would find black-and-white cookies in every bakery by the name of “Amerikaner.”

RENATE TRIES

Lake Forest

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I have fond memories of this cookie, having grown up in New York. Whenever I’m on Fairfax Avenue I always make sure to stop at Canter’s Deli and bring some home with me. As the article states, the key is to make sure they’re moist.

JAY SANFORD

Los Angeles

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I was totally surprised that you did not mention the best black-and-white cookie in Los Angeles, made at Fred’s Bakery on Robertson Boulevard. I have tasted the other bakeries’ black-and-whites and, truly, none can compare to Fred’s Bakery.

SYLVIA WEISS

Los Angeles

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I was very interested to read about your black-and-white cakes. In New Zealand, we have made for many years “neenish tarts,” which are made of a short pastry tart shell with a mixture of icing sugar, butter, lemon juice, condensed milk, in the middle with icing on top. Yes, half-chocolate, half-white. These are very popular, also very rich. I have known my late mother to make these for parties as they kept in the freezer. She made these since she was a little girl, more than 50 years ago.

ANN McNICKLE

Auckland, New Zealand

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Anyone with a sense of history and perspective knows they are half-moons, not black-and-whites, and that it is impossible to get a decent one west of the Hudson River, much less in Los Angeles. For a real half-moon, order them from Hemstrought’s Bakery in Utica, NY, (315) 735-3313, and then the deprived of Los Angeles will have their senses awakened.

BERNIE ROSWIG

Culver City

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I laughed when I read the article on black-and-white cookies because my husband is totally addicted to them and suffers withdrawal if he doesn’t have one each evening with his glass of milk. However, I was very disappointed that the writer did not mention Stolichnaya Bakery at Santa Monica and Fairfax, where they not only make the best black-and-white cookies this side of Zabar’s, but also a wide variety of other excellent cookies, pastries and breads.

DENISE McCABE

West Hollywood