This bittersweet little confection, which should be made inaccessible to all men and mandatory for all women, is apparently based on an autobiographical incident in the life of its author, also known as the Oscar-winning screenwriter of When Harry Met Sally and the director of Sleepless in Seattle. Heartburn, too, has been made into a reasonably successful film (if success can be measured by the inclusion of Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson in the cast) but as a novel it can stand in almost any company, being funny and sad and smart and packed with no-nonsense and absolutely yummy recipes for such comfort foods as potatoes Anna and bread pudding. How, you may ask? Well, the central character writes recipe books for a living - and, yes, she does throw an exceedingly fruit messy pie at her thoroughly rotten husband. It's the only action which might be predicted in a spicy little narrative which sizzles with conflicting emotions.