Last Tuesday night in Tennessee, bluegrass

musicians David and Virginia Blood were busy

making sandwiches. In Pittsburgh, real estate

agent Michelle Bushee was stirring a pot of

homemade black-bean chili in her kitchen

instead of shepherding curious buyers through

potential dream homes. Marty Prudenti, whose

nights are usually spent working backstage at

New York City’s Lincoln Center, was in his Long

Island backyard grilling burgers for his twins.

And in Texas, Babette Maxwell — who would

otherwise have been running at least one of her

three teenage sons to sports practices or school

events — was Googling recipes to engineer

homemade versions of her boys’ favorite Taco

Bell items.

VIRUS SENDS

A NATION OF

RESTAURANT-

GOERS BACK TO

THE KITCHEN