There are pie-eaters and cake-eaters, often fixed in their tastes. But Ovenly, the Greenpoint, Brooklyn, bakery with branches elsewhere in the borough and in Manhattan, has struck a compromise: a cake inspired by pie. Rich six-inch brown sugar cake layers enclose a pie-like salted caramel-apple filling, the entire confection robed in cinnamon buttercream. Serving eight to 10 at the holiday table, it can be ordered now through Nov. 15 for national delivery and pickup at the bakery’s locations from Nov. 22 through 24; delivery orders are shipped frozen Nov. 16 and 21 and arrive by Nov. 23.
Ovenly Caramel Apple Pie Cake, $85.99, oven.ly.
How a Mistake Becomes a Culinary Classic
Oscar Farinetti, the founder of Eataly, has assembled a diverting, book-length collection on how some famous foods and drinks came about. He digs deep into food trivia like the mistake that became chocolate ganache, the family feud that birthed cornflakes and the transformation of Recioto wine into Amarone. History and happenstance meet in 48 well-researched examples.
“Serendipity: A History of Accidental Culinary Discoveries” by Oscar Farinetti (Apollo Publishers, $24.99)
Champagne Inspired by the Cosmos
“I am tasting the stars” is an exclamation about Champagne attributed, on shaky ground, to the 17th century Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon. Now, with the stars in mind, a new sparkling wine, Stargazing Cuvée, has been introduced by Iron Horse Vineyards in Sebastopol, Calif. Joy Sterling, the winery’s chief executive, said it is inspired by the stunning photographs that have been released over the past few months by NASA from the James Webb Space Telescope, one of which, showing the Cosmic Cliffs of the Carina Nebula, graces the bottle’s label. The 2014 vintage is bottled in magnums. A classic blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, the pale gold wine exhibits a fine mousse, lovely toasted notes mingled with white peach and a finish that lingers. Raise a holiday glass or give it as a gift.
Iron Horse Vineyards Stargazing Cuvée, $195 (magnum), ironhorsevineyards.com.
A Spanish Dinner From De Gustibus
This fall’s lineup from De Gustibus Cooking School by Miele, the cooking school based in Macy’s Herald Square, includes a multicourse Spanish dinner demonstrated by Alberto Caballo, the executive chef at Casa Dani in Manhattan West. Pan con tomate with tuna, cod fritters, meatballs in almond and saffron sauce, and cheesecake are the dishes of the evening. There are seats, with a tasting and wine, for those who attend in person ($135), and also an interactive virtual component on Zoom with a provided recipe ($30).
Alberto Caballo, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m., De Gustibus Cooking School by Miele at Macy’s, degustibusnyc.com.
Try Three Chinese Noodle Styles
There’s a lesson in Chinese noodle traditions in the new quickly-prepared frozen kits from Xiao Chi Jie, known as XCJ. There are three, each representing a different style: Sichuan, Shanghai and Beijing. Each kit contains noodles and a sauce that’s heated separately for a single generous serving. The Sichuan Dan Dan wheat noodles, fairly thin, come with a forceful chile-fueled topping that can be ordered with ground pork or plant-based “Impossible Pork.” Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles are thinner and tasty, with fried scallion topping. Thicker Beijing Zha Jiang Noodles are mingled with a slightly sweet soybean sauce and a choice of pork or plant-based “meat.” All varieties benefit from additional salt or soy sauce and freshly chopped scallions. They’re from a Chinese food company that started in a Seattle restaurant and now sells its specialties nationwide.
XCJ Noodle Kits, $32.99 to $38.99 for four servings, thexcj.com.
‘Jewelry for the Table’
Carey Portzline and Meri Kemp, the owners of Thread and Whisk, a Portland, Ore., based source for market totes, aprons and tabletop accessories, have come up with a clever bead and leather trivet to protect the table. Inspired in part by beaded bracelets and made from birch wood, leather and jute, they call it jewelry for the table. Like a flower, some of the leather petals can be opened or closed to adjust the size.
Lotus Trivet, $46, threadandwhisk.com.
