It Takes the Cake

We like this wire cake stand for the things it’s not: frilly, cutesy. And despite its Industrial Age material, it’s not hard-edged and high-tech either. (It would be, however, a lovely way to soften a minimalist dining room.) At heart, it would seem most at home in a tasteful French bistro. Indeed, wire art accessories have been coming from France recently, but they haven’t been cheap. This stand isn’t from France, but it is affordable.

Turkart cake stand, $28, at Windows, Pasadena.

This Fruit Is Flammable

Dining by candlelight doesn’t have to be elegant and serious. Light up an Avar pear and maybe an orange or two and you can have candlelight without attitude.

Avar fruit candles available for $5 to $6 per candle by phone order. Call or fax (619) 492-1204.

Haute Sauce

If we had to choose, we’d rather have New York chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten find a way to sell his poached foie gras from Jean-Georges or his chickpea fries from Jo Jo at our local supermarket. For now, we’ll take his peanut sauce from Vong, the second of his three restaurants. It’s a good staple to have on hand to toss with pasta and vegetables or to use as a dip for grilled satay.

Available at Williams-Sonoma stores.

COOKBOOK WATCH

In her newest book, food writer Nancy Harmon Jenkins explores, as the title explains, “The Flavors of Puglia” (Broadway Books, $25). Puglia is one of Italy’s last regions to be explored by American cookbook writers and, judging by the recipes--chickpeas and handmade pasta, dried fava beans with bitter greens, oven-braised lamb with greens--the area is worth a cook’s attention.