The so-called “dry” January offers enough non-alcoholic liquid to float Noah’s Ark these days. New Amaro Falso joins their Non-Alcoholic Fake Negroni. It offers the same blend of herbs, herbs, and citrus as their regular Amaro, making it seriously bitter yet alcohol-free. Comes in individual 200-milliliter (6.8-ounce) bottles with the addition of a bit of baking soda; Serve chilled or over ice before or after a meal. Another splash of seltzer suppresses his aggressive impulses a bit.
Amaro Falso, $59.99 for 12 bottles, stagrestis.com.
Memories of a Napa Valley Wine
Serious viticulture began in the Napa Valley in the 19th century, but its meteoric rise has mostly occurred in the last 50 years, as winemaker Tor Kenward explains in his memoir “Reflections of a Vineyard.” Kenward, who has worked for Beringer Vineyards for decades and co-owner of esteemed Tor Wines since 2001, edited the book month-to-month in almanac style. January is the perfect time to turn it on. What makes it so appealing is the list of notable names and events in the wine and food field, woven into an account of winemaking and history. You’ll meet Joe Heitz, Mondavis, Belle and Barney Rhodes, Karen MacNeil, Jeremiah Tower, Julia Child, Madeleine Kamman, Thomas Keller, Steven Spurrier and even RW “Johnny” Apple from The New York Times. Mr. Kenward’s wife, Susan Costner Kenward, was the founder of the Loaves & Fishes store in the Hamptons. Unfortunately, there is no index.
“Reflections of a Wine Merchant: Stories from a Lifetime and Seasonal Wisdom in Napa Valley” by Tor Kenward (Cameron + Company, $26).
A Bakery Born out of a Pandemic
Another epidemic story: Lucie Franc de Ferriere, who grew up on a farm in southwestern France where her family ran a hostel and bakery, earned a degree in art history and worked in galleries. When the pandemic broke out, she lost her job and started working as a freelance cook at home using what she learned from her mother. Now, the 27-year-old owns her own compact shop, which opened in the East Village on Saturday, with a few seats at a window counter with Instagrammable layer cakes of various sizes lavishly decorated with fresh flowers. “That’s what my family knew,” she said. Homemade, often rustic loaf cakes, cookies, and pies are on the way.
Lucie, 263 East 10th Street (First Avenue), 917-409-0771, fromlucie.com.
Ready Meals from Top Chefs
There have long been high-end meal delivery services for those looking for dinner party-style ready meals. Featuring menus designed by the chefs of Michelin-starred restaurants, Moveable Feast serves parties of four or more. It’s ready and ready now with chef Amanda Cohen’s Dirt Candy in New York for January. The vegetarian menu includes Cheddar and parsley Chex snacks, seaweed “caviar” sandwiches, semolina cauliflower schnitzel, chopped salad, sauerkraut, gigante beans, amba (pickled mango) and labneh buttered baguette, and popcorn pudding. Prepared meals and other ingredients are well packaged, instructions (printed, QR code and video) are clear and efficient, and quantities are generous. February brings Ernest to San Francisco, followed by restaurants like Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colo., and Compère Lapin in New Orleans. Dinner for four is $385, eight is $770, and dinner for 12 is $1,155 including shipping; Availability in 10 states. (Nationwide shipping will begin in March.) This is the work of John Stubbs, owner of Jewel of the South; Jon Sybert of Tail Up Goat and Revelers Hour in Washington, DC; and Ricardo Reyes, a marketing expert.
moveablefeast.io
Oui Has Escargot at FreshDirect
In a corner of FreshDirect’s expansive warehouse in the Bronx, with Cheerios, ketchup, and fresh broccoli heads, the online grocery store has now got a handful of snails on your doorstep. Shelled plump French snails stuffed with oui, parsley, and garlic butter come frozen and are imported from Nomade des Jardins, a snail breeder in Adriers, western France. They’re in a foil tray ready to pop in the oven and are sizzling on the table in less than 10 minutes. At a little more than a dollar each, they’re cheaper than oysters, and you’ll have to tear yourself apart from their shells. Much better if your arsenal is equipped with the appropriate grapples and thin forks. But you can hold the hot crust with a napkin and use a hors d’oeuvre selection to pop the delicious bites. Crunchy bread is a must for the mat.
Escargots, $12.99 for 12, freshdirect.com.
Kalustyan Enters the Sauce Game
Cookbook author and creator of Indian food products Maya Kaimal introduced Simmer Sauces nearly 20 years ago. Kalustyan’s, the encyclopedic spice store in Murray Hill, was among the first to sell them, and now the store has launched its own line of shelf-stable scalding sauces. They offer five : Malabar Coconut Curry, Khorma Curry, Vindaloo Spicy Curry, Makhni Tikka Masala and Kadai Tomato Masala. Khorma, Malabar and Tikka Masala are thick, smooth and slightly spicy. Kadai is bulkier and stronger in flavor, and Vindaloo is oily, red and hottest. At its most basic, you can heat them up with shrimp, meat, fish, chicken, vegetables, tofu or paneer and serve them over rice.
Kalustyan’s Indian Simmer Sauces, 12 ounces, $7.99, foodofnations.com.
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