SOUND BITES

Claire Saffitz ’s What’s for Dessert is subtitled simple recipes for dessert people and it really sums it up. There’s baked frangipane apples, filo cardamom pinwheels, coffee Stracciatella semifreddo and sticky pumpkin-chestnut gingerbread pudding among other delights. Perhaps the best thing about this book is the ’50s-style photography. $59.99, Murdoch Books.

Uncommonly good

The Uncommon is a new local bubbly wine brand that’s launching in cans rather than bottles. The carbon footprint is 75 percent lighter than a traditional glass bottle and chills faster to boot. Both winesw – the Leonard Bubbly White Wine and Twiggy, BubblyBu Rose Wine hail from Marlborough. The white isis a single vineyard sauvignon blanc and the rosé is a dry,d French-style pinot noir rosé, if you ’re interested. WeW couldn’t get past the awesome can art. $29.99 for a four-pack, wearetheuncommon.co.nz

Waste not, want not

The Wonky Box is a fresh fruit and vegetable subscription service that offers up imperfectly shaped produce that have small blemishes and are the wrong size. When they don’t make the cut, they often end up going to landfill. Angus Simms and Katie Jackson’s Wonky Box means they get the surplus from growers that other retailers would reject and packed it into boxes and delivered throughout Wellington and West Auckland. Everyone’s thrifty grannies would most certainly approve. From $32 a box, wonkybox.nz

F O O D & D R I N K N E W S sound bites

All the ingredients for kitchen and entertaining success

ALCOHOL-FREE ZONE

The crew behind the Curious AF range of alcohol-free mixed cocktails has opened a bottle shop in Ponsonby. After a pop-up in July, the reaction was so great, founder Lisa King thought it high time she made it permanent. It stocks the insanely good Curious AF drinks (the Cuba Libre, Apero Spritz and Cucumber G&T are almost better than the real thing), as well as select alcohol-free wines and spirits and the relaxing nightcap Kin Euphorics launched by Bella Hadid. 5 Crummer Road, Ponsonby, Auckland, af-drinks.com

LAST CALL

GET INTO NEW WORLD TO REDEEM

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WHILE YOU CAN. THE PROMOTION

RUNS UNTIL 8 JANUARY OR FOR AS

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CUT AND PASTE

Rutherford & Meyer’s latest fruit paste is a good ’ un – Pinot & Plum. It’s recommended to pair with hard cheeses such as an aged cheddar, parmesan or gouda. $6.50, rutherfordandmeyer.co.nz