Shop Globally

We are used to finding all sorts of unusual things for sale on the Internet, but firik and ajvar (pronounced pretty much like “freak” and “Ivar”)? The Global Marketplace carries a wide assortment of food products from all over the world: (https://www.globalfoodmarket.com).

When you sign on, you’re greeted with a choice of places of origin: Eastern Mediterranean, South America, France, India, Israel, Spain and more. Once you choose the cuisine you’re interested in, you get a shopping list of ingredients. The Eastern Mediterranean, for example, features both the merely useful (couscous and various grinds of bulgur) and the truly exotic (firik is toasted unripe wheat; ajvar is a paste of peppers and eggplant). There are also ground Aleppo peppers, black melon seeds and mallow leaves, essential for the Middle Eastern soup meloukhia.

Prices seem reasonable for most things, though the dried beans are a little pricey (one whole segment is devoted to legumes of the world, which average around $4 a pound). There is an admirable selection, though, including scarlet runner, snowcap and tolosana.

There is a minimum order of $25, and delivery is within seven to 10 working days. Prices do not include shipping.

COOKBOOK WATCH

Santa Fe chef Mark Miller of Coyote Cafe fame has just come out with a new book: “Flavored Breads” co-authored by Andrew MacLauchlan with John Harrisson (Ten Speed Press, $19.95). Highlight: a chapter devoted solely to corn bread.

FINDS

Study Fork No More

An English artist has beaten two spoons and two forks into a silver-plated heart-shaped candle holder for the romance season. Moon, June, spoon, baby.

$75 at New Stone Age in Los Angeles.

Can You Find Love in a Bar?

Lovers of flavorful chocolate will go for this Cherries & Almonds in Dark Chocolate bar; as the label indicates, it’s 55% cocoa solids. (The label also says there’s a love poem inside, and there is--an Elizabeth Barret Browning sonnet--but you may have to look through every bit of wrapping before you find it.)

At Williams-Sonoma stores.

Tooled Books

If you were an oyster or caviar cookbook, wouldn’t you feel naked without your respective implement--a silver oyster fork or caviar spade? An outfit called Wrap It Up fills this gap; it packages cookbooks with appropriate little doodads.

“Oysters” with silver fork or “Caviar” with silver spade, $23.95 at Accents in Four Seasons Hotel, Beverly Hills, and at Our Favorite Things, Tarzana; or order directly (add $3 shipping, plus tax) from (619) 631-4787.