A scoop of dark chocolate, gianduja or coffee is what you might expect at a typical gelateria almost anywhere in the world. At the bright new Sundaes Best gelateria, in Manhattan’s Koreatown, you’ll also find ube, kalamansi, and injeolmi (mochi Korean rice cake). Bobby Kwak, the restaurateur best known for Baekjeong Korean Barbecue, and Joseph Ko, a partner in that restaurant company, opened the shop after Mr. Ko spent time in California learning how to make gelato and acquiring the needed equipment. Mr. Ko worked with the chef Michael Sim, another partner, in developing the recipes. They thought the lower butterfat and sugar in gelato would be compatible with some Asian taste preferences. Cups and cones start at $6.95 for two scoops. There are mochi doughnuts for $3.25. Oh, and they do not compose sundaes.
Sundaes Best, 4 East 32nd Street, sundaesbestny.com.
Grandma’s Miso Barbecue Sauce
Grandma at the grill? Justin Gill’s Japanese American grandmother, Judy Yokoyama, is ready. She gave the family’s treasured barbecue sauce recipe to her grandson four years ago. Mr. Gill took the commercial route with the sauce, labeling it Bachan, which means granny in Japanese. The ruddy condiment, a riff on tare sauce, is made mainly with soy sauce, mirin, ginger, scallions and garlic, and is packed in squeeze bottles. Joining the original, hot and spicy, yuzu and gluten-free varieties is a new umami-rich miso flavor that glorified my slab of St. Louis ribs as both marinade and baste, from one granny to another.
Bachan’s Miso Japanese Barbecue Sauce, $12.99 for 17 ounces, bachans.com.
What to Do With All Those Cucumbers
Farm stands are starting to overflow with Kirby cucumbers, and those summer sandwiches demand bread-and-butters alongside. And this week, to learn about pickling, you could tune into “Pickles Demystified,” with Sandor Katz and Ann Toback in a virtual session from the Museum of Jewish Heritage, at Battery Park. Mr. Katz is a food writer who specializes in fermentation and Ms. Toback is the chief executive of Workers Circle, which promotes Jewish and Yiddish culture. They will discuss all sorts of fermented vegetables, and how they’re made.
“Pickles Demystified With Sandor Katz and Ann Toback,” Thursday at 6 p.m., free for all, though a $10 donation is suggested, mjhnyc.org/picklesdemystified.
The Great Outdoors Deserves Great Cocktails
Packing for a hiking trip takes planning and efficiency, especially when there might be cocktails at trail’s end. Give “Backcountry Cocktails: Civilized Drinks for Wild Places,” by Steven Grasse and Adam Erace, your full attention. A team of experts on drinks and the outdoors contributed their know-how, so along with recipes for an appealing white port peach cobbler; a big batch of honeysuckle punch; the Hiker’s Lament, which starts with store-bought green juice; and a few campfire dishes like grilled trout, they provide advice on dealing with bears, crossing a beaver dam, foraging wild mushrooms and how to pack a cooler. The book has seasonal chapters, all with glorious photography of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Mr. Grasse’s base of operations. There is also a dedication to the Indigenous inhabitants of the region. This hardcover book is too heavy to take on the trail, so take pictures of the pages you need.
“Backcountry Cocktails: Civilized Drinks for Wild Places” by Steven Grasse and Adam Erace (Running Press, $28).
A Burger Bun from BetterBrand
Aimee Yang, who founded BetterBrand in Los Angeles and started selling protein- and fiber-rich bagels with low net carbs in 2021, has introduced hamburger buns with a comparable nutrient profile. The new bun is somewhat dense and lacks the butteriness you expect from brioche. Toasting, condiments and letting the meat juices soak in make a difference. They come in pretzel, sesame and brioche.
The Better Bun, $24 for eight, $36 for 12, $46 for 16, eatbetter.com.
Keep That Chef’s Knife Sharp
Never a dull knife. Any decent cook knows that. You could fill your kitchen with the equipment sold for keeping that edge. A new one, the Horl2, a two-part rolling system developed by a German father and son, Otmar and Timo Horl, is now available in the United States. For a more consistent result a magnetized wooden block holds the knife steady at a precise angle — 20 degrees for most knives, or an optional 15 degrees for the finest blades — while the user rolls the cylinder with a an industrial diamond surface across the blade. You finish with a ceramic disk to refine the process. Having two parts is not ideal but the results are worth it. There are three models: the Horl2 Cruise, for $139, only provides the 20-degree angle; the wood Horl2 is $189; and the Horl2 Pro, with an internal gear that makes it faster, is $429. Accessories, including holders and extra disks, are available.
Horl2 Sharpener, horl.com/us/en.
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