A Krust above

July 18, 2007

The Keltic Krust in West Newton has long been a destination for Irish folks who miss the scones and soda breads of home. You can even have your tea with a couple of slices of toast made from bread like barnbrack, a light, eggy loaf ($3.75), studded with currants, that is reminiscent of Italian panettone. Nathalie LaPierre and her husband, Christian Prudell, purchased the business earlier this year with another couple, and they've kept the neat, cozy spot as is, with plans to expand into a broader range of European-style pastries. Will the shift include a name change -- to the Euro Krust? Keltic Krust bakery, 1371 Washington St., West Newton, 617-332-9343. -- LEIGH BELANGER

Mix it up this summer

It's summertime, and so living should be easy. Specialty foods manufacturer LollipopTree makes it even easier -- and sweeter, too. The family-owned business, located in Portsmouth, N.H., greets the season with mixes that are simple and natural: blueberry tangerine bread with cinnamon streusel (you can also make muffins), and peppermint brownies with rich Belgian chocolate and Valrhona cocoa. The ingredients you'll need -- eggs, water, and butter -- are probably already in your fridge. Experiment with suggested add-ins such as cookie chunks, mini-marshmallows, or white chocolate chips. Just pour the mixes ($7.50 to $8) into a bowl, stir, bake, and lounge. These decadent baked goods will leave plenty of time for snacking in the sun. River's Edge Card & Gift, 15 Market St., Ipswich, 978-356-2363; Wasik's Cheese Shop, 61 Central St., Wellesley, 781-237-0916; Hingham Gift Company, 61 Water St., Hingham, 781-740-4222; Connors Farm, 30 Valley Road, Danvers, 978-777-1245. -- DANIELLE CAPALBO

Green revolution

Spice & Rice Thai restaurant in Inman Square makes a dessert called tapioca pudding ($3.25), but this isn't your mother's comfort food. It is luminescent green, served in a martini glass. The small tapioca beads are a mix of white and darker green tapioca, explains owner Penjan Kridarsatikorn, and they get their color from pandang leaves, which add a delicate vanilla-like overtone. Suspended in a lightly sweetened coconut-milk base (no milk, no eggs), the beans and bits of sweet corn, palm seed, and small chunks of translucent young coconut offer a pleasing chewiness. There's just the right amount of sugar to make this treat refreshing. Dip the spoon in, and you keep wanting more. Spice & Rice, 1172 Cambridge St., Cambridge, 617-864-4500, or go to spice-rice.com. -- LISE STERN

Linking up

There's no doubt that hot dogs and baseball go together -- but what to do if you're looking to fill a dog-shaped bun without the Fenway backdrop? In this case, Kayem Foods' Al Fresco sausages ($4.49 to $4.99 for 10- to 16-ounce packages) will come to the rescue. These all-natural links are made with lean, skinless chicken and other fresh ingredients like basil, tarragon, lemon, or chipotle . Roasted garlic and onion dinner sausages are particularly flavorful; apple-maple links are intended for breakfast. Slice and cook with bell peppers and onions, add cooked rice mixed with egg and a little soy sauce, and stir until the fried rice sticks to the skillet and forms a nice golden crust. Or light the grill and fill that empty bun. Make mine with mustard. Al Fresco sausages are available at many supermarkets. -- EMILY SCHWAB