Two meals in one

Knaffe is traditional Lebanese breakfast food, served with coffee every morning "for ages," says Jacques Hayek, owner of the new Wrapro in Cambridge's Porter Square. But Hayek serves the mildly sweet treat only on weekends, because it must be made fresh. Knaffe (pronouned ke-nay-fee) consists of a layer of soft cheese and a layer of shredded wheat, baked together and then bathed in a light syrup of honey, rose water, and lemon. Hayek, who is from Beirut, is keen on introducing the rest of the world to the pleasures of knaffe. You can have it like the Lebanese, for breakfast, or more like an American, and pick up some for dessert. Wrapro, 1670 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-876-0311. - DARRY MADDEN

We're not used to thinking about the venerable Le Creuset company as a hotbed of new technology. After all, they've been making the same enamel-over-cast-iron cookware in a little town north of Paris since 1925. Their colorful pots have anchored the stoves of well-appointed kitchens for generations . Now Le Creuset is emerging from the iron age with a new line of miniature "pinch" bowls (four for $9.99), light as a feather and relentlessly pliable, designed for the mise en place - the practice of setting out measured ingredients before cooking. The diminutive receptacles are well-suited for things needing to be meted out in dashes, smidgens, or tads and they bend every which way, making it easy to pour contents back into a jar. They're fun to bring to the table and - in case you're wondering - will indeed do in a pinch. Available at Sur La Table, 199 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, 617-244-0213; and The Kitchen Place, 601 Donald Lynch Blvd., Marlboro, 508-485-5665. - STEPHEN MEUSE

From a range of fresh-pressed juices in flavors like carrot, pineapple, and strawberry ($1.50 to $3) to vanilla and peanut shakes infused with energy-elevating seaweed ($4), Preparations market is unique to its Dorchester surroundings. Owner Noah Jones runs the store; his father, Cecil Wangoon, started the business 20 years ago. "We try and provide something special for the neighborhood," says the son. "We could have just thrown another pizza shop in here, but we're all about the people." As the weather warms up, Jones and Wangoon will occasionally roll a grill out onto the sidewalk and cook for customers. But no telling when that might happen, Jones says. "It's a surprise, every day you come in here." Preparations, 220 Columbia Road, Dorchester, 617-445-5120. - LEIGH BELANGER