Last weekend a friend and I tried out a new pizza and wine bar here in Denver, Colo., called The Oven. My friend had mentioned to our bartender that it was my birthday (OK, five days after the fact), so we got our pick of fresh desserts.

Not surprisingly, I went with the apple pie and vanilla gelato. As you can see by the portion, it was big enough to split. The gelato was wonderful—something I’m going to remember for future pie-eating reference.

And, speaking of Italian food and homemade ice cream—I recently had homemade Earl Grey ice cream at a friend’s dinner party and loved it. The recipe came from Giorgio Locatelli’s, Made in Italy: Food and Stories.

The combination of great recipes and storytelling in Made in Italy reminds me a lot of the pie book—and both make great gifts for any cooking aficionado.