Cool Hunting

Wooden Food Toys
I never outgrew my childhood obsession with toy food. Somehow everyday edibles become magical when rendered in delicately painted wood and—unlike the real stuff, not to mention most other toys—these wooden objects are made to last for generations. German toymakers Haba and Erzi offer the most extensive collections of wooden kitchen play toys. From great basic sets like the gift basket by Haba which...

2007 New York Chocolate Show Roundup
The New York Chocolate Show never disappoints, and the CH crew performed its annual search for the newest and tastiest chocolates. Our top four picks from this year's show are: Romanicos Chocolate from Miami, Oliver Kita Fine Confections from Rhinebeck, NY, Theo Chocolate from Seattle, and the Comptoir du Cacao from France. Romanicos Chocolate is the creation of Alejandra Bijai, a Venezualian living in...

Tatebanko Paper Diorama Kit
Appealing to my weakness for dioramas and DIY paper projects, these kits also are a mini lesson on Tatebanko, the forgotten Edo-era Japanese art of creating perspectives from paper. They come in either a snowy scene representing a painting by the master Hiroshige or in a version of Hokusai's wave. Designed and printed in Japan by It's a Beautiful Day (the group leading the...

Strange Faces Origami
Originally called "oreore-nai," meaning "I can't fold properly," this easy origami kit comes with 15 square sheets of paper printed with photo images of cropped faces. When folded the sheets transform into bizarre kaleidoscopic versions of a face, as if a few people got together and went crazy with Apple's Photobooth effects. Designed by the Tokyo-based origami group Studio Cochae, Strange Faces Origami is...

Leo Dog Toy
by Passa Chattra Face it, any dog owner will tell you they have the smartest dog in the world. Well here"s a toy that's fitting for those canine prodigies. Made by Canine Genius the "Leo" (in honor of Leonordo da Vinci) is like legos for dogs. The individual Leos can be fetched, tugged, and stuffed with treats like other dog toys. What makes the Leo...

The Basics Contest Winners
"If you want to cook well you can't do it without the basics. If you want to experiment, you need these basics even more." From chicken stock to foie gras foam, it's all explained in The Basics: The Techniques of Continental Cooking. Due out in the U.S on 15 June 2007, it's available for pre-order from Amazon. The following three winners were chosen from...