Cool Hunting

SL16 Noooodle by Konstatin Slawinksi
For people like me who never know how much pasta to cook (it's always either too much or too little and I'm either unsatiated or have two days of leftovers), Konstatin Slawinski of ding3000 solves the issue with his SL16 Noooodle, a chrome device that measures amounts of spaghetti for up to four people and doubles as a trivet. Resembling a cooked piece of...

Nordaq Fresh Water Filtration System
Nordaq Fresh is a new Swedish water filtration system that may change the way restaurants think about drinking water. We hit Napa this weekend and one of the many pleasures was an afternoon at The French Laundry (thanks for the hook up, José). When our waiter explained our water options—locally filtered flat or sparking, on the house) we were pleasantly surprised. He went on...

Pop Chips
On a recent road trip we tried some Pop Chips and were very pleased with their light and crisp taste. Even better, they are not fried (fat and oil) or baked (dry and tasteless). Instead, Pop Chips use a combination of heat and pressure to create a healthy but delicious snack. We enjoyed the Parmesean Garlic Potato Chips a bit more than the Wasabi...

Living and Eating
With gorgeous photography, elegant recipes and an uncluttered aesthetic, architect John Pawson and food writer Annie Bell's book "Living and Eating" is a primer on warm minimalism. Shunning fussy presentation and elaborate preparations, the book celebrates the joy of of a lovingly prepared, simple meal, emphasizing the food itself and enjoyment above all else. As the authors put it, "The result of all this—we...

Outstanding in the Field
"Calling all foodies and lovers of the open air. Get ready to join the most anticipated diner's list of the year. After completing its fourth annual tour of North America last year, the folks at Outstanding in the Field are readying to announce and take reservations on their list of 35 al fresco dining engagements. Started in 1999 by the artist/chef Jim Denevan (see...

Chocolate-Pencils
Chocolate-Pencils is the product of a collaboration pairing Japanese architect and designer Oki Sato with patissier (and Iron Chef champion) Tsujiguchi Hironobu, the man behind Tokyo's boutique dessert shops Mont St. Claire and Le Chocolat de H. Subtle tableware effectively displays the gourmet chocolate and includes a special "pencil sharpener" for grating over a dessert. The pencils operate under the concept that shavings, which...