Cookstr.com

by Evan Orensten

Cookstr.com—created by Will Schwalbe and Katie Workman, both former publishers who worked on dozens of successful cookboooks—just launched and is a true evolution in cooking sites.

Considering the millions of recipes online you'd think this would be difficult to do, but Cookstr.com features recipes exclusively from cook books. Many of these recipes have never been published online because of copyright issues, but Cookstr.com has partnered both with the chefs (each of whom has a dedicated author page) and also with their publishers to make this possible. The all star list currently includes Alice Waters, Nigella Lawson, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jamie Oliver, Mario Battali, Suzanne Goin, Marcella Hazan, Michel Nischan, Nancy Silverton, Art Smith and dozens of others.

One of Cookstr.com's strongest features is its search functionality, which allows you to search by ingredient, mood, difficulty of preparation, chef, and more. The site's editors are curating the best recipes from the best cookbooks, and are constantly adding more chefs and more recipes. A range of additional functionality—including community tools—will be added in the near future.

The site was designed by The Barbarian Group and built by Pivotal Labs.

Cesar Fernandez Arias

by Max Gold

"You have to be understood by every kid in the classroom including the dunce, not only by the smart ones." Cesar Fernandez Arias' principles of simplicity make for powerful art in multiple mediums while maintaining the integrity of his message. The figures he creates have a primal quality lending them the immediacy of a road sign. At the same time, they're loaded with personality and their unmistakable shapes situate them within their own, often whimsical narrative. Fernandez Arias' art has the ability to speak to people of any given age or background and still be completely understood, much like the childish charm of a Gondry flick.

Throughout the past several decades Fernandez Arias has worked in Madrid's art community as a sculptor, painter, and illustrator. Collaborating extensively with many writers and illustrators, he more consistently works with kids. That is to say you'll find him every weekend at El Circulo Bellas Artes holding various workshops.

Interactivity plays a strong role, both in his process and as a quality of the finished pieces. Much of his work is meant to be experienced by children, though as is apparent in the content of his most recent exhibition, Fernandez Arias limits his audience to nobody.

While his illustrations make up the bulk of his work, Fernandez Arias caught my eye because he added New Media to his list of artistic frontiers. His new web-toy called Abecedario, uses short whimsical animations to represent each letter of the Spanish alphabet. My personal favorite is, "Q For Quixote". "I have always believed in the power of simplicity," Fernandez Arias explains. "It is better to be simple yet clear than loud and misunderstood."

Clous: Urban Seating Element

by Brian Fichtner

Addressing the lack of places to rest one's feet in the modern metropolis, French designer Francois Bauchet seems to, ahem, have hit the nail on the head with a new urban seating element recently installed in front of the Saint-Etienne rail station in southern France. Named Clous, French for nail, the form of the design makes a playful reference to the utilitarian object, providing a flat surface for passersby to rest a moment or rummage through their bag.

But Clous is not just a perch for pedestrians, a taller version also provides security against motor vehicles. Not so long after 9/11, urban landscapes around the world started sprouting concrete, steel, and marble stumps in front of government buildings and office parks. By and large an eyesore, most of these bollards looked to have been designed by a committee, they were so lacking in the human touch. If, in this new era, we must continue to shore up our defenses with barriers, then doing so with a touch of grace and an understanding of the psychological impact these physical objects have on the urban dweller lessens the blow. Clous is a step, or stool, in the right direction

Scout Tufankjian: Yes We Can

by Karen Day

No matter your political affiliation, the in-depth, behind the scenes look at Barack Obama's campaign trail in Scout Tufankjian's new book, "Yes We Can," will leave you feeling amazed. Published by art and contemporary culture experts, powerHouse Books, "Yes We Can" is a collection of intimate photographs of our President-Elect as he made his journey from Illinois to the White House.

Unsure of whether it was worth the five hour trip from Scout's home in Brooklyn to Obama's appearance in New Hampshire nearly two years ago, it was at that event the photographer became fascinated with him and decided to document Obama's campaign full-time no matter what it took. With a credit card in hand to cover the $500 a flight cost of traveling with Obama as his campaign intensified, Scout spared no expense and even had to be dissuaded from driving through a blizzard to attend a small town hall meeting when she was sick. Scout allowed nothing to prevent her from capturing every aspect of Obama's campaign, and because of that her book is full of emotional pictures of Obama, his family, and his supporters.

Having graduated from Yale with a degree in political science, Scout spent four years photographing the conflict in the Gaza Strip before covering the Obama campaign.

To be released 8 December 2008, you can preorder the book directly from powerHouse Books or from Amazon.

The Objects Show

by Brian Fichtner

Just in time for the holiday season,
R 20th Century Gallery in lower Manhattan has launched their first show geared toward small-scale objects. Perhaps realizing that these tough financial times make the gifting of rare vintage furniture less likely, R will be offering a wide array of objects and accessories for an equally wide variety of pocket books. Prices range anywhere from $15 to $10,000 and featured artists include Wendell Castle, Hugo França, Paula Hayes, Poul Kjaerholm, Julia Krantz, David Wiseman, Jeff Zimmerman and more.

See more images after the jump

The Objects Show
Through 10 January 2009
82 Franklin Street
New York, New York 10013 map
tel. +1 212 343 7979

William the Brave Bronze Rings

by Lost At E Minor

These stylish hoops of bronze have a profound effect on me. Created by Australian jeweler Stannard Inc., William the Brave bronze rings are stunning, look like something a crusader from the middle ages would wear and the raw look exudes an air of individuality.

But the nice thing is that despite their virile attributes, you can actually get away with wearing them if you're a chick, too, as they're unisex and come in various sizes. Each ring is handmade in wax and then handcast in white bronze before being cleaned up and colored by hand, making each one completely unique. A dedication to the creator's last boyfriend, the rings are available online for $60.