Hasta La Ideas

An interview with the lensman behind “Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking”

The lead lensman and photo editor behind the forthcoming book “Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking,” photographer Ryan Matthew Smith captures food and drink with a keen eye for composition, detail and delectability. In a recent interview with Feature Shoot, Smith discusses the making of the 2,400-page tome and his contribution to making the book renowned chef Ferran Adrià says “will change the way we understand the kitchen.”

From compositing several individual exposures for one enticing cutaway shot of hamburgers on a grill to shooting a lineup of eggs with a 308 sniper rifle at 6200 frames per second, Smith masterfully executed and edited the cookbook’s selection of images down from the 1,400 he shot. Smith explains that while he had little studio experience before beginning the project, his extensive portfolio of architecture- and nature-focused photos helped prepare him and that “having a strong artistic sense towards photography in general can easily transfer through any of the disciplines from advertising all the way to fine art.”

Smith primarily used a Canon 5D Mark II with zoom and macro lenses to create “minimalist, high contrast imagery that really pops off the page.” The small team of food stylists and cooks were generally led by chef Maxime Bilet, who Smith says “endlessly contributed cool photo ideas and did excellent styling on the food plating shots,” as well as played an instrumental role in the production and engineering of the cross sectional photos.

Building the sets, shooting (and sometimes reshooting) the food and finally editing the photos was a three year process in total, Smith says. The upshot—a meticulously photographed book that demonstrates the full art form of cooking. “Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking” will sell online starting 14 March 2011.

Dans le même esprit que le livre Tree of Codes, voici cet ouvrage très original intitulé “Flux Bible” et conçu par l’équipe Fluxus en Suède. Il permet de composer vos prières en mélangeant les textes des 3 différentes religions dans l’ordre de votre choix et en fonction de vos goûts.

Site Fluxus.

Previously on Fubiz

• Hand-Cut Paper Art
• Jay-Z Decoded Book
• Institut Library Cafe

To commemorate the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Milan Furniture Fair, I Saloni Milano NY kicks off a 6 week cultural series of events in NYC celebrating the best of Italian Design and Culture.

Tonight, 20 showrooms open their doors for festive gatherings with one-night only exclusive promotions starting at 6pm EST. Enjoy Italian delicacies from Eataly, Mario Batali’s recently opened Italian food mega mart, and cocktails while enjoying the latest from Artemide, B&B Italia, Boffi, Cesana, Flos, Flou, Kartell and so many more.

For a complete map and details visit I Saloni Milano NY

(more…)

From honey bear bongs to portable Bluetooth speakers, Cool Hunting’s limited-edition series of collaborations

This year, Cool Hunting teamed up with select favorite brands—innovators in technology, design, fashion, and perhaps most fondly, food—to create limited-edition versions of their much-beloved products, available exclusively through our online store and at our pop up for Gap.

When we learned that 160-year-old Swiss watchmaker Marvin was undergoing a revival, we worked with their designer to put a CH spin on their newest style, the Malton 160 Cushion. Our interpretation ($1,250) features green accents and is signed and numbered, as well as engraved with “Toujours Plus” (a riff on one of our taglines, “Always More”). Already sold out, the last chance to get this sleek watch is through our upcoming charity auction. (Stay tuned for details, and check out our recent video on Marvin to learn more about the brand that supplied JFK with gifts for Marilyn.)

Created by CH founder Josh Rubin and his father, the tech-friendly glove brand Freehands came out with a CH Edition ($80) this season. Like all Freehands, these are designed to keep your hands warm while using your mobile phone, camera, iPod and more, but this luxurious version is made from 80% pure cashmere in gray-on-gray stripes, and features the new magnetic design that discreetly secures the finger and thumb flaps back out of the way.

We collaborated with Brooklyn brand Outlier on this Swiss wool hat, an accessory technically designed for bike riding in less-than-cheery weather. Completely wind-resistant, highly water-resistant and with a brim that perfectly shields a rider’s brow, the stylish cap ($90) comes in three colors, keeping you protected from the elements without ruining your holiday party entrance.

Maintaining their minimalist design, local sourcing, and small-footprint credo, Rickshaw created one of their bestselling Zero Waste bags for Cool Hunting. Featuring a green interior and a black exterior, our exclusive multifunctional Zero bag ($150) and its matching CH Edition felt and nylon iPad case ($30) keep your precious goods protected on the go.

Already fans of their caps and belts, we commissioned the creative Tokyo-based label Zillion to completely cover a series of vintage skateboard decks in their dead-stock kimono fabrics. The limited-edition collection was crafted in two styles—with wheels ($850) or without ($750) —each in beautiful patterns that look fantastic hanging on any wall, especially when grouped together.

Local artisan Jill Platner (another craftsperson who’s long been on our list of favorites) created a series of 12 of her signature rawhide bracelets exclusively for Cool Hunting ($205). Handcrafted in New York for nearly two decades, Platner’s jewelry features her trademark sterling silver toggle clasps, but our version comes in a longer bracelet length and a custom dove gray leather.

We’ll be hosting an event premiering our video on Jill in our pop up shop for the Gap soon, check back for details.

Handmade from locally-sourced vintage fabrics in one of the few remaining factories in Manhattan’s Garment District, 3sixteen‘s four patterns of classic ties for Cool Hunting ($80) boast clean lines that demonstrate the menswear company’s extreme attention to detail and craftsmanship.

Other collaborations include the pairing of Brooklyn chocolate purveyors Mast Brothers with San Francisco fruit gastronome June Taylor to create an out-of-this-world artisanal chocolate bar ($10), a beyond delicious Happy Goat scotch caramel sauce, an Esque honey bear water pipe ($360), and Good Fight’s herbal smoking blend. Stay tuned for more in the upcoming days on those Cool Hunting exclusives!

Though it’s not for sale, also keep an eye out for CH giveaways of Jawbone’s brand-new portable Bluetooth speaker the Jambox in custom Cool Hunting Green.

Almost all products will be available through our gift guide as well as our new Cool Hunting x Gap pop up store.

Enter the code manythanks and get 10% off now through November 30. Use it for gifts, book bundles, subscriptions and renewals!