With every new year comes a renewed desire to make meaningful change, find things that spark joy, and invite order after holiday chaos. For those looking to narrow their focus on the kitchen, consider the power of compartmentalization. From meal planning to zero waste efforts and refrigerator tidiness, refining your culinary workflow is easier than you think.
With the proliferation of artisanal cheese and the theater of display, shopping for it has transformed from being a simple task to a luxury experience. From the colorful displays at Tableaux in Paris, to the highly tailored Fromaje in Madrid, and the shrine-like Maison Morand in Dubai, each of these establishments intersects with design to elevate cheese to a cult status. What’s more, each finds a way to give food craftsmanship proper visibility with the product taking center stage.
Sourdough is serious business. Cultivating a sourdough starter demands intuition, patience, and a willingness to embrace unpredictability. Here to help is Goldie by Sourhouse™, a convenient and minimally invasive countertop device for warming or chilling your sourdough starter, which addresses the critical need for consistency in keeping your starter active and healthy. Consistent fermentation results in proper flavor development, and now, it is much easier to achieve.
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico – a UNESCO World Heritage City filled with colorful colonial architecture – is home to Tequila Casa Dragones, a small-batch producer known for its ultra-premium sipping tequilas. The brand’s reinvigorated space, La Casa Dragones, was recently awarded the prestigious Créateurs Design Award and LIV Hospitality Design Awards thanks to a collaboration between multidisciplinary design studio Meyer Davis, leading design curator Ana Elena Mallet, and craftsman curator Raul Cabra.
Just this May, Michelin-recognized chef Elena Reygadas was celebrated as one of Mexico’s top culinary talents, among other things, which included various accolades and a collaboration with R+D.Lab. Together, the creative partners drew upon a shared vision for glassware expressive of everyday luxury. The resulting Rosetta Collection comprises the Rosetta Sour, the Rosetta Martini, and the Rosetta Acqua, each handcrafted in Italy with Borosilicate glass, and shaped through a traditional mouth-blowing technique.
Taste is deeply personal and highly subjective, whether in the context of flavor or aesthetic preference, and varies widely by human experience. Because of this, awarding excellence in the culinary world presents a unique challenge – and an elastic palate. Interested in broadening your range? Experience new flavors through the accolades and celebrations at the James Beard Awards, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and the 2024 Michelin Star recipients, as well as some winners of the Pink Lady Food Photography Awards. There’s a little bit of something for everyone.
Climate change is a heavy topic, but artist Rose McAdoo makes discussion of this existential crisis more digestible through her tasty confections. From crafting cake atop a glacier to whipping up treats while out at sea, each creation tells a story with the goal of communicating information that might affect action. Playful recipes and hopeful desserts are science’s new methods of reaching stomachs and changing minds.
Food fragrance, taste, and even texture seemingly have the power to fuel our imaginations with summertime bearing the sweetest associations. And for some, even sweeter memories. This piece mixes personal notes from the margins of Girard’s storied romance with foods and a recipe that is equal parts refreshing and nostalgic. Tropical fruits take center stage in this recipe for a delicious make-ahead dessert.
Some consider exotic food experiences to be those which showcase cuisine in its purest form, while others enjoy the novelty of fusion. If you happen to appreciate both approaches, Rokusho, the newest culinary sensation to hit Los Angeles, offers a menu featuring beloved Japanese classics alongside inventive new dishes tailored to local tastes. It’s a sensorial experience worth the wait from the minds of Michelin-starred chefs.
Food has always been a canvas for artistic experimentation and conduit for emotional expression. But recent years have seen it becoming much more mainstream, a bit more accessible, and of increasing allure to professionals looking to cross over from other fields. The cultural shifts reflect a curious consumer base with a taste for visually striking food experiences. Amid these upward trends, cake artists Alison Dunlop of A.R.D Bakery and Amy Yip of Yip.Studio are redefining what it means to create a cool confection.
For culinary curious friends or family, offering something delicious displayed with something cool the host can keep is a winner move. Whether you are shopping for someone early on in their culinary adventure or for the person who has every cooking gadget, Design Milk’s TJ Girard shared 10 modern gift ideas to make any foodie happy this holiday season.
Check out the rest of Design Milk’s end of the year coverage here!
