Our weekly serving of off-the-menu items—a few popular favorites from the week, as well as a few morsels that may have slipped your notice.
Photo by Jenna Ackerman for the New York Times.
Introducing Plague Water – Your New Favorite Drink
Tattersall Distilling company is exploring the history of alcohol by recreating forgotten spirits. Drawing on information from the University of Minnesota’s Historical Library of Medicine and Biology, one of their revived drinks is plague water—an alcoholic mix of angelica root, gentian, and about a dozen herbs.
Hoping to reconnect people with their food and encourage a more sustainable urban lifestyle, architecture studio Penda has designed a modular housing high-rise where residents can also grow their own food in vertical farms. The concept also includes plans for a cellar to store food in the winter, as well as a composting center for food waste.
Ferm Living’s newly released play kitchen for kids is more than just a toy—it’s also a beautiful addition to you home. The kitchen’s simple lines and neutral colors are intended to help it match surrounding furniture and decor. Furthermore, Ferm Living hopes that its neutral tones and design will prevent the development of gendered perceptions surrounding who can play in the kitchen.
Dinara Kasko’s architectural cakes aren’t just beautifully crafted, 3D printed creations—they’re also mathematical equations. The cakes’ sharp edges, tesselating layers, and bulbous curves are based on algorithmic models. Kasko uses a 3D printer to create prototype molds, later casting them in silicone so they can be filled with traditional cake layers.
A Lamp That Will Grow Your Veggies
This multifunctional lamp—dubbed Brot which means “sprout” in Catalan—by Benditas Studio, allows you to grow plants indoors while conserving space. A tray at the bottom of the lamp holds seeds, and the lamp’s unique shape helps direct light towards them. All you have to do is lightly spray water on the seeds a few times a day, and in less than a week you’ll have a crop of sprouts ready to eat!
