Why can’t all bottle caps inform if they’re a twist off or not? I love this.

It could be that Mad Men is starting back up soon or that I’m finally growing up, but the idea of a well made cocktail has been sounding better and better lately. I’ll admit I don’t know much besides the basics (Skillshare classes to the rescue!), but that’s exactly why I like what Bread & Gin is doing. Their videos, paired with some excellent tunes, will teach you drink recipes that are nothing to be scoffed at. Is it time for a whiskey yet?

OMG, this is one food trend I can totally get behind. Bring on the waffsicles!

For a special feature in the French culinary magazine Fricote, food designer Emilie de Griottes developed dessert tarts that recreate pantone color swatches. Berries, carrots, lemon, candies, and other foods are arranged upon a tart base, whose bottom is iced in white and marked with the pantone color represented. Best of all, recipes for making the tarts are available in fricote issue number 6. Check out all the stunning arrangements on DesignBoom.

There’s no doubt Miles put cool on the map but it was Sam Cooke who unmistakably got the party going. So when the invitation came in for Amber and I to attend Maneesh & Andrew’s 5th Annual Salad Toss-Off, we knew just where to turn for inspiration.

Sam Cooke’s Twistin’ Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

• Spiral Pasta
• Ball of Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
• Fresh Basil
• Fresh Sweet Grape Tomatoes
• Spicy Italian Sausage (for our pasta salad, we used local Brooklyn Cured Hot Italian)
• Pine Nuts

For Dressing:

• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Italian Seasoning
• Fresh Black Pepper
• Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• Fresh Lemon Juice (if desired)

Preheat oven to 350. Spread out a handful of pine nuts on a cookie sheet and set aside. Once oven is hot, bake the pine nuts until they are lightly toasted (about 5 min). While your oven is heating up, fill a large pot with water and begin to boil. If desired, add a dash of salt and tablespoon of olive oil to the water for taste. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, cook your italian sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook it in the same way you would brown ground meat. Cut open the sausage skin before you place it in the pan. Depending on your sausage you may need to add a bit of oil to the pan so it doesn’t stick. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat and stir while cooking. Make sure all of the sausage turns a nice brown and there are no pink spots in the meat. This should take about 5-10 min then set aside to cool completely.

Wash your fresh vegetables. Cut the tomatoes in half and set aside. Break basil into medium size pieces and set aside. Cut the mozzarella into small 1/2 inch cubes and set aside. While your pasta and meat are cooling, gather your ingredients for the dressing. In a small bowl, combine 3 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar. Sprinkle in some italian seasoning, Tony Chachere’s and fresh black pepper to your desired taste. You may also add some fresh lemon juice if desired. Whisk all ingredients together until they are mixed well.

Once all ingredients are cool, combine pasta, sausage, tomatoes, basil, and cheese in a bowl and stir with a large spoon. Cover and place pasta in refrigerator until ready to serve. Keep dressing at room temperature. When you’re ready to serve, toss your salad in the dressing mixture until you’ve lightly coated the salad. Finally, sprinkle your toasted pine nuts on top and enjoy! This pasta salad also tastes just as great with no meat. Try adding some crushed red pepper flakes for some extra spice if you’re going meat-free.

Our friends over at Turntable Kitchen have cooked up something delicious — and it’s not just food. They’ve recently introduced a monthly Pairings Box subscription, a “curated food and music discovery experience.” I’m not talking about some random recipes thrown together — this is truly a labor of love. Kasey and Matt spend hours pouring over recipes and artists to come up with the perfect pairings, and then send you their hand-selected choices. You get a vinyl (yes, they are old school and we love it), recipes, special ingredients… you know what? Just check it out here for yourself, and hurry because there might already be a waiting list for next month!

There’s nothing like a Pantone Chip sugar cookie to show your appreciation for a handy color matching system. Designer Kim Neill shows us how to make solid coated and metallic coated Pantone Chip cookies that are delicious to eat and look at. If this isn’t a great, inexpensive gift for the graphic designers in your life, I don’t know what is.