All posts filed under: Food

corn skin waste

Corn food waste: material innovation_DDW 2017

We all know corn. We think there is one kind of corn we can consume during barbecue’s and spare ribes, but are wrong. In Mexico alone farmers breed 62 sorts of corn. The skin of these species of corn are waste material as we don’t consume it. Corn skin waste Designer Fernando Laposse found out dat we do not have to throw away the corn skins but that they can be used as finishing layers on furniture, decorative items and all kind of MDF constructions. The designer also shows where the corn is sourced. By doing so he not only celebrates bio diversity but gives also support to the small farmers who sustain their family. Fernando Laposse is a London based Mexican designer with a BA in product design from Central Saint Martins. He was born in Paris, France september 1988. His work is deeply rooted in material experimentation and craft with a great emphasis on self production and the DIY culture. His projects aim to raise questions regarding whole system thinking, ephemerality, patterns of consumption and …

Wild oysters_Netherlands

For the job I visit a lot of professional food fairs to check out new products, ingredients and dishes. I always try to find the real craftsmen who are responsible for the great food on the different stands. The goal is to find good stories that reflect the ‘zeitgeist’ of today. At the latest Tavola fair I bumped into Jan en Barbara Geertsema-Rodenburg, a cute couple  who presented their uber-fresh, handpicked oysters in the Waddenzee. The oysters tasted mild, natural & salty and super fresh (as I hoped for) but what really made me fall in love with this brand is the absolute fantastic packaging of the oysters. That mermaid!!! Red haired, topless and a lovely green fishtail, in unspoiled fisher men tattoo style. I love it. I could not resist to buy The original Wild Wad Oyster T-shirt and it became one of my favorites. Artisanal fishermen harvest Wild Wad Oysters on wild oyster banks in the Wadden Sea. They are Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas), a species used by oyster farms all around the …

Bar Luce at Fondazione Prada_Milan

Each year we head to Milan for ‘Il Salone del Mobile’. Besides a shit load of design, great food and interesting talks we always visit the wonderful Fondazione Prada.  Always , really always there are good & surprising expo’s to discover while strolling around in-between the buildings and posing in front of the shiny gold leaf wall. Rem Koolhaas, of OMA, was the star architect working together with Miuccia Prada on this special project. Bar Luce Milan But the most important place to visit is the magical, unique pastel painted Bar Luce. Don’t be mistaken: this is not an evening bar but a breakfast/lunch & apero venue straight from the world of Mary Poppins. To set things right straight away: this is not a fairytale but a creation by cineast & movie director Wes Anderson, famous for movies like The Grand Budapest Hotel and my fav The Royal Tenenbaums. Imagine: color-blocked Formica tables, whimsical wallpaper, a perfectly modish WC, and there’s even a Steve Zissou–themed pinball machine. In the counter & bar only very Italian drinks_think campari, espresso …

Leek paper food waste innovation_DDW 2017

Thé themes of this Dutch Design Week was definitely waste management, but even more trying to make new, innovative materials out of it. This Leek paper food waste innovation is one of them. This initiative I spotted at the Embassy of Food. What is this about? Well, meet Jan Van Lierop, the largest organic vegetable grower in the Netherlands. He exports most of his produce and he is legally obligated to deliver his leaks in packaging. But today we all try to have less packaging and preferably biodegradable… The question popped up: What if his company were able to use the waste flow from the leaks to make a wrapper? That is what Belgian (based in Rotterdam) designer Isaac Monté came in. He started to experiment with leak pulp, as you do with wood pulp to make paper. The result of his experiments were quite impressive. Interesting printable leak paper, all different texturewise because of the many greens and fibers in the waste pulp. The leak paper did not smell funny, had a beautiful look and …