Good enough to eat (Don’t, it’s a book), Victionary publishers based in Hong Kong have created this book, Eat Me: Appetite for Design, focusing on restaurant, food and product design. The content itself is superb; innovative products, cleverly constructed brand identities with the book itself available in chocolate or vanilla wafer form, bite included.

Everything about this has been lovingly put together from typeface to photography. Amazon sells it Stateside. Via CR.

Click for images

Issue #2 of David Chang’s quarterly magazine, Lucky Peach, is available now (well, it has been since the end of November). As we mentioned with issue #1, Lucky Peach is a very new take on the world of food and cuisine magazines, with coverage that ranges well beyond the simple recipe. Many consider it an unconventional take on the topic of all things foods. Check the dead fish on the cover to get you interested…

Inside issue two of Lucky Peach, readers will find words and writings from some greats, including Anthony Bourdain (who looks to be a Lucky Peach regular contributor), Ferran Adria on “something” foam, stories on cakes, Rene Redzepi on vintage vegetables, Tajikistani apricots with Adam Gollner, and more. They top it all off with a fancy sticker sheet. Unconventional indeed.

Lucky Peach is published by the great McSweeney’s. Find it at better newsstands or Amazon for $12.

A better view of the front cover after the click.

For all the years that we have been friend with the C-Store crew (and have we been through some stuff – ask Jason how they saved his life in Barcelona years back), they seem to never compromise on enjoying the very best in cuisine. They’re taking this love to a new dimension with their current work with Sandqvist. Together, they have designed a special apron and knife bag for Swedish masterchef, Niklas Ekstedt. Ekstedt, famous for his restaurant “1900,” the back door club “Kåken,” and books is set to open a new establishment under his name, “Ekstedt.”

C-Store and Sandqvist mark that opening with a knife bag and apron available exclusively through C-Store. Knives not included.

More look after the click.

Baking sure ain’t masculine. But, you know what is? Mastering mail order foodstuffs.

For pie, hit Achatz Handmade Pie Co. Based in Armada, Michigan, the company has been churning out award-winning sweets since 1993. Our friend Kate calls the Crumb Topped Michigan 4 Berry “the greatest pie in the entire world.” We trust Kate’s opinion over Rachel Ray’s, though both seem to agree that Achatz pies are freakin’ delicious.

Photographs of mouth watering pies follow. Also watch an amazing video on Achatz produced by Whole Foods.

As Summer comes to close, we begin highlighting fall seasonal brews.

Smuttynose, of Portsmouth, NH, begins shipping their Pumpkin Ale this month calling it “our homage to the craft and heritage of America’s brewers.” At 6.3% ABV, the beer follows local New England traditions of employing pumpkins that dates back to colonial times. Using squash and pumpkin allowed brewers to extend their supply of malt.

With the weather we had in New England earlier in the week, it isn’t hard to believe Autumn really is around the corner.

Despite earlier suggestion that we are sick of coffee, that couldn’t be farther from truth. (To confirm: Selectism LOVES coffee).

We love coffee so much that we are genuinely excited about learning as much as possible about the “powerful influence of coffee on the environment, human culture and economies worldwide.” Coffee: The World in Your Cup, on view through September 19, 2010, at Yale’s Peabody Museum, shares over 1000 years of caffeine fueled stories. Informing consumers is the core goal… something we can get behind.

Need a break from the desert heat?

Knowing that many of our peers are in Sin City, we figured what better time to highlight a craft brewery from Nevada. Ruby Mountain has been knocking out beers since 1994, but the story differs a bit from the normal craft tale. Owners Steve and Maggie Safford operate Ruby Mountain from their working ranch, the brewery established as a way to diversify the ranch economy. The beer complements bales of hay and Black Angus cattle.

The Wild West Hefeweizen has thrice been awarded a Gold Medal of Distinction from the National Brewers Association. It boasts all the signature flavor of a proper Bavarian Hefeweizen, fruity and spicy notes both.

At roughly 5 years old, Thornbridge Brewery holds more silverwear than the Williams sisters. Their brewer, Mr. Steffano Costi, is UK brewer of the year. His distinction tops off just about 100 different awards Thornbridge has won in its short history.

Located in Derbyshire, they say “Culinary alchemist Heston Blumenthal would approve of the Thornbridge approach to brewing beer.”

My brother reports that both the Kipling (a South Pacific pale ale) and the Jaipor (an India pale ale) are delicious. He also claims, “It is an ace brewery on the rise.” Everything mentioned above should make that statement all the more obvious.

Thornbridge has a great blog, so if you’re truly interested in your suds, head on over to their site.

Located in Redlands, California, Hangar 24 is the creation of 6-year brewing veteran Ben Cook. His summer seasonal, the Hangar 24 Polycot Wheat, locally grown, organic apricots, pureed at their peak (around mid-July) to provide a refreshingly tart finish. At 7.5% abv, the beer is a tad sneaky, and gives punch to the smooth finish.

Those in Southern California should certainly seek it out.

The Mast Brothers make chocolate in Brooklyn, NY. They are craftsmen, and they have a beautiful factory. (via Serious Eats).