The kitchen, accented with the blue flooring and tiled backsplash, looks much sleeker than it did when the Benoits moved in.

Closet Case To consolidate most appliances and food storage, keep his compact kitchen looking neat, and save money on cabinets, Sherman built a closet into the kitchen wall (“Cabinets are expensive but closets are cheap,” he offers). Inside is a countertop, blackboard surface, toaster oven, garbage cans, magnetic knife rack, and plenty of shelves. When the doors are closed, the unit recedes from view.

The kitchen in action!

Nikole Herriott also keeps a gorgeous food blog, often highlighting her favorite pieces from the shop and decadent recipes. Photo by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott

It is important to remember that just because you use an item regularly doesn't mean it has to be displayed. If the item doesn't match the other kitchenware you're opting to showcase, it won't naturally blend in.

Another area of The Politics and Pleasures of Food offers a new way to appreciate art…

Table landscapes were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, and it’s this tradition that inspired Charlotte Talbot, a French designer who works in Konstantin Grcic’s Munich studio. She collaborated with Wiener Silber Manufactur, a silversmith established in Vienna in 1882, on a series of display pieces that juxtapose traditional silver with HI-MACS, an ultra-durable engineered surface.

As the beloved German industrial designer Dieter Rams once said, "Good design is as little design as possible."

Press a cut fruit or vegetable cut side down into the hugger and make sure the sides are flush so that the silicone seals in the natural moisture. The seal prevents air circulation which is what spoils food.

A close-up in the kitchen of the Ryall residence.

Chelsea Jackson’s s’more tart stole the show on our March 2010 cover, so we asked for her secret recipe.

Dry Good Vessels by Fort Standard "Finding better ways to store dry goods is always one of the biggest challenges for cooks," Stubbs says. "I really like these because they’re attractive, and you can see exactly what’s in them. I often find myself digging through my pantry because with plastic containers, you have to open them to find out what's inside. I like the visual variety of the wood stoppers."

Embossed logo and black text on beige paper make for a simple, standout design.

Seen on a tablet, HSC's website features a beautifully-lit photograph, while a white "flag" creates a simple division.

Automatic Pet Feeder Now when you go out for a long day, you do not have to worry about who will feed your pet. Automatic pet feeders can be set to a timer, and will release small amounts of food gradually throughout the day. Photo via Luxist.

Food is served in traditional camping cookware.

The designer with food design menu #05. Photo by: Imagekontainer

Tina Girouard, Carol Goodden, and Gordon Matta-Clark outside the restaurant FOOD prior to its opening in 1971. Goodden will be one of the artists participating as a chef in the 2013 homage to the original. Photograph by Richard Landry. Courtesy Richard Landry, the Estate of Gordon Matta-Clark and David Zwirner, New York/London.

Wakeland goes to work on the garden terraces where the couple grows much of their own food.

HFC's stationery and business cards, with a color palette inspired by pastel hued macarons.

A design and production service provider to the food industry, Helsinki Food Company's pastel colored business card leans against a trio of macaroons.

Josh Nissenboim prepares food in the kitchen. The countertop is Carrera marble, chosen because for its lightness and ability to wear in naturally.

Food Huggers seem awfully simple, yet the beauty is in the efficiency. Silicone discs that are 100% microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe preserve food longer once it's been chopped.

A tulip table is the perfect height for snacking on kid appropriate apple slices and crackers in architect Cass Calder Smith’s New York high-rise. Photo by Brian Finke.

The second annual Nordic Food Festival took place last month at several locations in New York, and included a beer dinner with complementary fare.

The Food Cycler by Food Cycle Science, $530 In urban environments, composting can be a challenge—it takes time and space and frequently yields a malodorous aroma. Enter the Food Cycler: In as little as three hours, it quietly turns food scraps into soil without the hassle, mess, or olfactory offenses associated with traditional methods.

The Finland-based design agency works their magic on the HFC headquarters' exterior, too—top curved windows feature criss-cross logo patterning, signifying the company's core idea (We Love Good Food).

Church prepares a healthy lunch.

Austere in downtown Los Angeles will serve as the forum for the pop-up NORTH Nordic Food Festival.

A pioneer in universal design, Pratt industrial design alumnus Marc Harrison "relied on hand-motion studies to redesign the Cuisinart food processor to meet the needs of consumers with disabilities." Other Pratt graduates, like Paul Mulhauser who worked on the OXO Good Grips line, have also ventured into the growing field of universal design.

The New York NORTH Nordic Food Festival featured a dessert and coffee tasting.

Pop up attendees line up for free vegan eats including an arugula and fried-green-tomato salad from Lucky J's restaurant, a local food truck favorite owned by Jason Umlas. (Special thanks from Dwell to Wade Beesley for coordinating!)