Puma Drift Cat -- Until recently, I didn't know that "drifting shoes" existed. If I had, I wouldn't have bought them. But some friends knew about our upcoming trip to Europe and the plan to drive a new BMW west from Munich on the Autobahn (more on that in a few weeks) and they were kind enough to buy me a pair of Puma Drift Cats.
These are probably the coolest shoes I've owned since those red, checkered Vans high tops in 1985. These skinny shoes look a bit like they belong on a boxer or a ballerina, but their grippy bottom and tiny soles are perfect for performance driving (or looking like you enjoy performance driving).
I haven't had the opportunity to try them out at 135 miles per hour, but you'd better believe I will. If you're a driving snob and you know about "double clutching," then you owe it to yourself to shell out the $80 (or to find a friend who will on your behalf) and buy these super-cool suede, leather and oil-resistant rubber shoes. --Andy Tarnoff
Breakfast at the Riverwest Co-op -- It used to be that you could only get the deliciously prepared breakfast items at the Co-op, 733 E. Clarke St., on weekends. Now, the volunteer-run vegan / vegetarian café connected to the co-op grocery store is severs breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. weekdays. The extended weekend brunch hours are now 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sure, the eating area is small, but it's always worth the wait for a table. I definitely appreciate the five extra days to indulge in the veggie scramble ($6.50), vegan biscuits and gravy ($5.75), vegan French toast ($5) or one of six fruit smoothies. --Julie Lawrence
Josh Kelley's "Two Cups of Coffee" -- OK, so he's married to a chick from "Grey Anatomy," which instantly makes me want to revoke this post. But, I like Josh Kelley's latest disc, so I'll take the good with the bad. His "Two Cups of Coffee" is solid pop, not too sing-songy and not too adult alternative. It's a great single and nice kickoff to a good overall listen, his new "Special Company." iTunes has it for $7.99 or gank it free from your favorite source. --Jeff Sherman
The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook -- I've always found it ironic that I'm Italian and I can't cook. Until recently, that is. This cookbook -- based on the PBS show "America's Test Kitchen" -- has taught me more about cuisine in a month than I've picked up during my entire adult life. The book features 1,200 recipes, and the ones I've tackled so far are very well written without taking any prior cooking knowledge for granted.
On that note, last night I made my own croutons based on a super simple recipe I found in this cookbook. Turns out, they are easy to make, cost a few nickels and taste amazing. Who knew? -- Molly Snyder Edler
Manni olive oil -- The ornate packaging indicated that this two-bottle set of Tuscan oil indicated that the Christmas gift was special. But, just how special can olive oil be, anyway? Pretty special, it turns out. In some circles, olive oil is becoming what wine was 20 years ago, meaning that it is being savored and shared by sophisticates, some of who dabble in snobbery.
Created by director Armando Manni in an effort to find antioxidant-rich foods for his young son, this organic oil comes in two varieties -- Per Me (For Me) and Per Mio Figlio (For My Son). The latter is a bit milder, but still delicious. The cooking magazines refer to it as "liquid gold," and a little goes a long way. (You can use about one-third the amount that you would with a lesser oil). Though it's fine for cooking, this is best used as a condiment, drizzled on bread or salads or with about a teaspoon in a bowl of pasta. About two dozen fine restaurants worldwide are permitted to serve it.
The bottles are shipped in 3.4-ounce opaque bottles, which are best to keep out UV rays and preserve the antioxidant-rich polyphenols. You can order the oil at buymanni.com, but the minimum order is 10 3.2-oz. bottles, which sell for about $322. Get some friends, split a case, get some crusty bread and good wine and you'll have the makings of a great gathering. --Drew Olson
Starbucks sugar-free syrups -- Although I usually forego the flavored syrups when drinking coffee, I might be occasionally talked into a shot if I knew I wasn't also getting a sugar and calorie jolt. Now, Starbucks offers sugar-free versions of its flavor shots and when I tried a dash of hazelnut in my latte, I couldn't tell it was sugar-free. That's great news for flavor shot junkies! Whether or not you think the sucralose that replaces the sugar is great news depends on your stance on artificial sweeteners. --Bobby Tanzilo
The Hold Steady's video for "Chips Ahoy" -- You whippersnappers may find this hard to believe, but there was a time -- long before "The Osbournes," "Pimp My Ride" and "The Hills" -- when MTV played things called "music videos" and people actually cared about them as both an art form and a viable way to promote music. I lost interest in videos a long time ago (probably before the dorks who run MTV did), so it was a pleasant surprise when I belatedly came across this funny clip for a song that I like by a band that I like. Check it out below. --D.O.
