Velopresso: Velopresso is a mobile coffee tricycle that keeps the java flowing as long as the wheels are turning. Designers Amos Field Reid and Lasse Oiva, the Royal College of Art graduates who conceived of and constructed the device, wanted to put a spin on the classic coffee cart while maintaining a silent, energy efficient business via pedal power. Aiming to minimize its carbon footprint, the Velopresso’s gears have been rewired to push the cart forward and power the coffee grinder, while the water is heated through a small, gas-powered camping boiler to brew steaming cups o’ joe on the go.

Peddler’s Creamery: Hand-churning is a fairly common bragging right among ice cream companies, but Los Angeles-based Peddler’s Creamery boasts the distinction of producing small batch frozen desserts using pedal power. Owner Edward Belden started out selling ice cream from the back of his bike, and recently hung up his helmet to open a store in downtown LA. At the new shop, the bike is stationed in the front room, but the power it generates is funneled to a churn in the back. Exclusively using premium quality, locally sourced and organic ingredients, it takes Belden only around 20 minutes of pedaling to create a five-gallon batch.

Moberi: Rose City Food Park cart Moberi utilizes an exercise bike with spindles attached to blenders to engineer Portland’s first bike-powered smoothie bar. The interactive food cart lets customers hop on the bike to make their own smoothies, juices and health shots. Recently, the company has turned to Kickstarter in hopes of growing the business, including the addition of a bike blender suitable for use by kids under 10. Owner Ryan Carpenter developed the concept after being inspired by Maya Pedal, a Guatemalan NGO that turns old bikes into machines for community use, like husking corn and blending drinks.

Mealku: Online cooperative Mealku provides neighbors with a simplified process for sharing leftovers. Pre-screened “HomeCooks” use the platform’s online reservation system to list available dishes that fellow members within their region can claim for that day. Then, a Mealku liaison facilitates the exchange by supplying the transport containers and delivering the foodstuffs to the recipient’s home or predetermined Mealku hub location. As the platform’s intent is to build community, no money is ever exchanged. Rather, payment is conducted through the service’s Ku system, which allows members to earn points by cooking, reviewing meals online, or even introducing new people to the co-op.

Casserole: Casserole is a UK-based project by social innovation startup FutureGov that couples leftover meal portions with hungry neighbors. Community members post their extra dishes onto the site’s “menu,” detailing what it is, when and where it was cooked, and how many uneaten servings are available. Cooks can choose to list their meals as a one-off occasion or sign up for Casserole’s Pair Up project, where they agree to share meals with another diner on a regular basis. The company also acts as an intermediary by connecting people who aren’t on the Internet—many participating diners are over 80-years-old—through a phone service.

Swipes for Homeless: The unused meal swipes of dorm-dwelling college students typically expire at the end of each academic term. A group of UCLA students developed a charitable way to leverage such waste with their nonprofit Swipes for Homeless. Before the semester comes to an end, Swipes for Homeless sets up locations across the campus and encourages students to donate their remaining meals to those tackling hunger and homelessness in L.A. Every swipe is converted into a nutritious meal package that gets distributed to local homeless shelters and individuals living on the streets. More than 30,000 pounds of food have been donated since the program’s inception.

Paint Your Pizza: Paint Your Pizza is a new app, conceived of by Swedish artist Jonas Lund, that lets hungry and imaginative diners design custom pizzas online, either with other people or by themselves. Instead of simply placing an order, customers digitally decorate a pie for a participating pizzeria to turn into an edible work of art with toppings. Lund recently presented the app at the Eyebeam Annual Showcase and has partnered with New York City’s Famous Original Ray’s Pizza to offer the service in the near future. As expected, artful eats don’t come cheap: an 18-inch pie ranges from $31-$64 depending on the complexity of the design.

Ida Skivenes: Forty million photos are uploaded to Instagram every day, many of which are of food. One of the more inventive ‘foodstagrammers’ is Ida Skivenes (@IdaFrosk), an Oslo resident who makes whimsical breakfast art, as well as replicas of famous works, for The Art Toast Project. In June 2012, Skivenes created an edible bear and fox, and was inspired to continue making works based on whatever healthy food she’s craving. Besides entertaining her 95,000+ Instagram followers, Skivenes maintains a blog where she posts her appetizing masterpieces and nutritious recipes. While she already sells prints of her creations, she’s also working on a food art book.

‘RED’ Hong Yi: Much like Skivenes, ‘RED’ Hong Yi has quickly become an Instagram celebrity for her impressive food art. The Malaysian architect/artist challenged herself to make edible designs against a white plate each day for a month for a project she aptly calls 31 Days of Creativity with Food. In making each piece, Yi considers how food reacts when cut, crumbled, or heated. The result: eye-catching photos of animals, landscapes, and famous stories made from sauces, fruits, vegetables, meat, and more. She’s amassed 10,000 followers and credits the series for helping her become more creative by forcing her to pare down her canvas size.

Moon Juice’s Golden Milk: Venice, CA’s Moon Juice has only been open for just over a year, but it’s already become a favorite destination among LA influencers. Indeed, so popular is the modern bohemian juicery that founder Amanda Chantal Bacon is opening a second location in Silver Lake this spring. (Look out, Naturewell.) Among its many inventive menu items is one that’s arisen as sort of a new juice cult classic: Golden Milk. Made from unpasteurized almond milk, cold pressed turmeric juice, cinnamon, cardamom, and raw wildflower honey, the blend boasts anti-inflammatory, liver cleansing, and muscle and bone building properties—all while tasting like a milkshake.

TumericALIVE: Natural foods stores have become crowded with beverages promising to do everything from soothe an upset stomach to stave off a cold. TumericALIVE takes a different approach in that it positions its remedies as revitalizing sports drinks. The “yoga in a bottle” formulas, made from ingredients that are as local as possible in relation to its New York manufacturing facility, are purported to aid in athletic recovery through their inclusion of turmeric as a primary component. The ingredients list solely includes an herbal medley of ginger, cardamom, spearmint, honey, lemon, sea salt, and cayenne, leaving imbibers without the chemical concerns incurred by other workout drinks.

Organic Avenue’s Truthful Turmeric Tonic: New York-based juice company Organic Avenue recently came under fire for its Fashion Week promotion that offered models half-off all products. Damage control quickly ensued, with OA emphasizing that its “initiative is healthy eating, not cleansing.” The confusion was understandable given the fact that the brand does indeed market cleanse programs, but it’s clear that its Truthful Turmeric Tonic is intended to stand on its own as a health supplement. Turmeric, ginger, cayenne, cardamom, lemon and coconut sugar hits sweet and spicy cravings—without being engineered to nab “stomach share”—while reducing inflammation, relieving congestion, aiding digestion, and battling fevers.

Thank You For Coming: In 1971, artist Gordon Matta-Clark and his business partner Carol Goodden co-founded Food, a concept restaurant that positioned dining as an art form. Inspired by the vintage SoHo landmark, LA’s Thank You For Coming is an experimental community food space where resident artists merge their work with culinary craftsmanship. The volunteer-run environment is part gallery, part café, but it’s decidedly more innovative than a coffee shop with its owner’s paintings covering the walls. For example, in January, artist Jennifer June Strawn’s “Superstition and Sustenance” created an illustrated book of superstitions crowdsourced from visitors. On the menu? Black-eyed peas, of course.

And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Crumbs: Pop-up restaurants have become as common as Kickstarter projects, yet a new one in Milwaukee seems considerably more enticing than another transitory kitchen serving late night ramen. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Crumbs may be the gourmet’s answer to Secret Cinema, as only the theme is revealed prior to the happening. The menu and location remain under wraps until an email reveals those details within 48 hours of the event. The next one, scheduled for April 6th, will translate the notion of “Family Secrets” into a multi-course feast that promises to be both filling and fulfilling.

What’s for Supp: Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) markets, with their randomly obtained inventories, afford amateur cooks the opportunity to play Iron Chef at home. But for gastronomes who prefer restaurant food over running their own test kitchens, new service What’s for Supp offers a happy medium. The Brooklyn-based company curates recipes from local chefs, like Steve Cusato (Food Freaks) and Mark Henegan (Madiba), then provides customers with the ingredients—and video tutorials—to make them at home. After a menu item is selected, the service delivers all the ingredients necessary to prepare it, saving clients from the inconvenience of wearisome grocery shopping excursions.

Freekeh: Freekeh boasts not only the most pun-ready grain name but also a most pleasing flavor profile. Roasted green wheat that’s characterized by a distinctly nutty flavor, the Middle Eastern cereal is being contemporized for modern chefs and diners. Brands such as Freekeh Foods and Cayuga Pure Organics are marketing the protein-rich superfood as a versatile pantry staple. Meanwhile, restaurants from coast to coast are putting it on the menu. In LA, Silverlake’s Sqirl Cafe prepares it with pickled blueberries, chanterelles and goat cheese, and in NYC, Birdbath is feeding the Flatiron lunch crowd with freekeh burgers.

Teff: During the past few decades, Ethiopia has been better known for its hunger problem than it has for its traditional foods. Interestingly, just as its (still persistent) poverty rates have begun to decline, its sorely overlooked cuisine is finally enjoying attention in the US. Thus, more diners than ever are discovering teff, the whole grain derived from ancient North African lovegrass that is the anchor of Ethiopian fare. Made from finely ground teff flour, injera is a deliciously spongy, yeast-risen flatbread that’s used in lieu of utensils. This is one carb that celiac sufferers can indulge in without worry.

Farro: Health-conscious fans of Italian food, having already swapped out vilified semolina flour pasta for its whole wheat equivalent, are now starting to trade the traditional arborio rice used in risotto for more nutritious whole grain alternatives. Topping the list is rustic farro, the oldest cultivated grain in the world (it served mainly as peasant food during the Roman Empire). Indeed, farro is undergoing a culinary renaissance as chefs realize the toothsome potential of the quick-cooking staple, even if its make-up remains a mysterious matter. Chewy without being gummy, properly cooked farro retains risotto’s creamy quality while maintaining its characteristic earthy bite.

WikiCells: Apples, tomatoes and oranges have natural edible exteriors to protect the inside goods. Taking a cue from Mother Nature, Harvard professor David Edwards developed WikiCells, an edible and biodegradable membrane, similar to the skin of a grape, which encases foods and liquids. The self-contained shell is made from vegetal elements with a taste specifically paired to match the enclosed snack or beverage. The product has no limits in terms of contents, with the ability to hold anything from yogurts to mousses to ice cream suspended in a hard chocolate shell. Indeed, Edwards even introduced a WikiCocktail: Cointreau in a skin made of orange zest.

Vivos Instant Coffee: With instant coffee’s reputation restored thanks to Starbucks Via, brands are experimenting with other fast brew adaptations for customers seeking an immediate buzz. Water-soluble film specialist MonoSol has produced a waste-free alternative to Via, called Vivos Instant Coffee. The edible and dissolvable packaging resembles dishwasher tablets but, instead of soap, contains a single serving of instant coffee that brews when dropped into a cup of hot water. MonoSol plans to eventually apply its dissolvable packet technology to other mixable foods and beverages, such as oatmeal, cereal, soup, gravy, and pre-portioned spices, with the goal of eliminating unnecessary waste.

Bob’s Burger Edible Wrappers: Brazilian burger chain Bob’s recently introduced edible wrappers for its burgers. The limited time marketing campaign was based on Bob’s tagline, “Não dá pra controlar” (“You can’t control yourself”), which suggests that their burgers are so irresistible that customers can’t wait to unwrap them before chowing down. Diners even applied the condiments directly to the outside wrapper before digging in. The chain reported that the campaign was so effective that no one threw out the paper packaging. In addition to bringing new meaning to the idea of fast food, these new edible wrappers could help cut down on landfill waste: a win-win all around.

Rebel with a Culinary Cause: Twenty-eight-year-old Justin Warner left a plum gig—which Millennials are wont to do—at an acclaimed Danny Meyer hotspot to open his own restaurant, Do or Dine. The inventive Bed-Stuy eatery earned instant acclaim among Brooklyn’s gastronomic elite. The kitschy décor stands in stark contrast to the neighboring ramshackle bodegas, but it’s the haute stoner menu—dumpling nachos, Dr. Pepper-glazed frog legs, and foie gras doughnuts—that’s driving buzz. The local hero landed on The Food Network’s hit show Next Food Network Star, where the so-called “Rebel with a Culinary Cause” earned the win and a starring role in his own eponymous pilot.

Brothers Green: Mike and Josh Greenfield grew up watching The Food Network, as did many Gen Ys, and credit all of their culinary knowledge to the cable channel. The brothers now enjoy throwing dinner parties in their Williamsburg apartment and, perhaps inspired by cooking shows, began filming and posting the get-togethers online. The videos caught the attention of producers at The Rachael Ray Show, where they were subsequently invited to participate in a cooking battle. Most recently, they landed their own web series, “Brothers Green,” on Hungry, one of the new niche channels launched by YouTube to compete with traditional television such as, ironically, The Food Network.

This is a Cookbook: Max Sussman is the chef de cuisine at Bushwick pizza joint-turned-cool kid clubhouse Roberta’s. Eli Sussman is a line cook at Mile End, NYC’s gourmet take on a Montreal deli. The brothers (and roommates) published their first cookbook right out of college and, after spending a few years cooking both professionally and for fun, they decided to team up on a collection of recipes for young people who aren’t yet comfortable in the kitchen. The result is a no-fuss cooking manual called This is a Cookbook: Recipes For Real Life, a title that winks at the Gen Y meme, “Is this real life?”.

Mor.sl: Mor.sl is a smart site that automates cooking at home by providing recipe suggestions based on what users have on hand and what foods they like, or dislike, most. Novice cooks will take comfort in the site’s preliminary “tastes” quiz, which asks users to identify their preferred cuisines, favorite chefs, most despised ingredients, and even sets of distinct choices (creamy soup or spicy tacos)? At each stage, the site pulls recipes to match preferences users may not have even known they had. A layout reminiscent of Pinterest lends immediate visual appeal, while the Pandora-inspired smart results platform gradually weeds out disliked foods and flavors.

Gojee: With its minimalistic design and enticing, full-screen foodie photography (a definitive specimen of “food porn”), Gojee takes some of the guesswork out of deciding what to make for dinner. The curated recipe site has drawn comparisons to StumbleUpon for to its exploratory search platform. Users simply enter the ingredients they wish to use and Gojee “surprises” with relevant recipes sourced from food blogs across the Web. Searchers can “like” recipes and sources or “hate” least favorite ingredients and cuisines to make the search engine smarter and results more personalized over time. A new drinks page promises to simplify the art of the cocktail for at-home mixologists.

Whisk: The Whisk app and browser plug-in synchronizes online recipe searches with offline grocery store runs. The beta platform lets users add recipes to their “baskets,” then provides a personalized shopping list of recipe requirements including items already stocked in one’s pantry. Also, the list shows items’ availability at users’ preferred supermarkets and e-tailers. By automating list making, Whisk minimizes the hassle of preparing to cook while preventing overspending and, by integrating suggested serving sizes, food waste. Those who hate to see good ingredients go bad can also make use of the platform’s clever recommendations for recipes that use leftover ingredients.

The Human Jukebox: What if, like an old-school jukebox, street performers would queue up Lady Gaga or Bach on demand? Nearly everyone now has a mobile device filled with music within arm’s reach, empowering them to do what is typically taken for granted—play any song at any given moment. Apps even enable democratized playlist curation for parties. The ubiquity of this on-demand music culture is precisely why The Human Jukebox, a New York-based busking duo that offers their audience control over the tunes in exchange for tips, is so appealing to passersby. At least when people actually remove their headphones, that is.

Busking for Tweets: Polly Paulusma is a British singer-songwriter who has toured with an impressive roster of musical icons, among them Bob Dylan, Marianne Faithfull, and Coldplay. When it came time to release her new album, Leaves from the Family Tree, she nixed more mainstream avenues of promotion in favor of a more humble approach: busking for tweets. She took her guitar to Trafalgar Square, where she performed in front of a sign that read, “I don’t want your money. Just tweet me @pollypaulusma or like me on Facebook.” Busking for digital currency instead of actual currency goes to show just how valuable online clout has become.

Food Busker: Busking doesn’t only apply to musical performance these days. Indeed, even as the novelty of food trucks seemingly wears thin, cooking as performance art (open kitchens are on the rise) is breaching new horizons. Roving London chef John Quilter takes it a step further by opening himself up to the judgment of his patrons. He whips up gourmet meals with exotic ingredients (the most important being love, he claims) from a menu on which all items are technically free. If his diners like the grub, they’re encouraged to pay what they think it’s worth. If they don’t, they’re welcome to ignore the busking tin, no questions asked.