This is a pie that should have been part of our nut themed day yesterday. It is also a pie that should be a hit with math-lovers, food hackers and anyone who really likes pie. This is a fractal pecan pie.

A fractal is a recursive, self-similar geometric object that continuously reproduces into proportionally smaller shapes. This particular one is based on the Koch snowflake, which is made up of triangles. To put this all into layman's terms, these guys made a giant pecan pie that used the same amount of filling that would ordinarily be found in 21 normal-sized pecan pies. The ratio of crust to filling was the same as a standard pie, so the baking time was only a bit longer than average, despite the fact that it had to be done in a custom-built, propane-powered oven. Just make sure that you have enough volunteers to help you eat all the pie (and construct the tin and oven) before baking!

When Alanna sent me a note to let me know about a Lifehacker post on making low-fat cupcakes, I knew I would have to give it a try out of sheer curiosity. After all, Lifehacker is not exactly a food oriented site and to take a break from their regularly scheduled content to mention cooking seemed to be a sign that their technique was worth trying. Notice that I said technique and not recipe.

These light cupcakes are sort of a food hack (or a diet hack) using two ingredients: cake mix and diet soda. If you're not curious, or are so put off by the ingredients that you don't want to hear how the cupcakes turned out, you may as well stop now. Otherwise, read on...

It started with a relatively simple question: how do you improve a breadbox? The answer is that you add a UV lighting system that suppresses the growth of mold, extending the shelf-life of a loaf of bread. This is a particularly neat feature if you by preservative-free loaves of sandwich bread that seem to go bad in only two days.

Installing the light into a reflective, brushed-steel breadbox was a relatively simple matter once you have all the necessary equipment (and if you like building things). But the moment of truth came when the modified breadbox was tested against an unmodified box. The breads in the non-UV box molded in 2 weeks; the UV breads did not mold (though they did eventually dry up after several weeks, by which point you should have eaten the bread). Success!

Total cost of the project: $65. Never having to throw away another half-uneaten loaf that turned moldy: priceless.

[via SciFi Tech]

Food hacks can be simple or complex, and this miniature tabletop grill made with a USB hookup tends towards the complex end, however it is the perfect experiment for anyone who ever felt that their inability to have shabu shabu while typing was making their life less fulfilling. Found at the MAKEzine blog, the original device was documented on a Japanese website, so those of us who aren't fluent will have to trip through the translated instructions instead of the original version if we want to make our own. Apparently, the meat tasted of "just a little electronic part" but that seems like a small sacrifice for not having to get up to cook or eat.

Even though it is dangerous to drive while eating or drinking, most morning commuters still want to have their coffee on the way to work. Car designers know this, which is why they install cup holders that are easy for the driver to reach. Audi took the idea a step further and designed their concept Roadjet with a fully-functional espresso machine (above left) on the arm rest between the driver and passenger seats. This enables the driver to get his or her caffeine fix without having to pull into a Starbucks, though hopefully they will wait until the car stops before pulling a shot.

One enthusiastic Audi fan couldn't resist making a mod with his own Audi and installed a Capresso 1500 (above right) in the back seat. It is securely tied down to the seat and is powered with an inverter that is mounted on the dash. It's also a bit safer than the Roadjet model because, since the machine is in the back seat, the driver cannot operate the machine while behind the wheel.