Eating at the counter: a sideways view of the table
A seat at the counter changes distance, gestures and conversation. A closer look at the spaces where we eat, including on our own.
Read the article500GCORP / The kitchen notebook
500G MAG
A moka pot, a table set for dinner, a familiar gesture. Notes on food, objects and design: the things we notice before we start creating.
500G / Off menu
What should I read?
Eating at the counter: a sideways view of the table The steel tray: a table on the move Il Saraceno in Arezzo: the wood-fired oven and city cuisine The handwritten shopping list is still a design object The bar napkin: a small manifesto of everyday graphic design How to read a trattoria menu without being swayed by trends The kitchen has a wardrobe: aprons, tea towels and everyday uniforms The kitchen is not a showroom: why we like well-used objects more The Lunch That Lingers: Little Rituals of the Italian Sunday How to clean a moka pot: what to use and what to avoid How to store fresh bread: bag, freezer and mistakes to avoid The short menu: why choosing less can be a good idea The kitchen after dinner: the objects that remain on the table The paper tablecloth: ephemeral design, real stains Tortellini, tortelloni and cappelletti: what is the difference? Smooth or ridged pasta: what changes and how to choose a sauce The wooden spoon and the value of things that age well The metal colander: when a functional object becomes design The enameled pot: an object that transcends generations The everyday kitchen glass: why simple ones are the most beautiful How much salt should I add to the pasta water? Amounts per liter 500 g of fresh pasta: how many people is it enough for? How much rice per person? Portions for risotto, salad and soup Stale bread: 7 ideas to use it in the kitchen without waste How to cream pasta: pasta cooking water, starch, and mistakes to avoid The shopping list: the most honest poster of the week The sound of the kitchen: an everyday soundtrack Pasta dinner for 8: quantities, menu and a serving timeline 500 g of pasta: how many people? Portions for 2, 4 and 6 How to set a casual table: 7 ideas without rigid rules Which pasta shape for which sauce? A practical guide
The MAG notebook
Food, objects, design and everyday rituals.
The steel tray: a table on the move
Edges, reflections, and small service gestures: the steel tray observed at work, from the bar to the home kitchen.
Read the articleIl Saraceno in Arezzo: the wood-fired oven and city cuisine
Il Saraceno showcases Aretine cuisine with soups, fresh pasta, and wood-fired baking. Why it made the 500G selection.
Read the articleThe handwritten shopping list is still a design object
Paper, calligraphy, and cooking: how a shopping list becomes a domestic portrait.
Read the articleThe bar napkin: a small manifesto of everyday graphic design
The paper napkin tells much more about the coffee: typography, gesture, memory, and the identity of a place.
Read the articleHow to read a trattoria menu without being swayed by trends
A card tells the story of a cuisine before the dishes arrive: seasonality, selection, and little clues to recognize.
Read the articleThe kitchen has a wardrobe: aprons, tea towels and everyday uniforms
From the cook’s apron to the household kitchen cloth: textiles as tools, memory, and identity.
Read the articleThe kitchen is not a showroom: why we like well-used objects more
Among mismatched glasses, scarred tables and everyday tableware: another idea of beauty in the kitchen.
Read the articleThe Lunch That Lingers: Little Rituals of the Italian Sunday
An imperfect table, a sauce simmering on the stove, and time to spend together: the rituals of Sunday lunch.
Read the articleHow to clean a moka pot: what to use and what to avoid
Cleaning the moka pot without damaging the gasket, filter, and aluminum: a practical guide to daily maintenance.
Read the articleHow to store fresh bread: bag, freezer and mistakes to avoid
How to store bread to keep it fresh for longer: when to use paper, when to freeze it, and why the refrigerator is not the best choice.
Read the articleThe short menu: why choosing less can be a good idea
Three starters, four mains and a changing chalkboard: the short menu as a culinary statement.
Read the articleThe kitchen after dinner: the objects that remain on the table
The best part sometimes comes when the meal is over: moved glasses, crumbs, empty plates, and conversations that don’t want to end.
Read the articleThe paper tablecloth: ephemeral design, real stains
The paper tablecloth in the trattoria is a surface that retains gestures, stains, marks, and the time of a meal.
Read the articleTortellini, tortelloni and cappelletti: what is the difference?
Shape, filling and place: a guide to three families of filled pasta that are about more than size.
Read the articleSmooth or ridged pasta: what changes and how to choose a sauce
Smooth does not necessarily mean polished, and ridged does not automatically mean better. Shape, surface and sauce, plus a tasting exercise for your table.
Read the articleThe wooden spoon and the value of things that age well
The wooden ladle and spoon in the contemporary kitchen: wear, materials, gestures, and the aesthetic value of the utensils we use every day.
Read the articleThe metal colander: when a functional object becomes design
From the steel colander to perforated molds: a story about the design of everyday utensils and their place in the visual culture of the kitchen.
Read the articleThe enameled pot: an object that transcends generations
The enameled pot between home cooking, color, and memory: not a vintage object to be displayed, but a tool to continue using.
Read the articleThe everyday kitchen glass: why simple ones are the most beautiful
From the water glass to the stackable tumbler: a short manifesto on the objects that do not seek attention and end up defining the table.
Read the articleHow much salt should I add to the pasta water? Amounts per liter
How much salt should go in the pasta water? Approximate amounts per liter, when to add it, and how to adjust if the sauce contains pecorino or other salty ingredients.
Read the article500 g of fresh pasta: how many people is it enough for?
500 grams of fresh pasta for how many people? Approximate portions for plain fresh pasta, stuffed pasta, and gnocchi, with examples for 2, 4, and 6 people.
Read the articleHow much rice per person? Portions for risotto, salad and soup
How much rice per person: portions for risotto, rice salad, soups and side dishes, with a table for 2, 4, 6 and 8 people.
Read the articleStale bread: 7 ideas to use it in the kitchen without waste
What to do with stale bread: seven ideas, from pappa al pomodoro to ribollita, with practical tips for repurposing it in the kitchen.
Read the articleHow to cream pasta: pasta cooking water, starch, and mistakes to avoid
How to finish pasta: why starchy pasta water is needed, when to turn off the heat, and what mistakes to avoid with oil, butter, and cheese.
Read the articleThe shopping list: the most honest poster of the week
A seemingly ordinary slip of paper becomes a visual archive of everyday life.
Read the articleThe sound of the kitchen: an everyday soundtrack
The soundscape of the kitchen: familiar noises, gestures and conviviality, told by 500GCORP.
Read the articlePasta dinner for 8: quantities, menu and a serving timeline
Eight chairs, one kitchen. What to buy, what to prepare first and how to serve pasta without spending the evening away from the table.
Read the article500 g of pasta: how many people? Portions for 2, 4 and 6
How many people does 500 grams of pasta serve? The answer changes between 80 g and 100 g portions. A table, examples and calculations for planning a meal together.
Read the articleHow to set a casual table: 7 ideas without rigid rules
Seven ideas for setting a casual table: mismatched plates, glasses, textiles and small rituals.
Read the articleWhich pasta shape for which sauce? A practical guide
Long, short, smooth or ridged pasta: choose a shape to match the texture of your sauce.
Read the articleMAG / Table talk
WHAT'S THE WORD?
Three gestures, three words. A little break between reads.
1 / 3
A piece of bread. Leftover sauce. The plate is clean again.
Fare la scarpetta means mopping up sauce with bread.
Cooked. Still firm to the bite.
Al dente: the point where pasta keeps its firmness.
Chopped vegetables. Oil. A base gently cooking.
Soffritto is a base of vegetables gently cooked in fat.