Links We Love: Spaghetti String Theory, Frito Addictions, and more

A look at what we're reading, cooking, and clicking this week

Credit: Mike White

• Pictured: This collection of simple, overhead shots of empty cups of espresso forms a surprisingly comprehensive look at the coffee scene in New York, as well as a lovely visual series. [A Cup a Day]

• Finally, someone has taken a host of confusing subjects (string theory, financial derivatives, offsides) and explained them in our language: food. [Mental Floss]

• From American cheese to Skippy, top chefs reveal their guilty pleasures that are miles away from house-made ketchup and artisanal bread. You can stop feeling bad about your secret Pop-tart habit, now. [New York Times]

• Portrait blog The Selby gives us a charming look inside the home of Chef Ignacio Mattos (formerly of Isa and Il Buco) as he prepares a mouthwatering lunch of fish with banana, onion-radish-avocado salad, and caipirinhas for a few friends. [The Selby]

• Is a $75 appetizer out of touch, or is it trend-making? The Wall Street Journal argues for the trickle-down effect of fine dining. [The Wall Street Journal]

• In a series of short films created by Isabella Rosselini for Burt's Bees, a cast of beautiful bees explain their life cycle, the threat of colony collapse disorder, and other questions on Burt's mind.