In Praise of White: Bread, Pasta, Rice and Potatoes

High-protein diets are so 2003. The eight extraordinary recipes here celebrate the comeback of carbs—creamy pasta, crusty bread, fragrant rice and potatoes that are marvelously crisp or silky smooth.

white-hot style

JACK PURCELLS Actor James Dean immortalized these newly hip sneakers, designed in 1935 ($50; converse.com).

HERMANN CZECH CHAIR This updated Thonet chair has naked beechwood legs ($945 at the Conran Shop; 212-755-9079).

POMERAINIANS Their baby-doll faces have won them fans like Kate Hudson and Hillary Duff (americanpomeranianclub.org).

NISSAN'S PIVO CAR This electric concept car inspired a character by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (nissanusa.com).

HUNTLEY HOTEL The lobby in this redesigned Santa Monica hotel is alive with 300 ceramic piranhas (thehuntleyhotel.com).

HERMÈS FASHION You'll see oversize white shirt dresses, like Hermès's asymmetrical number, in spring collections ($1,925; hermes.com).

eCOSMART'S IGLOO FIREPLACE Soot-free, it heats with a kind of ethanol made from sugar ($7,277 at casamonte; 773-278-4100).

Published February 2006