National Geographic's Ice Cream Truck; New Short Stacks

EVERYWHERE— In a project backed by National Geographic, three conversationists will tour the country in an ice cream truck as part of an "Ice Cream Expedition." At each stop, the group will hand out free scoops of Magnolia Tropical Ice Cream to kids — hoping to start conversations about natural exploration and conservation — and in the spirit of the project, the retrofitted truck will run on vegetable oil as it tours 33 states. The expedition tentatively kicks off July 17 in San Diego, with plans to finish up in New York City. More information here. [EaterWire]

BOOK CLUB— Short Stack Editions, which publishes beautiful miniature "cookbooks" each devoted to a single topic, has announced upcoming new editions. Volumes nine (written by Martha Holmberg) and 10 (by Jessica Battilana) will be dedicated to "plums" and "corn," respectively. They're both available for pre-order here. [EaterWire]

KICKSTARTIN'— Here's a fun Kickstarter project that mercifully does not involve potato salad: NYC-based designer Ben Melinger has already hit his target goal for the Smash Cup, a collapsible cup that holds hot drinks. Designed to take up less space in a bag or briefcase compared to a portable travel mug, the cup collapses into a liquid-tight disk when empty. (The collapsing motion takes "about as much strength as it does to crush an egg on a table.") [Kickstarter]