I opened my new bottle of grapeseed oil bought from a Korean grocery store expecting a run-of-the-mill spout. but instead flicked open the cap to reveal a tube-like protrusion. My first thought was, "Damn, that's awesome!" But then I took a closer look and realized the tube was part of a larger design: an elephant's face. The spout was elevated from "awesome" to "BEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN (related to bottles of oil)." But seriously, isn't that an awesome design? Is anyone else's mind totally blown? (Please say yes, or else I'll think I'm insane.) I've lost count of how many times I've poured oil out of a bottle with a too-large spout and cursed the spout for... More

Photographs take by Elise Bauer You don't need a fancy smoker to make great barbecue in your backyard. With the help of Hank Shaw at Simply Recipes, you can learn how to turn your kettle grill into a smoker. Just add water (in pans) along with a mix of charcoal and water-soaked wood chips beneath the grate. The meat should only lay on the side of the grate above the water pans. You'll have to periodically check the coals and pay close attention to the temperature to make sure it's low enough for a long, slow cook, but judging from these mouthwatering photos, the results will be worth it. Related How To Build a Cheap-Ass Grill for Under $10... More

Photos from House Beautiful Ina Garten has the reverse schedule of the average Manhattan apartment owner with a Hamptons summer estate—she spends most of her year "summering" on Long Island, while occasionally visiting the downtown duplex. On the Barefoot Contessa, we're so used to watching her shoe-less, strolling along the sand, but hardly get to see her urbanite side. House Beautiful magazine interviewed Garten and toured her 1920s one-bedroom apartment. Inside, the ceilings are high, the kitchen is "tiny," and the Belgian couches have just the right amount of cushiness. "I'm short, so if a sofa is too deep I feel like a little girl with my feet sticking out. These are comfortable, but not too cushy," explained Garten. [Via... More

With all the food reading we do at Serious Eats, we don't often see that much about what the troops stationed in Iraq are eating. Why not? The answer may be as simple as Chaplain Andrews' explanation on his blog: "If you have ever been in a cafeteria environment, you've got to understand how there really is just a couple of different ways to change up the meals. The really good food still gets old." We were happy, then, to see his link to Photograzing come through our referrer logs on a blog post titled, humorously, "What's Not for Dinner." It's a cool kind of exchange. First, we know he's taking some comfort in peeping the amazing photos that the... More

planetgreen.discovery.com Back in February, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia bought the Emeril brand for $50 million. Besides his famed television shows, Emeril boasts a website, twelve cookbooks, an extensive array of licensed kitchen tools, and food products from coffees to marinades. Ad Age reports that Emeril is mixing it up these days. The man who helped create celebrity chefdom will premiere a cooking show, Emeril Green, on Discovery Communications' new Planet Green network on Monday.... More

Aaaah, beer. In my opinion, there are few things more satisfying on a hot day. For those of you of like mind, here are a few nifty ideas for getting your beer on: Tool Bottle Openers Bearing likeness to pliers and wrenches, these tool bottle openers will impart a greater sense of productivity to the opening of your next brew. $25, from The Curiosity Shoppe... More

When I went home for July Fourth, my mom welcomed my brother and me with a delicious homemade dumpling feast. How did my mom, who probably hadn't made homemade dumplings in years, suddenly get the inspiration to whip up over 100 little meat-filled dough pouches? By watching Kung Fu Panda. Yes, a computer-animated movie about a hefty panda discovering his inner kung fu prowess drove my mom to dig into her latent memory bank of Chinese recipes. In the most dumpling heavy scene, Po (voiced by Jack Black), whose kung fu skills are provoked by the sight of food, must battle against Master Shifu (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) to get his hands on the last dumpling. Dumplings are awesome—I... More

Vanilla ice cream with pie is a classic combination, but why not try something different? My three favorite words in the language of desserts are à la mode. In fact, I love ice cream so much that I frequently wish I could invert the formula, as in, "I'll have three giant scoops with a sliver of pie on top." But when it comes to the dizzying array of cakes, crumbles, and crostatas made from all sorts of ingredients—chocolate, coffee, fruit, nuts—why do we so often limit ourselves to crowning our sweets with dollops of plain old vanilla? Don't get me wrong—I have nothing against vanilla ice cream. I just don't understand why it is the end all be all flavor... More

Are you planning to wait in line tomorrow at your local Apple store for the new iPhone 3G? If so, you're going to need some food to keep up your stamina. Here are our recommendations for where to get tasty grub near some of the largest Apple Stores across the country. More

Fromage blanc and berry entremet from Pâtisserie Lac, where Fanny will be interning next year. Fanny of the beautiful French pastry-laden blog Foodbeam recently secured an internship at Pâtisserie Lac near Nice in France for next year. Want to score your own internship? That is, do you really want to slave away for your obsessive, burning love of pastries? Then read Fanny's seven tips for getting an internship at a pâtisserie in France. Although passion is key, so is knowing a bit of French, organizing a list of the places you want to apply to, and showing those places that you mean business.... More

In anticipation of Philly-area geeks showing some brotherly love by camping out for the new iPhone 3G, we asked our Philadelphia correspondent Joy Manning for some restaurant recommendations near the King of Prussia Apple Store. View Larger Map Most Philadelphians stock up on Apple tech toys at the enormous King of Prussia mall since there's no store downtown. Healthy food is scarce here, like at any food court, but Legal Sea Foods offers a take-out stand with clam chowder available in a still-flavorful “lite” version. Not concerned about staying fit for your wait? Get the lobster roll—the tastiest sandwich at the mall. 690 West Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia PA 19406 (map) Sweet freaks know Rita’s Water Ice is the... More

In anticipation of D.C.-area geeks going gaga over the new iPhone 3G by camping out before it comes out tomorrow at 8 a.m., our own Erin Zimmer gives her picks near the Arlington, Virginia, Apple Store. View Larger Map Last year, there was talk of an Apple store opening in Georgetown but since that never happened and Washington, D.C. proper still doesn't have a store, a close alternative is in Arlington, Virginia. El Pollo Rico: For juicy rotisserie chicken head to El Pollo Rico. The half chicken is a worthy investment—easy to nibble in line and worth a couple meals. The fries aren't anything special here but get a face-lift when dunked in the spicy green sauce. Disclaimer: El Pollo... More

We figure there will be some hardcore Apple faithful in Chicago ready to line up outside the Apple Store on Friday morning to get their hands on a new iPhone 3G as soon as it's out. We asked Michael Nagant, our Windy City contributor and the editor of Hungry Magazine, for some of his top choices near the Apple Store here. View Larger Map Wow Bao: Like a shiny new iPod, steamed Asian-style yeast buns here offer the ultimate functionality. Portable and stuffed with goodies like spicy kung pao chicken and barbecue pork, they'll fuel you for hours of intense line-waiting. The whole-wheat version filled with edamame will probably keep you most spry. Fight the heat and wash down the... More

With Apple HQ in nearby Cupertino, there's got to be a lot of iPhone freaks in San Francisco willing to stand in line to grab a 3G handset the minute it's released on Friday morning. In anticipation, we asked our SF correspondents Jennifer Maiser and Harold Check for their picks. Apple Store, Stockton Street View Larger Map 'wichcraft: Tom Colicchio's great sandwich options, like the fried egg one available all day, can be found at the Mission Street entrance of the Westfield Mall. 868 Mission Street, San Francisco CA 94103 (map) [JM] Medicine Eatstation: About a five-minute walk from the Apple store with satisfying bento boxes to keep you energized. 161 Sutter Street, San Francisco CA 94104 (map) [JM] Bristol... More