• Cook the Book: 'Tender': Chris from Music City, USA, Pictou, Traci7822, serasyl, and kayrob.
• Weekend Giveaway: 'Roadfood': FindingAmanda, sophieangeline, and WSLunch.

Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to all who entered! More

With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable and the inevitable episode repeats, it's hard to sort out what's new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don't miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels. More

Yakitori is really just a matter of picking out your favorite chicken parts to skewer (though non-chicken parts like beef tongue are common and delicious too). Common chicken parts include chicken heart, gizzard, liver, meatballs, thigh, and skin. The procedure is simple: grill, baste with sauce, grill some more, baste with more sauce, eat with more sauce. Emphasis on sauce. More

When I stumbled upon Curly and Carole Anne, two banjo-playing mushroom farmers, I immediately fell in love. They run an all-organic farm way out in the Ozarks. Driving there took us down all types of dirt roads, over several streams and to a land where GPS and cell phones cease to exist. What followed was three days of shiitake talking, cooking and eating. What really struck me was their discussion of what "local" means and how that can affect sustainable family farms. Watch the video to hear more. More

The Book of New Israeli Food showcases recipes and photos, interspersed with stories and histories that put Israeli cuisine into perspective. We recently sat down with author Janna Gur and asked for some of her favorite recipes from the book. This week we'll be sharing Stuffed Baby Eggplants and Courgettes in Pomegranate Sauce alongside Cheese Bourekas and Gondi, an Iranian-Jewish spin on matzo ball soup. Enter to win a copy of the book here! More

When it comes to sandwiches, Dennis Leary (chef-owner of Canteen and The Sentinel in San Francisco) can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. Which is why when I learned he was opening a second take-away window, I knew things were going to be creative and tasty. There are only two sandwiches per day at The Golden West, tucked away in a Financial District alley off Sutter Street. One of these, the short rib sandwich ($8.75), basically a grown-up version of the Sloppy Joe, has become near-legend since its inception. More

Boston's farmers' market season opened at the Copley Square, one of the longest running and largest markets in the heart of the city. Prudential Farmers' Market, one of the newer Boston area markets, also opened and is one of the first to take advantage of legislation allowing Massachusetts Farm Wineries to sell at farmers' markets. Check out snapshots from both markets of the rhubarb, asparagus, green garlic, chocolate bread, and more. More

Several months ago, our owner Debbie signed up for one of the first of Philadelphia OpenTable's Groupon-style deals. Unless you're living deep in a hole, you've heard of Groupon and its siblings: Living Social, Buy With Me, Deal On, and the rest. For restaurants, websites like Zagat and OpenTable offer nearly identical packages. As a new(ish) restaurant with a nonexistent PR budget, we liked that these promotions would bring in new business. But in some instances, we eat a lot of the bill. More

If you're reading this right now, you should probably stop and get yourself to the grill. That's where we'll be spending the day! And thanks to our grilling gurus Josh and Kenji, we've wised up with all the essential grilling tips. Armed with a plate full of our favorite summer recipes and a cold seasonal ale, we'll be relaxing outside today, away from this ol' computer guy. See you back here tomorrow! More

• Serious BBQ: Grilling this Weekend? Try out these sticky sweet Kansas City-Style Ribs.
• All About Asparagus: Check out the Food Lab to learn how best to cook this slim spring vegetable, with dishes like Broiled Asparagus with Cotija Cheese.
• Sesame and Flax Flatbreads: These slightly nutty, soft and chewy flatbreads are great with hummus, as wraps, or simply alongside dinner.
• Pack Up The Charcoal And The Marshmallows: Here are 25 recipes to make while you're camping.
• Glutinous Rice and Banana Leaves: These delicious banana leaf-wrapped bundles of glutinous rice can be found across China and parts of Southeast Asia.

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The word "local" has a dozen different definitions, depending on who you ask. Some say that eating locally means eating from within a 100- or even 50-mile radius. Others say that local means eating from your foodshed, which may include neighboring states or refer to whole regions of the country. But to Robin Mather, an editor and writer who lives in southwest Michigan, eating local means sourcing her food almost exclusively from within her own small town. In her book The Feast Nearby: How I Lost My Job, Buried a Marriage, and Found My Way by Keeping Chickens, Foraging, Preserving, Bartering, and Eating Locally (All on Forty Dollars a Week) (phew!), she details four seasons of local eating in the truest sense. More

There's so much going on in Talk week to week that we almost can't keep up. If you're in the same boat, here's a small selection of topics and responses that have piqued our interest this week. More

• Visiting NYC: Headed to the city and need somewhere to eat? Here's where to dine near the Theater District, the Museum of Natural History, and the High Line.
• Manhattans in Chicago: Cocktail lovers should try the Smoked Sicilian Manhattan at the Bristol in Chicago; it's a deliciously creative twist on a traditional drink.
• Think Duck: Stop by Momofuku Ssäm Bar's new Duck Lunch in New York and order, what else, the excellent duck bun and rotisserie duck.
• Northgate Soda Shop: The pimento burger at this 1950's style spot in Greenville, South Carolina, positively oozes cheese and retro charm.
• The Birthplace of Grilled Pizza: Interested in where it all started? Head to Providence to try the superb grilled pies at Al Forno.
• Samurai Mama: The excellent made-in-house udon makes the second restaurant from NYC chef Makato Suzuki a solid success.

More

1. SE Staff Picks: Our Favorite Food Souvenirs to 'Smuggle' Home »
2. Smorgasburg: The New Brooklyn Flea Food Market »
3. 25 Great Recipes for Camping »
4. Is $5 Too Much To Pay For a Coke? »
5. Is there a food equivalent of the little black dress? »
6. Guide to Grilling: Why You Should Really Own a Smoker »
7. Reality Check: Hardees Turkey Burger »
8. How To Grill a Gigantic Rib-Eye Steak »
9. Where To Eat Near the High Line in New York »
10. The Food Lab, Drinks Edition: Does Longer Aging Improve Whisky? » More

This week at the Serious Eats office, we...er, moved the Serious Eats office! After four years in Chelsea, we're now in Chinatown/Little Italy. We're loving the new neighborhood. Dumpling is a big fan too. (This post is 67% percent Dumpling—well, 75% if you count the double Dumpling slide twice.) More

The Sterns have been seeking out the best in sleeves-up dining since the '70s, traveling coast to coast and back again, seeking out regional American specialties from fried chicken and lobster rolls to lesser-knowns like hangover-curing New Orleans yakamein and Mennonite-German-Russian bierocks from Kansas. They've released a revised and expanded edition of Roadfood. Enter to win a copy here! More

With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable and the inevitable episode repeats, it's hard to sort out what's new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don't miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels. More

Is it Memorial Day weekend yet? This whole week we've been gearing up to the three-day weekend and official start of outdoor grilling season. Here's a mess of recipes we'd happily chow on with friends around a grill, on a rooftop, at a park, or wherever. Everything from sweet potato chips to burgers and skewer-able meats to roasted potato salad, and of course a cold basil lemonade to gulp down. More

Two weeks ago I tried out the delicious all-beef Froman hot dogs from Gilbert's Craft Sausages in Wisconsin, and with Memorial Day right around the corner I thought I'd give some of their other sausages a try on the grill. Gilbert's is a new company that strikes a great balance between modern and traditional with some really delicious high-quality, all-natural uncured dogs and sausages. More

Since 1924, Long Beach locals have been flocking to Joe Jost's, a mellow bar that serves up beers at 29 degrees (they even have a thermometer showing the current temperature) by the schooner along with pickled eggs, chili peppers, peanuts, pretzels, and a delicious little sandwich called the "Joe's Special." For $2.95, bartenders will give you a Polish sausage wrapped in a fresh slice of rye bread, served with Swiss cheese, a pickle and mustard. More

If ramps are the harbingers of spring, then asparagus is certainly its king. Amongst the vegetables that are available year-round from the supermarket, there are very few that show as drastic a change in flavor between the imported, year-round stuff, and the fresh-from-the-earth spring variety. The best part of asparagus is how darn easy it is to prepare. It's a great gateway vegetable for anyone who has been too intimidated to get into vegetable cookery. Even if you do manage to mess it up, it's still pretty delicious stuff. That said, there are a few questions about the powerful green stalks that need answering. More

Yup, it's true. I was in Rome for ten days and lost two pounds. How did I do this? Believe it or not there was method to the madness. Here were my five Roman Rules. More

Wrapping glutinous rice in banana leaves has to be one of the best things you can do with glutinous rice. The banana leaves impart their herbaceous, almost minty scent to the rice, which gets a double treatment of flavor: once from the wrapping, and again from the filling. You'll find banana leaf-wrapped bundles of glutinous rice across China and parts of Southeast Asia, the fillings varying according to regional tastes. More

We're entering summer territory and my heart lifts at the thought of barbecues, sidewalk dining, and post-work "I can't believe it's still light out" drinking. I like to kick off my summer season by inviting over some friends and cooking up the types of dishes I look forward to most, such as blue cheese biscuits, spicy carrot salad, and cherry pie. More

Each week we round up our favorite posts and recipes from our friends at The Kitchn. This week they get messy at a crawfish boil, blend up avocado breakfast shakes, and more. More

As summer approaches, so does the season for carnivals and festivals, which continue to prove that anything can be thrown into a deep-fryer. Ever wonder what kind of oil the "fry guys" use? More often than not it's peanut oil. More

The one sandwich that comes to mind for anyone who's ventured through the door at Jimmy's Serious Sandwiches is The Garden ($6.95). Back in 1979 it won the first place in the National Sandwich Contest. Though the recipe for the sandwich is actually posted on the wall next to the door, few actually make it at home. They'd rather get their fix in the restaurant or in a lunch box to go. More

Today at 1 p.m. ET our Food Lab expert Kenji Lopez-Alt will appear in Consumer Reports' live video chat on grilling to teach you how to grill the perfect burger and answer your grilling-related questions. Joint the chat at Consumer Reports' Facebook page or Ustream page. You can submit questions on Facebook or on Twitter using the hashtag #CRGrills. More

As we've learned on Spice Hunting, chiles don't always taste like you expect. Remember aji panca, the sweet purple chile that tastes oddly like blueberries? Well here's another Peruvian import (a nation whose chiles I seem to have a thing for) that's something of an edible surprise: lemon drop chiles. More

When we heard about this recent bologna bust in New Mexico, where agents seized 385 pounds of Mexican bologna after finding it in a pickup truck (it's illegal to bring pork products across the border), we started chatting in the office about food "smuggling." Everyone's shoved a few food souvenirs into their suitcase, and most of the time it's not as illegal as 385 pounds of bologna. Here are some items we've brought across borders. How about you? What are your favorite food souvenirs to tote home? (Need not be illegal...) More

Last week for our Weekend Cook and Tell challenge we asked all of you to skewer up some grub for a challenge we dubbed Foods on a Stick. The challenge evoked all sorts of fun fair foods and plenty of Memorial Day inspired snacking. Let's take a peek at some of our most intriguing ideas for foods on a stick. More

Ultra-thick, Flintstone-sized double-cut bone-in big-enough-to-serve-two-fully-grown-Thundercats ribeye steaks (commonly referred to as "Cowboy Chops") require a bit of extra care when cooking. Their thick size makes them all too easy to end up with a burnt exterior and cold, raw middle. But here are some grilling tips to maximize that medium-rare center—you want to see pink from edge to edge—while still getting a nicely charred crust. More

Amsterdam Falafel in the Adams Morgan nabe of D.C. should really be called Amsterdam Toppings with Some Falafel Buried Underneath. The falafel is fine—golfball-sized fritters made of crushed chickpeas and all sorts of spices—but it's really about the serve-yourself toppings bar, stocked with 21 scoopable options. You have your hummus, baba ghanoush, tahini, and tzatziki, as well as pickled cabbage, pickles, crunchy salads, and torator, a fiery green herb sauce, at the very end. More

Unlike pate, which transforms liver, pressing ears into a terrine mold doesn't change a thing about the fundamental texture and taste of ears. If you compare eating a hunk of pigs' ears that have been crammed and congealed in a mold to eating pigs' ears that have been simmered and chilled, there is not much difference. Yet if you go the extra step of pressing the ears down into a loaf pan, you get the giddy pleasure of eating something that looks like a slice of cake but is actually made of ears. More

Few joints get as crowded during lunch hour in Providence as Geoff's Sandwiches on Benefit Street. Though the tiny shop is nestled on College Hill beside both Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, its clientele treks from all over downtown Providence to try one of dozens of creative sandwiches. More

In this week's video, I joined some guys from Arkansas for a night of catching frogs. Better judgement may have suggested an initial meet-and-greet preceding the late-night boat ride into the flooded backwaters of Arkansas. But alas, we were on the road and had no time for such formalities. Warning: This video contains images that some may consider disturbing. More

Shopping for the bulk of your fruits and vegetables (and beyond, if you're lucky) at the farmers' market takes a handful of different skills than cruising the Piggly Wiggly. Because the availability of individual foods ebbs and flows in a wonderfully non-industrial pattern, you'll have to go with the flow MacGyver-style instead of pre-planning every detail of your meals for the week. Duct tape (while never discouraged) is not an essential tool for your market tote, but here are a few ideas that are. More

Got camping plans for the three-day weekend? (Or any weekend, for that matter.) Stock up that cooler with a few staples like granola, pizza dough, and make-ahead desserts and your camping menu just got way more delicious. Just don't blame us if you attract the bears. More

Though small farms are suffering from poor weather conditions, large-scale agriculture is also vulnerable. Rain is the primary problem facing growers in the Midwest and Northeast, but severe drought is causing alarm in Texas and other southwestern states. Two main crops affected so far are corn and wheat, and both commodities' prices have gone up as a result. More

What good is a guide to American barbecue sauce styles if you can't actually try any of those sauces? Thankfully, most regional styles of barbecue sauce are available via mail order. if you've never tried northern Alabama white sauce or want to see what the most infamous mustard sauce in South Carolina is all about, mail-order is the easiest way to get sauced. More

Cook the Book: 'Cooking in the Moment': ks328, kitchenography, abduffy, PlanetChaos, and icecreamsandwich. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to all who entered! More

With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable and the inevitable episode repeats, it's hard to sort out what's new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don't miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels. More

It would be easy to call Tender a vegetable cookbook but it's so much more than that. For example, the chapter on leeks: Slater introduces the leek, talks about his relationship with it, fond memories it evokes, and even the variety he prefers in his home kitchen (Musselburgh).Slater treats each vegetable in Tender with the same sort of reverence, whether it's something showy like a summer tomato or a humble onion. Enter to win a copy here. More

Ah, corn tortillas. Without you, so many tacos would fall apart. Ever made your own? I haven't, but started thinking about it more while in Mexico earlier this year, witnessing the tortilla rolling process front and center. Spoiler alert: it's strikingly similar to rolling out pizza dough. More

Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store doesn't sell cigars but they do sell some very tasty sandwiches. Of particular note are their hot focaccia sandwiches, which beat other grilled panini because they're heated in a pizza oven. The result is two thin, chewy pieces of onion focaccia with that same delicious char you'd find on a pizza crust. More

We are no Per Se. We have an old, teeny kitchen. So teeny that in the warm months, the staff sets up tables outside and sets up shop there. Most of our restaurant consists of hand-me-downs from old, closed restaurants. But our Per Se meal reminded us what a memorable restaurant experience could be; it was a push to look for ways to make our restaurant more special. More

Between the nose-tingling burn of wasabi and very poppable shape of peas, wasabi peas are impossible to stop eating. As in, oops there goes two-thirds of the bag (and double oops, that was six servings' worth!). A bag of them lives above my desk, but never lasts for very long. More

• Lexington: "The Piedmont area of North Carolina's take on barbecue sauce is thin, vinegary, and hot."
• Edible Party Favors: Three recipes for take-home treats for your next graduation party, bridal shower, or summer party.
• Mint Julep Ice Cream: Mint and bourbon go just as well together in ice cream as they do over crushed ice.
• Joong: Learn to make Toisan-Style Joong, "hefty bundles filled with lightly salted glutinous rice," with mung beans, cured pork belly, Chinese sausage, duck egg yolks, and dried baby shrimp.
• Grilled Patty Melts: "What could go better with juicy ground beef, oozy melty cheese, and sweet caramelized onions than a bit of smoke from a real fire?"

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Ancient Greeks rubbed mint on their tables as a sign of hospitality and mint tea has long been served in the Middle East to welcome guests. For me, the small, bright green leaves of the mint plant welcome warm weather and a new season of cooking. More

I like to start my day off on a healthy note, which means I don't often indulge at breakfast. But I do have a weakness for pancakes—fluffy golden-brown stacks topped with a fat pat of butter and dripping with pure maple syrup. Needless to say, I was excited to try out Kodiak Cakes Whole Wheat, Oat and Honey Flapjack Mix ($7.95). They mix is made with 100% whole grains and egg whites, and has no added fat or sugar. And the pancakes came out so perfectly you might think I was a short order cook. More

From Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential to Grant Achatz's Life, on the Line, the past several years have seen the release of dozens of chef memoirs. The books often follow a similar path—reflections on the vulgarity and heat of a busy kitchen, stories of sliced fingers and being deep in the weeds. I wasn't expecting anything different upon opening Jonathan Dixon's recently released Beaten, Seared, and Sauced: On Becoming a Chef at the Culinary Institute of America. But his story takes a different track. More

• Bakery Week: Serious Eats: New York explored some of the city's greatest bakeries: best for cakes and cookies, best for French pastry, best for pie, for baguette, our top 10 bakery sweets in NYC, and more.
• Washington Pastrami: "With the opening of Stopsky's on Mercer Island, finally Seattle has some magnificent pastrami."
• Pizza Bianca in Rome: Ed Levine visits Forno Campo de' Fiori and Antico Forno Marco Roscioli in search of Rome's best pizza bianca.
• Bi-Coastal Taste Test: With the help of synchronized watches and a cross-country flight, we taste In-N-Out, Five Guys, and Shake Shack against each other.
• Ferry Plaza Market: With so many incredible eats at San Francisco's Ferry Building, especially when the market sets up on Saturdays, where do you allocate stomach space? Here's our guide to the best bites at Ferry Plaza.

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There's so much going on in Talk week to week that we almost can't keep up. If you're in the same boat, here's a small selection of topics and responses that have piqued our interest this week. More

1. In-N-Out vs. Five Guys vs. Shake Shack: The First Bi-Coastal Side-By-Side Taste Test »
2. The Best Bakeries in New York: American-Style »
3. SE Staff Picks: Our Favorite 4 P.M. Snacks »
4. San Francisco: Best Bites at Ferry Plaza Market »
5. Taste Test: Creamy Peanut Butter »
6. Care to Introduce Yourself? »
7. Do You Have any Once in a 'Wifetime' Recipes? »
8. Asian Drinks: Canned Juices and Drinks with Stuff in Them »
9. Taste Test: Barbecue Sauce »
10. Best Banchan in Los Angeles » More

This week at headquarters, we packed up the office to prepare for our move, Dumpling met a baby, and we ate lots of peanut butter and bread. (If you're wondering, the slideshow is 55.6 percent Dumpling and 44.4 percent baby.) More

I'm even fine with paying $5 or more for a soft drink at a super fancy restaurant where it's served to me in a real glass with ice by a professional waiter or bartender. But $5 for a Coke that I had to walk up to a counter to pick up myself, that I had to pay for immediately, that was served in a glass bottle with no cup, no ice, and not even a straw? Am I being unreasonable? More

So why do you need to buy a smoker? Here's a breakdown between two racks of baby back ribs, one done on the smoker, one on the grill, on the same day, using the same recipe. More

What absolutely blew my mind was this dog covered with Sandy's own homemade pimento cheese. A line of mustard and a sprinkling of diced onions add a faint zip in the background, but it's all about the juicy dog and super creamy cheese. Fans of cream cheese dogs would be way into this, although Sandy's is a much more delicately built hot dog, some of the best hot dog presentation we saw in the South. More

With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable and the inevitable episode repeats, it's hard to sort out what's new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don't miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels. More

You'll find packets of frozen tang yuan at most Chinese supermarkets, and these days the fillings not only come in the standard assortment, but have branched out into fancy-sounding ones like "sweet osmanthanus" and "chestnut and sesame seed." Why then, take the trouble of making your own at home? Why not! More

"Can Dumpling eat peanut butter?" This question was posed multiple times in our office during our peanut butter taste test. My answer: Hell yes. We've already shown that dogs + peanut butter = fun times for everyone. Of course, with Dumpling it's even more fun. More

Former Top Chef contestant Robin Leventhal and owners Jeff and Lara Sanderson have delivered a Seattle first: a truly great Jewish delicatessen. I swung by the recently opened Stopsky's to compare their pastrami and corned beef. More

Ever had 16 spoonfuls of peanut butter in one sitting? Ever wanted an excuse to? We sure did; enter this taste test. Let's be honest, unless you have a peanut allergy, you are probably in the pro-PB camp. We tried 16 widely available brands. Find out which we liked best! More

We caught up with Tom Colicchio earlier this week to chat about summer entertaining. With two little munchkins at home under the age of two, he likes to keep things real simple with cured meats, cheese, and olives—instant appetizer platter. Here are a few tips to keep in mind the next time hungry guests show up. More

When 4 p.m. rolls around, we're ready to scarf down whatever's nearby. Lunch was ages ago and dinner seems so far, far away. The snack selection is usually limited to scraps from the most recent taste test. Sometimes those options include rock-hard day-old baguettes and barbecue sauce, not exactly prime snacks. So, we need reinforcements at our desk. More

In my opinion, the best party favors are edible party favors. A few nibbles of a home-cooked treat is perfect way for your guests to remember all good things they ate at the party and, of course, how talented their host is in the culinary arts. So for all you shower-throwers, here are three edible party favors to give away. More

Each week we round up our favorite posts and recipes from our friends at The Kitchn. This week they bake Funfetti cake from scratch, share mini fried chicken and waffle appetizers (has the mini food trend gone too far? or not far enough?!), and more. More

When I was a kid, my mom chastised me for running in the house, but I'd run even faster towards the kitchen when the fragrant smells of her savory joong filled the air. My mom's joong are hefty bundles filled with lightly salted glutinous rice, studded with split mung beans, and generously stuffed with delectable slabs of cured pork belly, juicy slices of salty-sweet Chinese sausage, golden, creamy orbs of salted duck egg yolks, pungent dried baby shrimp, and flavorful shredded dried scallop all snugly wrapped in aromatic bamboo leaves and tied with string. More

You hear people say it all the time: I never knew I could love something as much as I love this. That's how I felt; it was love at first bite. Instead of adding heat to the dish by merely shaking hot red pepper flakes over the stir-fry like most places do, the folks at Dok Bua toss the fresh chow foon noodles with a chili paste that fuses roasted sweetness with heat that builds and burns steadily as you eat. More

Jodie's, a warm hole-in-the-wall dining counter that's a treasured local secret in California's East Bay, is known for its Shopsin's-like menu of breakfast platters. Jodie and his grandson Charles are also quite handy when it comes to sandwiches. More

Last week I shared some tips on how to keep your herbs fresh for longer. It's all well and good to keep them around, but hardly worth it if they languish in your fridge for a couple of weeks. Here are my favorite tricks for using up those last couple inches of chives and that final sprig of basil that just won't go away. More

In this week's New Yorker there's a piece called "Test-Tube Burgers" on the controversial work being done to engineer meat in a lab. The stem-cell biologists, tissue engineers, animal rights activists, and environmentalists involved all share one goal: to grow muscle without the use of animals, and produce it in quantities that are large enough to sell in grocery stores. Would eating it give you the heebie-jeebies? Or does thinking about the factory farm slaughterhouses freak you out more? More

For last week's Weekend Cook and Tell we asked all of you to share your stories of CSAs (community supported agriculture) for a challenge we called Hooray for CSA! While opinions ran strong about the value of CSA over farmers' markets, many of you shared wonderful experiences and recipes based around that weekly vegetable pick-up while others gave some pretty strong arguments against them. Let's take a look at some of our freshest stories and thoughts on CSAs. More

Hemp seeds are a bona fide superfood, but confusion about their connection to marijuana keeps many people from adding these nutty green treats to their diet. Do you buy products made with hemp, or cook or bake with hemp seeds or hemp seed oil? More

This isn't the best pastrami you'll ever eat; it's cut too thinly for that. But the salty, peppery, coriander-toned meat piled on this gargantuan sandwich from Seattle's Market House Corned Beef is cheap and filling and the best in the neighborhood. More

Addressing the needs of those living in food deserts is a constant project of food security organizations and activists across the country. So, what's being done to fix this problem? Here are three cool ways that initiatives are finding ways to get fresh foods into underserved areas. More

Seven days a week, San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace is an eater's paradise; but on Saturdays especially, it gets even better, when the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market appears and every side of the enormous building is lined with stands from bakers and cheesemakers and butchers and farmers, not to mention area restaurants with stands of their own. With all this deliciousness, what's best to eat? Here are some bites we've known and loved. More

How does the flavor of buffalo compare? Well obviously, without marbling, buffalo meat is not as rich or mouth-coating as beef. On the other hand, being 100% grass-fed and essentially wild, these beasts have a pronounced flavor that's not gamy, but, well, grassy. More

Taylor Gourmet has two locations in D.C. (in the "Atlas District" neighborhood and near the convention center), but reading the menu, you'd think you were in Philly. Owners Casey Patten and David Mazza are Philly natives, and actually get the crusty hoagie rolls delivered daily from Sarcone's, a fifth-generation bakery in Philly. The Oregon Avenue includes a heaping salad's worth of dressed arugula on a pounded-thin chicken cutlet with a crisp fried coating made of leftover hoagie crumbs. More

This video shares the unique Radiance Dairy in Fairfield, Iowa, where Francis Thicke lets his dairy cows live out their lives after milking. More

We're talking pork brains here, though they could just as easily be lamb or calf brains. A brain is a brain, and while I admit there are slight differences in taste and softness, you're dealing with an organ that is primarily composed of fat—and tastes like it. When it comes to preparing brains, deep-frying them is about as classic as it gets. More

I want us to be the best restaurant in Philadelphia. We already have the most stunning garden. My goal: best food and best service. Not best Farm to Table. Not best Fine Dining yet Casual Unpretentious Atmosphere with Molecular Touches. Just a really solid, wonderful restaurant that gets better every day. A place to come to on any given night, or to celebrate something special, and leave feeling really good. Is that possible. And if so, is that enough? More

With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable and the inevitable episode repeats, it's hard to sort out what's new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don't miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels. More

Cook the Book: 'Food Trucks': cheeseburglar, Merna, Jimmy P, www.kelly-lai.com, and coody. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to all who entered! More

Banchan, the small plates that accompany many Korean meals, complement, contrast, or accentuate the flavors of the main dish, putting out the flames of a particularly fiery spicy kimchi stew or adding a potent kick to a soothing bowl of jeonbokjuk, abalone porridge. And perhaps nowhere else in the U.S. are these side dishes better displayed than in K-Town in Los Angeles. Here are our favorites, depending on what your banchan priorities are. More

We'd like to begin this week's Cook the Book column by sending Andrea Reusing, author of Cooking in the Moment, warm congratulations, not only on her gorgeous new cookbook but also for taking home the James Beard award for Best Chef in the Southeast last week. Enter to win a copy here. More

Seb's Panini, a sandwich vendor that sets up shop at the Little Italy Mercato on Saturdays, and the Hillcrest Farmers' Market on Sundays, offers several takes on the classic Italian sandwich. More

I don't often have buyer's regret—perhaps that's because I don't buy all that much—but sometimes I have failure-to-purchase regret. I see something I covet (usually in the specialty-foods or kitchen equipment store) and then I pass it by, thinking I'll get that later, no need to spend the money now. And then I get more and more obsessed. This happened to me recently with rhubarb bitters, and The Rhubarb Bitters That Got Away. More

• Build a Better Big Mac: Kenji takes a great concept and fixes up everything that's wrong with it, finishing with a burger that's truly worthy of the title of an American Icon.
• Strawberry Campari Tart: This tart crowned generously with sweet and boozy fresh berries will rouse your taste buds from their winter slumber.
• Goan Shrimp Curry: With toasted coconut flakes and ground cumin, this light and delicate curry lends itself particularly well to shrimp.
• Farmer's Market Fare: Lighten up your spring dinners with 10 salads we love.
• Pizzagna: Love pizza? Love Lasanga? Then you'll drool over this cheesy, saucy hybrid.

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Climate change is an undeniably hot topic (pun intended) in both the media and the academic world. Amidst controversial claims and pessimistic forecasts, we're sometimes left wondering how we can event attempt to minimize our own impact on a perhaps permanently altered climate. Author Mike Berners-Lee attempts to give us some guidance in his new book, How Bad Are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything, by detailing the direct and external climate impact that even seemingly innocuous human activities can have on the environment. Ever wonder how much using a cell phone or staying in a hotel for a night added to your environmental impact? This book holds the answers. More

• LTD Pop-Up from David Kinch and John Paul Carmona of Manresa: Tender abalone salad or succulent crisp-skinned suckling porcelet with creamy goat whey polenta sound good to you? Saturday is the last night of this final James Beard Foundation pop-up.
• Pat's Pizza: This 60-year-old Chicago establishment serves thin crust pies and is still one of the best pizza joints in the city.
• So Many Options: There are so many great places to eat in Pike Place market that you've probably wished you had a guide. No worries: that's why we made one.
• Mac Attack: Looks like we're not the only ones with Big Macs on our minds. Local Three Kitchen & Bar in Atalanta made their own "McDowell" burger, and the patty was juicy with a wonderful crusty char on the exterior.
• Zabb Elee: This East Village newcomer may just be the best Thai in Manhattan.

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With spring comes the welcome return of rhubarb. Though often prepared as a dessert, it's an unexpected, and pleasant, addition to savory dishes as well. When using rhubarb, be careful of the leaves on top; they contain toxic substances, but you'll find most stores usually remove them before they're sold. Try to find long, firm stalks to ensure freshness. More

1. Snapshots from Amsterdam: The Best Street Food »
2. SE Staff Picks: Our Favorite Sack Lunches »
3. Hester Street Fair: 2011 Opening Day »
4. Scenes from the James Beard Awards »
5. Did You Ever Eat.. Dog Biscuits? »
6. Seattle: Where to Eat at Pike Place Market »
7. 10 Salads We Love »
8. The Madison Square Park Food Market »
9. Pizza + Lasagna = Pizzagna »
10. 5 Small-But-Mighty Coffee Roasters to Seek Out » More

You know what I'm talking about, right? Those recipes that either stink up the house so much or are so insanely unhealthy that if you ever make them again, you risk driving your significant other out of wedlock? What are the foods that you'd love to try but might risk dying a lonely death for doing so? More

We usually keep the Dumpling exposure to a reasonable, not-the-majority-of-the-slideshow level, but apparently not much interesting stuff happened this week. Result: You get a slideshow that's 75 percent Dumpling. If you're averse to French bulldogs, now's the time to flee. For the rest of you, wind down on this Friday evening with this batch of cuteness. More

We're back in the hot dog test kitchen this week with a unique dog from Gilbert's Craft Sausages, a new hot dog and sausage company out of Wisconsin. Their products are made with high quality cuts of meat (think sirloin) and no artificial ingredients, preserving the dogs with natural cherry powder and celery juice rather than the standard nitrates. The natural casings are made with beef collagen. The Froman is an all-beef frank named after Abe Froman, the fictional Sausage King Of Chicago from Ferris Beuller's Day Off. Flavored with coriander, mustard, cloves and paprika, it's similar in flavor to a Chicago Vienna Beef frank or a New York "kosher-style" dog. More

With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable and the inevitable episode repeats, it's hard to sort out what's new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don't miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels. More

Ever been to a Roy Rogers? Chances are, if you don't live in the Northeast, you haven't. Once a thriving Northeastern chain, most Roy Rogers locations are now found in highway rest areas. The Western-themed restaurant has always served fried chicken, charbroiled burgers, fries, and chicken fingers, and I don't think I've seen a new menu item from them since I started eating the Gold Rush Chicken Sandwich. But now, they've got a new Spicy Chicken option. More

If you like the smell of chrysanthemum flowers and the taste of tea brewed with the dried flower buds, then consider eating chrysanthemum greens. You'll find the vegetable in any number of Asian markets—Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian—during the spring to autumn seasons. More

Nobody should be denied the satisfaction of taking a large, tough piece of meat and transforming it into something of sheer ecstasy by smoking it low-and-slow—and yes, this can be accomplished on the grill. More

Have you ever been full from barbecue sauce, not actual barbecue? Yeah, we hadn't either—until this tasting. It was a strange feeling, and not one we recommend, but necessary in order to find our favorite brand of barbecue sauce. We tried 16 nationally available brands, in search for one that had the right amount of tang, smokiness, and lingering heat, without being pancake syrup sweet. More

I've gone fishin' for pizza in Rome, so there will be no extended Caloric Journey post today. I promise to detail my Roman caloric journey next week to let all of you serious eaters know how many pizzas (and other Italian edible species) I've caught, and how many I've thrown back because I'm full and I'm trying not to gain weight in Rome. More

If you're really lucky, you live in a city with a year-round farmers' market, but even if you do, this is the time of year when farmers' markets start really picking up. Ramps, asparagus, artichokes, fava beans, peas, and new potatoes are all approaching their peak here in New York, not to mention the tomatoes, plums, apples, and wild mushrooms we still have to look forward to. Here are 7 tips to help you make the most of your visit to the farmers' market. More

I was at Borough Market, walking around after I'd had my requisite chorizo sandwich at Brindisa, when I walked by a huge, steaming paella pot vat of shredded duck. When you see that much duck confit in one place, you've got to talk to someone about it, figure out what's going on, and decide how you can eat it immediately. Fullness should not be prohibitive. More

The savory, creamless version of Pocky, Pretz are also made by Glico, presumably in the exact same long-skinny-cylindrical biscuit factory. Like many of the Japanese snacks, they come in fairly idiosyncratic flavors. More

Each week we round up our favorite posts and recipes from our friends at The Kitchn. This week they sneak veggies into desserts, share pretty radish appetizers, and more. More

Provence is that magical region in southeastern France where the food is just as beautiful as the landscape. The regional cuisine seems to be made for parties. Hunking loaves of bread, dips and tapanades, big pots of soup (and of course generous carafes of wine) are inherently perfect for sharing at a long table with friends. More

There's nothing fun about coming home with arms full of groceries, ready to cook your magnificent, herb-laden feast, only to find that your parsley and dill from three days ago have melted into a yellow-brown puddle of slime. It's happened to me, more times than I want to count, and you've likely been there too (right?). So here's how to kick out the creature from the black lagoon out so you can enjoy all that green, leafy goodness. More

The only decision I had to make when I got there.. Did I want the all-ceviche platter or the house specialty, the Clasico Rincon Limeno ($20): a martini glass brimming with cured seafood surrounded by mounds of jalea, or batter-fried seafood? My eyes being (slightly) larger than my stomach, you can probably guess which one I opted for. More

Preeti Mistry is known in the Bay Area for being the former executive chef at Google, and for representing us in season six of Top Chef. She's currently serving lunch at a pop-up in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco, which features a short, interesting menu of Indian fusion sandwiches and other dishes. The Chowpatty Chicken sandwich is spicy from green chutney, and contains a delicious tumeric slaw, a nice contrast to the charred chicken. More

Economists are reporting that the price of peanut butter at supermarkets may be going up soon. Hopefully these higher prices won't mean the end of those delicious complimentary nuts. Do you have a favorite spot? More

After 249 episodes, Good Eats is ending. Alton Brown announced the news on Twitter: "I've decided to cut the half hour series at 249 eps. There will be 3 new 1 hour eps this year and that's it." More

As much as we love our mac and cheese and hearty stews, we're starting to crave vibrant, fresh salads. Oh hey there, spring! Here are 10 beautiful ones that incorporate crisp veggies, juicy fruits, and refreshing vinaigrettes. What salads put you in the springtime mood? More

Is it a covert message from chickens and pigs stationed behind enemy lines? Perhaps a salmonella warning? Or maybe it's just cute and clever. Either way, I like this t-shirt titled "Death Served Till Noon", and you can order it until the end of the day over at shirt.woot. More

Last week on our Weekend Cook and Tell challenge we celebrated the return of northern California salmon season with a challenge we called Hello, Salmon! We asked all of you so seek out sustainably raised swimmers and share your best salmon recipes. Let's take a look at some of our favorites. More

Pork floss is sort of like cotton candy—if cotton candy were made of dry, fluffy, finely shredded pork seasoned with soy sauce and sugar and looked like scraggly clumps of dryer lint. Sweet, salty, and porky lint. Mmm. More

This week we brought in our lunches in honor of City Harvest's Skip Lunch Fight Hunger campaign. The New York City initiative asks people to donate the money they'd normally spend on lunch today to help feed hungry children and their families. It's a great effort, and inspired us to hold off on all the Sandwich a Day hunting and street fooding for one day to wrap up our favorite lunches in a brown sack. Find out what the SE staff likes to bring in from home, and let us know what your go-tos are. More

I am constantly in debate whether meat should play a part in the future of eating at all. What I do know is that when reared properly, a cow can actually give back to the earth rather than take away from it. This method often takes more land and is currently more expensive, but the era of cheap meat at every meal needs to end. In this video, owner and founder of Thousand Hills Cattle Company Todd Churchill in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, explains the intricacies of raising cows on grass. More

Alma is better known for its association with Popeye the Sailor Man than Blondie, but a version of the famed Dagwood Sandwich, which we've had on the brain lately, can be found at The Red Rooster Bistro. More

Lardo is cured fat, usually from the back of a pig.  The fat is packed in salt and herbs and left to cure for a month or so. Curing transforms the slippery fat into dense, buttery blocks of lardo.  Shaved thinly and served with nuts, lardo makes a simple yet memorable antipasto dish.  More

The thinly sliced mushrooms in this vegetarian sandwich are silky without being slimy, earthy and plenty satisfying, topped with goat cheese and pleasantly bitter frisée. The sherried onions balance out the sandwich with a bit of acid; this is definitely a grown-up lunch. More

Joshua Kace says he was never a potato chip guy. "Dried meat was always my snack." He remembers road-tripping to national parks out west at a young age when his parents pulled over at a gas station—it was the first time beef jerky touched his lips. "I always wanted more jerky. There never was enough jerky," he says. Kace, naturally, went on to launch his own small-batch artisan jerky company with two friends called SlantShack Jerky, the latest subject for Liza de Guia's Food Curated video series. More

Local berry season is easy to look forward to. But since most types of berries are only ripe for the picking for a few weeks, it's also incredibly easy to miss. Luckily, with just a bit of planning, you can not only notice berry season but totally own it—and extend its singular pleasures all year long. Here's how. More

Last week, the USDA released the Food Desert Locator, an interactive map which allows users to see where there is poor food access across the country. This map was inspired and influenced by Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign, and is meant to further educate Americans on food distribution in the country. More

Whenever we're in Seattle, we make a beeline straight to Pike Place Market. The daily market has brought together farmers, fishmongers, and bakers since 1907. Even if you haven't been there, you're probably familiar with the iconic fish toss. "Hali-BUT! Hali-BUT! Heyyyyyy!" In addition to the fresh produce and seafood, we love the hot dogs, doughnuts, chowder, and other snacks from vendors all over the market. Here are eight of our must-stops. More

Cook the Book: 'Goat: Meat, Milk, Cheese': foodisagoodthing, kohizeri, mdudzic, seekbodhi, and pwtpwns. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to all who entered! More

Regardless of whether you prefer new-school street food or the old guard, Food Trucks has plenty of recipes to help you recreate these mobile meals at home. For anyone who hasn't made pilgrimages to food truck meccas like Portland and Austin, this week we'll be sharing a selection of their greatest hits including Street Food Profile favorites East Side Kings' Thai Chicken Karaage, arepas from the famous Arepa Lady of Queens. Enter to win a copy here. More

With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable and the inevitable episode repeats, it's hard to sort out what's new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don't miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels. More

There's an excellent snacking culture in Amsterdam, fueled, no doubt, by the equally excellent drinking and consuming-of-other-legal-narcotics culture. Snack bars line most of the major shopping and socializing districts, while kiosks, stands, and carts can be found serving everything from chicken sandwiches and bitterballen (Dutch croquettes) to hot dogs and Vlaamse frites (Flemish fries). More

Shrimp toast, already one of the greatest gifts to the world's taste buds, receives a perhaps unnecessary, but much appreciated, additional boost from chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (of Animal) at their new L.A. seafood-centric Son of a Gun. The two dudes take the classic shrimp toast and sandwichize it, slapping gorgeous hunks of tender shrimp between slices of crackly, buttery grilled toast. More

I crashed. I had been up all night the evening before, writing an epic anthropology paper for school, and up all night the night before that drinking crazy cocktails with crazy mixologists. I needed my sleep, and I was running on empty. Or running on caffeine and fancy gin and pho from the place on the corner. But none of that adequately substitutes for shuteye. More

• Warm Fingerling Potato and Tuna Salad: This salad pairs quality canned tuna with capers, red onion, olives, and parsley to make a dish that's creamy and rich, but has bite, too.
• Kin Shop Secret: We were lucky enough to have Chef Harold Dieterle share his recipe for Duck Larb so that you can make it at home.
• Mexican Snacks: For Cinco de Mayo we offered you three Mexican antojito recipes that are good for any party, any time.
• D.I.Y Classics: Spätzle is a traditional German dish that's somewhere between dumplings and pasta. Make them at home and pair them with butter, crispy speck, and peas.
• Frittata with Mushrooms, Bacon, and Parmesan: This weekend lighten up the fat but not the flavor of this classic brunch dish.

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While they freeze better than many vegetables, green peas are definitely at their best in the spring when they can be pulled straight from the pod. Fresh peas have a crisp texture and a bright, sweet flavor. And don't forget the pea tendrils: the thin, young shoots from the pea plant are crisp, earthy and especially good when sauteed. More

Justin Esch and Dave Lefkow believe that "everything should taste like bacon." To that end, they have developed a successful line of bacon flavored products that includes microwave popcorn, mayonnaise, seasoned salts, lip balm, and even baby formula. But here's the thing: none of them contain any actual bacon. If it's possible for something to taste like bacon without being meaty or porky, this dressing achieved it. More

No one needs to read another diet book. That's why journalist and author Gary Taubes didn't write one. What he presents in Why We Get Fat, and What to do About It is more of a scientific, analytical approach to food consumption and fat accumulation. He takes on dieting myths, he challenges the general understanding of obesity; and yes, he does make some eating recommendations. All in all, he's produced a compelling challenge to the dieting status quo that, like all rebellious texts, is both liberating and a bit unsettling. More

• A Pop-Up That Should Stay Up: Run, don't walk, to try dishes like Anise Spice Tuna or Ricotta Toasts with Ramps at Telepan Pop-Up in New York's Tribeca.
• Pungently Good Burger: The beef in the patty at Heirloom Cafe gets ground with shallots and a decidedly pungent Époisses cheese, making for one powerfully flavorful burger.
• KFC vs. Lees: Come along on our search for the real Kentucky Fried Chicken.
• Zuppardi's Apizza: The homemade sausage pizza at this West Haven spot has juicy pork sausage laced softly with fennel, providing an ideal pairing for molten mozzarella and a bubbly, crisp-yet-chewy crust.
• Coppelia: This 24-hour Cuban diner in NYC has well-done classics, addictive snacks and decadent desserts that are good at any time of day.
• SE Favorites: Check out our eight favorite grilled cheese sandwiches across the US.

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1. 8 Grilled Cheeses We Love »
2. Ed Levine's 13 Favorite Frozen Desserts in America »
3. First Look at The Dutch, Andrew Carmellini's New Soho Restaurant »
4. The Pizza Lab: How to Make Bar Pies at Home »
5. Post it or keep it a secret? [from Talk] »
6. 10 Awesome Tequila Cocktails To Make At Home »
7. Chain Reaction: Pizza Hut's New Ultimate Cheese Lover's Pizza »
8. Do You Measure Ingredients When You Cook? [from Talk] »
9. Coppelia: The 24-Hour Cuban Diner We Didn't Know We Needed »
10. How to Make Spätzle » More

This week we said farewell to Adam (well, more like see y'around!), we tempted Dumpling with fried quesadillas, and tried 16 brands of creamy peanut butter for a taste test. Gotta love those days when you're forced to eat 16 spoonfuls of peanut butta... Check out our week! More

Rice meal is rice is that has been toasted and ground-up. The dish Fen Zheng Rou, or steamed meat with rice powder, consists of some fatty meat marinated in a combination of Sichuanese spicy bean paste, soy sauce, and rice wine, which is then coated in a thick layer of the toasted rice powder. More

Whether she's a frittata fiend or a pancake purist, here are plenty of recipes for all types of mothers this weekend. This one goes out to all of our mamas, and all of the mamas reading! More

With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable and the inevitable episode repeats, it's hard to sort out what's new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don't miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels. More

Well, folks, are you sitting down?* This is it for me. The end of an era. After four and a half years at Serious Eats/SENY, almost eight years of blabbing on Slice, and six years of intermittent burgering on A Hamburger Today, I'm bidding a fond farewell to you all. Today's my last day at Serious Eats, a site (a group of websites, really) that I'm happy and extremely grateful to have had a part in shaping. More

The Triple Crown kickoff race combines Thoroughbreds, country ham biscuits, and bourbon. Personally I don't care about the big hats, but as this horse race is the only American sporting event that attracts foreign royalty, there must be some reason for them. Some parties are more ambitious than others, but here are a few nearly mandatory elements that are the essence of every Derby Day celebration. More

Otto's has been on my radar for quite a while, having secured positions in various Best Hot Dog in America articles including our own. One of the few places left in the country that both makes and serves their own hot dogs, Otto's is an 80-year-old traditional German sausage shop and market that charcoal grills their homemade encased meats in front of the store seven days a week. More

When faced with the wall of choices available at Pioneer Square's Delicatus in Seattle, it's a rather daunting task picking out what to have for lunch, especially if you're a first-timer. So let me offer some assistance in weeding through the 25 different sandwiches by directing you to one of the best: the ShankLamb. It's lamb's pulled pork equivalent. More

All right, fans and occasional naysayers of my caloric journey. I am going to take this journey down a different path for awhile. It's my journey, so I determine the route. I read everyone's comments last week with great interest, both the positive and the negative ones. Of all the comments last week I found Teachertalk's to be the one I couldn't stop thinking about. This is what she said. More

As Dunkin Brands, the corporate parent and franchisor of many Dunkin' Donuts locations, prepares its upcoming IPO, there has been no shortage of new products released by the company lately; following on the heels of their Big n' Toasty, they've just released the Blueberry Waffle Sandwich: egg and cheese with sausage or bacon on two blueberry waffles. More

There's not all that much to great grilling. I mean, it's just fire plus meat (and the occasional piece of greenery), right? But there's some subtlety involved, and a few rules that are worth remembering in order to make the most of your flame. Here are 10 things to keep in mind. More

Each week we round up our favorite posts and recipes from our friends at The Kitchn. This week they make fava bean and radish bruschetta, admit to liking Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook, and more. More

State Road, West Tisbury's only fine-dining establishment, is also the best on Martha's Vineyard. Chef Austin Racine turns out some truly spectacular dishes from whatever's freshest that day. If you want one splurge meal on the Vineyard, this is the place to go. More

If I had to pick an herb for versatility, ease of use, and intensive flavor, dill would win hands-down. (Sure, you could say parsley, but how many ingredients does parsley actually go with rather than just gussy up?) And as spring has hit in earnest, I've been revisiting the herb these past few weeks to give it all the love I can. More

How can you say no to a sandwich that's stuffed with jalapeno poppers and mozzarella sticks? You can't. And luckily I didn't, because the King Koopa ($12.21) at Ike's Place is about as amazing as a sandwich can get. The Koopa starts with a meatball sub, a good meatball sub, one with a thin layer of marinara sauce and all-beef meatballs that are actually moist and well spiced. Then it gets a little crazy: The meatballs are topped with the jalapeño poppers and mozzarella sticks. More

The truth is that Cinco de Mayo is primarily an American holiday, not a Mexican one. Does that mean that you should settle for bland bean burritos and margaritas mixed from a bottle? No, sir. Use this excuse to make some spicy guacamole, rockin tacos, and deeply chocolaty chocolate-chile cookies. More

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but when I crave something sweet, it's usually for something that comes in liquid form. Dr. Pepper—which incidentally is the oldest commercial soft drink, created in 1885, a full year before Coca-Cola was introduced—usually does the trick, with its fruity-cola-medicinal flavor. But when I can get my hands on it, Cheerwine, the cherry-flavored pop from North Carolina with a cult-like following, blows the good Doctor right out of the water. More

We just shared Kenji's three antojitos recipes, but we've got quite a few more cerveza-friendly recipes for Cinco de Mayo. Tacos, salsas, guacamole (oh, so much guacamole), tortillas from scratch, 7-layer dip, enchiladas, and more. More

For last week's Weekend Cook and Tell challenge we asked all of you to forgo the beef in favor of other proteins coaxed into burger-like packages. Predictably Beef-less Burgers caused quite a stir, sparking the age-old question: "is it still burger without the beef." No matter what side of the fence you're on, you have to admit that this challenge brought in some great (albeit, possibly bastardized) burger ideas. Let's take a look at some of our favorite bun-stuffers. More

Cinco de Mayo's got a big advantage over most other drinking holidays: Mexicans are the absolute kings of snack food. Here are three antojito recipes designed for partying. More

You could be the perfect contestant for "Big Break for Small Business." American Express OPEN has teamed up with Facebook to launch a new contest in which five winners can receive $20,000 and an all-expense paid trip to Facebook for a one-on-one consultation and social media makeover. How's that for a jumpstart? More

Con Pane's "Almost Grilled Cheese" ($4.35 for a half; $6.75 for the whole) relies on three basic ingredients: triple cream French brie, crumbled gorgonzola, and rosemary olive oil bread. Instead of being pan-fried in butter as with many grilled cheese sandwiches, it's oven-roasted, which warms the cheeses and delicately toasts the bread. Fresh roma tomatoes are an optional extra, but let's be honest—they're a must because they take the edge off the cheese and add a much needed note of sweetness. More

Ever been to a Cook-Out? Not just a backyard barbecue; a chain restaurant that's called "Cook-Out" and serves a menu just like it sounds. The Greensboro location of this North Carolina-based chain has a drive thru on both sides of the building. For those who are motor-less, they also offer a walk-up. But there's nowhere inside to go; it's called Cook-Out for a reason. More

The man responsible for popularizing müesli, pronounced myoo-slee, is Maximilian Bircher-Benner, a Swiss physician who had a huge influence on healthy eating in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. You can now find it from many brands available in the United States. More

What works equally well as a cocktail garnish, sandwich condiment, cupcake topper, and guacamole ingredient? Answer: these candied jalapeños. They only take about 30 minutes to prepare, and will last for at least a month in the fridge. More

Growing up there were two fried chicken places in my hometown: Lee's Famous Recipe (known over the years as Famous Recipe and later just Lee's) and KFC (formerly Kentucky Fried Chicken). KFC was Coca Cola while Lee's was RC Cola in that KFC had way better marketing and national distribution. But I decided it was finally time to go beyond my childhood biases and superficial rankings and take a true Kentucky fried chicken challenge. More

Cutting apart an eel is not for the faint of heart. As soon as my blade went into its spine, the eel began undulating forcefully underneath the pressure of the shears. And while I enjoy simmered and deep-fried eel as much as the next eel lover, I think roasting is the best and easiest preparation for this slithery animal. More

How often do you eat something at a gas station, then feel compelled to gush about it all weekend to friends? Hm, us either. Until trying the Chivito sandwich at the Lowest Price gas station on 14th and W Streets in Washington D.C. At any given time, there are easily more people here for the sandwiches inside the attached Fast Gourmet than for the petrol outside. More

Close to 10 billion animals are killed every year in the U.S., and more than a hundred million of them are pigs. With that statistic in mind, only six pigs died during the making of this Perennial Plate video...but it was tough. Killing animals is heavy business. Watch this video to see the process from living pig to decadent dish. More

The Federal Trade Commission last week released recommended guidelines for marketing food to kids. These guidelines will be open for public comment and soon sent to Congress for consideration. What do you think? Should foods marketed to children have healthiness standards? Does this mean no more Cap'n Crunch mascots? More

While sauce on its own is never enough to save bad barbecue, it can perfectly complement the flavors of good barbecue, giving it an identity and elevating it to greatness. So, what are the "mother sauces" of barbecue? Mustard sauce from South Carolina, mayo-based white sauce from Alabama, and more. More

This Serious Eats Grilled Cheese Honor Roll doesn't discriminate between basic and fancypants grilled cheese sandwiches, as long as it's irresistibly delicious. This is just a short list, so please chime in with any we left out. More

Cook the Book: 'The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook': salsa222, geoffreybird, InJuneau, supersissy, and Poefry. Winners have been notified by email and also appear on our Contest Winners page. Thanks to all who entered! More

It's easy enough to make spätzle with a spätzle-maker, but why not skip the gadgetry and cut your spätzle by hand, the old-fashioned way? Take a look at the slideshow and recipe to see how to make this rustic dumpling-like pasta. More

With all the channels on broadcast TV and cable and the inevitable episode repeats, it's hard to sort out what's new or worthwhile. Let us sort it out for you so you don't miss anything worth watching. Times may vary with region; check your local listings for exact hour and channels. More

Chef John Edwards has been serving Southern-style barbecue in uptown Oakland for over a decade. The "Piggly Wiggly" barbecue sandwich is still some of the best barbecue I've ever had. Like good Kansas City-style 'cue, the Piggly Wiggly's thick chunks of smoked pork shoulder stand up well to the rich, tomato-based sauce, which turns the bottom of half of the sandwich roll into an edible barbecue sponge. More

Now that you've had a chance to meet co-authors Mark Scarbrough and Bruce Weinstein, we are pleased to introduce their newly released cookbook, Goat: Meat, Milk, Cheese for this week's Cook the Book. As you might have surmised from the title, this is a guide to all things goaty, a comprehensive introduction to the world of goat derived goods. Recipes are divvied up into meat, milk and yogurt, and cheese chapters with sweet and savory preparations that highlight the versatility of the goat. More

It's hard to think of a cut of meat that's more conducive to cooking for a crowd than flank steak. It's got a robust, beefy flavor and a pleasantly tender texture with a bit of good chew. It comes in large, regular shapes that make cooking, slicing, and serving easy, and they're just thin enough that they'll cook through in a matter of minutes, but just thick enough that you can still get a nice, medium-rare center. More

Nobody is really writing cookbooks like these Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough. Part field research report, part cookbook, and part personal food memoir, their cookbooks are approachable, delectable, and hilarious. Their most recent is Goat: Milk, Meat, and Cheese which will be our Cook the Book this week. Goat is actually the most widely eaten meat across the globe and in this book, the pair share recipes for everything from schwarma to goat cheese sheet cake with maple-goat cheese frosting. Recently, we talked to Scarbrough about how Goat came to be and his approach to meat eating. More

Oh, the magic of the garden. It fills itself. You would never know you're smack in the middle of Philly. Enclosed in wrought iron gates, the space is sanwhiched between our historic colonial boutique hotel and the more modern restaurant building. The mood of guests and staff alike is instantly elevated just by being alfresco. But the garden brings with its happy-making magic a host of complications and challenges. More

• Ramp Season: Never experimented with cooking ramps? Take advantage of the spring harvest with these three ramp recipes.
• Pimm's O'Clock: The royal wedding may be over, but it's still high season for refreshing, delicious Pimm's Cups.
• Bar Pizza: If crisp, thin-crust pizza is what you're looking for, check out The Pizza Lab's method for great bar pizza.
• Little Buns: If you prefer delicate, reasonably sized cinnamon buns to "ooey, gooey, frosting-laden behemoths," try Skillingsboller, Norwegian cinnamon buns.
• Homemade Horseradish Sauce: On a steak, horseradish cream sauce "adds a little sharpness and slight tang that goes incredibly well with the beef."

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There's a lot to love about asparagus, from their cheery green color to that great little snap they make—but perhaps best of all is that they announce the arrival of spring. In peak season April through June, the slender stalks are time-consuming to grow—plants need at least a year from seed to harvest—and once picked, they're best eaten as soon as possible. But even though asparagus may be labor-intensive to grow, they're great for a quick meal. More

You don't have to be an expert on global food systems to be familiar with Monsanto, a seed and chemical corporation whose stated goal is to "advance scientific knowledge and understanding, improve agriculture and the environment... and help farmers." It sure sounds nice, until you delve into the seemingly endless controversy surrounding the company. Two years ago, French journalist Marie-Monique Robin spent four years investigating Monsanto, conducting dozens of interviews, and creating a documentary and book detailing her findings. Recently The World According to Monsanto: Pollution, Corruption, and the Control of Our Food Supply was translated into English, and it is a compelling account of the company's nearly all-encompassing industry control. More