After reading Yotam Ottolenghi's Three Course Dinner in Just Four Tins, which consisted of canned corn, smoked oysters, stewed tomatoes, and pineapple, I couldn't help but try to finagle my own three-course creation using four canned foods and basic pantry items. Typically, I use very few canned goods in my culinary quests, however, should I ever come down with a case of agoraphobia—or perhaps a recession riot leaves my local grocery store empty—I better be prepared to keep up my reputation in the kitchen. For my sanity, let's just assume that I keep the basics at hand, including (but not limited to): a bread or cracker of some sort, garlic, olive oil, butter, salt and pepper. So without further... More

French import Béa Peltre of La Tartine Gourmande reminds us of her mother’s autumn adage (a common one with many French mothers): “Shellfish (les fruits de la mer, literally the fruit of the sea), like mussels or oysters, should be eaten during les mois en “r” (the months in “r”). September, October, November, December would be the best months indeed.” Béa's coconut milk mussel soup caught our eye, as it makes use of the seasonal mollusks and evokes the warm autumn hue of burnt liquid gold. When it comes to mussels and oysters this season, make like the Walrus and the Carpenter, and eat every one.... More

A Ryanair flight from Budapest to Dublin was forced into an emergency landing earlier this week, all because of a can of mushroom soup. The can fell from an overhead bin, leaking onto a seated man and causing his neck to swell until he could hardly breathe. Not that allergic reactions are funny or anything, but this did sound like something from the Onion at first.... More

From Cooks.com comes the ultimate recipe for gourmet chefs: WIENER WATER SOUP 1 package wieners 3 cups water Combine wieners and water in a two-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil until wieners are cooked. Throw the wieners in the garbage. Serve soup. Serves 3. Put this on your menu and everyone will be scrambling to get a reservation at your restaurant. [via Dancing at Gunpoint and Copyranter]... More

Now that the weather's cold, the Serious Eats staff has been eating a lot of soup from The Soup Spot. And it's not just us. During lunchtime and well beyond, there's routinely a line for this tiny takeout place nestled within a parking garage on West 31st Street. The scene is somewhat reminiscent of the "Soup Nazi" on Seinfeld except that the people here are actually nice—with no discernible sacrifice in efficiency or quality. The wide range of soups, stews, and chowders are made with good-quality vegetables and from chicken, pork, and beef that the joint advertises as free-range and antibiotic-free. As I type this, I'm eating a deliciously creamy chicken and dumpling soup, and our web developer, Raphael,... More