I'm flying out to the Bay Area after Christmas and have only SEVEN DAYS to eat as many delicious West Coast nummers as possible. Serious eaters, I call on you for your ever-knowing wisdom. I'm especially looking for a great burger that's not In-N-Out (had it, loved it, need something new!). I'll also be in Lake Tahoe for a day or two. Thanks!!

I'm visiting my friend and his family in the Bay Area around Christmas time and would love to bring an edible gift with me from New York. The food gift doesn't have to be distinctly "New York," but it would be nice to bring something that is unique and maybe not so easily found in CA. Lox and bagels come to mind, but my friend doesn't really like them. And after considering Shake Shack and Gray's, I've relented to the sad fact that burgers and hot dogs won't travel so well in my carry-on...HELP!

(Note- They aren't *technically* my in-laws, but they possess the in-law "spirit" and a food blog is no place for the finer details of my love life!)

To be honest--I really don't like cucumbers but, I have three big cucumbers in my kitchen that I'd like to use up. I haven't looked up what kind they are but, they're about 2" in diameter with bumps all over. Any good ideas for recipes that might change my feelings?

Did anyone else go to the Big Apple BBQ this weekend? It was ridiculously hot on Saturday, but I found myself there for about 4 hours, eating BBQ, drinking great beer, snagging a bite of an out-of-town friend's Shake Shack, and even catching Ed's BBQ talk. I felt like I was at a Disney World for BBQ! As per Ed's recommendation, I got Ed Mitchell's whole hog, which I wished had more crispy bits that would have reminded me that I was eating the whole pig! I had some of City Grocery's smoked crawfish and okra hushpuppies, washed down with Rogue's Dead Guy Gale, which just put me over for the top. Hours later, only a soft couch and the AC on full blast could bring me back to full consciousness.

Anyone else go to the festival? What did you eat?

I just signed up to attend The Great Hot Dog Cookoff (http://www.thegreathotdogcookoff.com) and after looking over the past contestants, which included a Buffalo Wing Style Dog (with hot sauce and blue cheese) and the winner, the Pesto Dog ("served in a hollowed out Italian roll, and wrapped in pesto sauce and mozzarella"), it got me thinking about other ridiculous but delicious hot dog creations. There's the Chihuahua Crif Dog (wrapped in bacon, topped with avo, onions, and sour cream, then deep-fried), kimchee hot dogs from Snacky in Williamsburg, and even the bulgogi hot dogs SE just picked up on via Eater.

Has anyone had some of their own crazy and delicious hot dogs? Any ideas? I was thinking of one with a fried egg, furikake, and sriracha...

After classes end, almost all the seniors go down to spend a week in Hilton Head, SC before Senior Week and Graduation. We're on Dune and Dove, supposedly close to restaurants, bars, etc. Any recommendations? We're on a college kid budget, so some cheap eats would be great, but also a few nicer places too would be awesome! Thanks!!!

I just got funding to make dinner for a professor and a fellow student and my budget is $300, including alcohol. Any ideas on what I should make? The problem is that here in Williamstown, we only have a Stop n Shop, so I'm somewhat limited. I'd like to do lots of seafood and steak, but I'm not sure about the quality of ingredients I can attain. Help!