The New York Times Dining section, which we cover, in brief, here every week, has been in a bit of a slump lately. The precise reasons for this are probably known only to their staff, but the general consensus is that the formerly popular food section is barely worth reading far too often. But loyal readers may be able to look forward to a turnaround of the section's content, since they have just replaced current editor Kathleen McElroy with food writer Pete Wells.

Pete Wells is a columnist for Food and Wine Magazine and is well known to food bloggers for some rather unkind things me said about them earlier this year, though Food & Wine now has a food blogwatch on their own site. Aside from his little gaffe there, Wells is an excellent writer with plenty to offer to the Dining section. Hopefully the content will step up and give readers the stimulating read that the are looking for, rather than yet another article about how wonderful Greenmarket is.

A bowl of soup and a sandwich make a classic, comforting lunch pairing - especially if it is some kind of tomato soup and a cheese sandwich. In summer, this could mean gazpacho and cream cheese on toast for dipping, or a spicy tomato soup and hot, melting grilled cheese sandwich in winter. Either way, it is a satisfying meal. The soup and sandwich plate ($15) is the perfect setup for serving the pair, with a bowl set into one side of the plate and a rectangular, sandwich-shaped indentation on the other. The ceramic is oven, dishwasher and microwave safe, too.

Granted, you can't really say that you need a set like this one unless you have no other tableware, but there is nothing wrong with wanting it. And you know you'd use it if you had it.

A new competitive eating world record was set over the weekend when eater Joey Chestnut out-ate the competition by eating 49 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes. Sonya Thomas and Pat Bertoletti tied for second place with 37 sandwiches each. All three passed the former record of 36.5 sandwiches.

There is a video available here of the event, which was held at the Arena Football Fan Fest in Las Vegas. It is a fascinating sight - if mildly disgusting - for anyone who has never witnessed a professional eating competition. The crown cheers on the eaters while they battle the sandwiches, which an announcer describes as being glue-like. Sonya, who weighs 105 pounds, really has her technique down to a science and Chestnut, in a post match interview, describes how much concentration is needed to compete, given that your body doesn't really want to eat all that grilled cheese.