• Comforting economic woes with foods like apple pie.
• Chives: indoor herb for the winter.
• The Toronto Reference Library hosts a look into the history of food.
• Gordon isn't the only Ramsay -- get the deets on Tana Ramsay.
• Should Ontario farm workers get unionized?
• Recipes: Freddie's Bang-Bang Chicken, Peanut Noodles, Chicken and Pork Stew with Plantains and Potatoes, Jamie Oliver's Lamb Tartare, and Tortilla Espanola
• Wine: Go green with biodynamic wine and Nouveau Beaujolais time in Toronto.
• Ever wanted to taste a Dead Guy of the ale variety?
• A guide to Yuletide cheer.

Have you ever wondered what it is that makes New York pizza so special? Where did the Automat go (and is it even a New York City original)? When did the bagel with a schmear become ubiquitous? And speaking of Jewish baked goods, what's the difference between a bagel and a bialy?

Starting tomorrow, there's a new way to find the anwers to all your Big Apple food conundrums. You'll now be able to ask the experts, on the New York Times' City Room blog. The co-authors of "Gastropolis: Food and New York City," Annie Hauck-Lawson and Jonathan Deutsch, will be answering selected readers' questions on the history and culture of food in New York. You can submit a question in the question box on the blog, to be answered starting tomorrow.

As you fire up the grill this Memorial Day, you may want to take a moment to pay homage to the people who first brought you the hamburger. There is a lengthy and fascinating article on the history of the hamburger on What's Cooking America. While there is some debate about who created the first hamburger, Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut has a strong claim to the title.

According to What's Cooking, "Louis ran a small lunch wagon selling steak sandwiches to local factory workers. A frugal business man, he didn't like to waste the excess beef from his daily lunch rush. It is said that he ground up some scraps of beef and served it as a sandwich, the sandwich was sold between pieces of toasted bread, to a customer who was in a hurry and wanted to eat on the run."

You can still get hamburgers today at Louis' Lunch. However, don't expect to get any ketchup. The Louis' Lunch website states that their hamburgers "have changed little from their historic prototype [and] are still the specialty of the house. Each one is made from beef ground fresh each day, broiled vertically in the original cast iron grill and served between two slices of toast. Cheese, tomato and onion are the only acceptable garnish -- no true connoisseur would consider corrupting the classic taste with mustard or ketchup."

In the early and mid 1800’s, rural Ireland did not have a strong tradition of yeast bread making. Baking was done in the home and, in addition to having limited supplies, time was often at a premium. The use of baking soda as a leavening agent was quick, effective and it produced a much more consistent result than yeast did. It caught on quickly and made soda breads a staple of the Irish diet until commercial bread production began in earnest, though it is still popular in Ireland and many other parts of the world.

The original soda breads contained nothing more than flour, buttermilk, baking soda and salt. The buttermilk was leftover from the butter making process and the bread was almost always served with freshly churned butter. Today, the breads often contain additional ingredients, like sugar, butter, currants or caraway seeds to enhance the flavor of the bread. Soda bread is heartier than most yeast breads and pairs very well with soups, stews and meat dishes. It also makes outstanding toast. For an irish soda bread recipe, click here.

 [Photo by Nicole Weston]

Hungry is a new online food magazine written by four guys who are foodies. Not in the sometimes-elitist sense that we don't really approve of here at Slashfood, but the sense that they love good food and everything associated with it - even if it comes from a fast food joint. In other words, they’re our kind of guys. Though still in a relatively early stage, Hungry is off to a great start, with interesting chef interviews, available as podcasts, and other articles. Some of the features include food history, recipes and events. The magazine is based in Chicago, so though they have covered the likes of the McArabia Sandwich, much of the coverage will be based in the greater Chicago area. We look forward to seeing more from Hungry in the future.