The Westport Flea Market's Burgermobile. Photo: Emily Farris

Before we all pile into the Burgermobile and head into the weekend, let's ketchup on the events of the past week.

The College of William & Mary spearheaded an effort to approve an asparagus stalk as their school mascot, while our beer blogger set out in search of the Great Lost Bear.

Our Coffee Meister got fresh about frozen beans, some nice Southern brothers threw down with an Iron Chef who'd just been grilled by the President and a pastry paragon fell short in his efforts to entice the wee folks with tofu pizza.

The Hungry Bride contemplated the morning after, our sommelier-in-training got a chilly response to the notion of iced wine, an Arkansas pea champ came out of her shell and we washed it all down with a Grasshopper and a pint of oyster ice cream.

Catch you at the Fancy Food Show!

Father's Day Burger Cupcakes. Photo: bakerella/flickr

Oh what a week! Strawberries are back in season (bring on the shortcake!), carrots are 25 percent healthier and Ubuntu's sommelier admits he eats meat.

Wylie Dufresne got salty this week on "Top Chef Masters," and we're not talking fun with NaCl. Tom Colicchio proved himself to be a fan of campy gothic vampire TV. And we digested all that yummy Big Apple barbecue. The Tweets from Aspen had us drooling so we thought up our favorite "pop-tails," and pondered our favorite foods and when, if ever, it's OK for a waitress to rest her dogs at your table.

Skinny Chef built a better grilled cheese, the Hungry Bride talked down-home wedding foods, the CoffeeMeister cupped and Bonnaroo fans made culinary do. And we reviewed "Craig Claiborne's Southern Cooking" and "The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen."

Here's to a Father's Day that's filled with good eats!

We've had a herring good time this week here at Slashfood, what with the "Top Chef Masters" debut and the lovely chat with its host, Kelly Choi.

While Melissa Gilbert spent the week dishing on her "Little House on the Prairie" not-so-good-girl past, we were eating a lovely "Little Bloom on the Prairie " cheese. Summer is here so it's also time for dilled pea salad, smoked lemonade and Slashfood sorbet. Fancy!

We reviewed: "The Soul of a New Cuisine," "Burger Bar" and "Vegetables Every Day." The Hungry Bride talked cocktails, the CoffeeMeister got all arty and Skinny Chef talked turmeric.

Iron City Beer is heading to Rolling Rock's ancestral home and In-N-Out Burger topped Zagat's second Fast Food Survey.

Finally, Slashfood is suffering from a case of Gordon Ramsay fatigue. We'll take off our meat dress, snap a greasy bean and go.

My oh my, what a strange food week it has been. A judge actually had to rule on whether Cap'N Crunch's Crunch Berries are fruit. Turns out, they're not ... just in case you were confused.

Wylie Dufresne fiddled with a microwave, Anthony Bourdain outlined his dining-out bucket list and a Top 10 list to top all Top 10 lists was unveiled. Did you hear that a portion of the South is now dining out with the Lord?

Slashfood discovered the how, the why and the wonderful taste of oysters, supped on morels and washed them down with affordable rosés. We reviewed: "Rustic Fruit Desserts," "Martha Stewart's Cupcakes," "Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It" and "Pure Simple Cooking."

The CoffeeMeister talked Chemex, Skinny Chef got salty. We asked you where America's best beer bar is located and what the Hungry Bride should serve the small vegan contingent attending her wedding. Oh, and Elvis got his own cheese straw.

Jackalopes and humans wanted their free doughnuts while others delighted in the return of the Vanilla Bean Coolatta. And the Obamas, they had a date in New York.

Gotta get some Hot Chicken! And we're not talking Yo La Tengo, folks.

Yes, it's that time again when Slashfood reflects upon a delicious week of food news. And what a week it was! Aunt Evie and her Pickled Beet Dip faced off against Aunt Renie's Red Onion Cucumber Salad in a double dose of Flashback to the Seventies while LeNell shared her Rock Candy and Rye Whiskey recipe.

But we were still hungry. So Slashfood snacked on spinach salad, weeds and bamboo pickles; pondered Gummi bear surgery, "Japanese" iced coffee and the shape of cheese to come. (Speaking of cheese, it was back on the tongue Thursday and Friday for Shavuot).

After reviewing "Carmine's Family-Style Cookbook" and "Simply Mexican," Slashfood and the Hungry Bride got giddy over your registry advice and washed the week down with Kir Royale and some River Horse Brewing Double Wit. Drink up!

As we move into this holiday weekend, Slashfood is just getting over a nasty case of "pine mouth." Thank goodness our taste buds have returned as we really want to stock up on free hot dogs and ice cream. And we can't forget about livermush, LeNell's Ukemochi highball, Pisgah Solstice beer, bacony brunch, mead or the return of Le Fromage Peee-Yew!

The Skinny Chef showed off her knife skills this week as the Hungry Bride contemplated her cocktail reception. We met grilling expert Gena Knox, who helped us kick off the grilling season with hanger steak and deviled eggs.

Cookbooks reviewed this week: Giada's latest, "A Homemade Life" and "Baking." Robert Kenner of "Food Inc." dropped in and we went west in search of Emeril's latest restaurant in a steel town awaiting its renaissance.

As you fire up the grill, check out our picks for five wine steals. Happy eating!

This week at Slashfood we went crazy for tiny melons known as pepquiños. We also turned our attention to pernil, local fare, rhubarb tequila fizzes and "The Savoy Cocktail Book."

Frank Bruni is leaving his plum reviewing gig, leaving us -- alone -- to ponder how loud is too loud at a restaurant.

We met the CoffeeMeister, who joined Slashfood this week and immediately stirred the pot of conversation. The Hungry Bride talked party favors and the Skinny Chef fought fatigue. We reviewed "Made in Spain," "The Jewish Heritage Cookbook" and "How to Cook Everything (Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition)." And we braved the Tofu Takedown.

As we head out for the weekend, heed this advice please: Now is the time to clean your fridge. NOW! Before it's too late.

... Lest you forget. This week Slashfood had a James Beard Awards hangover and got over it by interviewing winners Nate Appleman and Gina DePalma. Maybe it was all the Mother's Day brunch cocktails, but later, we flashed back to the '70s and spinach dip.

The Brooklyn Food Conference made us hungry, we debated dining-room etiquette and walnut-maple suckers, and then learned to make rockin' guac. We met LeNell and got to know Slashfoodies Alex and Rebecca. And we said farewell to a beloved friend, Dom DeLuise. Sweet "Fatso"! We salute you!

The Skinny Chef talked chicken and pepperoni bread while the Hungry Bride used reader tips to assemble her D.C. welcome baskets. We reviewed the cookbooks "Potato Salad," "The Greens Cookbook" and "Babycakes."

Oh, and about your mama ... toast her on Sunday! We suggest beer.

It's May Day and Slashfood would like to celebrate with these Argentinean "worker" empanadas, but alas, they're in Argentina. Instead let's try to shake off the "Rap Chop" and disaster-cooking tales with this recap of Slashfood stories.

Favorite summer beers are a good place to start, or maybe you're pondering iced coffee weather while watching the new "Julie and Julia" trailer. There were Ostrich eggsperiments, egg creams and even Jell-O makeovers!

The Hungry Bride needs cake, the Skinny Chef had a love affair with an olive and Slashfood welcomed the Hadley grass and ate Tilston Point all the while avoiding scallop screwups. We reviewed: "Italian Food," "Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book" and "Beef."

Enjoy the Derby and don't forget to name a Sweetheart!

On this New Moon we reflect on the bounties we've been offered on Slashfood this week:

The verdict's still out on the nation's best Italian food. Weigh in here. But it's in on the world's best restaurants and our picks for affordable wines.

We pondered Twecipes while the Hungry Bride wondered about starter cookbooks -- already "How to Cook Everything" has been suggested! The Skinny Chef built a better cupcake and started up her grill.
And we reviewed "Love and Knishes," "Wichcraft" and "Frank Stitt's Southern Table."

We learned how to make Montreal bagels, mint-infused bourbon and then ate dinner in a bubble. Then we flashbacked to Aunt Evie's '70s kitchen with sweet-and-sour chicken. Then we got hip to the future with bento boxes.

The nation's 11th largest brewery went Haywire. And we ate the rind.

Barbie's got a sweet tooth!?! iPods got hungry. And yes, oh yes, Brian Boitano got a food show!

"Bon Appetit!" as Julia might say.

Missed something, like these hot chilis, on Slashfood this week? No fears. Sit down for a second helping with us!

While April may be Grilled Cheese month, in our heart of always hungry hearts, it's always time for grilled cheese. We celebrate with Terrance Brennan.

Tag Sale: Julia Child Hollywood edition! And ramps are back and stinky as ever.

We made krupnikas, a delightful honey liqueur, this week and tasted Hoja Santa cheese, savory hot cross buns, Cheerwine ham, Greek Easter bread and New York Pinot Noir – and we reviewed "Tacos," "Appetite" and "Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone."

St. Louis beer was in da house, while the Hungry Bride contemplated how to bling her post-nuptial abode with small appliances.

Sometimes you shouldn't judge a coffee like Café Caribe by its packaging, but the Top 50 Breweries? Bring on the final judgment.

All hail the great and powerful Bacon Lance of Death! And chase down your fears with some straight up Grade-A American bourbon.

Religious Festivals Edition

... Wherein we learn that Peeps sometimes are created and not just born ... and sometimes they're ready for their closeup. Do you hear that Mr. DeMille?

If you're not a Peep, uh, person, then we have four other homemade Easter treats you can tackle this weekend: peanut-butter chocolate eggs, lemon truffles, handcrafted chocolates and "Easter Candy." And if you want a real peeper, check out Three Chicks a Day. There's been lots of egg talk too, what with the poaching and the hard-boiling.

We celebrated the joys -- yes, joys -- of gefilte fish, pondered seder quizzes and matzo balls, and learned more about Passover celebrations north of the border.

In secular food news, while it may be Miller time all the time in Milwaukee, the home of the Brewers still makes room for beers like Goose Island. It's also baseball season and we wonder, will you be buying a $9 brewski at the stadium?

The Hungry Bride solicited advice on what pots and pans to choose for her new home. Hungry editors, meanwhile, who have been singing "Gimme That Fish" for days now, went off on annoying food advertisements.

Do you have true grits? How bout trying this shrimp-and-grits recipe in honor of the National Grits Festival. Or do you hanker for the 1970s and Aunt Evie's chicken stroganoff recipe?

Can't get enough "Top Chef"? Wait till June when Neil Patrick Harris -- yes that Neil Patrick -- and some "Lost" writers join celeb chefs like Hubert Keller and Wylie Dufresne for "Top Chef Masters."

Oh, and we tried and failed to beat a volcano. A bacon-filled volcano.

A roundup of this week in Slashfood:

A fierce baseball rivalry goes head-to-head on the food front with the Yankees enlisting live butchers in the stadium while the Mets option the sloppy goodness of Shake Shack burgers.

The Best New Chefs were announced and Slashfood was there -- twittering and making gaga eyes at Fabio.

Warm weather means Silver Bullets, 40s and Billy Dee (we can only hope)! In other crafty beer news, we looked at the lineup at the Brooklyn bar Barcade and spoke with Kurt Widmer about the 25th anniversary of his brewery, Widmer Brothers.

This nifty video helps you dye your Easter eggs naturally.

Fine china, oh my! Should the Hungry Bride go there? The other China gets in on the wine market, but is it a Bordeaux knockoff?

The perfect quiche was contemplated, we wondered how people carry their favorite recipes on trips and stain their cookbooks, pork buns were eaten and the chauvinist pig was revealed.

Wagyu way to go.