C. Wei

Har gow

There is, as always, a bunch of fun articles in the most recent issue of Lucky Peach (theme: Chinatown), with the most handy being Carolyn J. Phillips's succinct guide to dim sum that doubles as a CliffsNotes version of a typical dim sum menu. But maybe you don't want to conspicuously reference Lucky Peach while seated at a communal table at Sea Harbour, or maybe you'd prefer not to tear out the article so you can keep the issue nice and pristine. For you, and everyone else without a hard copy of the magazine, the guide was just excerpted and posted on BuzzFeed. Print away.

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G. Snyder

Veggie Course at Wolvesmouth

If you happen to take a look at this week's issue of The New Yorker, you'll find a rather lengthy of profile of chef Craig Thornton and his underground dining experience Wolvesmouth, written by Dana Goodyear, the L.A.-based New Yorker staffer who also penned award-winning profiles of James Cameron and food critic Jonathan Gold. In my opinion, it's a spectacular piece, and a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in the city's shifting haute-dining scene -- but then again, I'm probably a little biased.

In my free time spent away from the Weekly, I work as a part-time member of the Wolvesmouth crew (I've done so for about a year) mostly trying to do whatever grunt tasks are needed and staying out of the way of more intricate kitchen work. It's been an indescribably revelatory experience to say the least, and I like to think my knife skills have improved to the point when quickly brunoise-ing celery root into tiny cubes won't risk me losing a thumb.

Around six months ago, Dana Goodyear began to shadow Craig on a near-daily basis, with plans to write a piece on underground chefs in Los Angeles. Goodyear quickly fell down the rabbit hole of Thornton's life, though, and what was planned to be a rather short piece unfolded into one of the longest profiles she has ever written for the New Yorker. She delved into Thorton's personal life in ways no one had before; nothing seemed off limits.

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J. Garbee

Chris Kimball

If you've ever followed a Cook's Illustrated recipe the way it is intended to be followed -- that is, precisely -- and, as pleased as punch as you may have been with the outcome, nonetheless still thought, Gee, they take the fun out of cooking -- well, that's sort of the point. "I hate the idea that cooking should be a celebration or a party," Christopher Kimball said in last weekend's New York Times Magazine.

The profile of the Cook's Illustrated founder and host of America's Test Kitchen was part of a larger issue on food and drink (other articles: Mark Bittman hits the Central Valley, food on the campaign trail). Now that things like debates and Dodger games and summer BBQs are over and done, maybe you'll have the time to peruse the issue. Starting, perhaps, with the Kimball piece.

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Flickr/marcn

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden at a campaign event in New Hampshire on Sept. 22.

It is difficult to capture the hyper-sincere flim-flammery that is our good ol' crazy Uncle Joe. Doesn't he seem like the kind of well-meaning yet obtuse relative who'd ask you to reach into his pocket for some sticky gumdrops covered with lint?

Like someone on the autism spectrum, Vice President Joe Biden has no verbal filter, making what comes out of his mouth often shocking yet (sometimes) somehow endearing. Remember how he told his largely black audience in Virginia in August that Romney is "Gonna put y'all back in chains"? Or what about when he said in April, "I promise you, the president has a big stick. I promise you." LOL, Joe. LOL.

And of course, we love how he has a tendency to drop F-bombs near live mics. (Maybe we'll hear one tonight when he debates that Catholic guy from Wisconsin? Can't wait.)

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peteoshea via flickr

Does food writing matter? It's a question that food writers ask themselves in moments of self-doubt, and it's a question Monica Bhide asked on her blog back in August. When there's so much going on in the world, does what we eat and cook warrant our time and attention as writers?

Since Bhide posed the question, there have been many responses from food writers (not surprisingly, I've yet to come across a response that says "nahhh ... it's just fun!"). But the one that comes across as most convincing is Michael Ruhlman's, which was published on The Huffington Post's food blog yesterday.

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Orly Olivier

Strawberry pie at House of Pies

House of Pies, located on the corner of Franklin and Vermont in Los Feliz, is one of those places that catches your eye for a second on the drive past -- the indeterminately retro style of architecture, the old-school diner facade and, of course, the promise of fresh pie.

For many locals, House of Pies is a cherished local haunt, a place that's been in the same location for more than 40 years and is as reliable today for a cup of coffee and a slice of strawberry pie as it was in 1969. But many of its most regular customers might not realize the fascinating and lonesome history behind House of Pies -- it's one of the last remaining branches of a Southern California empire launched by the creator of IHOP in the 1960s.

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Courtesy the Gwynedd/Guy Project

"Remember Julie & Julia? This is like that but with more Sammy Hagar." That's the tagline for the brilliant blog, Gwynedd & Guy, in which one woman, writer Gwynedd Stuart, attempts to cook her way though Guy Fieri's cookbook Guy Fieri Food: Cookin' it. Livin' it. Lovin' it.

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Anne Fishbein

table setting at Post & Beam

Eddie Huang, the New York chef and writer, has spent a lot of time recently discussing issues of food, culture, race and authenticity. A couple of weeks back it was a fascinating discourse with Gilt Taste features editor Francis Lam about Asian culture and food and whether it's "fair for chefs to cook other cultures' foods." Today, Huang took on chef Marcus Samuelsson, dissecting both Samuelsson's new memoir Yes, Chef, and his incredibly successful Harlem restaurant, Red Rooster.

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