What Is Charcoal?

A burning question. (By Tiffany Maleshefski)

Harold McGee Speaks

Harold McGee is the king of kitchen science, the man who solves food mysteries ranging from how much oil you can emulsify into a mayonnaise with one egg yolk to why frying spatter ends up on the inside surface of the cook’s... (By Harold McGee)

Whiskey Primer

Watch out for the revenuers. (By Jason Horn)

Gobble, Gobble, Bang!

How I killed a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. (By Alexander Lane)

You're Supposed to Burn It

Tools for creating aromatic smoke, à la the molecular gastronomists (By Louisa Chu)

Big-Time Barbecue

Ray Lampe, a.k.a. Dr. BBQ, offers up doctor’s orders for perfect summer grilling. (By Andrew Sessa)

Gas Versus Charcoal

Choose what’s under your grate before you choose what goes on top. (By Roxanne Webber)

Burns the Hairs Right Out of Your Nose

Touring bourbon distilleries in Kentucky. (By Jane Goldman)

The Finest Grind

CHOW scouts the three best pepper mills. (By Louisa Chu)

Four Bands, Four Barbecue Joints

A tour through the barbecue meccas of Chapel Hill, Memphis, Austin, and Kansas City, plus music.

Destination: Denver on the Cheap

Kingpin food on a volunteer budget at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. (By Ruth Tobias)

They make them chewy, charred, and perfect at Pizza e Vino. (By C. Thi Nguyen)

For lunch at Eccolo. (By C. Thi Nguyen)

New York’s hottest new pizzeria is an old-school kind of joint with deep Brooklyn roots. Lucali’s in Carroll Gardens has equipment from the departed Leonardo’s, sausage from Esposito Pork Store, and an owner... (By C. Thi Nguyen)

In search of wood ovens and charred crust. (By Cicely Wedgeworth)