Sure, you might live in Brooklyn now, with your bird tattoos and your freelance design job, but there was a time—a time that you don’t like to talk about—when you lived in the Midwest, perhaps as a child. And in that time, you loved to eat the quintessential Midwestern mom dish: casseroles. Don’t be ashamed. Revel in your love of the one-pot dish: the flaky crust, the hearty filling, the cheesy topping. Then take that love and show the world you’re not afraid at the 7th annual Casserole Party, October 24 at the Brooklyn Kitchen. more ›

Behold the amazing power of the legume next weekend at the fifth annual Craig Murphey Fellowship Event, a giant party/ fundraiser for the New York City Coalition Against Hunger at Public Assembly that will feature karaoke, culinary prizes, and, most importantly, a hummus cook-off. Because hummus is delicious and nutritious! more ›

If you're a chili fanatic, this is definitely a weekend to stay in town. There are at least two chili cookoffs planned that we know about, both in Brooklyn and both going down in bars, where the beer will flow freely (well, not literally freely) to extinguish any raging fires in your scorched mouth-hole. Up first on Saturday, there's the 2nd Annual Debate Society Chili Cookoff at Moonshine in Red Hook, where $10 gets you unlimited chili from all contestants. Or bring your own chili to compete and eat for free. Email stinky cheese-eating champion Oliver Butler (oliver AT thedebatesociety DOT org) for details, or just show up Saturday at 2 p.m. with $10 and an appetite. more ›

Far Rockaway, Queens--REPRESENT! Resident Joy Devor won the Simply Manishchewitz Cook-Off last night with her recipe for "Fantastic Flounder Rolls" beating out close to 3,000 other entrants in this nationwide competition. more ›