The long holiday weekend is almost here, and if you are anything like us that means three things: beer, fireworks and grilling. We've already told you where to watch the works if you don't live in Jersey City and you can probably handle the beer part on your own, but what about grilling? Every year somebody has to get the job of buying the beef and manning the grill, and it seems like every other year or so the person with that relatively simple job manages to mess it up. Luckily The Brooklyn Kitchen and The Meat Hook have your back with tips on everything from picking your ground beef to grilling technique. more ›

Check out this photo of two guys making sausage back in 1912 in a basement on West 41st Street! Mmmm, botulism. The photograph was taken during an inspection by the state Factory Investigating Commission, which was created in the wake of the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire. The commission was charged with "investigating the conditions under which manufacturing is carried on," and that historic task brought an inspector to this cellar on the edge of the Hudson River at 656 West 41st Street. The description of what they found isn't specifically too appetizing. more ›