Lucky Dip – Monday, August 15th, 2011

Dear Toronto, since I know our cultural conservatism means we only do things after they’re dead and buried in a bigger, more important city, take note – the New York Times has called for the death of pop-ups. Better get out there and set up a cupcake truck or something while we can still hold our heads high as being hipster trend followers. And since “Diner en Blanc” also appears to have jumped the shark, maybe we can have one of those now too. It’s okay, most sheep are white. [New York Times] [Village Voice: Fork in the Road]

Did you donate money to send food aid to Somalia? How would you feel knowing that aid is regularly being stolen and sold instead of going to people who are starving? [Globe and Mail]

Salad dressing on the side. Besides ruining it for everybody else by making it the norm in some restaurants, all you dieters do know that you end up with about twice as much salad dressing in a ramekin (that you usually eat all of) than if the salad was dressed in the kitchen, right? [Epicurious]

10 things to never do in a restaurant. Like change your baby’s diaper in the dining room! (Although as an allergy sufferer, if I got up every time I had to blow my nose, I might as well just have my meal delivered to the restroom. How about if I promise to do it discreetly?) [Toronto Sun]

To tell you the truth, I almost never notice or care if my server writes my order down or not – just so long as they get it right. [The Guardian]

Purple pasta… sounded like a good idea at the time. [Nostrovia!]

Tossing and turning at night? Maybe consider a vegan diet. [Globe and Mail]

Better living through chemistry – finding ways to make fresh food last longer would cut down on food waste and help relieve world hunger. [The Telegraph]

Vietnam has lifted a ban on Canadian beef some 8 years after the BSE scare. [Edmonton Journal]

Why restaurant critics should be nicer – because some poor kitchen staffer might get smacked upside the head if the chef can’t take a poor review. [The Telegraph]