One of the reasons I hate weddings is that the whole thing is a laundry list of things you have to do to keep other people happy. In Chinese culture, this also occurs, only it has some horrid environmental results – as in, “Oh, grandma will be disappointed if there’s no shark fin.” So this week we urge Toronto city council to just say no to shark fin, and urge brides and grooms to be to question stupid wedding traditions that you do just to keep Grandma happy. [Globe and Mail]
Oh, I want to go to this – the Experimental Food Society Spectacular – where you can see a Dodo cake, an eagle made of sugar and a bum sandwich. [Daily Mail]
Meatballs – there’s a creative process at work. [National Post]
Tipping in restaurants – Eric Vellend offers part 1 of a guide. [Inside Toronto: Menumental]
Tootsie rolls vs. molasses candy? Well, Tootise rolls, duh. But both pull my crowns off so I eschew the chews. [Globe and Mail]
Alton Brown has had his share of foot-in-mouth disease on Twitter, but you’ve got to admire the guy for being honest. [CNN: Eatocracy]
Candy gets a bad rap – because it’s candy. But some so-called healthy foods might be just as bad. [Globe and Mail]
How to read a restaurant menu and get the most bang for your buck – as in, yes the steak is more expensive than the chicken, but the steak probably has a lower mark-up. [Forbes]
Ah, the beer-pouring ceremony. Purported to be based on hundreds of years of research and tradition, but actually made up by marketing wonks in the late 20th century. The allure of the pour doesn’t actually make the beer taste better, folks. [Toronto Sun]
When I saw this last week, I thought it was a joke, but no – Groupon really did sell over $60,0o0 worth of classes on how to ice a cupcake. [The Bad Deal]