Diners poisoned by human sewage, grapefruits are the new miracle weight-loss drug, Pusateri’s five fall pantry staples

Diners poisoned by human sewage, grapefruits are the new miracle weight-loss drug, Pusateri’s five fall pantry staples

• One of Toronto’s newest ethnic enclaves, Danforth’s Little Ethiopia, began with the crank of a slot machine. When Daniel Bekele opened his Ethiopian restaurant Wazema, customers were turned off by the crappy decor and absence of air conditioning. But after Bekele won $190,000 at a Casino Rama slot machine and invested it all in renovations, good things happened. The new modernist dining room drew customers, which drew more Ethiopian restaurants, which drew even more customers, and voila—another neighbourhood bragging right for Toronto. Thank you, gambling. [Toronto Star]

Michael Pollan argues in an NYT op-ed that the Obama administration should reform the food industry if they plan to fix health care. Over three-quarters of the money poured into health care in States goes toward treating preventable chronic illness, the majority of which are caused by poor diet, says Pollan. [New York Times]

• The general manager of Pusateri’s doles out advice on five must-have pantry staples for the fall. Spelt we get, but in what galaxy is Essence of Niagara Red Pepper Icewine Jelly considered a staple? [Globe and Mail]

• Over 500 diners who fell ill after eating at Heston Blumenthal’s Michelin-starred Fat Duck restaurant in England were suffering from food poisoning caused by raw seafood contaminated with human sewage, reports The Guardian. Blumenthal’s spokesperson’s response: the chef is “not overly concerned with the findings.” We think the affected patrons might find that hard to stomach. [The Guardian]

• A chemical that occurs in large quantities in grapefruits can burn through fats, says a new study. Flavonoids are “like rocket fuel for your liver,” but wait for the pill version to be approved, because it apparently takes between six and eight glasses of grapefruit juice glass a day to achieve weight loss. [Health Zone]