Top 10 food mascots, how to make Worcestershire sauce, Sarah Silverman urges Pope to sell Vatican

• Slashfood lists the 10 “most awesome” food mascots of all time. The selections are pretty solid—they include the Jolly Green Giant and Kool-Aid Man—but we’re not sure that the only cereal mascot mentioned, the pitiable Trix Rabbit, was the ideal choice. Surely he can’t compete with the inspirational Tony the Tiger or with the smooth, soulful crooning of Sugar Crisp Bear. [Slashfood]

•  In a new YouTube video, comedian Sarah Silverman calls on Pope Benedict XVI, “caped crusader,” to sell the Vatican and use the billions of dollars in proceeds to feed the world’s hungry. She also assures the pontiff a number of sexual victories, should he follow through on her proposal. The Catholic League has deemed the suggestion “obscene.” [CBC]

• Lea and Perrins may have perfected their omnipresent Worcestershire sauce by accidentally leaving it to ferment for a few years, but the New York Times claims anyone can whip some up in less than 10 minutes. In its examination of the sauce, the Times reveals that the essence of Worcestershire is umami—the fifth taste sensation of savouriness—brought about by the inclusion of tomatoes and fermented fish. [New York Times]

• Meet Laurent Vernet, a self-taught master beef taster who can tell the age, sex and breed of a cow with just one bite of steak. The expert warns against butchers who mature their meat for a set amount of days; every animal is different, he says, and should be treated as such. For those who remain unconvinced of his powers, consider this: he can tell when an animal was stressed before being slaughtered because the meat tastes excessively sweet and squeaks against the teeth like polystyrene. [Independent]

• The venerable Tour d’Argent restaurant in Paris, which opened in 1582, is clearing out its famous wine cellar and auctioning off its contents—including some items that date from before the French Revolution. Among the goodies for sale is a cognac from 1788 and four bottles of wine from 1875 that are covered in a thick, black, fuzzy, alcohol-loving fungus. [Associated Press]