• Gourmet poutine is set to become Toronto’s newest street grub. Smoke’s Poutinerie, which spices up traditional poutine with an array of ingredient choices ranging from beef to vegetarian options, is launching its food truck on Sunday. It will officially debut at the Scotiabank AIDS Walk for Life on Church Street, offering 15 unique versions of the dish along with the Quebecois classic. [Toronto Star]
• With more vitamin A than cantaloupe and more calcium than spinach, dandelion leaves are one of the oft-overlooked foods on the Chicago Tribune’s new list of 10 super-foods that we should be eating but probably aren’t. Other surprises in the list: seaweed and Chia seeds (as in those sprinkled on a Chia pet). [Chicago Tribune]
• A master cheese grader from Britain has insured his nose for £5 million, a sum that rivals celebrities who insure their body parts, the Telegraph reports. Nigel Pooley, who selects more than 12,000 tonnes of cheese per year with his sense of smell, says he earns his company about £1 million per week. His explanation sounds plausible, but singer Tom Jones has some explaining to do—his chest hair is reportedly insured for $7 million (US). [Telegraph]
• A local falafel joint owner says he is going to fight to keep his restaurant’s name, McFalafel, despite pestering from McDonald’s lawyers who say it violates a trademark. The owner, having already dished out $14,000 for McFalafel menus and signs, has vowed to take the case to court once his restaurant generates enough cash to cover legal costs. Until then, he has opted for the far less affable moniker MoFalafel. Mo’ Falafel, mo’ problems. [Toronto Star]
• In a paper published this month, a Washington University philosopher contends that genetically engineering animals to be “pain free” is the most ethical alternative to doing away with factory farming. Neuroscientists from the same school have already engineered mice that appear to be highly tolerant of pain. Those opposed to the idea say cruelty is one of many moral misdeeds brought about by factory farming. Let the debate ensue. [New Scientist]
NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY
Sign up for Table Talk, our free newsletter with essential food and drink stories.