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Steven Fretz Joins Curtis Stone; Valley Village Massacre Victim Survives Eleven Gunshots

• Former XIV chef Steven Fretz has joined Curtis Stone’s umbrella company as executive chef, with possible future plans to open a restaurant in L.A. [Eater]

• Turkeys, as we know them, are actually a kind of breast-heavy Frankenbird that can’t even reproduce naturally. Says one frank turkey scientist, “[They] can’t mount.” [USAT]

• Better step it up, France. If Michelin stars are any indicator, Japan might soon surpass the Gallic nation in culinary accolades. We detect the makings of a really good reality competition here. [Japan RealTime/WSJ]

• One of the men shot in the Valley Village massacre survived, despite being shot eleven times. [KABC]

• Rocket to Russia: Johnny Rockets plans 40 stores in Russia in the next decade. [Russia-Info Centre]

• Illinois has a successful Mexican chain called Los Angeles Cafe. [Herald News Sun Time]

• The president of Magnolia Bakery started baking as an eight-year-old. [Huffington Post]

• Family-owned and operated Ventura Limoncello began the company to take advantage of the biggest lemon-growing region in the country. [L.A. Times]

• Tallow carvings will decorate military dining halls across the country this Thanksgiving, and other news from the glossy white underbelly of the tallow-sculpture world. [WSJ]

• Six processed-food companies, including Hostess and Butterball, have agreed to cut sodium levels by 25 percent over five years. [UPI]

• China’s top money guy claims speculators and hoarders manipulated commodity prices and caused the country’s spike in food costs. [WSJ]

Steven Fretz Joins Curtis Stone; Valley Village Massacre Victim Survives Eleven