At long last, Jamie Oliver is returning to Food Network; catch him battling Mario Batali on Iron Chef America Sunday night, and then stay tuned for a preview of his new show, Jamie at Home. [Eat for Victory/VV]
If anyone’s going to see mice in your restaurant, food writers are the worst-case scenario. Right, Mermaid Inn? [The Feed/TONY]
One man who’s had enough of unsolicited menus showing up under his door has designed a wannabe deterrent. [BoingBoing via Gothamist]
A member of Italian parliament is proposing a bill that would require overseas cafés to be certified in order to sell authentic Italian coffee and espresso. Sorry, Starbucks! [The Grinder/Chow]
Speaking of Starbucks, they have a new company policy ordering employees to refer to beverages made with sugar-free syrup and low-fat milk as “skinny,” and one employee isn’t very happy about it. [Starbucks Gossip via Gothamist]
Food (and the lack of it) plays a significant role in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Hansel and Gretel. [WSJ]
A new poll shows that the British like fast food even more than Americans do. [BBC]
Michael Pollan’s new book, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, is a takedown of healthy eating and nutrition, because he claims Americans are “people with an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.” [NYT]
Print it out and put it on your fridge: Here’s a list of Pollan’s twelve commandments for eating culled from his new book. [Serious Eats]
