• The former chef of Burlington’s Capital Grille used a diner’s credit card to purchase toy cars. [Salem News]
• A Brewster man is healthy after doctors performed surgery to remove a pea growing inside his lung. [Globe]
• Mario Batali is working on a vegetarian cookbook. [Detroit Free Press via NYDN]
• Poultry is the leading cause of food poisoning, followed by beef, finds a new Centers for Disease Control study. [Huffington Post]
• Molecular cuisine restaurants, like Copenhagen’s Noma, are increasingly adding elements of locavorism. [WSJ]
• The Center for Science in the Public Interest plans to report Ben & Jerry’s to the Food and Drug Administration unless the ice cream drops the “all natural” claim from its packaging. [Eatocracy/CNN]
• Pretzel Crisps replaced their controversial “You can never be too thin” billboards with ones that read “Tastes as good as skinny feels,” another slogan beloved by anorexics. [Gothamist]
• Some Massachusetts doctors have begun handing out farmers’ market coupons to promote healthy eating among low-income patients. [Globe]
• As the domestic economy lags, international expansion is increasingly important for restaurant chains. [NRN]
• Seoul is fast emerging as a dining destination. [WSJ]
• Even chefs like Laurent Gras can stay in great shape — if they exercise every day. [Food & Wine]
• Cupcakes are currently the subject of no less than three reality shows: D.C. Cupcakes on TLC, the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, and WE’s The Cupcake Girls. [Slate]
• Seven people across the U.S. have contracted typhus from drinking shakes or smoothies flavored with mamey pulp. [AP]
