A Salmagundi of Savory Silliness

I’ve been storing up odd news bits that (allegedly) involve food. It’s time to share a few of the strange and unbelievable ones:

The convenient Russian myth that beer is a soft drink will end shortly, following the enactment of restrictions signed by President Dmitry Medvedev in July. Beer had been rapidly replacing vodka as the country’s primary alcoholic beverage, as people drank it with impunity around the clock in public places, since they pretended they were consuming nothing more powerful than a cola. The way supporters reacted to Medvedev’s law is also interesting.

The Aug. 6 revival spectacular in Houston, billed as a day of prayer and attended by 30,000 people at Reliant Stadium, was also billed as a day of fasting, which apparently took at least a few worshipers by surprise, and Reliant’s concession stands (which were open all day) only added to the temptation to ignore the fast. One otherwise-devout man from San Angelo, Texas, told the Texas Tribune that it was OK for him to eat because of an "agreement" he "made with God earlier."

From time to time, Tibetan Buddhists inadvertently support the seafood industry with campaigns of "liberation" of living beings. In August, a Buddhist group purchased 534 lobsters from a Gloucester, Mass., wholesaler, sprayed them with holy water, clipped off their claw bindings, and released them into the Atlantic Ocean. Of course, the lobsters were almost certainly re-caught by Gloucester lobstermen

Finally, for your video enjoyment, here’s a clip that shows the dangers (and delights) of Love at First Bite, Italian style:

Canoodle from Shaun Young on Vimeo.

Enjoy the (Weird Food News) Heat!