by Claire Lassam | Presenting Scout’s weekly Food Media Omnibus, a collection of links to the local and international food stories of the day…

Oh, the French. Just when I thought they couldn’t get any crazier, they go ahead and ban vegetarianism in schools. Read about it in the Guardian.

On the flip-side, they just passed a law banning shark fin soup in Toronto, despite Mayor Rob Ford’s protests. Don’t even get me started on that man!

The Westender gets excited about Chinese food and the upcoming Signature Dish festival.

Call me closed-minded, but I didn’t expect Newfoundland to take the #1 spot on EnRoute’s best restaurant list!

The North Shore News gives us a calendar of upcoming local food events.

Alexandra Gill takes a look at how multicultural cities are changing the way we eat at holidays. I wish my mom made Peking Duck for Thanksgiving!

The New York Times explains just how small you can make a pastry and still market it (one ounce cupcakes anyone?), and Sam Sifton tries gastrochemistry at home in celebration of the upcoming Eleven Madison Park Cookbook, which comes with the chefs personal email address – in case you get confused on a recipe. I think that’s a nice touch.

The Province goes urban foraging, which is all kinds of wonderful.

And speaking of foraging, the Huffington Post talks about the eating in the Noma age, when chocolate dirt and lichen are both on the menu.

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Claire Lassam is a baker, blogger, and freelance writer based in East Van. She has been cooking and baking her way through the city for nearly five years, working in restaurants ranging from Cioppino’s to Meat & Bread. She currently toils at the soon-to-open Cadeaux Bakery in Railtown and runs the baking blog  Just Something Pretty.

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