Sampler Platter: vanilla fungus among us & more!

So much good stuff...

• Remember those stories about Michael Phelps eating 12,000 calories a day? It's not true. He only eats 8,000 to 10,000. Sun Sentinel
• Eater L.A. reports that the Santa Monica Tengu was shuttered unexpectedly this weekend.
• Peruvian is the new Thai, ginger is the new mint, smoking is the new frying. Epicurious predicts the Top 10 food trends for 2009.
• Deadly vanilla fungus hits Madagascar, the world's main vanilla exporter. Panicked consumers horde Nilla Wafers. (The 1st part is true; the 2nd part isn't.) Yahoo! News
• Dig LA recaps their Jungle Cruise Food Marathon with stops at Nkechi African Cafe in Inglewood, El Rocoto in Gardena, Siem Reap Restaurant in Long Beach and Quan Hop and Nuoc Mia Vien Tay in Little Saigon.
• Food GPS loves up Butter Tart, the "hot new Glassell Park bakery."
• This woman eats pudding for a living. Daily Mail
• Eating LA looks forward to Hot Knives' LA Grand Crew beer-bike ride on Dec. 20. The 22-mile ride starts at Union Station, passes Galco's and ends with a kegger at Verdugo.
• You know it's a recession when you replace your turkey with a pigeon. Times Online

--Elina Shatkin
Photo: Swimmer Michael Phelps loosens up near the start of the Men's 400m Individual Medley at the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)