Combo Plate: Fast food fury, feeding Fido, what’s in your burger and more

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

-- What to do about the obesity epidemic? Times business columnist David Lazarus has an idea: Substitute ‘tobacco’ for ‘junk food.’ And that, he says, provides a pretty clear road map about what government authorities should be doing to safeguard public health.

-- ‘Top Chef’s’ Ilan Hall (and chef-owner of the Gorbals in downtown L.A.) will soon have a new mouth to feed. [Slashfood]

-- When you feed Fido, you don’t just put his bowl on the floor, DO YOU!?!?!?

-- Yum or yuck? Meat-flavored vodkas.

-- Chef Anthony Jacquet of the Whisper Lounge in L.A. has won the ‘Make Australian Lamb America’s New Favorite Burger’ contest. Perhaps not surprisingly, his winning entry is a lamb burger, and boy, is it loaded: brie, a cranberry compote and a roasted jalapeño aioli. Here is the recipe:

-- What is the ultimate Fourth of July menu? Vote at Eatocracy.

-- This is what booze looks like when it is under a microscope. Or maybe it’s what everything looks like when you’ve had too much to drink.

-- The Food and Drug Administration says meat producers should use certain antibiotics only to ensure animal health and stop using the drugs to increase production and promote growth. To which we say -- Really? This is up for debate?

Have some linking news for Combo Plate? Contact me at rene.lynch@latimes.com