Batch of links

- In time for Christmas: The owners of Montreal’s two culinary bookstores (anglophone and francophone) choose their favorite cookbooks of the year.

- The Huffington Post makes fun of Jamie Oliver for his dyslexia. Um, how about a portrait of a man who has an incredibly successful career, including as a best-selling author, in spite of dyslexia? Wouldn’t that be more fair?

- Since Hostess is closing its doors, here’s the Twinkie manifesto, by Paul Krugman.

- The tricky ways Fox News uses to manipulate statistics on its graphics: Am I the only one who think some of these methods should be illegal?

- Scientists have used nose cells to help paralyzed dogs regain some mobility in their hind legs It’s not going to be a cure for humans, but it’s a step in the right direction (no pun intended).

- A touching photo essay: When a kid’s room isn’t a room.

- Dealing with food allergies as a host. This post on The Kitchn was meant as tips on how to prepare food when you are hosting and you know one of your guests has a food allergy. Reading the more than 200 comments, though, it devolved into an argument, where most people fall in one of two camps: either hosts who will make what they damn well please regardless of guests’ food restrictions, and guests with food restrictions acknowledging that, while they realize it’s a hassle and they wouldn’t want the entire meal to center around them, still tend to value staying alive more than other concerns. I understand that there’s really no way to make something like a potluck absolutely safe for everyone, but if you’re inviting a small number of people for dinner, don’t you want to feed them without killing them? What’s the point of making your typical dish if the guest physically cannot eat it? Personally, when I go over to someone’s house for dinner, I tell them in advance that I am lactose-intolerant. While I do not expect the entire meal to be lactose-free, I DO expect not to be served a cheese fondue as a main course. I just don’t understand these hosts who don’t care about allergies (or dietary choices); perhaps it’s not an issue because they don’t have any friends left to invite?

- Awesome project by a female engineer: A construction game for girls.

- Red states have more fatal traffic accidents than blue states. I’m a little surprised, and a little not.

- Still have Thanksgiving leftovers? Here are some ideas for fresh meals (I could really go for those turkey spring rolls). Oh, and why not: a recipe for veggieducken. There’s always next year!

- Watch eggs get broken in super slow motion. Strangely satisfying.