Saturday roundup

Remittances from the Persian Gulf to South Asia are drying up.

It's still snowing. Gail Collins makes an interesting point about that.

The cable guys are local heroes this weekend.

Matthew DeBord's commentary on the auto industry, with regard to what it takes to get to #1 versus stay at #1, isn't without analogy to the difference between campaigning and governing.

I take your point, Ms. Givhan, as it pertains to Katie Couric, but women in more down-to-earth industries embrace the sexy-is-powerful paradigm at their own professional risk.

FDA reconsiders serving sizes to reflect actual behavior rather than suggested portions. I see the benefits--including a decrease in declarations of 'no trans fat' when there's less than half a gram--but isn't also worthwhile to inform people of what a suggested serving size is? I'm comfortable with a portion of pasta at 2/3 to 1 cup cooked, but I don't think I'd ever stop at half a cup of ice cream. I do agree that declared serving sizes are deceptive when they're not intuitive (half a muffin or frozen meal or can of soup), even when it's not deliberate, like in the case of the chips in the article. Transparency is the key... although standard setting is also an issue.

As for what is junk food, I know nutrition is nuanced and complicated, but don't put avocados in the 'maybe' category with crackers. I also disagree with this guy: 'cheap' needn't be part of the definition of junk food. Whole Foods sells a whole bunch of expensive, processed crap. Terra chips are high brow and very good, but they're still junk food. They may have less fat than avocado, but the latter is still real food. Sure, empty calories cost less, BECAUSE THEY'RE SUBSIDIZED. Yes, all that stuff is still junk. And no, not all nutritious food is expensive. An apple doesn't cost more than a candy bar, and peanuts don't cost more than chips. Don't tell me that nutrition is elitist when the following foods are under $1 a serving: eggs, whole wheat breads and other whole grains, hummus, beans, oatmeal, nuts, bananas, frozen spinach, etc.

You know I don't want to come off as a blind follower of Michael Pollan, but the fact is, his food rules were my food rules before he 'patented' them (two of them, anyway; I came late to the 'not a lot' set of rules). Actually, Jay and I were just talking about hidden trend-setting talent: I was having anti-Valentine's Day parties before it was cool, and composting and CSA-ing before it was hip and trendy (my parents have always composted, and I belonged to a CSA in college), and he and I went to Panama before it was cool, and I've been making amazing oatmeal before the trendsters got a hold of it. Which is why I'm telling you that the trends I eschew--like truffle oil and granite countertops--will soon go the way of the dodo.

By the way, award-winning food writer, Scottish salmon is farmed. But I couldn't agree more with Tom Colicchio here:

Tom Colicchio, who helped found the modern green-market-gastronomy movement at Gramercy Tavern and then Craft, says, "Some people think manipulating food is the job a chef does. It isn't. Flavor comes first. You treat it with respect and keep its natural taste. I want people to say, 'I never knew scallops tasted like this.'"

But this is why I don't go to a lot of restaurants: I can make food that conforms to my standards (quality, taste, sustainability, price) at home.