tomato II

tomato II, originally uploaded by pr9000.

This story in Sunday's New York Times Magazine is a fascinating read about food, why Americans are fatter than ever, and the difference between nutrition and "nutritionism." It's fascinating precisely because it takes apart the science of food and shows that what works in the laboratory might not necessarily work in the kitchen.

One thing that jumped out at me is the discussion of what makes up "culture" for many of us. The author's parenthetical thesis:

Of course when it comes to food, culture is really just a fancy word for Mom, the figure who typically passes on the food ways of the group — food ways that, although they were never “designed” to optimize health (we have many reasons to eat the way we do), would not have endured if they did not keep eaters alive and well.

Isn't that the truth? What we learn about food usually comes from our mothers. My lovely wife makes a tasty treat that she calls "cheese crisps" -- basically shredded cheese on a flour tortilla, melted in the oven -- that go great with sliced apples. And recently she made her mom's chili recipe, which was far more involved than the one my mom used -- and it came out just about the same.

Most people think their mothers are fantastic cooks, and most people are probably right. One thing my mom taught me was that food is a fantastic way to express love. Conversely, one can love someone too much, until the loved one can't fit into his/her pants any longer. Not that that ever happened to me, of course ... :)