* The deadly cantaloupe-carried listeria outbreak out of Colorado continues to kill and sicken, with 13 dead and 72 ill so far. The scariest part: listeria can take up to two months to make you sick, so this story is far from over.

* In related news, did you know that farmers spray treated human waste on their fields? I didn’t!

* The USDA released its food-price forecast figures (henceforth FPFF). To summarize, food prices are expected to rise 3 or 4% (as opposed to .8% in 2009-2010). Median household income, meanwhile, has fallen 2.3% nationally (7% since ’00). Fpffffffffff.

* Last night on the Colbert Report, Ken Burns talked about how, essentially, the Great Depression ended Prohibition. Today the New York Times reported that states are loosening booze laws, and upping booze taxes, to relieve budget woes. To quote Burns quoting the Bible: “There is nothing new under the sun.”

* In happier news, it’s Rosh Hashanah! Here’s a terrific, honey-dripping menu from Phyllis Glazer in the L.A. Times to welcome in a sweet new year.

Sunday’s New York Times op-ed by Mark Bittman touches on an argument that has often irked me — that fast food is the only way to eat on the very cheap, hence national obesity levels. I have been extremely broke, as have some of my friends, and going to KFC three times a day wasn’t how most of us resolved the situation. Because it wasn’t the cheapest alternative! Goya and pasta and oatmeal and root vegetables in bulk (and bad beer) were.

Ditto my annoyance at the “Americans have no time to cook” argument, since, as Bittman points out, our daily average TV viewing clocks in at 1 1/2 hours — for all income levels. (And I’ve heard even higher numbers reported.)

Still, I don’t know where Bittman’s doing his grocery shopping that he can provide a roast chicken, veggies, salad and milk for a family of four for $14. Broke Americans want to know!

THE “fact” that junk food is cheaper than real food has become a reflexive part of how we explain why so many Americans are overweight, particularly those with lower incomes. I frequently read confident statements like, “when a bag of chips is cheaper than a head of broccoli …” or “it’s more affordable to feed a family of four at McDonald’s than to cook a healthy meal for them at home.”

This is just plain wrong. In fact it isn’t cheaper to eat highly processed food: a typical order for a family of four — for example, two Big Macs, a cheeseburger, six chicken McNuggets, two medium and two small fries, and two medium and two small sodas — costs, at the McDonald’s a hundred steps from where I write, about $28. (Judicious ordering of “Happy Meals” can reduce that to about $23 — and you get a few apple slices in addition to the fries!) …

Read more via Is Junk Food Really Cheaper? – NYTimes.com.

On Friday morning, I opened the door at 7 am to get the newspaper, looked around and said, “It’s different today.” Checking the calendar, lo and behold, it was the first day of fall. Sweet corn and barbecues aside, autumn is the best season for cooks. (All those food-based holidays…) Get your table ready with some of the Spooning Shop‘s fall-themed vintage kitchenware! From Thanksgiving-ready Pyrex to dinner sets and linens, you are sure to find something that inspires a cozy feast.

Calvin Trillin doesn’t just write about food–he has focused his satirical writings on everything from the Underwear Bomber to second-hand clothing in Nova Scotia. But he is widely loved for his food writing–three of his celebrated socio-culinary books were collected in 1994′s Tummy Trilogy and his food humor  continues to be a source of joy in The New Yorker, among other rags.

At this event, part of Los Angeles’ Writers Bloc series, Trillin will be joined by SNL alum and Weeds actor Kevin Nealon. (Be forewarned: Jokes about munchies are sure to be in ample supply.)

When: Wednesday, September 21, 2011
7:30 PM

Where: The Writers Guild Theater
135 South Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills

Tickets are $20, cash or check only. Go here to RSVP.