Change we can sink our teeth into (or Top Chef: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue)

I know the press is jumping to announce every brand new hire the new Obama administration is making for its administration, but maybe they're going overboard on this. Or not. I mean, anyone can be Treasury Secretary or something like that,* but it takes that special person to keep the First Family fed whenever they need to be. So guess what the AP is speculating about now?

The previous First Chef, Walter Scheib, speculates that Prez-elect Obama will keep the current holder of the title, Cristeta Comford. And who knows? If and when Top Chef, when it reaches Season 12 in, oh, two years, finally comes to DC or - hey, one could dream - Baltimore, maybe they'll feature her as a guest judge?

One thing Scheib points out: this is not a job for a prima donna (there goes half of Top Chef's cheftestants right there), a rock star chef (thank God there go Guy Fieri and Bobby Flay) or any other TV personality (go away, Rachael Ray, Paula Deen and yes, even Ina Garten). Scheib says it requires a different breed of chef, one given to constant service. It sure seems like it'd be an exhausting job. I read once that Dubya - or was it Clinton? - kept his First Chef up at all hours to make him fried peanut butter sandwiches or something along those lines (yeah that'd be Clinton).

According to the AP article, the Obamas may not make change on their selection of First Chef, though they could shake things up by bringing in the occasional celebrity chef to plan and execute the occasional state dinner. That'd be fun - and give Chef Comford the occasional break.

* Yes, I am very, very much kidding about that.

Kojo on Obama: First Eater (?)

Todd Kliman, of Washingtonian Magazine, was on WAMU (88.5)'s Kojo Nnamdi Show today. The topic? President-Elect Barack Obama as "Foodie-in-Chief":

Grits, hushpuppies, greens, and other southern food went decidedly upscale when President Clinton's arrival in DC coincided with the debut of Georgia Browns. But for all the excitement in 2000 about a President Bush reviving local BBQ battles, this hasn't really happened. We project the impact an Obama Administration have on DC's Food Scene.

Had I known this was coming I'd have let people know. Fortunately for us, WAMU archives all episodes of Kojo Nnamdi, so you can listen to it in streaming audio here.

Iggie's for the Election

Instead of fixing up my election day menu that I suggested over the past few posts - and if anybody tries them out please let me know - I went along with some friends to Iggie's. Alan & Eric were quite surprised that I hadn't been there before, so Eric thought it'd be a good opportunity to collect some blog fodder (my words, not his).

Iggie's Pizza was jam packed tonight with eager Obama supporters, many collecting to catch a look at early returns (Gripe: How in the world can six different networks declare a state has been won by so-and-so with only 1% of its precincts reporting? I'm just sayin'). Apparently, this crowd was not a normal thing. Neither was the long wait for food normal. We were lucky to find a table for ourselves, near the television. Alan ordered two favorite Neapolitan-style pizzas and a cheesy sort of salad. Since it's a BYOB place, Eric brought along a bottle of red wine he found at the Wine Source.

The Caesar salad ($6) was about as good as anyone could hope for, though nothing remarkable. The pizzas were tasty. We shared among the three of us two different 14" pizzas (average price: $15), both thin crust, piping hot. The first one I tried was their verdura fresca pizza, covered in onion, red bell pepper and spinach, accompanied by a balsamic vinegar reduction. I particularly liked this one, simply for the flavorful vegetables atop the pizza. The second pizza I tried was the salsiccia (sausage), a cheesy and wonderful sausage pizza with two types of cheese and fennel (this I didn't recognize even in retrospect but oh well). Either pizza I would order again in a heartbeat.

A final note: Iggie's was probably so crowded Tuesday night due to election watchers crowding into the restaurant. There was one guy wearing a big, fuzzy (read: plush) Uncle Sam top hat with Democratic campaign buttons pinned all around the base. We theorized that a McCain win this evening would have sent him to the roof, and then off it. Anyway, he just wandered around from spot to spot, eyes glued to the TV. If it is crowded when you get there, don't order first and then look for a seat. Do the opposite: look for a seat and then order. Otherwise you'll be standing with your pizza all night.

Oh, and I may be crazy but I think I saw a member of Chef Duff's motley crew from Ace of Cakes ordering something. I didn't bother this person, and neither did anyone else. I'm sure he or she was happy to just get his or her order and go. I love Ace of Cakes. Just had to shout out.

Presidential Dinner III: The Appetizers and Desserts

Choices. Lots of voters wish they had more of them at the ballot box. And that's what I often find that I have at any restaurant: too many choices for appetizers and desserts. For this final installment of an all-American election day dinner, I'm choosing some tasty dishes to represent the home states and regions of some of the third party candidates. I haven't bothered including all the candidates from all the third parties: just some of the most prominent ones.

THE APPETIZERS AND DESSERTS: THIRD PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

ROBERT BARR (Libertarian - GA; born - IA)
CYNTHIA McKINNEY (Green - GA)

representing the South - sweet Georgia peach salsa; fried green tomatoes

Southern cuisine is one of the most well-known and prominent cuisines in the United States, but I had a difficult time thinking up anything other than entrées and desserts. Since I'm saving the dessert for the next entry, I wanted some nice and tasty Southern appetizers. It's easier than I imagine, because there are just too many options available. But among the many different hush puppies, savory cornbreads, cheese straws, pimiento cheese spreads and - again - seafood, I'm honing in on two Southern fruit dishes, one a more pan-Southern creation, the other using one of Georgia's best-known exports (since there are two third-party presidential candidates from the Peach State, it made perfect sense to have two recipes from Georgia).

Yes, I know we treat it like a vegetable, but you and I both know that the tomato is indeed a fruit. Picture linked from the Like to Cook.com website

Atlanta native Cynthia McKinney is the first woman to lead any party's ticket with another woman as her running mate. Since McKinney is doing this on the Green Party ticket, it only makes sense to suggest fried green tomatoes as one of our Southern dishes. Unlike scrapple, which I bemoaned in an earlier post, I love fried green tomatoes. You can dredge them in just about anything - flour, cornmeal, panko (I used that once), hell you can use ground up saltines if you want. Southern Living Magazine suggests binding it together with egg, and adding buttermilk to the batter. I usually use a combination of cornmeal, flour, bread crumbs and Old Bay (can't stay away from that Old Bay). My one problem with frying green tomatoes is that I always skimp on the oil in which to fry them, so too much of the breading comes off. I really need to use more oil. Fry them for a few minutes on each side, then dry them out on a paper towel-lined plate.

Photo linked from the Gourmet Girl Magazine website

Libertarian candidate Bob Barr was born in Iowa, but since I've covered the Midwest already, I'll just focus on the favorite fruit of Barr's current home state of Georgia. It isn't known as the Peach State for nothing. Recipes abound for different ways to use peaches. Almost all of the ones I have found include them in some dessert-y form, but there are a few that are just "out there". Pickled peaches anyone? I'd try that, but I'm not quite sure I'd like it.

A more appetizing recipe in my opinion is this Sweet Georgia Peach Salsa, offered as an accompaniment to grilled chicken salad by the Georgia Peach Commission. It's a fruit salsa not too unlike the watermelon salsa I made for a friend's housewarming. Mix together 2 cups of peeled and chopped peaches with various amounts of red bell pepper, cuke, green onion, jalapeño, honey, lime juice and cilantro, chill and serve. Painfully simple and tasty.

RALPH NADER (Independent - CT)

representing New England - apple pandowdy

Lobster, clam, nutmeg, maple syrup, cranberries and apples all evoke images of New England in my head. A region I have visited outright once and passed through twice more, I am not what you would call an authority on the cuisine of New England. Consumer advocate and perpetual presidential candidate Ralph Nader is born and bred in Connecticut, so he should have a much better idea of what New Englanders eat on a daily basis. And no, I'm not thinking about Dunkin' Donuts.

Photo linked from the Recipe Tips.com website

Apples are often showcased in the desserts of New England. Though apple pandowdy makes the tummies of people all over the country say "Howdy" (had to go there, sorry), it is very much a New England dish. And Yankee Magazine has one of the easiest recipes for it that I have found. Just line a baking dish with crustless white bread (wow, that's difficult to find) dipped in melted butter, fill with apples slices, cinnamon, brown sugar and a little bit of water, and then cover all that with more buttery bread and brown sugar, bake at 350 for 1 hour and serve with whipped cream. A perfect New England dessert. I bet maple syrup would go great with that, too. Of course, Nader's Consumer Reports Magazine would have to field test several brands of maple syrup to see which would go best with it. Sprinkle nutmeg on top, just because it is the Nutmeg State we're talking about.

Image of Bob Barr linked from the Wired.com website. Image of Cynthia McKinney linked from Wikipedia. Image of Ralph Nader linked from the New York Press website.

Vote and get free food!

If you vote tomorrow - or if you voted early and saved your "I voted" sticker - you can get free food on Tuesday. USA Today reports on the goodies:

• Krispy Kreme will pony up a free star-shaped donut with red and blue sprinkles and white icing if you show them your "I voted" sticker. I don't know if any of the three Maryland locations (Glen Burnie, Columbia or Rockville) is participating. Eh, who cares unless it's a hot donut?
  
• Ben & Jerry's is giving away free ice cream between 5 and 8 PM to celebrate Election Day, but only at the Annapolis location.
• Starbucks is giving away free 12 ounce coffees. At least, that's what the article says. Their website really says nothing about it.
• Ditto the Chick-Fil-á website. CFA is allegedly giving away chicken sammiches for $2.70. Participating ones only.

I wish I knew of other places that had such promotions!

Presidential Dinner I: The Entrees

All of this is thrown up in the air, since after the big Halloween party I went to last night I made some informal dinner plans with some friends. We'll be eating pasta before the results start rolling in. But these recipes aren't going by the wayside. I have plans to try them all over the next week or so. Just because most of them are attached to states with losing candidates, doesn't mean these are losing recipes.

THE ENTREES: PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES (MAJOR PARTY)

JOHN McCAIN (Republican - AZ)

representing the Southwest - quesadilla

John McCain comes from the Southwest, a region with its own unique cuisine. Now I could be all "maverick-y" and just put an MRE here. Or I could put some tasty Vietnamese cuisine in this spot. Instead, let's just stick with the safe choice: Southwestern. Granted, a man of McCain's age might not be able to handle spicy, gassy food, but it can always be tamed down. It's also not terribly expensive to make, depending on what you are making.

Photo linked from Flickr user Paul Goyette

One of the easiest and cheapest Southwestern foods to make is the ever-versatile quesadilla. There are tons of recipes for quesadillas on the net, and there are tons of different ways to make them. I like this unusual one from the sadly-forgotten Food Network show How to Boil Water: a tasty though "less simple than they think" chicken and scallion quesadilla, also with beans. Another comes from Nigella Lawson, featuring ham.

For me, just about every quesadilla needs cheese, at the very least. From there you can take it wherever. When I want a fast quesadilla, I usually put about 1/2 c to 1 c on mine, depending on the size of the tortilla. I prefer corn tortillas for many things, but for quesadillas I often go with the large flour ones. My favorite fillings include chopped tomatoes, sautéed garlic and onions, and jalapeños or chipotle peppers (any will do). Whatever else is laying around gets thrown on top before the other tortilla goes on. I've used everything from chicken to spinach to venison, or three to four types of cheeses. Heat it at 350 for about 10 to 15 minutes, and top it with all manner of toppings: cilantro, chipotle sauce, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, etc. All are especially easy to chew and eat.

BARACK OBAMA (Democrat - IL; born - HI)

representing the Midwest - Shrimp de Jonghe

Different regional cuisines evoke different images: Pacific is "healthy", Southwest is "spicy", Southern is "homey", and our own Chesapeake cuisine is "crabby". When I think of Midwestern cuisine I think one word: "filling". No, Midwestern food is not known for being, um, slimming. "Rib-sticking" is more like it. That said, Obama's unique corner of the Midwest is the Chicago area, not exactly a culinary wasteland. I could suggest any number of famous dishes unique to the Windy City, many of which are easy to find in most cities: the Chicago-style dog - a hot dog surrounded on a big poppy seed bun with fresh tomato wedges, a pickle wedge, banana peppers, relish, chopped onions and mustard - is sold in some form at most places that sell hot dogs (Zack's dogs in the Harbor and White Marsh, Weenie World in Dundalk, and the Orange Julius down in Arundel Mills are just a few). Easier to find is the Chicago-style pizza. More than just deep dish, most Chicagoans swear by the kind they can only get at home. It's like us and our crabs.

I even found a heart-attack-inducing recipe for something called a "Horseshoe", which is native to Springfield, Illinois - an open-faced sandwich topped with a few hamburger patties, French fries and a thick, buttery cheese sauce. See, told ya' Midwestern food is not slimming. Makes Paula Deen seem like the host of that short-lived Low Carb and Lovin' It show.

Photo linked from Flickr user She Who Shall Not Be Named

Since I at least want to live to be the age of Obama's competitor, I'll go with something a little less unhealthy, not easy in the Midwest. One of the older recipes that just screams "CHICAGO" is a dish called shrimp deJonghe, which Wikipedia notes is "a casserole of whole peeled shrimp blanketed in soft, garlicky, sherry-laced bread crumbs". It's a bit more complicated than that. One recipe I found from Hallmark Magazine looks easier than most, but still has lots of ingredients, particularly two pounds of shrimp. You also need a few fresh herbs, including tarragon, parsley and chervil, and everything from freshly grated nutmeg to 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs, to shallots to garlic to two sticks of butter. I will try this recipe sometime, though I'll have to wait for a group of people to eat it with me. It sounds wonderful but I'm afraid it'll kill me.

representing the Pacific - Pineapple-Spamburger

Mind you, Barack Obama was born not in Illinois, but in Hawaii (despite rumors to the contrary). So he probably grew up eating a lot of Hawaiian food instead. When I think of Hawaiian cuisine, I often think of poi, that classic taro root dish that is not readily found outside of Polynesia. Seriously, you can buy bagged poi in Hawaii, but I've never seen it here, or in California. You can make your own, but taro is also nearly impossible to find in Maryland (the Latin American root vegetable yautía, which is more readily available at H-Mart, is often often cited as an acceptable substitute).

Photo linked from the Mental Floss website. The can shows another favorite Spam dish in Hawaii, spam musubi

The next things that comes to mind when I think of Hawaiian food are pork and pineapple. Easy enough to put together. But why not pair pineapple with Hawaii's most favorite potted meat product - Spam? Yes, Spam is incredibly popular in the Aloha State, and a simple Pineapple-Spamburger is just about the easiest dish to make. Just slice a big lump o' Spam into two to three slices, lengthwise, fry it up in a pan (or - ooooooh! - grill it), along with some whole pineapple slices, put them in a hamburger bun, and voila! The unofficial potted meat dish of Hawaii!

Image of Barack Obama linked from Wikipedia. Image of John McCain linked from the website Just Press Play.net

Eating through a Presidential Election

Wondering what to eat while your stomach's tied in knots wondering who will become the next president of the United States?  Do Ralph Nader or Cynthia McKinney really stand a shot at winning the White House?  Mmmmm, no.  But while I'm waiting to see if the nation will elect its first African-American president or its first female VP, I'll be at the very least planning an all-American meal.

And so, over the next few days, I'll be posting recipe ideas based on the home states of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, plus some of the better-known third-party candidates for president.

I'll be posting some ideas tomorrow and Monday in case you have some time and money available.  I haven't quite decided what I might make, or if it's even feasible (do I realy have the money for this?), and I'll just give up and eat that most all-American of meals, the hamburger.

It looks like most of the US map is represented by our choices at the ballot box!  

ENTREES - PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES

JOHN McCAIN (Republican - Arizona) - covering the Southwest

BARACK OBAMA (Democrat - Illinois; born - Hawaii) - covering the Midwest and the Pacific

APPETIZERS - VICE-PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES

JOE BIDEN (Democrat - Delaware; born - Pennsylvania) - covering the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast

SARAH PALIN (Republican - Alaska) - covering the Pacific Northwest

SIDES AND DESSERTS - THIRD PARTY PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES

BOB BARR (Libertarian - Georgia); CYNTHIA McKINNEY (Green - Georgia) - covering the South

RALPH NADER (Independent - Connecticut) - covering New England

The menu is still not set, but I have some ideas already.  First stop: Illinois and Arizona, for our major party presidential nominees...

* Photo of "Double-Crusted Apple Pie" linked from MyRecipes.com.

Why I'm writing about California's Prop 8

We have our own controversial propositions on the ballot here in Maryland - there's that little "yes on slots" initiative. I'm not saying how I voted on that (absentee, remember), and there's that "early voting" initiative. Okay, that's not terribly controversial, but I'm not saying how I voted on that either. That is in addition to that little matter of the presidential election. I'm also not sharing that!

As you know, I have tried to refrain from political commentary on this blog. But there is one thing I have to mention, and it affects me both directly and indirectly. It's California's Proposition 8, which would officially change the California State Constitution to define marriage as only between one woman and one man.

You probably aren't surprised that an unassuming gay man such as myself would be against this latest proposition from the prop-happy Eureka State. But why am I, a lowly food blogger based not in California but in the Mid-Atlantic, bothering to mention it here at all? I mean, it's not like Maryland is going to allow me to get married anytime soon.

I mention it for a few reasons: 1) I lived for several years in California; it's where I came out; 2) many of my friends on the West Coast are also gay men and women who love their partners; 3) I may find myself back in Cali someday. But even if I don't, there's 4) I am not a second-class citizen in my own country, and I will be damned if I am going to sit idly by and not do anything to help my friends - who are also not second-class citizens in their own country - realize that right. To be frank, I'm pretty sure same-sex marriage won't be coming to Maryland for a good while, if I ever see it as long as I live here. But I'm praying, literally, that my California queer compatriots do. And yes, I donated money. If powerful interests can donate millions from out of state to get Prop 8 passed, I can certainly donate a few bucks to get it defeated.

**SIGH** That was good to get out there.

Sean and D Paul at San Fran's Hedonia are lovers of all good food and wine in the Bay Area (no, not the Chesapeake Bay - the San Francisco Bay). They have a very nice post about the blog effort to show support for the No on 8 movement. It was on their blog that I found out about this effort on the Mombian blog (Sustenance for Lesbian Moms) - a blogger event in opposition to Prop 8, with over 400 bloggers around the country posting! The problem: it was yesterday. I am always late for every galdarned thing!!! Well, I'm still submitting this post. If it isn't up there yet, it soon will be!

One more thing: it's nice to know that some restaurants are donating some of their proceeds to fight Prop 8. Take West Hollywood restaurant Taste, for example. On October 20, it donated 25% of all its profits to No on Prop 8. Next time I'm out there, I'm stopping in (courtesy Eater LA).

Oops, now one final thing I just noticed after hitting "Publish Post": According to 538.com (I LOVE that site), the Field Poll is about to release a poll showing that Prop 8 is trailing 49-44 (that means the "No" side is ahead).  They're pretty good with predicting referenda (94% success rate), but it's still pretty close.  So here's hoping.

Last Day to Vote by Absentee Ballot!!! (UPDATE)

Yep, today is the last day to vote...before November 4, that is. If you will vote by absentee ballot, it must be postmarked by 4:30 PM, or faxed by 11:59 PM. Or, you could just do what I did, and vote absentee in person. I did that at my local Board of Elections - I asked for an absentee ballot and, when asked if I wanted to take it with me or vote there, I said I wanted to vote there. Bing, bang, done!

(Just to tie this in with food...) Then go out and grab some lunch or dinner. There!

UPDATE - Oopsie - I misinterpreted what I read on the MD BOE site a bit. It's just the last day to apply for an absentee ballot if you're not going to come in and vote in person. Commenter Elliott gives the heads up. Thanks for the clarification, and for not being pissy about it :)

Presidential Burgers

I saw this the other day on the rarely watched, occasionally unwatchable CBS Early Show. Chef Michael Schlow tailor-made burgers for each of the two major party presidential and vice presidential candidates, using stories, scandals, speeches and Mr/Mrs Potato Heads for inspiration.



In alphabetical order by name:

For Sen. Biden (D-Delaware): Easily the most complicated burger, for the most verbose candidate - the "Bluehen-Footinmouth Burger", made from the official bird of Delaware, the blue hen (or if lacking that, capon or turkey), covered in sauteed blue foot Chanterelle mushrooms. Dijon and rosemary also go on the burger. Perfect for bringing on the Acela Express from Wilmington to Washington.

For Sen. McCain (R-Arizona): a Southwestern-themed patty of short-rib meat, covered in Navy bean paste and a nopal-tomatillo salsa. And well-aged cheddar. Very well-aged. Might be irritable though (for the colon, I mean)!

For Sen. Obama (D-Illinois): the "Barack-o-Burger", using a different ingredient for each of the letters in Obama's name: Onion-Bacon-American cheese-Mayo-Arugula (and Schlow came up with the "arugula" on his own, no dig, he swears!). On 80-20 ground chuck, or preferably Kobe beef, since his campaign has enough to pay for such a burger.

For Gov. Palin (R-Alaska): hockey-puck sliders, hold the lipstick (her words, not mine). And not a moose in sight, dontcha' kno', but they can be made more authentic with moose meat. Serve with Russian dressing to everybody but your brother-in-law.

As usual, the third party candidates are ignored. Any ideas for them? I'm eager to hear ideas for these people:

• Ex. Rep Bob Barr (L-Georgia)
• Ex. Rep. Cynthia McKinney (G-Georgia)
• Consumer advocate Ralph Nader (I-Connecticut)

Voted today...

My first non-food-related post, I guess. I voted absentee today. If you're in Maryland, you probably should too. I do not trust the voting machines, I'm sorry to say. I work with computers, and know how easy it is to manipulate them. So I filled out my absentee ballot today at the Baltimore County Board of Elections. Both the leading gubernatorial candidates - here they are Maryland guv Bob Ehrlich (R) and Baltimore mayor Martin O'Malley (D) - are urging Maryland voters to go absentee, due to the irritating problems we had on Primary Day in Baltimore City and several counties (not that I had any part to play in that; I don't belong to any party, so I'm not allowed to vote on Primary Day).

The most surprising thing was that, as I asked, there were 10,000 people that had signed up to do absentee balloting so far this season, with three weeks to go before Election Day. The usual number? About 2,000.

To at least loosely tie this in with food, they had a bowl of those melt-in-your-mouth mints there, but I didn't take any. I just snarfed down the can of Pepsi One I had in my car.

[UPDATE: NOVEMBER 12 - As we all know now, Mayor O'Malley won. The final tally of absentee ballots statewide, not countywide, was 190,000 for the 23 counties and one independent city of Maryland. At least 130,000 were returned for counting, including mine.]