Entries tagged with 'politics'
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Photograph from Wikimedia Commons For the last eight years, Americans have seen their fair share of questionable leadership and head-scratching policy decisions. Leave it to Dubya, however, to save the best for last. The Agence France-Presse is reporting that before leaving office, Bush has enacted legislation that will increase tariffs on France's beloved Roquefort cheese to 300 percent, an amount that would make purchasing it in the U.S. untenable. As the Huffington Post pointed out yesterday, Bush has never been known for his gastronomic tendencies, preferring canned vegetables to fresh, so it isn't too surprising that he would use Roquefort as a pawn in a trade war that began when the E.U. banned growth hormone-treated meat in the late...
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Chili Half-Smoke from Ben's Chili Bowl. Photograph from Josh Thompson on Flickr On Saturday, President-elect Barack Obama asked, "What's a half-smoke?" at Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C. To answer your question, Mr. President-elect, a half-smoke is basically a processed meat tube that's a lot plumper than your average hot dog (about twice the girth) with more of a spicy kick (look for the red pepper flakes inside). Where does the "half" come from? A few theories exist, as explored in a comprehensive article from the Washington City Paper in 2007. It's only smoked halfway. It's cut in half when on the grill. It's often made from equal portions of beef and pork. Ben's signature half-smoke comes smothered with...
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You'd think that after three years as a U.S. senator in Washington, D.C., President-elect Barack Obama would know what a
half-smoke is. But no. "What's a half-smoke?" he asked on Saturday at
Ben's Chili Bowl. Bill Cosby and D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty react.
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From left: Photograph from aliciagriffin on Flickr; Photograph from Travlr on Flickr For years, only Bill Cosby made "the list" of who eats free at Ben's Chili Bowl, the District's greasy spoon institution on U Street. A few days before the election, the management printed out a new copy of the A-list, this time with the Obamas included. The first family-elect have yet to cash in on their gratis hot dog dripping with beans, but surely if you camp out during inauguration week long enough, you might spot them. Cosby's patronage dates back to the 1960s, when he used to take his future wife to Ben's on dates. In 1985, he held a press conference at the diner to...
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Partaay. The D.C. Council approved legislation that will allow bars, nightclubs, and restaurants in the District to serve alcohol until 5 a.m.—three hours later than usual—and remain open for food around the clock. Offer's good from January 17 until January 20, the morning of Obama's swearing-in....
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Photograph by Robyn Lee The effort to nominate food policy figure Michael Pollan never got off the ground, but Pollan and his other American food thinker buds—88 in total including Alice Waters, Rick Bayless, Wendell Berry, Eric Schlosser, Dan Barber, and Marion Nestle—wrote Obama a letter, nominating some potential Secretaries of Agriculture: 1. Gus Schumacher, former Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services and former Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture (website) 2. Chuck Hassebrook, executive director, Center for Rural Affairs, Nebraska (website) 3. Sarah Vogel, former Commissioner of Agriculture for North Dakota and lawyer (Wiki page) 4. Fred Kirschenmann, organic farmer, distinguished fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Iowa, and president of the Stone...
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MSNBC talking head Keith Olbermann was on The Martha Stewart Show today, and the two got around to talking about Sarah Palin's turkey pardon/slaughter. (Leave it to Olbermann to bring up Palin.) Jezebel's got video of the exchange (Martha: "We know they get slaughtered for Thanksgiving, but that was an especially gruesome scene back there"). We've already talked about the Palin turkey video. No, what we're interested in today is Olbermann's WKRP in Cincinnati reference. If you remember the show, you may remember the episode Olbermann refers to, in which the hapless fictional station does a live turkey giveaway for an on-air Thanksgiving promo. They decide to drop the live birds from a plane for lucky listeners to capture....
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This weekend EU officials met with representatives from developing nations to conclude a G-20 summit focused on how the economy will affect the world's poorest. What was on the dinner menu? According to MSNBC: Fruitwood-smoked Quail with Quince Gastrique; Quinoa Risotto; Landmark Chardonnay “Damaris Reserve” 2006; Thyme-roasted Rack of Lamb, Tomato, Fennel and Eggplant Fondue; Chanterelle Jus; Shafer Cabernet “Hillside Select” 2003; Lolla Rosa, Red Oak and Endive; Cider Vinaigrette; Baked Vermont Brie with Walnut Crostini; Pear Torte; Huckleberry Sauce; Chandon Étoile Rosé. Said one commenter: "Leaders are only at the G-20 Summit for the meal." Here's the question of the day, serious eaters. Should our world leaders be chowing down on such fancypants fare in the midst of the...
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From left: Art Smith, Rick Bayless, Daniel Young The New York Daily News reported on Sunday that three chefs are supposedly under consideration for the Obamas' White House chef. They are former Oprah chef Art Smith, authentic Mexican chef and food oracle Rick Bayless, and NBA star Carmelo Anthony's personal chef, Daniel Young. I don't know if any of the three are seriously in contention for the job (the reporting was not exactly definitive), but if they are, I think Art Smith would be the odds-on favorite. In any case, the story got me thinking about who could or should get the job. Serious Eaters, this is your chance to put forward your suggestions for filling the Obamas' White...
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"I’m black, you see, and I haven’t gained a pound since college. I skip breakfast most days, have maybe half a sandwich for lunch, and sometimes I forget to eat dinner. Just slips my mind. Yesterday morning, I woke up to a new world. America had elected a Skinny Black Guy president." —Colson Whitehead, Skinny Black Guy...
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