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New Thai Prime Minister Has a Food Celeb Past
Newly-minted Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej may be notorious for his irreverent, whatcha-gonna-do-about-it personality—he’s been accused of malfeasance for signing two questionable contracts while Bangkok’s mayor, and is in the midst of a defamation conviction entailing a two-year prison sentence—but Samak still owns the hearts of many. Maybe because he’s basically a Thai Emeril or Mario. Well, sorta. The former host of the Thai cooking show "Tasting and Complaining” (Chimpai Bonpai) explored traditional Thai cuisine on air, always with a side of his fiery rants. When colleagues believed he was too busy in the kitchen instead of doing his real job—leading the people—he was forced to nix the show....Popcorn and Politics at the National Press Club
What does this year's new National Press Club chair want at her inaugural dinner tomorrow night in Washington? Popcorn. The reporter for Indiana's Journal Gazette is definitely going beyond Jiffy Pop too. That's where executive chef Jim Swensen comes in, concocting a "Popcorn and Politics" menu for Sylvia Smith and her attendees. Going on his seventeenth year as chef of Fourth Estate, the National Press Club's historic restaurant, Swenson has dealt with a slew of big enchiladas. Giada, Mario, Rachel, not to mention U.S. presidents, international correspondents and diplomats. But this might be first time he's doctored up popped corn kernels for a garnish on his tomato and corn salad or crispy polenta with creamed corn. Dessert will include a...Giuliani Eats Blintzes; Some Are Pissed
D.C.-based political blogger Howard Mortman, the man behind Extreme Mortman, ain't so happy about Giuliani's blintz intake. "Bland Eastern European junk food!" he bellows. Get that junk outta here. He'd much prefer Rudolph noshing on Sephardic fare such as rhubarb sauced-up fish or pumpkin-filled filo roses. When asked about his deep Sephardic lineage in an email just now, Mortman revealed a secret. "My only Sephardic roots is a Sephardic cookbook I once gave my wife with this instruction: I’m hungry. Make this!” (We can only hope Mrs. Mortman complied.)...Obama and Baskin Robbins: Really the Same Thing?
As announced earlier this week, the Culinary Workers of Union Local 226, mostly Vegas casino and restaurant workers, endorsed Obama. Yet another food and campaign '08 overlap. Beyond just thumbs-upping Obama, the union's secretary treasurer compared their choice to a Baskin Robbins trip: “Maybe you have a certain flavor you want. But you generally look around, don’t you? And you test a few.” Hm, better idea. How about ice cream just runs for president....The Presidential Primaries: Who Actually Has a Food Policy?
I'm as much of a political junkie as I am a food junkie, so for the last week I've been glued to both the television and computer screens, soaking up punditry on the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary tomorrow. With all the newspaper headlines about food safety and food politics it is interesting to note, as Food Democracy blogger Annie Richardson did here, who, if any, of the candidates actually has an articulated food policy....You Are What You Eat, Candidates
Could this be why Barack Obama won in Iowa last night—and why Romney didn't? From an opinion piece in yesterday's New York Times: "... In 2007, the [Hamburg Inn No. 2] served several candidates and their spouses, including Bill Clinton (Swiss, tomato, and green pepper omelet with home fries); Barack Obama (Iowa omelet of ham, hash browns, and American cheese, with sweet-potato pancakes); and Mitt Romney ('It was so crowded,' says [Hamburg owner Dave] Panther, 'that he didn’t have time to eat.')." Bonus: The Hamburg Inn No. 2 menu...Proposed Farm Bill Supports Small Cheesemakers
Cheeseheads unite! Late last week the Senate began discussing the $286 billion Farm Bill, and reports are surfacing that the current bill includes a plan for increased spending on, among other things, artisan cheeses. The provision, co-sponsored by Senator Patrick Leahy of America's artisanal dairyland, Vermont, would help support this "promising new sector of the dairy industry." Unfortunately, the bill will probably not be passed in its current form, as the White House has threatened to veto it without significant amendments. Republican Senator Judd Gregg (NH) said, "I'm not sure many Americans would agree that stress assistance programs for farmers or artisan cheese centers are a good use of their hard-earned dollars." Hmmm, I guess he's not counting me!...Will Hot Sauce Sales Forecast the '08 Winner?
Hot sauce? Hot air? Both? Barack and Hillary are tied for 12 percent, and Newt's hanging on, just barely, with 4 percent. Independent candidate Nunov Deabove? He's missing from the mainstream media but has a respectable 9 percent here. These aren't AP polls, but hot sauce sales for the presidential-themed bottles at Dave's Gourmet....Did Leah Chase Do the Right Thing? Cast Your Vote Here!
Sometimes, for all the bloviating that goes on in the blogosphere, interesting, provocative stories still go relatively unnoticed. It happened last week when Kim Severson reported on the meal President Bush had in New Orleans at Dooky Chase, the legendary Creole restaurant run by Leah Chase, the 84-year-old "Queen of Creole Cuisine." According to Severson, some people in New Orleans and out took Chase to task for hosting the president for dinner and a photo op. Her crime: By agreeing to host the president, Chase was seen as somehow legitimizing and sanctioning the Bush administration's feeble efforts to rebuild New Orleans. What hogwash!...Hot Topics: Technique of the Week | The Food Lab
Today's Specials
8 Delicious Chocolate Cakes and Pies for Valentine's Day
Some might say that chocolate on Valentine's Day is about as unoriginal as you can get. We all remember the first heart-shaped box of overly sweet chocolate bonbons from grade school Valentines. But chocolate gift-giving needn't be a cliché. This year, let's bake our sweethearts chocolate cakes and pies instead! Here are 8 delicious recipes perfect for celebrating your love (of chocolate.)
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