Obama's Hamburger Hamlet - Much Ado About Mustard

To be, or not to be medium well, that is the question!
In the most high and palmy District of Washington.
A little ere 100 days the mightiest Republicans fell,
Were storefronts now tenantless, and swine flue fright doth rule,
Did gibber of Ray's Steaks and Hell Burgers in Arlington streets.

Where Geithner and Bernanke proclaimed that
Both a borrower and a lender be;
For loan oft gains both votes and friends,
And borrowing stimulates weary economy.

Find out the cause of this effect,
Because the Commander in Chief hungereth.
Or rather say, the cause of this detect,
For this effect defective comes by cause,
So with his VP escapeth his White Castle.

Not a computer mouse stirring.
And then it started like a guilty thing
Upon a fearful summons.
But, look, the noon, in hungered mantle clad,
Obama rides o'er the slew of yon high shills.
The memory be green of Arugula farmers,
With Biden that less than kin, yet more than kind.
That it should come to this!

"Season your admiration with a spicy mustard."
The President's baked meats
Did coldly furnish forth their ratings tables.

Words, words, words.
Give thy thoughts no tongue, except on talk radio.
Why, Rush, a robustious periwig-pated fellow,
Very like a whale,
Would hang on him,
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on.

Sean cried "Thrift, thrift, Horatio Alger!
All is not well; I suspect some French socialist Dijon foul play.
Something is rotten in the state of Virginia."

Alas, poor Yokels! We knew them, Ho-radio.
Tis as easy as lying.
What! Frighted with false ire?
The loonies doth protest too much, methinks.
They have a plentiful lack of wits.
More matter, with less condiments.
There is nothing either good nor bad, but thinking makes it so tasty.

"This above all: to thine own self be true,
Medium-well it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.
Brevity is the soul of wit:
"No ketchup" commandeth the Prince.

Lord! we know what we are, but know not what we may be.
For I am more a modern Lincoln than an FDR.
He was a man, take him for all in all,
We shall not look upon his like again.

A king of shreds and patches worthy of GQ.
Not just a rhapsody of words.
For the apparel oft proclaims the man.
Report me and my cause aright
To the unemployed.
Come, my limo!
Good-night sides;
Good night, sweet relish;
Good night.

Pay the Bill and Keep the CHANGE

Let’s be honest. We didn’t really expect Congress to come up with a "bold" stimulus plan, did we? But do we agree that NO action will only aggravate our current crisis?

The GOP surprised us when it failed to respond more constructively to the bipartisan overture from Barack Obama. I personally witnessed the precedent-setting bipartisan dinner for his defeated opponent (my photo of the President-elect at the dinner honoring McCain, January 19) and noted the subsequent meetings with Congressional Republicans. And what did we get in the way of proposals from the loyal opposition? More of the dogma-driven, supply-side ideology that contributed to our current mess: tax cuts!

On the other hand, GOP critics have a point: the bill that passed the House and was embraced by Obama essentially is an accumulation of favorite Democratic spending proposals.

What is missing is CHANGE. The CHANGE Obama advocated in his campaign for the Presidency. The CHANGE that won him a resounding mandate to govern for four years. The CHANGE from policies that have worked to benefit few and imperil many. Where are the first steps toward affordable health care, a sustainable green economy and alternative energy? And why are we not moving boldly to address the systemic failures that underlie the current crisis in credit markets?

Obama asked for ideas. And Paul Krugman and Robert Reich, among others, obliged. But what these brilliant men offer is predictable: rationales for orthodox Keynesian solutions and concern about labor market distortions, respectively. More is needed, not just in additional spending, but in fresh ideas that advance the President's policy agenda. So, if suggestions are still welcomed, here is my two-cents worth. And please do keep the CHANGE.

Health Care

Obama has promised the nation affordable health care similar to his own Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), to be available to all by the end of his first term. There is no need to back off this goal. Health care is one of the largest drags on our economy and the stimulus bill provides a real opportunity to begin managing its cost. In addition to the bill’s provisions to help state governments fund Medicare and work projects, I suggest that the federal government reimburse all state and local governments for their employer's share of health care for the rest of this year. In exchange, recipients may not fire government workers and must commit to integrating their health care plans with the existing FEHBP starting in 2010. That provides additional and immediate financial assistance to state and local governments, while paving the way for the establishment of a Public Employees Health Benefits Program. By January 2010, the federal government’s negotiated health care program would expand its base and economies of scale. The next step will be to apply the system to businesses, and subsequently to capture the un- and under-insured.

Energy Independence

Most honest leaders recognize that in due course government will have to produce the substantial additional revenue to pay for the stimulus. But good luck finding a politician willing to propose increasing taxes of any kind. So let me suggest instead a hefty tariff on imported oil to fund the “green economy.” A tariff of 50 percent or more on the landed cost of all imported energy (probably with some form of accommodation for our NAFTA partners) can be justified because of national security as well as the external costs to our environment inherent in the use of fossil fuels. And such a levy would promote conservation, subsidize domestic production, and help to fund and protect our investments in alternative energy. This is a measure that should be welcomed by Republicans who advocate "drill, baby, drill” as well as environmentalists interested in promoting clean energy. The windfall earned by American producers could be invested domestically or taxed as profits. And while there may be a marginal increase of fuel cost at the pump, it will pale in comparison with the amounts we forked over to foreign potentates rather than our own Treasury these past few years, when oil was effectively 200% greater than its current price.

Reestablish a ‘Risk-Free’ Investment Benchmark

Explanations for our current credit crisis and financial market meltdown abound, including the Washington Post's excellent series. But absent from all the expert analyses is any mention of the Treasury Department's October 2001 decision to discontinue issuing 30-year Bonds. That decision, on the heels of 9/11 and the cusp of Bush's costly war on terror, both lowered mortgage yields and prompted increased sales of bundled mortgages marketed as alternative 'risk-free' instruments, which in turn fueled the housing bubble and distorted both government and corporate credit point spreads. Treasury Bond auctions have resumed, but a clear provision to finance America’s recovery through borrowing would repair yield spreads – both between short and long term sovereign debt and in relation to all other debt instruments. Transparent budget financing will help re-establish more realistic risk pricing and global confidence in the US economy. But the 30-year Bond will not regain its position as a benchmark for 'risk-free' long-term investment if Fed meddling in the market, as it proposes to do with its planned purchase of Treasuries from troubled banks. In fact, this central-bankers-gone-wild approach will only create a greater Treasury bubble that will seriously aggravate our problems. Once markets are allowed to properly price the cost and risk of our recovery without Fed manipulation, global confidence in the US economy has a chance to be recover.

So Pay the Bill, and Keep the CHANGE

Barack Obama attended his last inaugural event, the Staff Ball, at the DC Armory on January 21. But he arrived after a performance by the opening act, Arcade Fire. So here are some insightful lysircs from their “Intervention”:

You say it's money that we need

As if we're only mouths to feed

I know no matter what you say

There are some debts you'll never pay

The message is relevant to the stimulus bill now before Congress.

We can act responsibly and cautiously if we:

Pay the Bill and Keep the CHANGE.

bipartisan dinner a first

The Real Skinny on Obama's Palate Pleasers

July 21, 2008

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Tags:

Today I received the following email, presumably anticipating Obama’s August 4 birthday:

“Does anyone know, what is Senator Obama's favorite kind of cake? Please let us know. Thank you. David”

As a result of David’s inquiry and for the benefit of all those with similar questions, I’ve compiled most of the reliable information about Barack’s eating habits. It’s not easy sorting through all the phony facts on the internet sites where they ask: “What is Obama’s favorite food”. There are lots of pranksters on the loose. I did chuckle at the Republican who claimed Obama’s favorite is “waffle,” but there are a lot of racist jokers with puerile and predictable suggestions, like KFC, fried chicken and watermelon.

So here’s the scoop. According to the NY Times of May 27, his personal assistant during the campaign, Reggie Love, revealed:

Senator Obama “eats pretty much anything, from chicken wings and barbecue and ribs to grilled fish and steamed broccoli.” But when he is campaigning in a small town with limited options, a cheeseburger is always a good bet. (“Cheddar is the cheese of choice,” Mr. Love added.) He knows that “the boss,” as he calls Mr. Obama, likes MET-Rx chocolate roasted-peanut protein bars and bottles of a hard-to-find organic brew — Black Forest Berry Honest Tea. He keeps a supply of both on hand.

Here are other known likes: Planters Trail Mix: Nuts, Seeds & Raisins, Roasted almonds, Pistachios, Water, Dentyne Ice, Nicorette, Vegetables (especially broccoli and spinach), handmade milk chocolates from Fran’s Chocolates in Seattle.

The NY Times reported the candidate’s efforts to quit cigarette smoking included chewing Nicorette gum. One reported side effect of Nicorette is heartburn.

And dislikes: Mayonnaise, Salt and vinegar potato chips, asparagus (“if no other vegetables are available, he’ll eat it”), and Soft drinks.

In response David’s specific question though, here’s what Obama McCain Comparisons says (which appears to give you carte blanche in deciding what to bake for the big day):

“According to Obama’s daughters he doesn’t like sweets so much... he does like pumpkin pie.”

This same site as well as others claim that based on an interview on January 18 of this year Obama’s favorite restaurant is Italian Fiesta Pizzeria in Hyde Park, Chicago, IL. The website tried, but failed to identify Obama’s favorite toppings. This restaurant is known for its thin crust pizza and spreading toppings to the edge of the pie. His view on where he likes to eat appears to be one position Obama has not changed since he clinched the Democratic nomination.

Obama apparently also enjoys shrimp and grits, though it is not clear if that is a home-made or eat-out dish.

One thing is absolutely clear. Chili is Obama’s favorite food to cook and/or bring to a potluck. In fact, here are his own words and recipe:

“I’ve been using this chili recipe since college and would bring it to any potluck. I can’t reveal all the secrets, but if you make it right, it’s just got the right amount of bite, the right amount of oomph in it and it will clear your sinuses.”

Ingredients: 1 large onion, chopped; 1 green pepper, chopped; Several cloves of garlic, chopped; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 pound ground turkey or beef; 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano; 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon ground basil; 1 tablespoon chili powder; 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar; Several tomatoes, depending on size, chopped; 1 can red kidney beans.

Method:

Sauté onions, green pepper and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add ground meat and brown. Combine spices together into a mixture then add to ground meat. Add red wine vinegar. Add tomatoes and let simmer, until tomatoes cook down. Add kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes.

Serve over white or brown rice. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, onions and sour cream.

There you have it. Of course Obama may develop a hearty appetite in the course of this campaign. So maybe after November 4, when asked what Obama likes to eat, you’ll just have to say: “McCain’s lunch!”

wizinit is the nom de guerre of a veteran diplomat and fan of the late columnist Art Buchwald who writes serious analysis and political satire. If you would like to be notified whenever wizinit posts a new article join Food Tasters For Obama.

Winners of the Barack Birthday Bake Off Contest

Aug 7th, 2008

Thanks to all who signed up and participated in the Barack Birthday Bake Off. There are four Food Tasters for Obama logo t-shirt winners instead of three, because we had a tie in the "organizing ideas" category. The winners (three wonderful recipes are avaiable below the fold) are:

Best Recipe: Erica Rivera's Black and White Birthday Cake (an original recipe)

Best Photo: Hanneke Hoogstrate's Berry Spangled Baked Cheesecake and Banoffi Cheesecake on the Batavia (Jakarta Indonesia's colonial name, providing one more degree of separation from the candidate) ship's chest (posted on her Dutch website at http://www.blago.net/_baking_08/08_04_berry_tart.php)

Best Organizing Ideas:

--David Levy's (who prepared a Unity Pound Cake for 60 at an outdoor party of the Prince George's County MD office), and

--Michaele Camp (whose Sour Cream Pound Cake won the Bake Off hosted by Gena Bowser and Sharon Wilkerson at the Urban Tea Loft in Chandler AZ)

Congratulations to the winners.

Black and White Birthday Cake for Barack Obama

An Original Recipe Created by Erica Rivera

Ingredients:

For Cakes:

½ Devil’s Food cake mix

½ White cake mix

1 1/3 cups water, divided

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

3 large egg whites, divided

½ cup milk chocolate chips

¼ cup white chocolate chips

1 tube black decorating gel

Photograph of Barack Obama

For Frosting:

1/3 cup whipping cream, divided

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

1 ½ tablespoons whipping cream

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, combine white cake mix with 2/3 cup water, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and 1 ½ egg whites. Stir until well-blended. Pour into one round pan.
• In separate bowl, combine Devil’s Food cake mix with 2/3 cup water, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and 1 ½ egg whites. Stir until well-blended. Pour into other round pan.
• Bake cakes for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• While cakes cool, prepare frosting by microwaving 1/3 cup cream and 2 tablespoons butter in large bowl on high 1 minute; stir until butter melts.
• Add powdered sugar and vanilla to butter mixture; stir until smooth.
• In separate bowl, microwave dark chocolate chips and 1 ½ tablespoons cream on high 1 minute; stir until melted.
• Add half of vanilla icing into melted chocolate mixture; stir until smooth.
• If either flavor frosting is too thick, add additional cream by the teaspoonful until thin enough to spread.
• Transfer cooled Devil’s Food cake onto serving plate. Frost with vanilla frosting. Press milk chocolate chips into top and sides of cake.
• Place vanilla cake on top of frosted devil’s food cake. Frost vanilla cake with chocolate frosting.
• With black decorating gel, write “Happy Birthday” on top of cake.
• Press white chocolate chips into remaining space on top and sides of cake.
• Finished cake should be layered from the bottom-up as follows: Devil’s Food cake, vanilla frosting, milk chocolate chips, vanilla cake, chocolate frosting, white chocolate chips.
• Place favorite photograph of Barack Obama onto cake’s surface.
• Serve to family and friends with a side of spirited political debate.

Hanneke Hoogstrate's Berry Spangled

Baked Cheesecake

This is for a 23 cm round, loose-bottomed cake tin
base:

• 160 g cookie crumbs (spritz, digestive biscuits)
• 40 g unrefined golden sugar
• 70 g melted butter or margarine

filling:

• 400 g cream cheese
• 1 teasp vanilla essence
• 2 tablesp grated lemon rind
• 3 large eggs
• 100 gr white caster sugar

topping:

• 200 ml sour cream
• 1 tablesp grated lemon rind
• 2 tablesp castor or superfine sugar
• 1 packet vanilla sugar
• 250 g fresh blueberries
• (extra: 6 gooseberries)

Fix a crust of biscuits

Prepare the tin with a bottom and sides of baking paper - this way you can remove the pie more easily later on.

Put the broken-up biscuits and sugar in a food processor and turn them into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and mix well. Put the crumbs mixture in the tin and spread out over bottom and sides with the back of a spoon. Press into shape with your fingers.

Then fill it

Soften the cream cheese, grated lemon rind, and vanilla in a bowl, then beat in the eggs. When the mixture has become soft and fluffy, add the sugar and beat some more.

Spoon or pour the filling into the crust.

Set the baking tin on a baking sheet to prevent butter dripping out. Preheat the oven to a 180°C. Bake for about 45 minutes; the filling will rise over the cookie crumbs. Take out of the oven and cool, but leave the oven on. Prepare the topping: combine the grated lemon rind with the sour cream and both sugars, and mix well.
When the filling has slightly sunk in and formed a hollow, gently spread the sour cream on top and drop the berries, one by one, carefully in place. Bake this for 10 minutes more, then leave to cool. Chill overnight in the fridge to firm up the sour cream top. It seems you can store this for up to four days but we are not for trying.

David Levy's Unity Pound Cake

This is an adaption of the three recipes from "The Essential Baker" by Carole Bloom

I prepared two layers for a sheet cake, one being a rich dark chocolate with chocolate chips, and the other was a very vanilla pound cake, and between the two I put a rich chocolate ganache, The pound cake recipes were originally formulated for a bundt cake. However the dense texture of the pound cake worked well to form a black and white cake, signifying the reconciliation of various forms of racial strife in the U.S,A,, and with ganache filling, it was a big hit. I doubled the original recipe in order to make enough for sixty people..

The Vanilla Pound cake recipe
Ingredients:and procedure:
Butter and flour a layer cake pan with 4 teaspoons of melted unsalted butter and 4 teaspoons of all-purpose flour.
Cream 16 ounces of unsalted butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat for about 2 minutes.
Reduce the mixer speed and incorporate 3 cups of sugar (if you follow the recipe to the letter, you will use vanilla sugar which is sugar that has been mixed and infused with grated vanilla bean). You will need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides.
After the mixture is creamy, beat at medium speed for approximately 1 minute. Occasionally stop and scrape down the sides of the mixer.
One at a time, add 8 large eggs, at room temperature, to the butter mixture. At first it will appear to be curdled, but as you add the eggs, it will smooth out.
In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine 6 tablespoons of milk, 4 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract, and if you can find it, 2 teaspoons on vanilla paste.
Sift 4 cups of cake flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and a half a teaspoon of salt.
Add the dry ingredients in three stages, beating well after each addition. Stop frequently to scrape down the sides of the mixer with a rubber spatula.
bake in a preheated oven at 325 for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Allow to cool for twenty minutes and gently invert the sheet pan. After the cake comes out, reinvert it and if it has risen a great deal, trim off the dome and fill with the chocolate ganache.

The Chocolate Lover's Pound Cake,
Ingredients and procedure:
To begin with, butter and flour a sheet pan with 4 teaspoons of melted butter and 4 teaspoons of all-purpose flour.
In order to concentrate and intensify flavor, combine 1 cup pf sifted Dutch process cocoa powder with10 tablespoons of boiling water and then add 4 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
As in the former recipe, cream 16 ounces (1 pound) of unsalted butter with 3 and one third cups of sugar until fluffy.
As in the recipe for the vanilla pound cake, incorporate 8 large eggs and mix until smooth. Also add the cocoa and vanilla to the butter mixture.
Using 3 and one third cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and one half teaspoon of salt, add the dry ingredients in three stages, being sure to mix them well.
Meanwhile melt 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate either using a double boiler, or in the microwave carefully monitoring how it melts. After melting down the chocolate, allow it to cool for a few minutes and then fold into the batter.
Add 2 cups of bittersweet chocolate chips and stir to distribute evenly.
Transfer the batter to the prepared sheet pan and use a spatula to smooth and even it off.
Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean with no crumbs.
Allow the pan to cool for about twenty minutes before carefully inverting it to get the cake out. If you are lucky enough to have cooling rack, allow the cake to cool down to room temperature.

The Chocolate ganache filling /frosting:
For this part of the recipe I did not double the amounts because the ganache is intensely rich and flavorful, and a little bit goes a long way.
Break up 1 pound of bittersweet chocolate into a large bowl.
Heat one and a half cups of heavy cream to a boil. Then pour it over the chocolate and allow it to rest for one minute. Whisk together using a heat-proof spatula or whisk and mix until very smooth.
Pour the ganache into a cool bowl, and allow it to cool down to room temperature.
Meanwhile beat 8 ounces of unsalted butter until fluffy in the electric mixer.
Add the ganache in three stages to the butter. Do not overmix because it will curdle and separate.

When you have all three pieces ready, using a clean cake tray or improvised cake tray, assemble the two layers with the ganache between them/ Carefully spread the remaining frosting over the top of the cake, and allow it to drip down the sides.
With a rubber spatula or spreading knife, carefully spread the ganache evenly over the cake. Clean up any spills or dribbles.
You may garnish it with fresh fruit and or flowers. (strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries, depending on your budget.
It is ready to serve. Cut small pieces because it is a very dense and rich cake.

Food Tasters for Obama Logo Goes Viral

Dec 16th, 2008 at 1:15 pm EST

Check out the story behind the Obama logo as told by Sol Sender, who led its creative development. Sender recounts the story in two parts on the VSA Partners website. A graphic presentation of the other ideas that were considered in the development process leading up to the ultimate selection of the now ubiquitous design is at "Obama logo ideas that weren't chosen."

Both parts of Sol's interview are on YouTube. And if you advance to minute 2:18 on "Sol Sender - Logo Design Part 2 of 2" you will see our Food Tasters for Obama logo -- conceived by me and executed by my son Zach -- used as an example of the "viral expression" of the grassroots movement.

We will be back with more political analysis and satire soon. If you would like to be notified when a new article is posted join Food Tasters For Obama.