A vote for America’s regional flavors
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience,” wrote James Beard, but with all the political posturing and finger-pointing these final weeks on the campaign trail, it’s difficult to imagine the presidential hopefuls and their running mates agreeing even on something as bipartisan as a tub of popcorn.
Still, the American dinner table is a powerful metaphor for the national electoral process. From a richly diverse mix of regional ingredients (say, Delaware peaches or Alaskan salmon), culinary traditions (think Chicago hot dogs and invented-in-Arizona chimichangas) and individual creativity, Americans have created memorable dishes and well-developed cuisines. Chefs, restaurateurs and food writers familiar with the regions connected to the candidates found plenty of overlaps, harmonies and unifying flavors.
“This is a case where both presidential candidates have really strong roots with a distinct culinary identity,” says Michael Stern, co-author with his wife, Jane, of more than 30 books on regional roadside cuisine in America. “With the vice presidential candidates it’s more the ingredients, things like Alaskan halibut . . . and crabs from Delaware that define their regions rather than a set cuisine.”
A menu featuring dishes and recipes from regions representing all four candidates might be dangerously closer to a Las Vegas hotel buffet than a state dinner. It’d be a crazy quilt of influences and tastes: for John McCain, a duck tamale from a favorite Arizona restaurant, for example, with some Virginia ham; for Barack Obama, pirogi and pizza from Chicago alongside tropical fruits from Hawaii and spices from Indonesia; roasted game and wild blueberries from Sarah Palin’s Alaska; shoofly pie from Pennsylvania and a heritage poultry breed, the Delaware chicken, from Joe Biden’s states. But instead of chaos, culinary professionals see delicious combinations.
Gale Gand, cookbook author and executive pastry chef at Chicago’s Tru restaurant, says Chicago’s candy companies define the city for her. There are dozens -- some still regional (Fannie May, the chocolate company perhaps best known for its Pixies (caramel-pecan turtles), some now national (such as Brach’s), that started there. “We have a real history of a sweet tooth in Chicago.”
For a dessert to satisfy that sweet tooth and also give a nod to Obama’s paternal heritage, Gand would make deep-fried calas, a sweet Creole rice fritter with ties to African akara (bean fritters). “These little cakes were an important part of American history, which feels appropriate for Barack . . . only I’d have to do a pumpkin version as I’ve heard he’s a pumpkin fan.”
Another way to evoke those African influences is with a recipe from chef Marcus Samuelsson, author of the contemporary African cookbook “The Soul of a New Cuisine” and executive chef at New York’s Aquavit restaurant, for a unique sweet corn bread made with yeast. More subtle and complex than many corn breads, with jalapenos and honey combining in an intriguing way, it has a finer texture, too.
Roy Yamaguchi, chef-owner of the Roy’s restaurant chain founded in Honolulu (Obama’s birthplace), is a master of fusion. He says he would serve a sushi roll wrapped in thin slices of seared Chicago beef and stuffed with Delaware crab to unite the presidential candidate’s background with that of his running mate.
This recipe for mulled cider is a simple, seasonal drink that could be thought of as a similar Obama-Biden combination -- apples (Johnny Appleseed as well as Joe Biden is part of Pennsylvania history) with spices including cloves, which are native to the part of Indonesia formerly called the Spice Islands, and cardamom, important in Indonesian cuisine.
Modern Southwestern cuisine is a fusion of several influences, so when chef-owner Vincent Guerithault of Vincent on Camelback restaurant in Phoenix imagines a harmonious McCain-Palin menu, he envisions rack of lamb with spicy bell pepper-jalapeno jelly, with a gratin dauphinois (potatoes baked with cream and Swiss cheese) as a nod to Palin’s Idaho birthplace.
For the home cook who wants to have time to study up on ballot measures, though, some easier Sunday night supper dishes are in order. Arroz con chile poblano (rice with roasted poblano peppers), a side dish made with fresh tomatillos and poblanos, is a happy edition to anyone’s Southwestern repertoire. As an entree, a recipe from Anchorage chef (Kincaid Grill) Al Levinsohn’s recent cookbook “What’s Cooking, Alaska?” that uses a panko-crumb topping to update the classic fisherman’s preparation (slather with mayo and bake) is a crowd-pleaser and keeps the halibut moist and tender. “If I had to choose between the two tickets based on food alone, it would be a really tough decision,” says Michael Stern, who grew up in Chicago but has a soft spot for Southwestern cuisine. “On the one hand you’ve got Chicago street food like red hots, rib tips, and of course the pizza . . . but then there is the amazing Southwestern food but also newer Mexican street food in Arizona, like the bacon-wrapped Sonoran hot dog that’s grilled until the bacon melts into the dog and piled on a bun with onions and salsa.
“I really don’t know that I could give up either one.”
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Arroz con chile poblano
Total time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6
Note: Adapted from “Dona Tomas: Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking” by Thomas Schnetz and Dona Savitsky with Mike Wille. Toast the chile on a stove burner set on high heat, or in a pan under the broiler, turning occasionally so that the skin chars evenly on all sides. Place the chile in a paper bag and allow it to rest until cool enough to handle, then peel the charred skin (do not wash as this removes flavor), stem and seed the chile, and use as directed.
Poblano marinade
6 ounces tomatillos (about 4 to 5 whole)
1 poblano chile, toasted, peeled, stemmed and seeded
12 long sprigs cilantro, stemmed
Salt
Soak the tomatillos in cold water for a few minutes, then peel and discard the husks. Place the tomatillos, chile, cilantro and a pinch of salt in a blender and puree until smooth. Add enough water so that there are 3 cups of liquid and quickly blend together. Set aside.
Rice and assembly
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup diced white onion (about 1/2 onion)
1 1/2 cups medium- or long-grain rice
Poblano marinade
2 teaspoons salt
1. Place a large saucepan over high heat and add the oil. Add the onion, decrease the heat to medium and saute until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the rice and continue to cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice is lightly toasted; this enhances the flavor and keeps the rice from clumping.
3. Stir in the marinade and salt and increase the heat to high. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then decrease the heat to a low simmer. Cover and gently simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Fluff the rice with a fork and adjust the seasoning just before serving.
Each of 6 servings: 280 calories; 4 grams protein; 47 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 826 mg. sodium.
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Hot mulled cider
Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 to 10
Note: Adapted from “Cider Hard and Sweet: History, Traditions & Making Your Own” by Ben Watson.
1/2 gallon apple cider
4 to 6 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
6 cardamom pods, crushed
1 whole nutmeg, cracked open
10 to 12 whole cloves
6 allspice berries (optional)
4 to 6 star anise pods (optional)
Zest of 1/2 lemon or 1/2 orange, thinly cut into lengthwise strips
Orange slices for garnish
1 1/2 cups rum or brandy (optional)
1. In a large, nonreactive pot, place the cider, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, star anise and zest. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, still covered, for 15 minutes.
2. Line a colander with cheesecloth and strain the cider into another pot, discarding the spices. Heat the cider over very low heat, add the orange slices and serve hot. This makes about 8 cups cider.
Variation: For alcoholic cider, stir the rum or brandy into the strained cider and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the orange slices and serve hot.
Each of 10 servings: 93 calories; 0 protein; 23 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 6 mg. sodium.
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Corn bread
Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes plus cooling and rising time
Servings: Makes 1 loaf
Note: Adapted from “The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa” by Marcus Samuelsson.
1 small ear of corn, shucked
3/4 cup milk
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoon butter
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
2 scallions, trimmed and chopped
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 1/2 cups flour, plus more as needed
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons honey
1 egg
1. Cut the kernels from the corncob; break the corncob in half and place the cob and kernels in a medium saucepan. Add the milk and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until just warm. Remove and discard the cob and whisk in the yeast. Cover the pan with a lid and let it sit for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan over high heat. Add the butter and swirl until it starts to foam and then subsides, browning just a little. Add the jalapeno, scallions and chile powder and saute until the pepper and scallions are softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups flour, cornmeal and salt. In a medium bowl, combine the corn and milk mixture, honey, egg and scallion mixture. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture, stirring slowly until the mixture is absorbed and the dough comes together.
4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding additional flour as necessary while kneading. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth or oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm place until it’s 1 1/2 times its original size, about 45 minutes.
5. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Punch down the dough and shape it into a loaf. Place the dough in a greased 8 1/2 - by 4 1/2 -inch loaf pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the bread is golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even coloring. Cool for 5 minutes.
6. Turn the loaf out onto a rack and cool for 10 minutes. Cut into one-half-inch slices and serve warm.
Each of 16 servings: 111 calories; 3 grams protein; 21 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 2 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 16 mg. cholesterol; 158 mg. sodium.
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Locals-only halibut Olympia
Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 to 8
Note: Adapted from “What’s Cooking, Alaska?” by Al Levinsohn.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups julienned yellow onion
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Tabasco sauce
2 pounds boneless and skinless halibut fillets
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook just until it’s translucent, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Set aside to cool completely.
2. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, cheese and a few drops of Tabasco. Mix by hand until smooth. Season with one-fourth teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper to taste.
3. Butter the bottom of a 12-inch by 8-inch casserole and cover evenly with the onion. Season the halibut with one-fourth teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper and cut into 8 pieces. Place the halibut fillets on top of the onion and spread with the seasoned mayonnaise.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together the panko bread crumbs, butter and parsley, and season with one-eighth teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Sprinkle the topping over the mayonnaise. Put the casserole in the oven and bake until the topping is golden and bubbles slightly, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Each of 8 servings: 503 calories; 24 grams protein; 10 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 40 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 85 mg. cholesterol; 453 mg. sodium.