As Oscar Wilde once opined, “After a good dinner one can forgive anybody.” Such is the premise behind former Ohio Senator Capri Cafaro’s debut book – United We Eat: 50 great American dishes to bring us ALL together.
Instead of offering a list of favorite foods from either side of the aisle (remember when politics amounted to peanuts v. jelly beans?) the political commentator and talented chef has reached across the aisle and into almost every grocery store aisle to compile a clever collection of Congressional cookery that highlights favorite flavors that can appeal to almost all Americans. From gubernatorial grub like New Mexico’s Susana Martinez’s working woman’s posole(gender emphasis included) and Wyoming’s Mark Gordon’s sourdough bread (an especially popular pick during these challenging times) to national committee cooks like Michael Steele’s Smith Island cake and Donna Brazile’s authentic Louisiana gumbo to presidential candidate favorites like MN Senator Amy Klobuchar’s Taconic tater tot hotdish and Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s Hoosier pie, to a representative roundup of recipes that includes RI Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s pasta e fagioli (you were expecting maybe corned beef and cabbage?), NY’s Alfonse D’Amato’s lasagna (a recipe that apparently came from his mother, no less!), Mike Huckabee’s Arkansas pork butt (no comment), and Florida Rep. Donna Shalala’s tabbouleh a la Shalala (which just HAS to be healthy, considering the chef’s former role!), the book has flavors from all 50 states and many of their revered representatives. There is even a “bi-partisan” meatloaf that has been donated by a senator (at least at the time this was published) from Maine and former Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s favorite grilled burger recipe. And, unlike in Congress, even the District of Columbia gets equal representation with a baked chicken wings recipe with Mumbo (but no Jumbo) sauce.
So if you are feeling shut in and want to explore at leas the flavors of the other 49 states or if you want to see which party would have the best dinner party, be sure to vote early and often for this great American cookbook!
– Matt Robinson