"mccain" news and stories

Sure, Halloween is tomorrow, but after tackling both pumpkin beers and beers with spooky names, Slashfood Ate Beer Edition is looking ahead to the next big event on the horizon: Election Day.

We're only a weekend away from one of the most historic elections anyone can remember. Maybe you've worked extra hard to support your candidate. Or maybe you've worked extra hard trying to avoid all the media madness. Either way, on Tuesday, do your civic duty, go out and vote, and then take a moment to blow off some steam. It's been an extra long election season: You deserve it.

1. Polling stations close first in Indiana and Kentucky. IndianaBeer.com lists over 20 breweries where you can start the celebration. The pickin's are a bit more slim in Kentucky, but why not give Kentucky Ale a try.
2. For equal parts patriotism and availability, you really can't go wrong with Sam Adams. And thankfully, unlike the vote for president, they offer far more than two styles to choose from.
3. A historic election deserves some historic beers: McCain supporters may want to consider sipping on Russian River's legendary Pliny the Elder, while Obama supporters might want to try to hunt down the more elusive Pliny the Younger. When it comes to those two choices, everyone's a winner.

This election year has seen all manner of cooking and food related products ranging from Hop Obama beer to Hillary and Obama aprons. I suppose those Hillary aprons might have some value for collectors. But except for a Japanese confectioner offering lollipops, I've seen precious little campaign confections out there.

Then I happened on this pair of presidential Pez dispensers from Herobuilders. I've never been much of a Pez collector, though I do own a Homer Simpson dispenser. Herobuilders is offering its presidential "Candydates" for the whopping price of $19.95. I don't plan on buying one, but I do know who I plan to vote for pezident, er, president. No word yet on whether Herobuilders plans to cash in on all the hoopla surrounding Joe the Plumber by making a dispenser bearing his likeness.

So the presidential debate is on after all! And I know the number one question on your mind is not "how will McCain's fiscal policies differ from Bush's?" or "how will Obama deal with the Iran question?" but rather, "what to eat?"

Well, I've got a few suggestions for snacks, based on the candidate's own favorite foods and studies of Democratic and Republican food habits. Serve all the food on blue and red plates and make a game out of it. When one candidate makes a winning point, you eat a snack from the opposite party. When McCain corners Obama into admitting the troop surge in Iraq was successful, you eat a Democratic snack. When Obama says "McCain" and "Big Oil" in the same sentence, eat a red snack. Whichever side has more snacks left at the end wins!

1. Obama, having lived in Chicago for most of his life, enjoys the city's famous deep dish pizza. Turn pizza into a snack with this Food Network recipe for pizza bites. But keep it All-American by subbing out the mascarpone for some less-exotic mozzarella cheese. Add pineapple for a Hawaiian-childhood flair! McCain loves the Tex-Mex cuisine of his native Arizona. Serve these burriquitas (mini burritos) with a side of salsa (but not too spicy - you don't want to appear volatile).

2. According to Urbanspoon's "steak/sushi index", you can predict which cities skew more Democratic or Republican based solely on their number of sushi (Democrat) or steak (Republican) restaurants. So bust out the sushi mat and roll yourself some Obama Rolls (fried eggplant and fresh spinach). Throw some red meat to the Repubs with these steak and potato kebabs from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

3. McCain supporters are said to favor Hardees and family dining chains like Fuddruckers. Copious amounts of ground beef, anyone? Make your Republican burgers bite-sized, with this Emeril Lagasse recipe for sirloin sliders with bacon. Obama fans go for mall favorites like the Cheesecake Factory and Panera Bread. Try this copycat recipe of the Cheesecake Factory's famous (infamous?) fried macaroni and cheese balls.

4. Obama is known to brag about his famous chili. He's even provided America with the recipe, which you can snack-ify by serving it in mini bread cups. Cindy McCain's family recipe farfalle pasta with turkey sausage and mushrooms (Copyright the Food Network) doesn't make great finger food, so try a riff on lemon chicken (her real favorite, according to the Guardian) instead - serve cold lemon chicken salad on crackers or slices of baguette instead.

Tip: Keep some nice sorbet in the freezer to use as a palate cleanser whenever an nauseous homily about "small-town values" and "not playing politics" makes you throw up a little in your mouth. I like Bon Appetit's lemon buttermilk version.

As much as I abhor the tradition, Slashfood would be remiss to not cover Family Circle's famous would-be-First-Wives Cookie Bake-Off. 'Cause nothing reflects a man's ability to run the United States like his wife's baking skills! But misogyny aside, the winning cookie recipe has, indeed, accurately predicted the White House winner for four elections running. And, interestingly enough, all four of said recipes have riffed on America's love affair with oats'n'chips. Oh Americans, so set in your ways.

Ever the people-pleaser, Cindy McCain submitted a can't-beat combo of oatmeal cookies with butterscotch chips. (Hopefully this was not another recipe she plagiarized from Giada De Laurentiis.) And what did Michelle Obama do? She opted for shortbread cookies with citrus zest and a pour of Amaretto. Great. *facepalm*

Politics aside, I am predisposed to Obama's Shortbread Cookies. Although the pictures on Family Circle make them look a bit like unappetizing li'l fruit cake slices, the dried fruit is optional, so really, it's just shortbread spiked with zest and almondy alcohol. Um, yes please.

Who are you voting for? Keep it to cookies, please, no need for political drama in a foodie forum!

• In the wake of John and Cindy McCain's "family" recipe blunder, here are some of the other candidates' favorite dishes
• Food detectives solve your kitchen mysteries, from the Puzzle of the Unmelting Mac 'n Cheese to the Riddle of the Ooey Gooey Zucchini Bread
  
• Food TV's Hearty Boys dish about their two year-old son, Nate, who, despite his parents' food-centric lifestyle, is a picky eater. (Read their tips on how to get your own picky eater to eat).
  
• A short history on fricassee
  
• Check out the winners of the paper's 8th Annual Good Eating Awards, which features businesses around the Chicago area who have contributed significantly to the food scene