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#I know all of these are classic american potluck dishes
fattributes · 10 months
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For this hypothetical, the drinks, plates, and dinnerware are already taken care of, and again, you're not allowed to turn up empty-handed.
Just like in real life, let's hope we won't choose to bring the same thing.
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chsamuseum · 4 years
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Binondo: The Influence of the Oldest Chinatown on My Identity
Almost 7,000 miles away from San Francisco is another melting pot in a class of its own: Manila. While I was born in San Francisco and currently reside in the Bay Area, the capital city of the Philippines is what I consider my home. I was just a toddler in 1996 when I left San Francisco, when my grandfather decided he would sell his business that distributed agricultural machinery from the USA to the Philippines. My father, who was overseeing business operations in its San Francisco office, decided it was time for my family to return home to Manila upon my grandfather’s decision to retire. While technically a U.S. citizen, it was in Manila where I would create some of my earliest memories of childhood and where my values, principles, and identity would eventually be formed. While I identify as Filipino American, I have more recently begun to explore another, hidden cultural influence on my identity: Chinese.
Chinoy: Being Chinese Filipino
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Vista de la entrada de la Calzada de San Sebastián hasta la Yglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen, 1867, watercolor on paper
I’ve been working at CHSA since 2018 and have learned so much about the Chinese American experience. I’ve had the privilege of meeting authors and lecturers who share the most fascinating accounts of the Chinese during the Gold Rush to World War II. I’ve heard about Chinatowns from all over the world, from San Francisco to Yokohama, London to Sydney, and even Mexico City. Often overlooked are the Chinatowns of the Philippines. In my experience, the Philippines has a Chinese immigration story of its own, and it may very well predate most of the historic events I’ve learned at CHSA.
The city of Manila was founded in 1571 by Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. Due to its strategic location in Southeast Asia, Manila became a major trading port where Spanish galleons brought goods from Acapulco, Mexico to The Philippines. Many travelled to partake in trade for gold, spices, and other goods of the Spanish Empire, including the Chinese, who played a significant  role in the history of Philippine economics and commerce. As a child, I learned that Manila is home to the oldest Chinatown in the world. Called 岷倫洛區 (Mínlúnluò), Manila’s Chinatown, which was established in 1594. It was there Chinese settlers in the Philippines began conducting trade and commerce. Most Filipinos today call it Binondo, from the Tagalog word binundok meaning “mountainous area.”
The influence of Chinese culture is ubiquitous to many parts of Manila and is very much intertwined with my own identity as a Filipino. There were aspects of Chinese culture my whole life growing up that I was unaware of. When my family returned to The Philippines, we moved in with my maternal grandparents. Monday was when my grandmother (or lola in Tagalog) would usually have her closest friends over for a game of mah-jong. They’d start in the afternoon and could go on until the evening with an assortment of delicacies and snacks made available throughout the day. Some of my favorite treats from my lola’s mah-jong “parties” were Mangga’t Sago (Chinese style mango and tapioca pudding) and arroz caldo, the Filipino version of what some Chinese Americans might refer to as jook.  
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Left photo: Me and my grandmother welcoming the Year of the Dragon (2012)
Right photo: My sister and I burning incense joss sticks. We sometime call it pay-pay (pai-pai) Tagalog.
Beyond mah-jong parties, dishes like siu-mai, har-gao, pork buns and other dimsum fare were often an option for la merienda (a cultural influence left to us by the Spanish of having a late, light afternoon meal with friends and family). I grew up with Chinese holidays such as the Autumn Moon Festival and most notably Chinese New Year, when I would receive red envelopes from my elders and when my sister and I were treated to exciting Dragon Dance performances at our cousins’ house. We’d receive boxes of what we call ti-koy (甜粿), or nian gao to other Chinese speakers, which is glutinous rice cake. We’d cut them into slices, dip them in egg, and fry them until golden. I was told the stickiness of the ti-koy would mean our family too would “stick” together throughout the year, and I believed that! While not Filipino celebrated these holidays, they were mainstreamed enough for everyone to participate and enjoy the festivities.
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Left: Me during my First Communion. The Philippines is the only country in Asia that has a predominantly Roman Catholic demographic.
Right: The altar of The Santo Christos de Longos, a Catholic cathedral in Binondo but where Chinese Filipinos can burn joss sticks (incense) as offering to God. 
The Chinese presence was also felt at my school. I was in the company of other Filipino boys whose families had traditional Hokkien surnames such as Uy, Tan, Ong, and Chua, just to name a few. Others had unique hybrid Filipino surnames of Chinese origin that were Hispanicized after many of the oldest generations of Chinese Filipinos (sometimes known as “Chinoy”) converted to Catholicism during the years of its Spanish colonial period. For example, my mother’s maiden name Samson is derived from the Hokkien words “三” (saahm/third) and the Hokkien name “孫” (soon). Many other Hokkien Chinese followed a similar trend with their surnames: Sison (四孫), Gozon (五孫),and Lacson (六孫) while others have multiple syllabic surnames using the name of a patriarchal figure of their family and transcribed it using Spanish orthography. Which is how names like 許寰哥 (Khó͘-hoân-ko) would evolve into Cojuangco.
Many associate the Spanish with leaving a historical mark on the Philippines, but in reality the Chinese population outnumbered the Spaniards by the 17th century. Both Spain and China have greatly influenced the Filipino culture and at times have meshed in the most peculiar ways. For example, in Binondo is the cathedral known as the Santo Christos de Longos, where Chinese Filipinos have preserved their traditions but intertwined them with Catholic practice, for example burning joss-sticks (incense) before an altar to offer prayers and intentions to God. This is similar to the Catholic custom of burning a candle before the altar to offer intentions.
The Ties That Bind
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Chinese Food Vendor; Preparing food for Natives (Jose Maria A. Cariño and Sonia P. Ner. Album: Islas Filipinas 1663-1888)
Since moving to the Bay Area, I’ve learned that a popular aspect of Filipino culture that most Americans are familiar with is our cuisine. I’ve been asked many times to bring classic Filipino dishes to potlucks and get togethers. Two dishes that seem to have captured the devotion of most of my newfound American friends are pancit (Filipino-style stir fried noodles) and lumpia (Filipino spring rolls). Rightfully so! These dishes are indeed delicious, but what most people might not know is how both are just one of the many clever contributions of the earliest Chinese immigrants to the Philippines. In fact, their origin story is one that celebrates the ingenuity of both Chinese and indigenous Filipinos. Similar to restrictions in the United States, the Spanish Colonial Government had their own way of segregating the Chinese from the rest of society. In 1581, they established the Puerta del Parian or simply the Parian, which were the only areas in Manila the Chinese could reside, conduct business, or offer services. This would eventually lead to many indigienous Filipinos-who also were viewed as second class citizens by the Spanish-to create close ties with the Chinese immigrants, some even intermarrying. It was in these Parian communities that dishes such as 便伊食 (piān-ê-si̍t) and 潤餅 (lun-pia) entered Manila and evolved into beloved pancit and lumpia we know and love today. The Parian became major commercial centers, which was seen as a threat to the Spanish Colonial Government. They decided it was best to displace and disperse, sometimes by force, the Chinese communities in Manila throughout the 17th century. Binondo was the last of the Parians that was spared from destruction.
Asian American Solidarity
The interactions between Filipinos and Chinese have deep rooted connections. Since working at CHSA, I’ve  learned their camaraderie has paved the way for solidarity between Asian Americans. Particularly when they rallied together to fight against the eviction of low income Asian American tenants at the International Hotel (I-Hotel) in San Francisco during the 1970s. However, I know that is not always the case; sometimes there are divisions within our community as Asian Americans instead of being unified.
To be working for CHSA is an honor, as it advocates for diversity and inclusivity through not only the Chinese American experience, but the experience of Asian Americans and immigrants to the United States. As I continue to work at CHSA, I hope that my own personal experiences will raise awareness about the different immigration experiences. Instead of seeing differences between cultures, what I have learned that there is more that binds us together than keeps us apart.
Submitted by Angelo Racelis. Angelo currently works at CHSA and handles Visitor Services, online gift shop and currently assists with online programming and communications.
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caminoprovides · 6 years
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Happy autumn! Below is lineup of upcoming Camino-related events and hikes in the San Francisco Bay Area. You will also find a sneak preview of NorCal Chapter T-shirts that I’ve been working on. And for those who might enjoy some different ways to alleviate stress, check out my October Yoga & Wellness Tribe Newsletter.
World Premiere Screening of Old Survivor Tuesday, October 9th Chabot Space & Science Center
One of my favorite Bay Area non-profits, Oakland Trails, has just completed their second documentary, Old Survivor, about the wonder and resilience of Oakland’s redwoods. In the 1850’s, fueled by the California Gold Rush, an ancient redwood forest was drastically logged to help build San Francisco. Yet one old tree was left behind.
The new documentary features “Old Survivor”, the only remaining old-growth redwood in the East Bay hills, and tells the story of Oakland’s resilient, ecologically amazing, and now protected redwood forest.
The world premiere screenings will be held on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at the Chabot Space & Science Center at these times: 5:45, 6:45, 7:30, 8:15, 9:00
Other screenings: Sunday, October 14 at 3:00 pm The New Parkway Theater, 474 24th St, Oakland Screening + Q&A after the film Purchase advance tickets HERE — Thursday, October 18 at 7:00 pm The Octopus Literary Salon, 2101 Webster Street at 22nd St., Oakland Screening + Q&A after the film Free event
Watch the trailer
https://vimeo.com/287739206
You might ask what the Camino connection is here. Oakland Trails volunteers make it possible for us to enjoy hikes on the network of trails throughout the East Bay Regional Parks. They maintain the trails, educate groups, bring underprivileged youth on tours, and provide donation-based hiking tours on holidays.
Above is a photo at the Sept. 3rd Labor Day hike, with Stan Dodson, founder of Oakland Trails (on the right). I encourage pilgrims to attend these hikes because they are excellent for Camino training! The hikes have become affectionately known as “The Cookie Hike” because Stan gives a free cookie from La Farine Bakery for everyone who finishes. The next hike will be on Thanksgiving Day. Learn more and sign up for their newsletter at https://oaklandtrails.org/
Camino Norte and Primitivo Presentations with Ralph and Susan Alcorn Bay Area REIs Oct. 10, 16, 24, and 30
While the most popular route of the Camino de Santiago is the Frances, hikers are increasingly looking for a less crowded or a new route. The Caminos Norte and Primitivo are great choices. Susan and Ralph Alcorn, who hiked both in 2015-16, strongly recommend the entire 500 miles of Norte, and/or the 200 of the Primitivo. In their digital slide show, the Alcorns will give an overview of the Caminos Norte and Primitivo–the routes, elevations, accommodations. Who is hiking? How difficult is it? How to train? How to pack? What resources are available–apps or maps? Throughout, you’ll enjoy images of the journey and get inspired to plan that trip of your own that you have been dreaming of.
All events are free, but seating is limited and filling up fast, so register in advance.
Four sessions to choose from:
Wed. Oct 10. Concord REI. 7:00pm – 8:30pm  .View more info Tue. Oct 16. Santa Rosa REI. 7:00pm – 8:30pm View more info Wed. Oct 24. Berkeley REI. 7:00pm – 8:30pm View more info Tue. Oct 30. Saratoga REI. 7:00pm – 8:30pm View more info
Susan is the author of the newly published, Healing Miles: Gifts of the Caminos Norte and Primitivo.
I loved reading this before I walked the Camino Primitivo this year. I have added this book to my Camino Books page.
Sibley Hike to Tilden Steam Trains Saturday, October 13, 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Not only are the Alcorns doing the REI presentation tour, but they have offered to lead a special hike for us! Join Bay Area long-distance trekkers and Camino veterans Susan and Ralph Alcorn on a 7-mile hike from Sibley to the Tilden steam trains. Moderate with some steep sections so a reasonable level of fitness is required. The route may be modified a bit, but basically an out-and-back hike through Sibley, EBMUD land, and into Tilden. 1,000 ft. elevation gain. Those who want a longer hike (approx. 2 miles) can take an alternate trail on the return trip to see the Sibley labyrinths.
Please wear suitable footwear, bring lunch and plenty of water. Poles recommended. If you would like to ride the Redwood Valley Railway steam train, bring a few dollars cash and you can ride the train during our lunch stop. This scaled-down steam train is fun for all ages. It goes along a scenic ridge at times overlooking the Bay Area, through the redwoods and a tunnel.
Meet at Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve Directions / Map to 6800 Skyline Blvd · Oakland, CA
Although carpooling is encouraged, there is parking available in a lot, or on the street. Free entry. There are restrooms and water available at our start/end point in Sibley, and at our lunch spot in Tilden.
Optional Happy Hour: Have a meal or drinks after the hike at Paulista Brazilian Kitchen and Taproom on Park Blvd.
We are so lucky to have both Ralph and Susan as active members of the Bay Area pilgrim community. I think they might just be the Camino’s cutest couple! Read their story, Love and Life on the Camino, and see for yourself.
Ralph and Susan Alcorn on the Camino del Norte.
NorCal Chapter T-Shirts – Sneak Preview
I’ve been busy working on a design of a new T-shirt for our Northern California chapter. This involved refining the logo I made for our chapter stamp earlier this year; doing research on best fabric; asking feedback from chapter buddies; and making design tweaks. I even have a couple of peregrina friends test them out on the Camino this month!  I’m happy to reveal the two styles that we decided on, both in a super-soft blend of 50% polyester,  25% cotton, and 25% rayon. Unlike our previous chapter shirts in 100% cotton, these shirts are lightweight enough to actually be worn on the Camino!
Ladies front
Ladies back
The ladies style is a form-fitting t-shirt with a slightly lower neckline than the classic T-shirt. They come in five sizes:  S, M, L, XL and 2XL (note: they run small) and a variety of colors including Clay (pictured above).
Unisex front
Unisex back
The Unisex crew comes in 8 sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL and a variety of colors, incuding Navy, pictured above. NorCal chapter logo front center or upper left chest.
The  shirts will sell for around $25 each + tax & shipping. These shirts should be available to order by the general public in November, just in time for holidays.
Pre-Order Opportunity for Bay Area Pilgrims For those planning to attend our Welcome Home Potluck on November 10th (details below) and would like to order shirts, email me by October 20th and I’ll send you payment info and color options. I am seeking for models to wear their t-shirts at our event November 10th for a Camino T-shirt fashion show. Are you America’s next top Camino model? Perhaps!  
SAVE THE DATES:
Welcome Home Potluck Oakland, California Saturday, November 10, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
St Augustine Catholic Church
St. Augustine Catholic Church 400 Alcatraz Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
Help the Northern California chapter celebrate this year’s returning pilgrims at our annual Welcome Home Potluck. We’ll be gathering at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Oakland, near the border with Berkeley. Details will be posted here and sent via chapter email list soon!
Unpacking the Camino- Silicon Valley Chapter event Sunday, November 11, 2018 at 12 PM – 3 PM
One of the challenges of walking the Camino is the re-entry into our everyday life at the conclusion of our pilgrimage. People will have the opportunity to reflect and participate in the discussion with other pilgrims. This event is for everyone, not just those who walked this year, but anyone who walked in the past or hope to walk in the future.
Potluck-please bring a dish to share. Meet at 12:00 p.m. for a potluck lunch, followed by our discussion.
Learn more and RSVP on Silicon Valley Chapter’s Facebook Event
There are always opportunities to train for or learn about the Camino. If you know of any Camino related events for the SF Bay Area that should be included in the monthly roundup, please use the comment form below, or email me.
For those who live elsewhere, there are Camino hotspots all over the USA and the American Pilgrims on the Camino (APOC) website has a listing of local chapters where you can find Camino events. There are also many active Facebook groups to learn about events in your region. Check your local REI store for workshops and presentations about the Camino. Check http://www.rei.com/ for events in your area.
Visit the Northern California Chapter page on the APOC website.
Join the Peregrinos Northern California Facebook group (closed group for Northern California residents only)
Buen Camino!
The Camino Provides patch
The rainbow shell design was inspired by the concept of chakras. Learn more. Purchase for $4 each at etsy.com/shop/caminoprovides.
2018 is almost sold out, but I will be ordering the 2019 patches soon.
My mission is to celebrate the Camino de Santiago and the pilgrim’s journey, from the calling to Compostela and beyond. I do this by sharing informative tips on training, gear, and routes; by promoting Camino related events in the Bay Area; by interviewing pilgrims and sharing inspiring stories; and by curating content relevant to the Camino.  Purchases help to defray the costs of hosting and managing this blog so that I can keep sharing the Camino love!
Below is lineup of upcoming Camino-related events and hikes in the San Francisco Bay Area. You will also find a sneak preview of NorCal Chapter T-shirts that I've been working on. #CaminodeSantiago #hiking Happy autumn! Below is lineup of upcoming Camino-related events and hikes in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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mastcomm · 4 years
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A Classic Midwestern Dish Becomes a Talking Point in Iowa
Hot dish, the Minnesota-specific church-supper stalwart that cooks in other parts of the country might mistake for a casserole, is no stranger to hard work.
Early versions of the dish — traditionally a mix of protein, starch and vegetables held together with a creamy sauce baked until it bubbles — helped conserve meat during World War I and fed farm families during the Depression. Topped with Tater Tots or mixed with rice, more modern renditions offer working parents an inexpensive way to get dinner on the table after a long day.
Now, hot dish has been conscripted to help Amy Klobuchar, the senator from Minnesota, win the Democratic nomination for president.
In a series of events that began in New Hampshire last summer and continued this month in Iowa, Ms. Klobuchar has been feeding her recipe, blanketed in Tater Tots, to voters at gatherings the campaign calls Hot Dish House Parties.
“Hot dish is a great unifier — just like Amy,” the campaign’s cheery invitations read.
The events are essentially small potlucks with campaign literature and a glass baking dish filled with Ms. Klobuchar’s Taconite Tater Tot Hot Dish, named after a rock mined in the Iron Range of Minnesota.
The candidate herself has showed up at some, but last week she had to stay in Washington for the impeachment trial of President Trump. She sent her daughter, Abigail Bessler, 24, the legislative director for Keith Powers, a New York City councilman. Ms. Bessler grew up eating hot dish, and knows her mother’s recipe by heart.
The actual making of the hot dish, however, falls to campaign workers. In Iowa, that worker is Andy McGuire, 63, a physician who is also the state campaign chairwoman.
“I’ve gotten good at the recipe,” she said. “I have seven kids, so I can cook.”
Hot dish has as many variations as there are cooks. Dr. McGuire has made her own version for years, using frozen mixed vegetables, onions, hamburger and condensed cream of mushroom soup, which some Midwestern cooks affectionately call “the Lutheran binder.” It’s topped with Tater Tots.
The senator’s recipe omits the frozen vegetables, adds garlic and tucks the Tater Tots between two layers of shredded pepper Jack cheese.
“It’s is a little spicier than some Iowans might like,” Dr. McGuire said. But she concedes it’s better than her own recipe, which she picked up when her children went to camp in Minnesota.
“Hot dish is a symbol of coming together, of a time when we weren’t so rude to each other,” she said. “Caucuses are very much a neighborly coming together, so it’s the perfect thing.”
As Ms. Klobuchar, 59, trails four other candidates in some polls as Iowa heads into its Feb. 3 caucuses, it’s hard to tell whether the house parties are helping. But they are doing a lot to raise the profile of hot dish, which most Americans have probably never heard of unless they grew up in certain parts of the Midwest, including the Dakotas and parts of Wisconsin.
Still, using hot dish to telegraph familiarity in Iowa, a state that largely uses the term casserole to describe the baked one-dish suppers, could be seen as a misstep.
That possibility is one Erin Grace, a columnist for The Omaha World-Herald, explored last week when she covered one of the Klobuchar events in Stanton, Iowa, population 64l. Ms. Grace tried to parse the difference between a hot dish and a casserole in an article.
“I was deeply attracted to the word ‘hot dish’ and this idea of comfort food in a time of political discomfort,” she said in an interview. “The hot dish is just a way for her to say, ‘See? I’m your neighbor up here. I’m familiar,’ even though nobody in Iowa calls it a hot dish.”
Katie Rohman, 38, the managing editor of The Duluth News Tribune, found Ms. Klobuchar’s piece of political theater amusing. She contended there was no difference between a hot dish and a casserole. “Really, I think it’s a matter of location,” she said.
Not so, said Andrew Zimmern, the television star who moved to Minneapolis in 1992. He has deep reverence for hot dish, which he says is a specific subcategory of a genre of layered one-pan recipes that includes lasagna and pastitsio.
“It represents the three pillars of the Midwest: thrift, hospitality and farm history,” he said.
Mr. Zimmern has made fancy versions with braised turkey legs and velouté, but always comes back to a family recipe with ground beef and turkey, frozen green beans, cream of mushroom soup and Tater Tots.
Mr. Zimmern is a friend of Ms. Klobuchar, whom he interviewed for his new MSNBC series “What’s Eating America,” which premieres Feb. 16 and explores issues like hunger and immigration through the lens of food. Ms. Klobuchar, who grew up as the child of an alcoholic father, appears on the episode about addiction.
This is not hot dish’s first turn in the political barrel. Al Franken, the former Democratic senator from Minnesota, started a hot-dish competition in 2011 as a way to bring together the state’s Congressional delegation. The recipe Ms. Klobuchar uses for her house parties won the inaugural competition.
“It’s always nice to put aside our differences and come together over some great hot dish,” Mr. Franken said in 2016, the year he entered his Land of 10,000 Calories hot dish, made with pork shoulder and Ritz crackers.
In 2017, Representative Collin Peterson, a Democrat-, won with his Right to Bear Arms hot dish, built from bear meat. Representative Betty McCollum, a member of the same party, took the top award in 2019 with her Hot Dish A-Hmong Friends, an amalgam of sautéed carrots, cabbage and ground beef topped with fried egg-roll wrappers that paid homage to the large Hmong population in her district.
She had competition from Representative Jim Hagedorn, a Republican, who used eggs, sharp Cheddar, two pounds of bacon and a pound of pork sausage for his Make’n Bacon Great Again hot dish, and Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat, whose chickpea, chutney and Tater Tot dish called Little Moga-Hot-Dishu was inspired by a Minnesota blogger’s samosa chaatdish.
The winner receives a trophy fashioned from a glass baking pan, the preferred vessel in which to bake hot dish.
In Iowa last week, the hot dish was both unifying and gently divisive. Melissa Fath, a Klobuchar supporter, hosted a house party in Iowa City with her husband, Ron Sullivan, who supports a rival, Senator Elizabeth Warren.
“Warren isn’t having a hot-dish meeting,” she told him.
Despite that bit of marital shade, the events mixed Minnesota nice with Iowa nice.
“Down here we see so many candidates that we like to know them personally, but in a way that’s not too intrusive,” said Vicky Rossander, a retired teacher who hosted one of the Klobuchar house parties with her husband, Harry, who retired from the Army and recently has changed his party affiliation from Republican to independent.
She threw her spaghetti casserole into the oven, just in case Ms. Klobuchar’s hot dish and whatever other potluck food arrived wasn’t enough. The 30 or so neighbors and members of the news media who showed up ate every last bit of the senator’s hot dish. Ms. Rossander liked it so much she is keeping the recipe.
But she might still just call it a casserole.
“I think it’s like the whole Coke-soda-pop thing,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what you call it. We all know what it is.”
Jordan Gale contributed reporting.
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Meatloaf Meatballs – The Recipe Critic
New Post has been published on https://recipesfordinnereasy.site/2019/04/30/meatloaf-meatballs-the-recipe-critic/
Meatloaf Meatballs – The Recipe Critic
Meatloaf Meatballs are bite sized appetizers that have all the flavor you love in a classic meatloaf recipe.
Our family loves meatballs and they make such a great party appetizer. You can also try Easy Teriyaki Meatballs, Porcupine Meatballs, or make these Swedish Meatballs for dinner!
Everyone loves meatloaf. It’s a favorite dinner recipe across many American homes. That’s why I wanted to transform my super delicious meatloaf recipe into bite sized appetizer portions! Why should meatloaf only be enjoyed at dinner? It should most definitely be a party appetizer too.
In addition to wanting an appetizer that I knew everyone would love, I had one more motivation for turning my classic meatloaf recipe into a bite sized tasty treat. The sauce. I can never seem to get enough sauce with my meatloaf and I always want an end piece because the outside is more crispy. The meatball tackles both those issues! They’re so good, in fact, that next time I plan to make meatloaf for dinner, I’ll be making these meatballs instead!
How to make Meatloaf Meatballs:
One of the reasons these meatloaf meatballs taste so good is because the first step is to saute up some diced onions. Raw onions pack too much of a punch but you still want the flavor, so sauteeing them is the answer! Once those cool you mix them together with the rest of the ingredients.
To bake the meatballs, you’ll want to line a baking dish with parchment paper. It makes for easy clean up and prevents sticking.
I actually like to use a cookie dough scoop to measure my meatballs before I roll them. That way they all stay the same consistent size. Do your best to roll a nice round shape without overworking the meat. Then, just pop them into the oven!
When the plain meatballs are cooking, you’ll want to mix up the sauce. This takes like two minutes, so don’t stress.
Now here’s the secret to a tasty sticky coating. About two thirds of the way through the cooking process, you’ll take the meatballs out of the oven and coat them in the sauce. Then, back into the oven they go! This makes the sauce set and really stick to the meatballs.
Can you make meatloaf meatballs ahead of time?
Yes! I prefer how they look set out on a platter with toothpicks for easy eating, but we all know that sometimes party food just needs to be easy.
To make these meatloaf meatballs ahead of time, just follow all the cooking instructions and then keep them warm in a slow cooker.
Trust me. Next time you go to a potluck, bring a batch (or two or three) of these meatloaf meatballs and watch them disappear. The only competition they might have would be against the deviled eggs!
Love meatballs? Then you’ll have to try these recipes:
Meatloaf Meatballs
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Meatballs:
1 small sized onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/3 pounds ground beef
1 large egg
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Topping:
3/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
Preheat oven or grill to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
Melt butter in saute pan over medium heat. Cook onions until fragrant and slightly brown while stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add garlic, cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
In large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt and cooked onions and garlic. Use hands to mix well, but try not to over work the meat. Shape into 1-2 inch sized balls on parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 20 minutes. While meatballs are cooking, combine ketchup with mustard and brown sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
After 20 minutes of cooking, dip each meatball in ketchup mixture, return to baking sheet, and continue baking for about 10 additional minutes. Serve warm with toothpicks for easy eating. Can be kept warm in slow cooker, if needed.
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appletable80-blog · 5 years
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Adam Richman’s Tips for Hosting an Epic Football-Viewing Feast
TV personality, cook, and author Adam Richman has wolfed down a 7-pound burrito, violently spicy suicide wings, and a towering 12-patty cheeseburger on the hit Travel Channel show “Man v Food,” which he hosted from 2008 to 2012.
But Richman has posed as more than a glutton for our entertainment before that time and since then. And our football parties can benefit.The Brooklyn-born graduate of Emory University and the Yale School of Drama possesses the skills, talent, and charm that enabled to do other projects since then — such as NBC’s food competition show “Food Fighters” in 2014. Richman has authored America the Edible by Rodale Publishing in 2011, and Straight-Up Tasty by Clarkson Potter in 2015.
From this last book of Richman’s, we pulled two recipes that will make your tastebuds cheer as you watch the game with your friends and family this football season. But you need more in your game plan than those two decadent dishes. Passionate about food and entertaining in his personal life as well as professional career, it’s no surprise Richman is expert enough to give us a bunch of winning pointers to up our party-hosting game.
Remember, it’s not just about the food (or the game! Yes, we said it). When people come your home to watch a football game, it’s a gathering at the end of the day, he says. “You can’t lose sight that while it may not be a hearth — it’s a flickering box with a bunch of guys smashing each other on the grid iron — you still have to be the hostess with the mostess,” Richman says.
1. Know your crowd.
Angie’s List/iStock
Plan according to the vibe you expect. You could have a crowd of calm, civilized, married couples or a bunch of jersey-clad bros, pacing, betting and talking smack.
For the calm crowd, you can have a potluck-buffet-style table so guests can go in the kitchen to fill their plates. But you still should have something for snacking in front of the TV. You can do a little more food that requires a fork and knife, or save that for half time. “You can ask more from your viewing experience than most people do,” Richman says, who once brought his grandma’s sweet and sour meatballs to a football-focused potluck. Pasta salad is another good idea.
For the rowdy crowd, focus more on finger food and communal dishes. Use disposable plates, utensils, and plastic table cloths. Set out an additional trash can within arm’s reach of the coffee table and couch. “People are more protective of their seat when they watch the Super Bowl,” so they’ll be more reluctant to leave their viewing spot, Richman says. “I’ve seen a friend demonstrate a tackle while holding wings with a dollop of blue cheese dip.” With that in mind, have easy-to-eat dishes for the guys who stand and pace the whole time, as well food for the guys who sit and relax and socialize during the game.
2. Make everything obvious and easy to eat.
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Put everything out, including your disposable utensils nestled in Solo cups. You can get a big sandwich loaf and pre-cut the slices, marking them with toothpicks. But remember to make a big sign that says “Remove toothpicks.” It’s not as obvious as you think when all your attention is zeroed in on the action onscreen. “I’ve had to tell guys that,” Richman says, laughing.
Remember, people are multi-tasking. Most people are watching the screen and gesticulating wildly while eating and drinking. “There’s something to be said for acknowledging that ahead of time,” Richman says, and creating for your guests “the ability to absentmindedly pop something in your mouth while watching television and have a flavor bomb.” If you make a pizza at home, slice the crust so people can just grab it and eat. Do that with everything.
3. Put more thought into the drink situation.
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“There’s this classic idea of beer and wings, and that’s great,” he says. But do more. “I’ll mix in with the alcoholic beverages some nonalcoholic beverages so the guy who doesn’t want to drink doesn’t have to go somewhere else and feel ostracized.”
Richman recommends a cool bourbon drink in a pitcher, a peach sangria, or spiked Arnold Palmer (lemonade-tea mix). “For people who want an alcoholic option that’s not beer, they appreciate it,” he says. “Again, know your crowd. If you know guys are into craft beers, you’ll drink it from bottles, or maybe they want a case of Coronas.”
Tie in the drinks with who’s playing on the field. “It’s a chance to customize the experience to that particular game,” Richman says. If it’s Cincinnati versus ‘Nola, consider offering Fat Head beer v. Abita beer or pitcher of Hurricanes.
4. Prevent a mess with good strategy.
Getty/Burlingham
You need to seriously consider the logistics of the event. Be a true entertainer: Let people know where the bathroom is, what towels to use, and where the trash is. Make everything self-explanatory. If it’s snowy or wet out, have a clear, designated place for people to take their shoes off so they’re not stepping on wet stuff the whole time.
Create a specific spot to go for beverages that’s not the fridge. Use a metal tub or cooler filled with ice and beer. If you’re doing the tub or cooler in the living room, spread out a vinyl, disposable tablecloth, or lawn-leaf bag underneath to protect the floor. “When people reach in this ice thing to get a drink, they’re bound to drip, and ice shifts and melts,” Richman says. “It’s a great way to avoid spillage ahead of time and prevent people from slipping or ruining your floors.”
Use a completely separate container, lined with a bag, for ice. A red Solo cup can be the ice scoop, and “literally take a black Sharpie and write on it ‘ice scoop’ because you don’t want people digging with their hands where ever they’ve been been, scratching and all,” Richman says. Or use a kids’s sand-sculpting shovel.
You probably want to recycle the bottles and cans. Richman lines one trash can with blue liner for recycling bottles and cans. “I always make it clear this is where the bottles go,” he says. It’s important to make this bin easy to reach from the TV viewing area, because you don’t want everyone to leave empty glass bottles on the edge of the coffee table where it could break with all the commotion, kids, and pets.
Provide antibacterial soap or hand sanitizer. “I’m not above getting a Purell and putting it on the edge of the table next to the Solo cups full of silverware,” Richman says. If people are going to reach in to get chips from the communal bowl, they’re more likely to wash their hands beforehand if it’s right there.
As for the bathroom, make sure you have backup toilet tissue and provide air freshener to keep your guests from being embarrassed or compromised.
5. Elevate the classics.
Tangy horseradish roast beef sliders on Hawaiian sweet rolls. Image: Getty/Msaandy033
A big sandwich doesn’t have to be a cold-cut submarine like you get at corporate affairs. Your massive sandwich be a salmon steak BLT.  Make wings, but flavor them with lemon pepper and Champagne. “You can play with elevated flavor profiles on the most mundane dishes,” he says.  Place four cheeses in your grilled cheese, make your own tortilla chips for nachos, and top your pizza with Fontina cheese, speck, arugula, and truffle oil.
If you’re doing a buffet, create pasta dishes studded with big flavor, such as sausage and shrimp. The bulk of the dish is pasta, so you can feed a crowd with less expense.
Set up a charcuterie plate, with good local bread, cheeses, and olives. “People can find the combinations they like. It’s a customizable experience,” Richman says. “You can put it out in the first quarter, and it’ll still be good hours later; the meat might sweat a bit but it won’t go bad by the fourth quarter.”
People love dips and intense, crunchy foods when they’re anxious. That’s partly why fried food works so well as sports bar fare. Cut chicken breast into tenders, bread them, fry them, and serve with honey mustard and ranch dressing.
People love spring rolls and egg rolls, but you can be even more creative, combining those with everyone’s love of Southern barbecue: Crunchy, pulled pork egg rolls with dipping sauce.
“In the winter and at these games, you want something hearty and stick-to-your-ribs,” he says. Richman made both the recipes below for his friends, and they’re included in his Straight-Up Tasty cookbook.
Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwich Dumplings
Chowhound
White Wonder Bread, waxy slices of American cheese, and comfort food classics don’t conjure images of sophistication, and they’re not supposed to anyway. But this technique that puts a twist on this simple American comfort meal is impressive — and still easy to do. Get our Creamy Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwich Dumplings recipe.
Baked Gouda with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Chowhound
Serve an “ooey-gooey melted cheese and a nice crust” with a technique that’s not hard at all, Richman says. But it produces a wow-worthy result that will have guests digging in with appreciation. The creamy Gouda with the fresh herbs and acidic bite of the sun-dried tomatoes creates a winning appetizer that can work for an elegant dinner party as well as a rowdy football-viewing afternoon. Get our Baked Gouda with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto recipe.
Related Video: How to Make Mini Football Potatoes
— Head Photo: The Adam Richman.
Source: https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/180127/adam-richmans-tips-for-hosting-an-epic-football-viewing-feast/
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keijay-blog · 6 years
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How to Make Cauliflower Rice
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Chinese-Style Ribs
When I was working two jobs, slow cooking was my way of life. Sometimes I had more than one slow cooker going at a time to help me feed my family delicious home-cooked meals. It’s nice to walk in after a hard day’s work and have dinner ready. I hope you agree these ribs are quick, easy and delicious. Enjoy! —Paula Marchesi, Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania
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This recipe for the classic southern comfort food was the first thing I ever cooked for my girlfriend. It was simple to make but tasted gourmet. Lucky for me, it was love at first bite. — Kael Harvey, Brooklyn, NY
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This is a healthy and filling meal that even the kids love! The satisfying chili is great for football games or potluck dinners. —Katti Scott, Manteo, North Carolina
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Hoisin Pork Tenderloin
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Curry Shrimp
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Amazing Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
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Ginger-Chutney Shrimp Stir-Fry
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Cola BBQ Chicken
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Easy Chili Verde
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Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta
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Satay-Style Pork Stew
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ozsaill · 6 years
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A cruiser’s Thanksgiving: twists on tradition
Harvest festivals are cross-cultural and found all over the world, but that held on the 4th Thursday of every November is uniquely American. Every family grows up with a variant, but there are themes — some make the leap to cruising, and others don’t.
Preparations for a celebration!
At home I’d probably have planned this well ahead after spending too much time on Pinterest. There may have been metallic spray paint involved, and centerpiece purchases. Yikes! Not anymore! Instead, there was a collaborative, and somewhat last-minute, streamer of watercolor “leaves” standing in as an afternoon craft activity with the kids…strung up to announce “Happy Thanksgiving!” to all who step into Totem’s main cabin…you can kinda see it, at the top picture.
Mairen, Ava, and Siobhan prep the “leaves”
Gathering with family
These are the biggest domestic travel days of the year, as people flock home. I do miss our family gatherings and can’t wait to have a reunion with friends and family in the US next summer. While it’s best to be in person, we had some heartfelt conversations with folks at home for the holiday. Hearing voices- and seeing pixelated faces over Facebook and Facetime and Skype- was pretty sweet.
So happy to see family – thanks for the screenshot Glenna!
Our relatives may be far away, but found family plays a big part in our lives, as it does for many cruisers (as well as folks less itinerant than we are). For us, sharing the Thankgiving holiday with our Australian friends was perfect. An excuse to raft up the boats on a calm day, where the kids could run back and forth, dishes were easily passed, and when the evening was over – no dinghy ride in the dark!
Rafting up with Utopia II
Sharing a feast
In places where cruisers gather, big potlucks happen, and they can be a lot of fun. There may not have been a quorum of Americans here in Martinique, but for us, focusing inward with close friends instead of outward in the community was perfect. But STILL the potluck aspect of meal-sharing is part of the holiday. Instead of cooking up a special dish to bring to share with aunts and cousins, our friends balanced our high-carb traditions with vegetable sides and brought Brazilian champagne and the last of their South African red to wash it down.
Much of what we had mirrored traditions from home. I’ve yet to find canned pumpkin outside the US (save the rare sighting at an expat-oriented shop) but the squash is plentiful in the tropics. Here in this little piece of France in the Caribbean the bread for our stuffing came from baguettes, naturellement! The big score: finding a WHOLE turkey, and FRESH cranberries. Unreal. That’s a first. The turkey was roasted primarily in our awesome Solavore solar oven, then finished down below for a nice crispy skin.
Prepped for the solar oven: it almost fit in the pan
  Football! The Macy’s Parade!
Are football and the Macy’s parade just a way to pass the time with the a soundtrack on in the background? I don’t really miss the former tradition and we never partook of the latter. But one that’s stayed with us is listening to Arlo Guthrie’s classic, Alice’s Restaurant Masacree, and I absolutely treat it like a background soundtrack on Thanksgiving. I think I tallied up three full rounds of the 18+ minute song and love introducing our Aussie friends to it. Besides, railing about idiocy found in bureaucracy feels more relevant than ever.
We might have tossed a football around in the yard before. So why not toss a ball around in the anchorage? We picked up a cheap inflatable, good for hours of fun as the kids swam behind our rafted boats. As the sun set, we told stories, watched boats ghost across the bay, and listened to music.
  Giving Thanks
However you express it: at the core, this holiday celebrates our capacity for gratitude. I feel it every day. OK, ALMOST. There was that bad day coming up from the Grenadines recently that involved a trifecta of busted headsail furler, overflowing head, overheating engine “fun” which was categorically not one I’d like to repeat. But that we could even HAVE that day, here in the beautiful Caribbean, with our family together? I am thankful for so many things. Gifted from friends is this book; it’s really titled House Blessings, but our salty friends re-christened it Boat Blessings, and Lynne re-worked selections to make them perfect on board. Niall read the Thanksgiving passage, and it was perfect. (Missing the Cortado crew now.)
Holiday shopping
The tradition that immediately follows Thanksgiving, and based on signs all over Martinique seems to have gained global status beyond the US borders, is Black Friday. With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us we’re free to… BUY BUY BUY! SHOP FOR CHRISTMAS! BUY MORE!
Or not. You can #OptOutside. We’re off to play dominoes on a friend’s boat. And wow, but I do not miss this side of the season, and am happy not to have heard a Christmas carol through tinny speakers. Give me a few days for that! Still, as a family on a wee little income, I know the temptation to splash out on the post-Thanksgiving sales. Especially if you’re feeling a little sluggish after that big holiday meal and can get ‘er done in front of the computer! Watch this space for a guide of boaty/cruiser gift ideas next week…and for those who can’t wait, I get it! And I’d be immensely grateful if you’d find your deals if shop on Amazon by clicking through here, as it will send our family a tip without changing the cost of your cart. We’ll be thankful for you.
Totem crew is in Martinique, getting ready to head to the ABCs (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao… OK maybe we’ll skip Aruba) in the next week or so on our path towards Panama and a return to the Pacific Ocean.
  from Sailing Totem http://ift.tt/2B9zVFP via IFTTT
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mastcomm · 4 years
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A Classic Midwestern Dish Becomes a Talking Point in Iowa
Hot dish, the Minnesota-specific church-supper stalwart that cooks in other parts of the country might mistake for a casserole, is no stranger to hard work.
Early versions of the dish — traditionally a mix of protein, starch and vegetables held together with a creamy sauce baked until it bubbles — helped conserve meat during World War I and fed farm families during the Depression. Topped with Tater Tots or mixed with rice, more modern renditions offer working parents an inexpensive way to get dinner on the table after a long day.
Now, hot dish has been conscripted to help Amy Klobuchar, the senator from Minnesota, win the Democratic nomination for president.
In a series of events that began in New Hampshire last summer and continued this month in Iowa, Ms. Klobuchar has been feeding her recipe, blanketed in Tater Tots, to voters at gatherings the campaign calls Hot Dish House Parties.
“Hot dish is a great unifier — just like Amy,” the campaign’s cheery invitations read.
The events are essentially small potlucks with campaign literature and a glass baking dish filled with Ms. Klobuchar’s Taconite Tater Tot Hot Dish, named after a rock mined in the Iron Range of Minnesota.
The candidate herself has showed up at some, but last week she had to stay in Washington for the impeachment trial of President Trump. She sent her daughter, Abigail Bessler, 24, the legislative director for Keith Powers, a New York City councilman. Ms. Bessler grew up eating hot dish, and knows her mother’s recipe by heart.
The actual making of the hot dish, however, falls to campaign workers. In Iowa, that worker is Andy McGuire, 63, a physician who is also the state campaign chairwoman.
“I’ve gotten good at the recipe,” she said. “I have seven kids, so I can cook.”
Hot dish has as many variations as there are cooks. Dr. McGuire has made her own version for years, using frozen mixed vegetables, onions, hamburger and condensed cream of mushroom soup, which some Midwestern cooks affectionately call “the Lutheran binder.” It’s topped with Tater Tots.
The senator’s recipe omits the frozen vegetables, adds garlic and tucks the Tater Tots between two layers of shredded pepper Jack cheese.
“It’s is a little spicier than some Iowans might like,” Dr. McGuire said. But she concedes it’s better than her own recipe, which she picked up when her children went to camp in Minnesota.
“Hot dish is a symbol of coming together, of a time when we weren’t so rude to each other,” she said. “Caucuses are very much a neighborly coming together, so it’s the perfect thing.”
As Ms. Klobuchar, 59, trails four other candidates in some polls as Iowa heads into its Feb. 3 caucuses, it’s hard to tell whether the house parties are helping. But they are doing a lot to raise the profile of hot dish, which most Americans have probably never heard of unless they grew up in certain parts of the Midwest, including the Dakotas and parts of Wisconsin.
Still, using hot dish to telegraph familiarity in Iowa, a state that largely uses the term casserole to describe the baked one-dish suppers, could be seen as a misstep.
That possibility is one Erin Grace, a columnist for The Omaha World-Herald, explored last week when she covered one of the Klobuchar events in Stanton, Iowa, population 64l. Ms. Grace tried to parse the difference between a hot dish and a casserole in an article.
“I was deeply attracted to the word ‘hot dish’ and this idea of comfort food in a time of political discomfort,” she said in an interview. “The hot dish is just a way for her to say, ‘See? I’m your neighbor up here. I’m familiar,’ even though nobody in Iowa calls it a hot dish.”
Katie Rohman, 38, the managing editor of The Duluth News Tribune, found Ms. Klobuchar’s piece of political theater amusing. She contended there was no difference between a hot dish and a casserole. “Really, I think it’s a matter of location,” she said.
Not so, said Andrew Zimmern, the television star who moved to Minneapolis in 1992. He has deep reverence for hot dish, which he says is a specific subcategory of a genre of layered one-pan recipes that includes lasagna and pastitsio.
“It represents the three pillars of the Midwest: thrift, hospitality and farm history,” he said.
Mr. Zimmern has made fancy versions with braised turkey legs and velouté, but always comes back to a family recipe with ground beef and turkey, frozen green beans, cream of mushroom soup and Tater Tots.
Mr. Zimmern is a friend of Ms. Klobuchar, whom he interviewed for his new MSNBC series “What’s Eating America,” which premieres Feb. 16 and explores issues like hunger and immigration through the lens of food. Ms. Klobuchar, who grew up as the child of an alcoholic father, appears on the episode about addiction.
This is not hot dish’s first turn in the political barrel. Al Franken, the former Democratic senator from Minnesota, started a hot-dish competition in 2011 as a way to bring together the state’s Congressional delegation. The recipe Ms. Klobuchar uses for her house parties won the inaugural competition.
“It’s always nice to put aside our differences and come together over some great hot dish,” Mr. Franken said in 2016, the year he entered his Land of 10,000 Calories hot dish, made with pork shoulder and Ritz crackers.
In 2017, Representative Collin Peterson, a Democrat-, won with his Right to Bear Arms hot dish, built from bear meat. Representative Betty McCollum, a member of the same party, took the top award in 2019 with her Hot Dish A-Hmong Friends, an amalgam of sautéed carrots, cabbage and ground beef topped with fried egg-roll wrappers that paid homage to the large Hmong population in her district.
She had competition from Representative Jim Hagedorn, a Republican, who used eggs, sharp Cheddar, two pounds of bacon and a pound of pork sausage for his Make’n Bacon Great Again hot dish, and Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat, whose chickpea, chutney and Tater Tot dish called Little Moga-Hot-Dishu was inspired by a Minnesota blogger’s samosa chaatdish.
The winner receives a trophy fashioned from a glass baking pan, the preferred vessel in which to bake hot dish.
In Iowa last week, the hot dish was both unifying and gently divisive. Melissa Fath, a Klobuchar supporter, hosted a house party in Iowa City with her husband, Ron Sullivan, who supports a rival, Senator Elizabeth Warren.
“Warren isn’t having a hot-dish meeting,” she told him.
Despite that bit of marital shade, the events mixed Minnesota nice with Iowa nice.
“Down here we see so many candidates that we like to know them personally, but in a way that’s not too intrusive,” said Vicky Rossander, a retired teacher who hosted one of the Klobuchar house parties with her husband, Harry, who retired from the Army and recently has changed his party affiliation from Republican to independent.
She threw her spaghetti casserole into the oven, just in case Ms. Klobuchar’s hot dish and whatever other potluck food arrived wasn’t enough. The 30 or so neighbors and members of the news media who showed up ate every last bit of the senator’s hot dish. Ms. Rossander liked it so much she is keeping the recipe.
But she might still just call it a casserole.
“I think it’s like the whole Coke-soda-pop thing,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what you call it. We all know what it is.”
Jordan Gale contributed reporting.
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