"Mush me all up!"

I know, you're waiting for Thanksgiving updates!

While I compile that - and boy was it good - listen to this cool show (if you're in the UK).  It's words and music all about food.  

Words and Music on BBC Radio 3 - A culinary theme!

Here are the producers' notes from the BBC iPlayer website:

This edition of Words and Music is about Food. Mussels, Chocolates, Anchovies, Peaches, Whipped Cream, Oysters, Trout, Pies and Eggs are just some of the ingredients.

Alison Steadman reads Moules a la Mariniere by Elizabeth Garrett, Mushrooms by Sylvia Plath and Blackberry-picking by Seamus Heaney.

Timothy West's poems include Hillaire Belloc's On Food, Elizabeth Bishop's The Fish and Ben Jonson's Inviting a Friend to Supper.

Interwoven with the poetry is music such as Schubert's Trout Quintet, the chorus in Strauss' Die Fledermaus where the guests look forward to supper, and Biber's Mensa Sonora (music suitable to accompany aristocratic dining)

There's the "Rice aria" from Rossini's Tancredi, which the food loving composer apparently composed whilst waiting for his risotto to cook and Nellie Melba, the soprano who gave her name to the Peach Melba, sings the Melba Waltz.

Plus popular food music by Fats Waller (Hold Tight I Want Some Seafood Mama), The Beatles (Savoy Truffle) and Bob Dylan (Country Pie).

Perhaps the most peculiar choice is a medieval song about eggs.

-Tim Prosser (producer)

The real concern on election night...

from http://whatever.scalzi.com/2008/11/05/well-yeah/

Absolutely brilliant - and real.

And what were they up to in Kenya?

A friend, who happened to be there, reports:

I'm in a Kisumu beer garden enjoying a President lager (renamed from Senator beer in a special release). Obama songs playing everywhere. What a trip!

So I googled it...

Kenyan beer stirs Obamamania - BBC News online

YES WE CAN!

Election night, proud American tribute to Obama meal!

Though a bit belated, here's a tribute to Obama! I'm still haven't lost the feeling of glee that filled me when, sometime in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, we learned that Obama would be our next President. A President with a brain? Oh my, what will they think of next? I wish I could have been there in one of the street parties, dancing, crying and laughing. Instead, I attended a small election night slumber party with American ex-pats and indulged in the most American meal we could think of without compromising quality and not resorting to burgers and hot dogs.  Nothing against hot dogs - I love them - but it was just a bit too easy!  The added challenge was that one of us can't eat wheat or cow's milk, but that didn't stop us from gorging on the following...  You can work wonders with goats milk butter and cheese and spelt flour.

ELECTION NIGHT 'PROUD AMERICAN TRIBUTE TO OBAMA' MENU

Potato salad

Obama's family chili - get the recipe on Huffington Post - click here

Spicy 'Buffalo' chicken wings 

Lemon meringue pie

Oat jam bars

Jelly bellies to munch on and keep us awake

THE MORNING AFTER 

Root beer floats

Artichoke dip with corn chips/crisps

Can you remember the last time you had a root beer float?  Not me, but they are so good.  I know the concept may be inconceivable to non-Americans, but I highly recommend it as an indulgent treat.  You can get Bundagerg Australian Root Beer at Waitrose in the UK.  Add a couple of dollops of nice vanilla bean ice cream and you're all set.  (a spoon helps as well)

The Obama chili was good, but needs more spice and salt than you'd think.  Garnished with sour cream, cheese, avocado and onion.

Oat jam bars take me back.  My mom would always make them for me to take to school when it was my birthday or for school pot luck-fundraising-type things.  They look really healthy and innocent, but they taste naughty.  This is the recipe I used - I think my mom found it online. Don't know who it's from, but I promise I'm not using it for profit!

OATMEAL JUMBLE BARS
Servings: 2 to 2-1/2 dozen

3 cups oats
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 jar (10-12 oz.) jar preserves (I used Finnish blueberry and cloudberry preserves)

Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish. Combine all ingredients except preserves. Reserve 1 cup mixture. Press remaining mixture into bottom of baking dish. Spread preserves to 1/2 inch from sides of pan and sprinkle with remaining mixture. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Yeah, America! Yes we can!

A lemon meringue pie on election night.