When you’re president of the United States, the most powerful man in the world, words matter!
It was nearly 40 years ago that George H.W. Bush gladdened the hearts of children (and shocked vegetable farmers) across the nation when he announced: “I do not like broccoli and I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I’m president of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli.”
It was an uncalled for presidential attack on a vegetable that’s high in phytochemicals — and tasty too, as long as it isn’t overcooked. And Bush 41 paid the price — he was not re-elected to a second term, almost surely because of his stand on broccoli.
And then, a decade ago, we discovered that Barack Obama dislikes mayonnaise, soft drinks, ice cream and (to the cheers of many children) beets. His aversion to ice cream was apparently part of his generally healthy lifestyle. Though not liking it is perverse, for ice cream is one of the great joys of life, a true reason to live. But not eating the stuff can be understood, if you’re trying to stay clear of calories, fat, sugar — the good stuff. … But beets?
Though beets may not be quite as healthy as broccoli, they’re certainly no slouch. Their various nutrients help protect us from heart disease, birth defects and, I’m told, colon cancer. The high betamine content helps decrease inflammation. They’re chockful of folate, potassium and manganese — gotta get your daily allotment of manganese.
And they also taste pretty good too. There’s lots of sugar in beets, making them the candy of the vegetable world. Yet, there’s Obama, saying of beets in the press, “I always avoid eating them.”
Donald Trump famously ate well-done steaks with french fries, and burgers from McDonald’s — arguably because he liked finding “Donald” in the name.
With Joe Biden, well, things are just a bit healthier. He used to introduce himself with the words, “My name is Joe Biden and I love ice cream.” Which he followed with, “You all think I’m kidding — I’m not. I eat more ice cream than three people, all at once.”
Supposedly, between August 2019 and September 2020, his campaign spent $12,546 on Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, a company based in Columbus, Ohio. His favorite flavor was chocolate chip. To honor his passion for ice cream, the dairy at Cornell University created the flavor “Big Red, White and Biden.”
Of course, Biden doesn’t live on ice cream alone. He also has a thing for frozen custard. And milkshakes. And cookies, peach pie, custard pie, cheesecake and coconut cream pie.
Which is not to say the prez lives on sugar alone. He’s also devoted to angel hair pasta pomodoro. And his wife’s chicken parmesan. And in all fairness, the occasional order of tuna salad. And, blessedly, chopped salad with avocado. But not blessedly, fried cheese balls at an Ohio County Fair.
During his campaign, he became enamored with the Whataburger chain. Washed down with Diet Coke. Or orange Gatorade.
Concerning beets and broccoli, I’m waiting for Joe’s next news conference. It’s a question an enterprising reporter should definitely ask.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email mreats@aol.com.
The Link LonkMay 14, 2021 at 03:57AM
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Merrill Shindler: Joe Biden endorses pasta and ice cream – lots of ice cream - LA Daily News
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