Romney's Hurricane Sandy Relief Rally Was a Fake Food Drive

Mitt Romney and Party have treated us to false coal miner rallies where the workers were required to attend by their employer and not even paid their regular wages for doing so. Then there was the phony charity dish washing event staged by Paul Ryan, the Republican vice president candidate.

NOW, we must endure a false Hurricane Sandy Aid Rally.

Unable to continue campaigning as usual during the worst storm to hit New York, New Jersey and surrounding East coast area in a century, Romney needed to find another way to keep his face before the voting public.

Why not stage a political rally but call it a relief rally instead? Need a photo opp? That's easy. Just send your staff to the nearby Walmart to buy $5,000 worth of canned food and then heavily stocked the tables in front of the candidate, least he look bad.

Attendees without a food donation were given one by Romney's staff, enabling them to give 'their' (Romney's) food gift back to the Republican candidate when he shook their hand in front of the waiting cameras.

Prearranged, phony, fake, staged!!! Are there words negative enough to comment on the character of someone willing to exploit the suffering of millions of citizens suddenly without homes, lights, heat, food? We are at a loss to find them.

Crafting a self-serving event complete with illusionary donations and then adding childhood stories about one's own generosity, it NOT a presidential response worthy of any individual seeking to one of the world's most powerful positions.

The correct response is to donate cash to the American Red Cross. Cash enables them to purchase the resources most needed by the disaster victims and avoid the costly and time-consuming process of sorting, delivery and even finding a heat source to prepare food donations. 

Perhaps Romney, one of the wealthiest men to ever run for president, might consider this well known fact and write a check to the Red Cross equal to say the price of his wife's show horse, instead of focusing on obtaining PR photos of himself.

Post Note, November 1, 2012: The staff at Your Culinary World has voted unanimously to award Lindsay Lohan the BURNT COOKIE AWARD for absolutely stupid statements.

With an almost unbelievable careless disregard for the safety of others, she twitted, "WHY is everyone in SUCH a panic about hurricane (i'm calling it Sally)..? Stop projecting negativity! Think positive and pray for peace." 

Dear Miss Lohan, hurricanes and the loss of life that they bring is no joke. You should know better or be silent. Being a celebrity is a responsiblity, not a platform for spreading dangerous misinformation!

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012

The History of Halloween Jack o' Lanterns

Many Americans are surprised when they learn the jack-o'-lanterns are actually a British tradition. And this fact is borne out by the fact that each year London's legendary store, Fortnum & Mason, holds a pumpkin carving contest.

But the story doesn't start there. Back in the mists of pre-Christian days, the Celts of Scotland and Ireland repeatedly told each other the story of Stingy Jack.

Now Stingy Jack was always playing tricks on everyone, including the Devil himself. Once he tricked the Devil into climbing an apple tree on the pretense that the Devil should prove he did not fear this controversial fruit of self knowledge from the Garden of Eden.

Jack then hurriedly placed crosses all around the tree and made the Devil promise not to take his soul when he died as the term of releasing him from the hostage tree.

When Jack finally did die, he was, of course, denied entrance into Heaven because of his many mean deeds. He also found, because of his bargain with the Devil, he was not welcome in Hell either.

The Devil, still resenting the trick Jack had played on him, condemned Jack to roam the earth at night without friends or comfort.  But the Devil, who was once an angel, was not without sympathy for the errors of humanity, so he tossed Jack a hot coal from the eternal fires of Hell to light his path on the darkened earth.

Jack’s soul fell back to earth, without form. At first Jack tried to enter homes but he only scared people. Then one lonely night, he remembered that he had once carved turnips and gourds into scary faces and hung them from trees to frighten people in the night.

Jack found an old one he had once made still hanging from a tree and there he put his coal and soul, far from the freighted villagers.

Knowing a good thing when they saw it, for no village wants lost souls wandering about at night, the local folk carved and hung more turnips and gourds 'lanterns' in the other trees - just in case there were any other additional spirits needing a welcoming home.

And these lanterns, came in time to be called “Jack o’ Lanterns” after, you guessed it, Stingy Jack himself.

Scottish and Irish immigrants brought this custom of carving a turnips and gourds to the United States along with many other lovely customs (such as whisky/whiskey). 

But when they saw the gigantic pumpkins offered for sale in America’s rural farmers’ market – well, who wants to carve a little turnip when a huge pumpkin would be so much easier. 

The early American writer Washington Irving combined all the bi-continental story elements, added a touch of Dutch New Amsterdam, and created the unforgettable tale of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – complete with flaming pumpkin heads and lost souls in the night.

Today, Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween in either the U.S. or Britain without pumpkins. So, whether you carve or bake, be kind, be generous or Stingy Jack just might visit you!

Post Note: Oct 20, 2012: It seems a love for pumpkins is now going international because Burger King outlets in Japan are offering the BK Pumpkin Burger and the Pumpkin Bomb Burger from October 26 through November 11 this year.

Both burgers come with beef patties, fried kabocha pumpkin slices, bacon (is the combination of 'bacon and pumpkin' to be our newest food fab?), and, of course, lettuce. They're topped with a nut sauce made from sesame seeds, peanuts, almonds, cashews, and hazelnuts. Oh, yes, they do come with pumpkin fries for those in the true 'spirit' of the season. 

 Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2012