This post is as much about food as it is politics, as fair warning. I’ve had a hard time processing the results of the 2016 election and writing is cathartic to me.
It was election night. Nutkin and She-Nutkin and I met for dinner so that I could regale them with my tales from New Orleans (beignets, music, and history!). I wanted to check out Young American Alehouse since it was in their neighborhood, and it was Maria Hines’ re-imagining of Golden Beetle. They had just opened three weeks ago. Golden Beetle was my favorite Mediterranean restaurant in Seattle, so I was sad to see the change, but I assume they had good reason for the change. Maybe the locals weren’t interested in the unrecognizable spices or the fancy small plates among the growing population of craft breweries springing up all over the neighborhood?
We were halfway through our entrees when She-Nutkin checked her phone for the election results. All we saw was a sea of red. A little bit of math told us that Hilary had lost the White House. It was as if we had all swallowed rancid milk (or in this case, a rancid Cheeto) in our stomachs. What was supposed to be a celebration of our first woman for President, quickly became a shot to the gut with an instant reaction to throw up. This wasn’t supposed to happen. How could someone who spews racist, misogynistic, and bigoted comments be elected as a leader in a country that once was a haven with freedom of persecution from race, creed, and religion? What fear has torn this country asunder to turn to hate?
If you read the analyst commentary, they’ll say it wasn’t necessarily hate, but more a demand for change and to their way of living heard. Many voters hoped that Trumps moral character won’t impede his ability to bring change to the country – to help those who lost their livelihoods when manufacturing and coal left the country, to go back to a time when they felt America was prosperous and growing. Times have changed; globalization and technology have caused our economy and policies to evolve. But not everyone was able to adapt to this change and they were left behind. Others were tired of the growing gap in education and wealth and wanted someone who could make in impact. And it’s true, a Republican House, Senate, President, and conservative Supreme Court will be able to make an incredible impact on the policies and future of the country. It may not be in a way that I agree with or even half of the voting population agrees with, but there will be change. Much like the change from Golden Beetle to Young American, it’s still the same people, but pivoted with still delicious, but different organic cuisine.
The country is divided and angry, on the verge of a revolution. Change is going to come. Some of it scary; some of it beneficial. It’s hard to process change when you don’t necessarily agree with bile inducing rhetoric and the leader that it rode in on. So how do we move forward? We can run from it and denounce our country – move to Canada, to the land of poutine (which we coincidentally ordered and loved). And thought it might be true, to say that we are ashamed to be American today, that the leader that we elected does not represent us – I don’t believe it moves us forward.
We don’t have to agree on policies, however, we can still reach out to each other and share our stories and our meals. Coffee, brunch, or dinner has been one place where people get together and bring something to the table to share. America is a smorgasbord of cultures, perspectives, and food. We have all of these options for chicken alone – chicken pad thai, butter chicken, general tsao’s chicken, fried chicken, coq au vin, even chicken pot pie – because of our diversity! This melting pot is what makes America great. And rather than let it tear us apart, reach out. Share something you made and why it holds a special place in your heart. Embrace our differences and maybe we can educate each other in the process, or at least understand why we are all hurting so badly. Heal the hate – share the love instead. Young American is just another chapter in Golden Beetle’s life, and the Trump presidency is just a another chapter in America’s history. Both have room to grow, so let’s try to be hopeful for what happens next.
poutine – beef fat fries, beecher’s cheese curds, gruyere, mushroom gravy. This is hands down the BEST poutine I’ve ever had. They fried the French fries in a such a way to stay crisp even with the generous gravy oozing throughout the platter. The additional seasonings provided a backdrop for the fries that didn’t have as much sauce, and the bite size cheese curds added just enough cheese to call this dish poutine. What’s amazing is the mushroom gravy, something you’ll want to lick the dish for once all the fries are devoured.
chicken pot pie – with pancetta, young carrot, broccolini. This rendition of chicken pot pie uses a puff pastry as the pie crust over a medium thick chicken casserole. You’ll find an abundance of diced chicken cubes with a fine balance of vegetables. The ratio of crust works well and it is on the crispy side, so expect it to shatter into bits instead of getting a good chew on the crust.
bread pudding – with bourbon caramel and sour cherries. This isn’t exactly what I would consider bread pudding given how hard and dry the texture of the cake was. The sour cherries were too tart as there wasn’t very much caramel. It was a nice dessert, but it definitely wasn’t bread pudding.
SUMMARY
Overall: happily ever after (we hope)
Highlight: poutine (I know, Canada seems like a bright spot right now)
Footnotes: they have plenty of beers on tap as this is an alehouse; they do not have TVs if you’re expecting a TV at a pub; #strongertogether