Obama Jalan Jalan

   Barack Obama has not only eaten all over the United States, but has experienced the foods and cultures of Hawaii, Indonesia and Kenya as well. He is familiar with elegant 3 star Italian restaurants, he's knowledgeable  about sushi and his photo hangs in MacArthur's,  a Chicago restaurant featuring fine southern cuisine. On the campaign trail, he has experienced town hall meetings, church gatherings and room service food of every kind. In short, Barack Obama has eaten and experienced many different kinds of food.

   The recipes in Obama Jalan Jalan  symbolize moments in the man's life. An essay gives a background about the food or meal to be prepared, as well as cooking suggestions. The ingredients needed for some of these recipes are suitable for  a 'food stamp' level of income, while one or two require ingredients and kitchen instruments that are usually found in "food research laboratories" like  El Bulli or the Tippling Club. However, most of the recipes are not that complicated. Substitutions are given for those ingredients which may be difficult to find. All are illustrated with photos.

   To explaini his appeal to rural Midwestern voters, Obama once told  New Yorker magazine , "I know these people. The food they serve is the food my grandparents served when I was growing up. Their manners, their sensibility, their sense of right and wrong—it's all totally familiar to me."

    Obama's mother was born in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and the family later moved to Texas, and Seattle before settling in Hawaii. It is likely that somewhere they ate something based on recipes found in The Farm Journal Freezing and Canning Cookbook.  Although the 325 page book , written by Nell B. Nichols, was  first published in 1963, the roots of the recipes are deep. It is likely that some of the foods described in the book were eaten by the earliest Midwestern settlers. The Farm Journal itself was a popular monthly magazine. 
   "Canning" is a misnomer, as  food is preserved in jars and bottles. In the days when food was grown locally and there was no refrigeration, canning was extremely important. Canning was often a social activity: mothers, daughters, neighbors, friends. Preserved food lasted for a long time, and opening a fragrant jar of something like blueberry jelly on a cold winter's evening was nutritious for both body and soul.
    A newer edition of the book came out in 1973 and both editions are still sought out by those who are interested in taking control of what goes on their table as well as those who just love good American food. A culinary portrait of America, the book has  pictures of fields of  corn, red barns and fresh picked vegetables in baskets. The pages contain references to county fairs and many of the recipes won blue ribbons. Not just about canning and freezing, the Farm Journal holds hundreds of recipes for baking and cooking. It is a testimony to the American farm woman and some of the tastiest foods in America, creations like: Tomato Butter, Winter Apple Jelly, Potato Pancakes,  Dill Pickles, Sweet and Sour Pickles and Lime Pear Honey, as well as all kinds of cakes and pies.
 Even if  Obama's mother and grandparents did not prepare anything themselves, it would not be surprising if they  ate  Farm Journal-based creations at social gatherings. Also, homemade foods were often given as gifts.  Some jars of food were  so attractive that they were used as decorations around the home. Other creations, like the following, disappeared within days.

 
Reference:
New Yorker, May 31, 2004, p. 32.