More Chefs Climb Aboard the Hillary Clinton Train

Just 26 days remain until Election Day 2016, and as a growing number of Republicans distance themselves from the the Trump campaign, more chefs are throwing their hats in the ring for Hillary Clinton.

The Chefs for Hillary campaign launched in August as a way for chefs across the country to voice their support for the Democratic candidate. The collection of recipes posted to Pinterest encourages Clinton supporters to cook for their friends and family, as well as feed fellow campaigners at organizing event and phone banks.

Nearly a dozen new recipes have been pinned to the Chefs for Hillary page. New contributing chefs include Tom Colicchio — a vocal Democrat who founded the Food Policy Action lobbyist group that’s pushed Congress for mandatory GMO labeling — and Mary Sue Milliken of Border Grill, who’s a long-time supporter of the Clinton Foundation, as well as José Andrés, whose recipe for “Make Gazpacho Great Again” riffs on his ongoing feud with Clinton’s political opponent. The recipes are heavy on the wordplay and tongue-in-cheekiness, such as Top Chef Masters alum Suvir Saran’s recipe for “Play the Woman Card-amom Roasted Cauliflower.”

There’s also a recipe for avocado toast from SF-based chef Bruce Hill, further indicating that Hillary Clinton hopes to follow in Barack Obama’s footsteps as a Chemex-owning, craft beer-brewing Cool Prez.

Reached for comment, chef Suvir Saran explained why he chose to participate in Chefs for Hillary: “This is no election to be ignoring. The stakes are VERY high. We have the opportunity to elect the smartest candidate to run for POTUS in recent history, or have a dangerous demagogue find his way into the White House...” Saran continued, “Enjoy the roasted cauliflower recipe I have shared. Invite neighbors to your table. Talk politics. Please!!! Ignorance is not bliss. Conversations around the dinner table are never too hard, even when they might lead us to tough places. Tough times call for tough choices to be made. Around delicious foods, it is easy to speak of things that can divide us.”

Mary Sue Milliken explained her motivations in an email statement, writing, “I’m with HER because I think a lot about my kids and maybe someday, grandkids. I want to leave them a world at least as great as the one I inherited — if possible, better. I believe Hillary's balanced and thoughtful approach, her vast experience and commitment to every single American, regardless of age, ethnicity, religious or sexual preference, fits my vision for the world I want to live in and leave for our next generations. And she snacks on hot peppers, too! “

Other chefs participating in Chefs for Hillary include Cronut wizard Dominique Ansel, Mario Batali, and Donald Link, just to name a few. Chefs for Hillary’s Pinterest page does not include the secret to Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s risotto, however — for that, you’ll have to head over to WikiLeaks, where the recipe can be found among one of thousands of Podesta’s hacked emails.

• Chefs for Hillary [Pinterest]
• Hillary Clinton Wants You to Cook for Her [E]
• All 2016 Presidential Election Coverage [E]