Why Is Mario Batali on Food Stamps?

[xchrom]

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/forkintheroad/2012/05/why_is_mario_ba.php



Here's a publicity stunt we can get behind: Mario Batali and his family are eating for a week on a food stamp budget--$31 a person, for the entire week. Batali is protesting budget cuts to SNAP currently pending in Congress.
Batali is on the board of the Food Bank for New York City, which suggested celebrity chefs take the challenge May 11 - 17. Here's how it's gone so far:

"Rice and beans is in my lunch every day," Batali said. "We got a bag of mini gala apples for $3. We bought a pork shoulder roast for $8 and got two and a half meals out of it. I got a whole chicken for $5, but it was spoiled so I had to return it and got a $7 chicken instead. They were out of $5 chickens."
Go here to tell Congress to protect food stamps, instead of slashing and restructuring the food stamp program, the single biggest source of food for New Yorkers who rely on soup kitchens and food pantries.

[FSogol]

1. Here's Lawrence O'Donnell discussing Fox & Friends attacks on Batali

Last edited Thu May 17, 2012, 04:12 PM - Edit history (1)

http://thelastword.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/17/11739009-rewriting-foxs-attack-on-mario-batali?lite

[xchrom]

2. the loaves and the fishes -- indeed.

O'Donnell is always at some of his best when he brings things around like that.

[Bake]

54. For a split second I thought you were saying LO'D went on Fox and Friends and attacked Batali

But then the split second passed ...



Bake

[ashling]

96. That happens at a certain age

senior moment?

[Bake]

116. Hey now! You talking about me???

You have to admit, the post to which I was responding was worded awkardly at best.



Bake

[ashling]

117. Actually, I'm talking about me (LOL)

[Stinky The Clown]

60. Your headline is (unintentionally, I am *certain*) misleading.

It could be taken that O'Donnell was a guest on Fox and Friends attacking Mario.

I know that's not what you meant.

[FSogol]

62. Yeah, my bad. I'll edit it. n/t

[AtheistCrusader]

82. Now it reads like you are asking why his photo is on a food stamp...

[UnrepentantLiberal]

136. It does.

That's what I thought this was about.

[JNelson6563]

74. Ok, that was GREAT!

I live in Traverse City, MI and Chef Batali has a summer home in the area. He lends his name to various causes that do food events for fundraisers and is an all around nice guy. Kindly tolerates the fuss when he's in a restaurant or whatever.

Still, I didn't know he does all of what O'Donnell covers here! My gawd! What a hero!

May the gods bless Chef Batali for his countless good works as well as Lawrence O'Donnell for shining a bright light on them (as well as exposing the Faux News vermin).

Julie

[GoCubsGo]

94. I caught part of the F & F attack...

It was on one of the TVs at my gym. The male assclown was foaming at the mouth over it. "This is why I hate celebrity chefs, blah, blah, blah..." It would have been hilarious if it wasn't so goddamn revolting.

[Life Long Dem]

3. Someone needs to pay for the two wars the Republicans started.

[NJCher]

4. I'd go totally vegan on that budget

Chicken, pork, etc. = cholesterol, something few of us in America need.

Admirable on the part of Batali, but not fair. I live with a culinary expert and let me tell you that--with their intensive food knowledge-- these people can make food work 40 ways from Sunday. Aha--lightbulb moment: that's why he bought the chicken. A chicken is wonderful for flavoring, soups, broths, tiny bits of protein to mix in with other foods. A whole chicken can actually be one of your best buys, esp'ly if one can get one for $5, which it says he couldn't.

Still, this is really interesting and I would like to read more about his week.


Cher

[catbyte]

6. Batali's tweets are good, tho. It's even getting to HIM

[JDPriestly]

14. I wouldn't go totally vegan, but reduce meat considerably.

I would buy vegetables and especially beans. It's healthier than pork. A little chicken a couple of times a week is OK.

No cookies. No candy. No soft drinks. Utterly out if you eat on a tight budget. And you are healthier for it.

[Lex]

19. He's tweeted that fresh fruit and vegetables are more expensive

than he imagined when he started counting every penny for food, and organic was out of the question.

[riderinthestorm]

44. Say what?? I just read on DU that healthy foods are not expensive

Healthy food no more costly than junk food, government finds

Contrary to popular belief, many healthy foods are no more expensive than junk food, according to a large new government analysis.

"Price is not a good excuse" for not eating a nutritious diet, says Andrea Carlson, who studies food prices and food consumption with an emphasis on healthy diets.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002693267





All kidding aside, Batali is right. A bag of mini-gala apples at the local 7-11? (which is labelled as a "grocery store" on my Garmin) Yeah right, even if you could find such a product there, you couldn't afford them on $31/week.

Batali has many luxuries the poor don't have: easy transportation, the luxury of time (time enough to exchange a spoiled chicken?!) to cook and prepare, the time to have acquired the knowledge set to make healthy meals, adequate storage for his food etc. etc.


That said, I do applaud him doing this. Anything that brings attention to this issue gets huge kudos from me

[rhett o rick]

99. Your comments re. transportation are right on. Most poor people dont have decent stores

with fresh produce close by.

[dkf]

109. He made it look too easy.

He bolsters the argument that you can feed yourself decently on such a minimal amount.

[pinboy3niner]

110. BS

He describes the difficulty of feeding his family on the food stamp diet, and he says that he's "starving" on it, even though he's a top chef.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

23. Chicken, pork, etc. = protein, something all of us in America need

[justiceischeap]

48. Wow, I don't get any of my protein from meat-based sources

I get it from quinoa, peanut butter, peanuts, beans, lentils. I'm not suffering from a lack of protein in my vegetarian/vegan diet. Hell, most veggies carry varying amounts of protein.

[RebelOne]

55. Same here.

I am a vegetarian, but also take protein supplements, such as Vitamin B-12.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

58. I have a theory that people who lack of protein say "Wow" a lot. n/t

[justiceischeap]

76. I have a theory about people who make bold statements

that contain no facts... funny how that works, isn't it?

[Reptilublican]

93. Most gorillas eat nothing but fruit, leaves, stems, seeds and the occasional termite

and I would say the weakest gorilla could beat up any human

[AnotherMcIntosh]

95. Too bad for them.

And for humans, it's unlikely, of course, that eating "nothing but fruit, leaves, stems, seeds and the occasional termite" is not going to make anyone as strong as a gorilla.

[Confusious]

107. When you find a gorilla

With the brain the size of a human, you'll be famous.

Most of what we eat feeds the brain.

[Chan790]

134. Actually...

the average American eats somewhere between 3-5x the optimal protein level for their diet and activity-level daily. What does that extra protein get you?

Does it make you smarter? No.
Does it make you stronger? No.
Does it make you faster? No.
Does it make you look better? No.
Does it make you thinner? I'm sure a great shock to Atkins adherents...No.
Does it make your hair look shinier? Actually there some evidence this one might be true.

So what does it do? It gets passed through your system into your colon where it causes stool-hardening making it harder to poop; increasing the occurrence of hemorrhoids; raises your risk of colon and rectal cancers; and increases the frequency of constipation. All of these can be mitigated by increasing fiber-intake...but the average American eats only about 10% of their recommended fiber and to offset their increased protein consumption, they'd have to eat closer to 200-300%.

So, how much protein should the average American be eating daily? Two of the following:

1 oz Turkey breast or chicken breast, skin removed
1 oz Fish fillet (flounder, sole, scrod, cod, etc.)
1 oz Canned tuna in water
1 oz Shellfish (clams, lobster, scallop, shrimp)
¾ C Cottage cheese, nonfat or low-fat
2 Egg whites
¼ C Egg substitute
1 oz Fat-free cheese
½ C Beans, cooked (black beans, kidney, chick peas or lentils)

1 oz Chicken—dark meat, skin removed
1 oz Turkey—dark meat, skin removed
1 oz Salmon, swordfish, herring
1 oz Lean beef (flank steak, London broil, tenderloin, roast beef)*
1 oz Veal, roast or lean chop*
1 oz Lamb, roast or lean chop*
1 oz Pork, tenderloin or fresh ham*
1 oz Low-fat cheese (with 3 g or less of fat per ounce)
1 oz Low-fat luncheon meats (with 3 g or less of fat per ounce)
¼ C 4.5% cottage cheese
2 med. Sardines
* Limit to 1–2 times per week

1 oz Beef (any prime cut), corned beef, ground beef**
1 oz Pork chop
1 Whole egg (medium)**
1 oz Mozzarella cheese
¼ C Ricotta cheese
4 oz Tofu
** Choose these very infrequently

(Serving size guidelines courtesy of the American Dietetic Association and National Institutes of Health.)
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/fd_exch.htm

Because I know that some people will want to know:
Bean products like tempeh are the same as the derived bean-matter--1/2 C (4oz)
Kitchen-prepared mock-meats like seitan are usually 1 oz or 2 oz
One homemade veggie-patty is 1 serving per 6oz unless TVP is included...tabulate weight of hydrated TVP as bean-matter.
Peanut Butter and other nut-butters are 2 tbsp per serving
1 spray or 1 tbsp. of Liquid Aminos is 1 serving. The same is true of most fermented tamari and shoyu (soy sauce)

And now, we've established a baseline for how much is enough/too-little/too-much protein.

[Doremus]

50. Plants have protein.

Some have way more protein than meat, in fact.

The myth that we can only get protein from (beef, chicken, pork, fish) is brought to you by the respective industries and their expensive ad campaigns.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

57. And water is wet. n/t

[Doremus]

77. To avoid taxing your repertoire of witty retorts further,I will consider myself duly chastized, lol.

[Confusious]

108. What about cost?

That is the point, isn't it?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2011/07/tofu-or-not-tofu-the-high-cost-of-vegetarianism.html

[Alcibiades]

5. He has a natural advantage most poor people don't

I live in a place where plenty of folks are on food stamps. Their money would go a lot further if they bought staple ingredients and cooked from scratch, rather than the processed items I see them buying with their EBT cards. When I was a kid, my father's family was poor, and they had a skill at good home cooking using fresh ingredients. I wonder if many people today have forgotten these skills.

It is also very time consuming, and I wonder if many people have the time to do this. For example, it takes me about four hours to make two loaves of bread, but they are cheaper, more wholesome and better tasting than anything I can get at the store, to include the so-called "artisanal bread."

[Alcibiades]

7. Looks like I misposted

It's not really a natural advantage, but a skill.

[Myrina]

8. Bingo!

[hifiguy]

9. Anyone can learn how to cook if they take the time.

When I was in my late teens, it was just my widowed mom and I. She worked full time. I groused about dinner a few times and she told me "well, you cook then. Anyone who can read can learn to cook!"

I started out slowly, doctoring up Hamburger Helper mixes to make them taste better and playing around with simple dishes. It was fun, so I laid my hands on a couple of cookbooks and started working through them. There was the odd disaster here and there, but more often than not careful attention to a recipe yielded a tasty dish and my mom happily relinquished the kitchen to me. I then moved on to French and Italian food via Craig Claiborne's Times cookbooks and eventually to serious Chinese cooking, which became my favorite cuisine.

Never had a cooking lesson in my life, and I am a damned good amateur chef. All because I took the time to learn.

[Alcibiades]

12. That's absolutely true

The strange thing is that some folks seem to think cooking is not masculine. I was talking to my aunt a few months ago about my recipe for butter chicken, and she said to me that it's a wonder I'm not gay. I told her that cooking doesn't make you gay, it's being attracted to the same sex that makes you gay.

But what I wish I had said was that the reason I know how to cook is because I like to eat. If you don't know how to cook, you're a slave to other people. You're dependent upon someone else to prepare your food the way you like it. How manly is that? Plus, eating out is expensive. I know so many single guys who never learned to cook who waste so much money on dining out, much of it at fast food places where the food is bad and bad for you.

All it takes is one good cookbook, even a basic one: I use the better homes and gardens one. And the internet is a good resource. You also have to learn how to actually follow the recipes, most of which have been tried and tested by better cooks.

[hifiguy]

17. "The reason I know how to cook is because I like to eat"

Exactamundo. I love good food and it's a lot cheaper to make it myself, and one gets the satisfaction of a job well done.

[NJCher]

114. McDonald's liberated men

Yes, that's the theory of an eccentric friend of mine. He would smile slyly when advocating that theory so his wife, the cook in that pair, would know HE HAD ALTERNATIVES! Yessireee, he had options.

In our house and the house across the way, the men are the cooks.


Cher

[Yavin4]

27. "Anyone can learn how to cook if they take the time." Who Has The Time?

A lot of people on Food Stamps work, and they work odd shifts. Time is a luxury for America's working class.

[Little Star]

41. I agree, except some work so much they don't 'have' the time.

[ScreamingMeemie]

70. I am teaching my son (13) to cook. We started with simple pastas

pancakes, french toast and eggs. He is moving right along. Cooking is the one thing that we do together.

[hifiguy]

73. Good for you!

Boys should learn how to cook. As noted above, it was just my mom and I when I was in my late teens. I learned how to cook, do laundry (without ruining it by mixing colors back in those prehistoric times), clean the house and do the grocery shopping and did that stuff while she was at work. It's good training for real life and cooking is a hobby/interest one can pursue for a lifetime.

[ScreamingMeemie]

85. It is just the two of us as well. My son is very good at vacuuming, mowing the lawn etc.

He reminds me so much of his dad...only my husband could hardly boil water.

[keroro gunsou]

97. according to both my grandmothers...

there is nothing sexier to a woman than a man who can and will cook.

and you don't want to argue with gramma

i like to bake more than cook. but i can handle myself just fine in a kitchen.

when i lived on my own... back in my misspent youth... i ended up cooking for my flatmates and some of the neighbors. all i asked is they comp me for the ingredients and give me a little creative freedom. i plan on doing it again when i move out... recovering from surgery is a killer... and thankfully my parents had no trouble letting me move home to do it.

kudos to mister batali. i knew i liked that guy, he's good people... and writes some nice cookbooks...

[99 Percent Sure]

90. +1 ...Tell it...

My enjoyment and skill at cooking began at the age of 8 when the paternal great-grandmother taught me to make biscuits from scratch. At age 11, I was the 2nd eldest of 7 and my mom worked so she'd call home and instruct in cooking and/or prepping for her to cook while I babysat 4 young siblings. My folks taught me how to gut a fish, cut up a whole chicken, full meals from scratch. I ain't no Jiffy Cornbread mix user or Duncan Hines girl.

In high school, I took a home ec elective and learned to make good tuna salad, basic sewing and knitting, among other things. My copy of [i Ji]The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne is all raggedy, but it taught me a lot. Now I can throw down and my staple cook references are Cook's Illustrated, Southern Living Cookbook, and cooking web sites.

Everyone who posted that it is cheaper to stock up on staples and cook your own meals when you have a SNAP card is totally correct. I do ok on $200/month but, although I value shop, I rarely have anything left over the next month.

I can't imagine how the Congress creatures expect indigent folk to survive off less.

[Zoeisright]

112. If you aren't exhausted by working four jobs.

And aren't dealing with major depression, which is more debilitating than end-stage heart disease. People forget that poverty is a major factor in depression. Not to mention if your power is turned off because you can't pay Con Ed.

WHO Study:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/depression-more-debilitating-than-physical-disability-aiims-study/423949/

Sure, knowing how to cook is important. But it's not the answer for the piss poor amount people on food stamps have for food.

[mainer]

118. ALL kids should take home economics. Boys and girls.

In fact, boys may need it more than girls. Cooking is an essential life skill.

[hifiguy]

119. You made my point better than I did.

[pinboy3niner]

10. Even with that advantage, he says he's starving on the food stamp diet

That's pretty telling when it's that much of a challenge even for a top chef.

[Alcibiades]

16. Good point

Food is also a bit more expensive there than here, though. Then again, that helps make his point.

[cali]

28. it's hyperbole- in the aid of a good cause-

but clearly hyperbole. And a family of 4 can eat quite well on $125 a week.

[Luminous Animal]

61. I couldn't do it.

I could not feed my family well or even poorly on $1.50 per meal per person.

[cali]

64. yes you could.

I can and do feed myself on that. It's really not hard. Tonight I'm having fried brown rice with celery, carrot, onions, egg and leftover chicken and a cucumber salad. I roasted a chicken last night and by using the leftovers more as seasoning than anything else, I'll get another 7 meals out of it- not including broth from the bones. Yesterday I bought 4 lbs of tomatoes for .99 and some slightly wilted cilantro for .50 so I'll make some salsa- easy and much cheaper. I eat a lot of beans and lentils and rice. I'm not deprived when it comes to fresh fruit or vegetables. I never buy soda and rarely buy fruit juices. I drink homemade iced tea brewed with mint (now that it's up) and fresh fruit if I have it.

I waste nothing. I look for bargains but not obsessively and I don't buy convenience foods. It's not even much of a challenge anymore- though it took some getting used to.

[Luminous Animal]

87. No, I couldn't. Not if I wanted to continue eating organic and sustainable food.

[cali]

89. lol. move the goal posts the entire field. Let me quote you:

I could not feed my family well or even poorly on $1.50 per meal per person.

What you're saying now is utterly fucking different than your initial claim- which, for obvious reasons, is the one I responded to.

Your claim wasn't that you couldn't continue to fee your family organic and sustainable food.

Aren't you special though.

[Luminous Animal]

91. Ack! For some reason, the entire body of my post disappeared!

So you can get off the floor and stop laughing now.

It started out with something like this...

"But even if I were to feed subpar food to my family, I couldn't do it for $1.50 per meal per person."

Then I presented a comparison of Safeway prices in the city to Safeway prices in the suburbs. It took me about 2 hours to research and write my post and I will have to stay an hour later at work to make up for it. (One of the hours was during my lunchtime.)

I am actually so frustrated right now I could cry that all of that is lost.

I chose Safeway because I don't have a car and there is one two blocks from my house so, if I were to shop at a commercial grocer, Safeway would be have to be the one. Grocery store prices in the city are 10% - 25% higher than in the suburbs.

There is the civic center farmers market (often cheaper than Safeway) that sells commercially produced food and is on the subway line but it is only open on Wednesday afternoons during my work hours. The only other farmers market on the subway line that is open on the weekend is sooooo expensive that I will only shop there if I am looking for a specific specialty item.

I also talked about things that I would have to give up in order to eat as healthful a diet as possible while still sticking to the cheapest items. I'd have to give up things like bread, corn, tofu, soy milk, soy beans, etc.

I also talked about my daughter's gargantuan appetite.

Oh well, I can't get it back and at least you got a good laugh and an opportunity to mock someone.

[Alcibiades]

102. I could do it

But don't. We spend about $600 a month to feed our family of four. That includes beer, wine, and various forms of sweets for the kids that we could cut out if need be, though.

[JDPriestly]

15. Time is the problem for the people I see in the grocery store.

They are working believe it or not, and they often have pretty good-sized families. Also, most of them cook in a traditional style. Different regional and ethnic styles. And a lot of them eat a lot of macaroni and cheese.

[lapislzi]

31. Answer: not many, not much

When you are scrambling from one low-wage job to the next on public transportation, I assure you, you are not thinking about simmering beans with an off-cut of cheap pork. You are thinking about picking up the baby, and does she still have that cough, and how to shovel mac and cheese into the kids while they're doing their homework.

Wholesome food should be subsidized. Nutrition education for adults should be subsidized. Child care should be subsidized. Post-secondary education and vocational training should be subsidized. And--do I even need to say it?--single-payer health care should be the law of the land.

[SammyWinstonJack]

65. +1.

Wholesome food should be subsidized. Nutrition education for adults should be subsidized. Child care should be subsidized. Post-secondary education and vocational training should be subsidized. And--do I even need to say it?--single-payer health care should be the law of the land.

[canoeist52]

71. Thank you for saying this. nt

[CottonBear]

113. Thank you for saying this.

I have SNAP benefits. I make 3 meals a day at home with the healthiest food I can afford for me and my child. I lost my professional career job back in 2009 and have only recently found part time, slightly over minimum wage work. I am not eligible for childcare benefits. My child needs to be in preschool (for purposes of socialization and also learning) but I can't afford private preschool or private daycare. My child's father takes care of him while I work and then he works when I'm at home with my child. If I work more, then all of my extra paycheck would go to childcare and not to bills so I'm screwed. I could get a better job if I could work full time, 9-5 hours. My child is rarely with both parents at the same time because someone is working while the other takes care of the baby. Also, his father and I have no health insurance. At least the baby has Medicaid. Our child is not eligible for state-funded Pre-K until next year.

[tru]

63. time

There are many things to "cook" that take little time - scrambled eggs, an omelet, spaghetti, vegetables, fruit, salad, soup that comes in cans, canned baked beans. The two latter serve two and easily meet the per meal price limitation.

Even a meat eater should be able to throw together a hamburger in little time.

Bread is cheap to buy but time consuming to make so I think that is not a good example.

it probably takes less time to buy the above items on a weekly grocery store trip, considering you're going to the grocery store anyway, than it does to stop at fast food places repeatedly.

[Dont call me Shirley]

69. Cooking every meal from scratch is a full time job.

Now how are they supposed to be at home cooking full time and working two poverty level jobs at the same time?

Wages must meet a "living wage", plus benefits. Anything less than that is STEALING from the worker!

[cynatnite]

83. I cook a lot by scratch, but bread and rolls are things I won't...

I will screw up a bread of loaf in no time. I've made ketchup and bbq sauce by scratch. I love making cake by scratch. I am always looking for recipes that not only save money, but are tasty and healthy. My family loves it (most of the time).

[Chan790]

135. I used to bake my own bread but I determined the day-old bakery rack was actually cheaper.

It's hard to bake a 7-grain loaf or other artisan breads for <$1/loaf in my experience. If you know how I can get the price of multi-grain breads down, I'd be interested.

[cali]

11. Even with two teenage sons, it just isn't that hard to function well, and

yes even thrive on 125 buck a week food budget for 4. Not that I don't salute Batali for drawing attention to the plan to slash food stamps.

[jwirr]

13. Back when George McGovern was a senator he challenged other congress persons to do this. It was

one of the ways that the program got passed. Nothing will convince the rethugs and they do not have the guts to take part in the experiment.

[kemah]

18. Bob Dole came out against food stamps, but overnight he changed his mind.

Big AG called and told him to switch his vote because food stamp money is used to buy agriculture and bid AG saw it as a windfall. Wal Mart and other grocers also profit from food stamps.

[jwirr]

20. Of course and so what?

[lapislzi]

33. All hail King Corn

Big Corn won't be happy until everything we eat is 100% corn-based. And then they'll get to work figuring out ways to synthesize corn-based insulin for the diabetes they're creating.

(Yes, I am a one-woman anti-corn crusade)

[Mnemosyne]

56. 'King Corn' - scary film. I have 'the Future of Food' and am almost afraid to watch it. nt

[dionysus]

78. corn on the vob.. popcorn... yum. HFCS, not so much...

[lapislzi]

21. Mr. Batali has many advantages

He has transportation available so he can return that spoiled chicken to the place of purchase. He has leisure time to shop around for bargains. He's not standing at the bus stop with a stinky chicken in a plastic bag waiting for a bus that usually runs late. He's not losing time from work.

His entire job consists of cooking and food-related activities. He has all day to simmer those beans. He has a good education in food science and nutrition behind him. He makes wise choices, some of which are unavailable to people on public assistance. Mini gala apples at the corner convenience store? Doubtful.

He faces few of the challenges of the low-income family. He has income sources to pay for the things food stamps don't pay for: toilet paper, tampons, soap.

I don't like the idea of eating off food stamps to sound fun. It's not. I would like to see him and his family in a one-bedroom apartment for a week, using public transportation to their two or three low-wage jobs while juggling child care.

That being said, I applaud his work and efforts to bring visibility to food insecurity.

[xchrom]

24. The very definition of a left handed compliment.

Given his tremendous efforts on behalf of the poor and hungry in NY and other venues - I think he'd be the first to admit to his advantages.

The point is to experience and communicate to a wider public what it is to sustain one's self and family on food stamps.

He has access to the media that the poor never have.

[lapislzi]

26. I said I commend him, and I do.

But, to put it in perspective, I'd like it demonstrated just how truly crappy it is to live on the margins of the economy.

Bringing visibility to the issue of food insecurity is important, but it's only part of the picture.

Batali, of all people, is best equipped to handle the challenges of a limited food budget. Most poor people aren't.

It IS great the bring the issue to the attention of the media, but more food stamps isn't going to fix poverty, or diabetes, or obesity, or a host of other by-products of poverty.

That being said (again), food stamps are absolutely vital. In every way, I favor expansion of the social safety net.

[obamanut2012]

75. Follow his tweets -- he doesn't make it sound fun

I admire him for this, and for his long-time work concerning the poor. He's a good guy.

[lapislzi]

92. I know that.

I want everyone to see the bigger picture of the ulcer on our society that is poverty. Food is just one piece of the pie (so to speak).

If a well-to-do, otherwise advantaged person finds living on food stamps difficult, imagine what it's like for thousands of Americans who have to try to grab a couple of cans of tuna or a loaf of bread on the way home from their minimum-wage jobs.

These Americans have other bills to worry about, and maybe no transportation of their own. Maybe (probably?) no health care for themselves or their children. They are one sick day, one broken tail light, away from ruin.

Batali's doing good work. It is up to the rest of us to dig deeper.

[lunasun]

103. I take it this guy is some TV chef I sorta wonder what

kind on kitchen ware he will use to create meals if he uses a food processor instead of used aluminum pot from the 2nd hand store or has lots of utensils that would not fit in the apt coach kitchen drawer , uses tons of costly aluminum foil,spices there is no room to store etc.it will just be too fake to equate

[AnotherMcIntosh]

22. We can afford endless wars and bailouts, but we can't afford to feed our own people?

I can understand (but not approve) of the greed of the war profiteers and the banksters, but why not calculate the amount of food stamps according to the average monthly cost of feeding our troops?

[Dreamer Tatum]

25. What a blowhard.

He might be on food stamps for a week at $31/head, but he owns several restaurants where the average tab for one meal is well over $31/head.

A less full of shit person would find a way to charge less for food that he himself serves.

But then, of course, THOSE PEOPLE would want to eat at Babbo - and he can't have THAT.

[cali]

29. oh bullshit.

why shouldn't he own expensive and good restaurants and also work for food security for those who can't afford to eat at his restaurants? Care to explain?

[pinboy3niner]

32. You must be looking in a mirror...

...because 'blowhard' and 'full of shit person' doesn't apply to Batali, who has put his time, effort and resources where his mouth is.

Before popping off on something you know nothing about, you might want to see the video linked in Post #1 and learn something about Batali.

[Dreamer Tatum]

34. Go look at the prices on a Batali menu and get back to me.

Food by the 1%, for the 1%. Period, paragraph, story.

Sorry you don't like it.

[FSogol]

37. Do the 1% staff his 11 restaurants?

He's created good jobs. Watch the link in reply #1.

[Dreamer Tatum]

39. Can that staff afford to eat in his restaurants?

Not talking about the staff meals.

The answer is no.

[slackmaster]

45. I can't afford the software service that my employer sells

And that I help create and improve.

[FSogol]

46. Most upscale restaurants give the employees food. I'm guessing they eat there every day. n/t

[hifiguy]

43. I've eaten in a Batali restaurant in the last six months

and I am a long, long way from the 1%. Treated myself to it while in Las Vegas for a trade show as I've wanted to eat his food for years. It was all I expected and superb. And it ain't 1%ers working in all of those Batali restaurants.

[SalviaBlue]

47. I have eaten in his restaurant. I am the 99%, not the 1%.

There are people in the 99% who can afford to eat out. Sorry you don't like it.

Alienating the part of the 99% who are not dirt poor does not help the cause of a more equitable distribution of wealth.

[pinboy3niner]

106. His prices? WTF? He could be a Mercedes dealer or in any high-end business.

Batali has raised, through his foundation and other charitable activities, millions for child education, nutrition education, the Food Bank for NYC, Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center, the National Organization for Rare Disorders, the First Star organization's programs for abused and neglected children, and more.

So a keyboard commando throws him under the bus as a 'blowhard' (you obviously are ignorant of the meaning of that word) and a 'full of shit person' (another obvious comprehension problem here) because...(drumroll)...you think his menu prices are too high?

I'll have to hand it to you and give you the maximum allowable bonus points for completely missing the point and not having a fucking clue.

Way to go!

[OriginalGeek]

35. Complete and utter bullshit and fabrication

on your part.

You have no earthly idea what his thoughts on "those people" are. Why are you shitting on a good thing? What is your agenda?

[Dreamer Tatum]

36. Meal for four at Babbo, including wine: $500.

Case closed.

[cali]

38. So what? Seriously, so what?

[Dreamer Tatum]

42. Must cost a lot to keep the earwigs out of the kitchen, I guess. nt

[Doremus]

53. I like how you throw the wine in, for what conceivable reason other than drama I have no idea

Not covered by food stamps last I checked.

You must be aware that some bottles of wine cost far more than the $500 tab on your fictional dinner for 4, so why even mention it?

Your argument is specious to say the least.

[JI7]

68. he gets not everyone can afford that , even those who go to his restaurant

can't afford that all the time. there are a few but many people who go do for special occasions.

[dionysus]

80. so the fuck what? poor people exist, therefore no one can have expensive cuisine?

[OriginalGeek]

104. lol at your case

not closed at all. I actually went and looked to see what you were complaining about and you got nothing. Nothing. That place may be a little spendy but it's nowhere near the elitist shit you seem to think it is. And even if it was, so fucking what? Here's a guy who made good in life and he's trying to give back and you just shit on him. You suck at being a good person.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

59. He's just an angry little attack muffin. nt

[Lex]

52. Talk about missing the point. Whoa. nt

[JI7]

66. what has one got to do with the other ? it's good he understands not everyone can afford his

restaurant .

[dionysus]

79. someone's bitter...

[LadyHawkAZ]

81. WHOOSH!

Right over the head.

No good deed goes unpunished, I guess.

[Quantess]

101. Somehow I doubt you are genuinely concerned over the existence of fancy restaurants.

I also somehow doubt you are genuinely concerned that poor people are not dining in fancy restaurants. Are you suggesting we do away with fancy restaurants altogether, since they are too expensive for the working class?

[GoneOffShore]

115. You really don't get chefs at all.

Charlie Trotter in Chicago has a restaurant that I can't afford. That's fine. I've stopped going to those kinds of restaurants. However he is constantly giving back to people in Chicago.

Mario Battali is another guy who gives back.

Despite the prices, all these guys are working stiffs. They do hard, back breaking work feeding people.

I don't know what you do in life as we know it, but unless you've worked as a miner, or steelworker, or day laborer, you won't find many jobs that are more stressful and harder physically than working in a kitchen.

Now, go away and stop dumping on a good guy trying to prove a point about food justice and hunger in this country.

[Bluenorthwest]

30. A few years ago, then Oregon Governor Ted Kulungowski and his wife did exactly what he's doing.

It was very useful in terms of public awareness of the facts of living on such benefits. Of course Ted's a Democrat, need I say?

[zzaapp]

40. What a guy !!!

Good for him.

[Warpy]

49. I don't know if I'd like to work for the guy

I understand he's a prodigious drinker and, um, erratic.

However, he's done things for the hungry for many years. He's a mensch in that regard--his job is to feed people, and he wants to feed more than just the wealthy.

If I'm ever able to go to NYC again, I'd be proud to drop too much money at one of his restaurants.

[Dorian Gray]

111. Ive been to Del Posto

once. Never Babbo. (I live in NYC.) I love Batali. He's a great local guy who works hard. He serves great food. He's passionate about what he does. And he gives back to the community. I've also heard stories about him being a little erratic, but what chef isn't? (Besides Eric Ripert!)

[MatthewStLouis]

51. Ok, when I first read that I thought you meant his picture is on food stamps. :) /nt

[Dont call me Shirley]

67. Kudos to Mario. He's fun to watch.

But I wonder, did he use oils, seasonings and spices he already had? Those get very pricey.

[xchrom]

84. I was just having a conversation about that.

Have you priced cumin lately - even at say krogers?

I think this is a great exercise - a great one & others have done it - but boy - it must be bland.

[LeftyMom]

121. Spices at grocery stores are a rip-off.

They're overpriced and often not very fresh. But you do get the nice little jar.

I buy mine at the health food store, they're much cheaper, very fresh, and I can buy as little or as much as I need.

[guardian]

131. Try Asian markets

They often have spices at very low prices. For example you can get a big bag of toasted sesame seed for $2-$3 compared with $5-$7 for a tiny bottle of McCormicks spices.

[Chan790]

137. Yup...

I do the same.

Although I did discover for when I'm in a hurry that if you look in the Spanish foods aisle you can get all sorts of stuff including spices for about half what it sells for in its' own aisle.

I'm a big fan of the $0.50 Goya-brand pasta, $2 5# basmati rice and cheap juice.

[HappyMe]

72. k&r

Batali is a good guy.

[surrealAmerican]

86. Good for him.

I hope his protest helps.

[spanone]

88. fox is a shitstain on the world

[Faygo Kid]

98. Big fan, and he lives in my favorite place anywhere in the summer.

On Grand Traverse Bay in the northern lower peninsula (Leelanau County). Of course.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/17/travel/escapes/17away.html?_r=2&scp=4&sq=batali&st=cse

[WillyT]

100. DU Rec !!!

[ellisonz]

105. K & R

[Prism]

120. My food budget is $25 a person and we do just fine

I have mixed feelings on this topic, because I see a lot of DUers claim that no one could possibly eat healthfully on so little money. But that's untrue. I know it's untrue, because me and my boyfriend do it every single day. (Full disclosure: I can afford to spend more on food but don't out of frugality - trying to save for various reasons).

An average day for me, today for example.

Breakfast: Egg whites, a piece of toast, and milk/fruit smoothie.
Snacks: Mainly fruit today. An apple, banana, and orange.
Lunch: Lentils with red pepper and curry powder (it's kind of bizarrely delicious) and some cottage cheese
Dinner: Cauliflower/tofu indian dish with green beans and brown rice

For home snacks, we have some pop chips around that were 2/$4 at CVS and various Trader Joe's things you can get for $2 a bag. We're big fans of their Gorgonzola crackers, but I'm on a special work-out diet, so I prefer their multi-grain ones. We drink iced tea instead of soda (you can get 100 bags for super cheap). My one extravagance is coffee, but an $8 or $9 cheap can will last me about a month. We have chicken and fish in our weekly diet as well and cheap Pasta/Sauce from TJ's.

Now, in saying this, I am not for any kinds of cuts in any food stamp program whatsoever. In fact, I think it should be increased.

I'm just wondering what advantage I have that I can eat comfortably with delicious food on $50 a week for two people, but a lot of DUers think this is a total impossibility.

I understand the food island problem. I do live near a grocery store and a Trader Joe's.

But aside from that, why am I at odds with so many on this topic? I'm not talking about shoulds or shouldn'ts. I'm talking about cant's. It's said people can't live healthfully on little money.

Ok, but I do.

[riderinthestorm]

122. You said it yourself, because you live near a grocery store and a Trader Joe's. You also have time

to shop at multiple outlets which I'm surmising since you mentioned a special food deal at CVS beyond the TJs and the grocery store. The pop chips sound like a regular snack which means you make a trip there to pick it up. Doesn't sound as though you are working 2 jobs (I'm guessing here but since you mention an exercise program, I'm presuming you have enough time in a day instead of spending 16 hours/day working at min wage jobs) nor do you have kids. Furthermore I'll go out on a limb and guess you have transport but even if you don't you already have many advantages over the average urban poor person.

Since you also put out a sample menu I can also deduce you have electricity, a stove, and a working refrigerator to store your food PLUS (I'm guessing) an apartment/house/condo that's rodent free that isn't getting into your dry goods (ie. another safe place to store your food).

So you have close stores that actually stock healthy food, you have the time to shop and cook (and exercise), you have functioning appliances and safe food storage. I'm guessing you don't have children and that you have transport (those two things factor in a lot!)

Even the chef in the OP, a person experienced in nutrition, food, and prep is having a very difficult time doing this. FWIW, I also have a very low food budget by choice but I don't dare presume to scold since I've actually been poor. I've got the money, time, transport, and kitchen to actually eat properly now but I've scavenged out of dumpsters, eaten leftovers off restaurant plates, debated whether to buy the can of spaghetti-os or an orange at the 7-11 with the $1.26 I found in the sofa cushions that dropped out of someone's pocket (before deciding to go for the $ menu at Mickey Ds because your hands are shaking from being so hungry and you need fat, sugar and/or carbs instantly or you'll faint).

[Prism]

123. I work full time and go to school full time.

I work 9 hours a day and am taking 12 hours this semester. So no, I don't have much a luxury of time. I make what time I can for various things. Furthermore, I do not own a car. I either walk or bike to the stores (and 11 year-old bike that requires frequent repair). I do most of my grocery shopping once a week on my day off. For bits and bats, or the multiple locations you note, I grab things on my way to and from work. I know what I'm getting ahead of time so I can get in and out with it.

I'm not scolding the poor. I grew up poor. My parents were on welfare at various times of my upbringing. I know what it's like to have the electricity and water turned off. As a student with a placeholder job, I'm not exactly swimming in money myself.

My contention is not that the very poor don't have it bad. My contention is against the idea that no one can possibly eat well unless they're spending tons of money on food. I feel like DU is strangely disconnected from the poor or what the world's like out there. I encounter this a lot in Berkeley, where I'll find fellow liberals wondering how anyone can live without money. Well, yeah, if you think the rest of the world functions like Whole Foods and Andronico's, I can see why you'd think that.

I don't know. There's a condescension here, I think, that the poor don't have the time, energy, or ability to take care of themselves.

Even in your post, you made a lot of assumptions about my life based on my habits. "Well, he can do this, so he must have endless time and resources." I promise you, I don't. I am not impoverished, but I do live within a tight budget, am frequently exhausted, and have most of my time accounted for in some way.

Assumptions are tricky things.

[guardian]

124. apples and oranges

Mario is misrepresenting the program with this stunt. Contrary to popular belief, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are not meant to meet all of the food needs of a household or an individual, but to supplement their nutritional needs. SNAP is intended to be combined or augmented by other income...whether through private sources or government sources such as SSI. The amount received is adjusted based on recipient income and cost of living index: http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant_recipients/eligibility.htm

So by living exclusively on the SNAP allowance of $31 (even if that is the correct amount for his location) then Mario is misrepresenting the program.

[Quantess]

125. $31 per week for one person is fairly easily done.

You have to buy raw materials, but one person can eat well and healthily on $31 a week.

That said, I understand that not everyone has access to fresh fruits & veggies, and some people don't have cooking facilities, and people with disabilities have extra challenges bringing heavy/bulky food home.

[guardian]

127. All are good points

I was just pointing out that SNAP is intended to supplement an existing food budget....not to be the only source of income for food purchases. That is how the program was set up.

[xchrom]

126. So why have people like George McGovern and

The governor of Oregon done the same damn thing?

They - in their challenged themselves and others - to experience the Food Insecurity of the Poor.

All of these people have taken into account the so called differences & report back to a media THEY have access to and the poor don't & talk to us about it.

Rice & beans every day for lunch, peanut butter & jelly for the kids - the whole sticking to a very limited budget for food & what that means.

They took your 'apples & oranges' into account - they knew, I know - you know - every body knows they aren't poor.

But I can't - nor can you{the important part, I suspect} put the visceral experience vis a vis the media the way these folk can.

[guardian]

128. Non Sequitur

I have no idea what you are trying to say. If you have a point to make I can't figure out what it is.

[xchrom]

129. that batali is not the only one to do this.

others have done the same thing -- and it works.

they have access to the media the poor do not.

[guardian]

130. huh??????

I was pointing out that SNAP is a supplemental program.

How does (1) others have done what Batali is doing, or (2) Batali and others having access to the media relate in any way to my point?

[xchrom]

132. from your post

'Mario is misrepresenting the program with this stunt. Contrary to popular belief, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are not meant to meet all of the food needs of a household or an individual, but to supplement their nutritional needs. SNAP is intended to be combined or augmented by other income...whether through private sources or government sources such as SSI. The amount received is adjusted based on recipient income and cost of living index: http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/applicant_recipients/eligibility.htm

So by living exclusively on the SNAP allowance of $31 (even if that is the correct amount for his location) then Mario is misrepresenting the program.'

it's not a 'stunt' and batali is not the only one to do this in order to talk about hunger, assistance programs, etc.

[guardian]

133. It is still not clear what you are trying to say.

I'm guessing you had a problem with my characterizing this as a 'stunt'....can't really tell from your rambling, incoherent replies.

In any case, the main thrust of my post still stands. By limiting himself to $31 per person MISCHARACTERIZES the SNAP program. Just because Mario or others "talk about hunger, assistance programs" that is a separate issue. Conflating that issue with my point makes no sense.

Further if someone is going to "talk about hunger, assistance programs" they ought to accurately represent issue and the assistance program. Now if Mario wants to claim that the SNAP formula for determining the benefit amount based on the recipient's other income and cost of living index is too low then fine. But then he should include as part of his per person food allowance the additional amount of income that the government agencies use to calculate the weekly per person food allowance.