Branding Your Campaign. More than a Name.

Today, it's all about branding your campaign. You need your name, yes, but what else to make it sizzle? We all know the iconic Betty Crocker (who we also all know was not a real person, just an all-American housewifely type, created to push cake mixes and the like. Soon a household word in the 50's). Since this is the Campaign Cookbook, we'll start with her for an example of a logo that lasts:

Single names are good. Like this one. Who still remembers the whackado healer type who invented corn flakes for their cardboard-like consistency, because food should not be fun? (Or anything else for that matter). All we know is this means cereal:

So now we are in the Presidential season, yes, 17 months out and counting. And there are 20 Republican candidates and counting. So, one of the frontrunners, brother of a certain other president, has come out with his own one name logo (noticeably omitting the last famous family name), and the blog and Twitterspheres have been having fun with it:

Yup, it's just Jeb! without the Bush part. Here are a few of the articles for your enjoyment. Write one yourself why don't you. Typography is why Jeb Logo is more than a Piece of Crap; Twitter hysterically mocks Jeb Bush logo; Jeb Bush Unveiled His 2016 Logo, and the Internet Shouted Unkind Things at It 

So, have fun with this, think carefully about your own campaign logo, and when times are tough, try this Plum Blueberry Spritzer, created for the Democratic National Convention.  Just the thing for cheering on a good Democratic candidate in 2016:
  
Ingredients

1. 5 cups water
2. 1 cup fresh ripe blueberries
3. 3 ripe black plums, pitted and cut into eighths
4. 8 fresh or dried bay leaves, plus extra for garnish
5. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6. 8 cups cold club soda, for serving

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the blueberries, plums, 8 bay leaves and sugar, cover and boil over high heat, stirring, until the juice is reduced to about 3 cups and the plums are tender, about 20 minutes. Strain the mixture though a fine sieve, pressing lightly with a spatula to extract the juice; reserve the bay leaves. Return the juice to the pan, add the reserved bay leaves and simmer over moderate heat until reduced to 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves; let the syrup cool.
2. For each drink, gently whisk 1/4 cup of the plum-blueberry syrup into 1 cup of cold club soda, pour into a glass, garnish with a bay leaf and serve.

Make Ahead

The syrup can be refrigerated for 1 week.

Notes

Variation Pour 2 tablespoons of the berry syrup into a Champagne flute and top with Champagne.

Tasty Tips for your Fundraising Recipe

  Making Fundraising Personal   From Campaigns and Elections Magazine

• By Renée Hatchwell

What every candidate needs to know when baking your Election Cake (Recipe for real election cake at the end of this article):

When I ask a potential fundraising client about their campaign, they often tell me why they’re running, what they have done in public service and who’s supporting them. Others respond by saying, “I will have my campaign manager send you literature,” or they’ll tell stories not related to asking for money.

Rarely do they volunteer the information that a contributor wants to know: Can you win and how will you win? Candidates often mask their discomfort with asking for money. They enjoy talking to constituents, going to meetings and being part of events, but put off whenever possible doing fundraising. Fundraising doesn’t have to be a negative experience — and it won’t be, if you make it personal.

Sure, asking for money doesn’t come easy to most people. To ask, you need to be ready to answer the question: Why should I give you money? And responding to the question requires a candidate to talk about his or her qualities. Most people have a difficult time talking about their qualities.  

But if a candidate gets comfortable talking about himself or herself, fundraising will be a much easier and more pleasant task. Moreover, once that comfort level is achieved, here are some ways candidates can help grow their fundraising hauls.  

Divide up the contact list

The candidate and campaign team must work jointly to maximize the size of the contact list. The candidate should be able to gather information for her friends and colleagues, community activists and political players in addition to labor and business leaders. Other groups such as environmental, health, energy, and tech are likely to be in the candidate’s orbit.

All of these groups are an integral part of a campaign’s outreach. Still, it’s the fundraising team that should determine which of the contacts will be asked for a contribution. Not all people in the groups listed above are contributors, and not all contributors are voices for your campaign plan.

By recognizing the difference, the candidate’s time will be better spent for fundraising. The lists presented to the candidate for calls and meetings will be strong with potential and proven givers to campaigns. Leave the other people for your campaign activities.

Do the prep work before call time

Call time provides the opportunity to communicate and connect with potential contributors and current supporters in a personal way. Yet placing calls is frustrating and difficult. Most of the time you get a voicemail, which defeats the purpose of the personal touch. A good approach is to have the campaign’s fundraiser or staff member do advance calls to get the best time and phone number for the candidate to call. This method alleviates the frustration of leaving a message.

Work on your call style

On the phone, a candidate should be positive, friendly and concise. Moreover, they should be straightforward as to why they’re calling. One way to start is by saying that this is a call to gain support and a contribution. Contributors appreciate the honesty and it lets them know the purpose of the conversation.

Make sure to close with a strong statement like, “I hope that this conversation has provided you with the necessary information to have confidence in me and to support my campaign. Your help would be greatly appreciated.”

 Write a follow-up letter

Handwritten notes might be somewhat archaic in the era of social media and computers, but they provide an added personal touch and help a candidate stand out. Moreover, they’re an effective way to follow up from your phone call.

If you have a form letter, add a handwritten note at the bottom that shows respect to the potential contributor. These personal touches help build relationships that’ll provide a solid base for all of your fundraising.

 Pick your events carefully

For the candidate, it’s easier to ask for a contribution for an event. In fact, that’s why candidates like to have events. But they’re time intensive and, if not well planned with a host or underwriter, can be costly. There are two types: Small contributor events, which are generally for friends and friends of friends who’ll contribute up to $100. As contributors they’re an important group because small-donor money is viewed by pundits as an indication of broader support within the community.

The other type of event is the large-dollar, major-contributor fundraiser. These events are usually small in number, yet produce large amounts of money. They’re harder to organize as they require a solid commitment from the host or host committee. For this type of event to be successful reach out to someone who’s prominent in political circles who can offer names for the guest list.

These events are usually at a private home or may be held at a hotel or restaurant. Cost for this type of event must be underwritten or else the campaign will spend unnecessary money.  

Renée Hatchwell is the founder of the Renée Hatchwell Company, whose fundraising clients range from local, state and federal candidates to organizations and associations.

American Classics: Election Cake (a tasty tale from Seriouseats.com)

  Alexandra Penfold

[Photograph: Pam Parrella]

No one told me there would be cake when I signed up to vote, but historically Election Cake was an important part of doing your civic duty in Connecticut as early as colonial days. If you're going to rock the vote, I see no reason to do so sans cake. In anticipation of Election Day, this seems like a good time to revive a noble eating tradition.

History has it that this spiced raised cake was served during the festivities surrounding elections in Connecticut prior to the Revolution. The earliest recorded recipe for "Hartford Election Cake" was included in the second edition of Amelia Simmons' American Cookery, the first known cookbook written by an American, published at the turn of the 18th century.

Alas, Ms. Simmons' recipe isn't of much practical use for the modern home cook—it calls for 30 quarts of flour, 10 pounds of butter, 14 pounds of sugar, 12 pounds of raisins, 3 dozen eggs, 1 pint of wine, and 1 pint of brandy, among other ingredients. Fortunately in later years Fannie Farmer Merritt scaled the recipe back to a single loaf in The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. While I'm loathe to use the f-word here (fruitcake, people, fruitcake!), Election Cake might well be considered a cousin of both the traditional, boozy, fruit studded English Christmas cake and a yeast raised Hot Cross Bun.
Sweet, but not overly so, this is a cake worth casting a vote for.

 About This Recipe

Yield:	20 (makes two loaves)
Active time:	30 minutes
Total time:	3 hours
Special equipment:	electric stand mixer, loaf pans, wire cooling rack
This recipe appears in:	American Classics: Election Cake

Ingredients

• For the Cake
• 2/3 cup warm water (105 to 115°F)
• 2 packages of active dry yeast (1/2 ounce)
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup finely chopped figs
• For the Brandy Glaze:
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon brandy
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Procedures

1. 1
   Add warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle yeast evenly over the surface and set aside for 5 minutes to let dissolve. Grease and flour two 8.5 inch loaf pans. Line the pan bottoms with parchment paper.
2. 2
   In a large bowl mix 3 cups of flour with cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
3. 3
   Check to see that yeast has dissolved and that mixture is bubbling (if you don't see bubbles that means that your yeast is not good, and you'll have to try again proofing another batch of yeast). If yeast has dissolved and is bubbling then add one cup of flour, mixing thoroughly. Add butter and mix until well incorporated. Add sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined. Add in eggs an mix until just combined. Lastly mix in flour, reserving a couple of tablespoons. Toss raisins and figs in remaining flour and then stir them into the cake batter. Loosely cover loaf pans with a light hand towel and leave to let rise for an hour and a half.
4. 4
   Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake loaves for 50 minutes to and hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Place pans on wire racks to cool. Remove cakes from pans after 5 minutes or so.
5. 5
   In a medium bowl whisk together confectioners sugar, milk, brandy, and vanilla. Spoon over the tops of the fully cooled loaves and allow to drizzle down the sides.

Candidate Training night in Marin County!

Yes, it's that time of year, when the smell of fresh baked campaigns is in the air; at least would be candidates start gathering their ingredients, getting out their cookbooks, and putting on their aprons.

Well, we have the recipe for your campaign, right here in Marin County, at the Marin Women's Political Action Committee's Annual Campaign Training Night. We are a Non-partisan pro choice organization dedicated to advancing women in politics. This event will be on June 15.

All Candidates and those thinking of cooking up a campaign this year or next (or wanting to help those who are running) from Marin and beyond - join MWPAC at our annual training event. This event is always a hit, with experts in campaign finance, messaging, media, social and otherwise, endorsements and more explaining the process and sharing tips.

Meet fellow candidates and elected officials. Eat divine delights from Susie Deming Catering. All just $35. RSVP by June 12 to Barbara at 415-897-1224 or bmatas8139@aol.com

And to whet your appetite, here is a recipe for some Non-Partisan Chicken Wings:  

 

Left Wings

• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 4 1/2 to 5 lb. chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce

1. Light 1 side of grill, heating to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Combine first 2 ingredients and 1 tsp. salt. Cut off chicken wing tips, and discard; cut wings in half at joint. Toss wings with oil. Sprinkle chicken with pepper mixture, and toss.
2. Arrange wings over unlit side of grill, and grill, covered with grill lid, 18 to 20 minutes on each side or until done.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium. Add vinegar, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 1 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Transfer wings to a clean bowl; add half of butter mixture, reserving remaining mixture. Toss wings gently to coat. Place wings on lit side of grill. Grill, covered with grill lid, 10 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Toss wings with reserved butter mixture. Serve with Blue Cheese Sauce.

- See more at: http://theaverageconsumer.com/2012/11/consumer-cafe-election-appetizers/#sthash.FcIImPjk.dpuf

Whether you are a left winger or a right winger – here are some chicken wings for your election party from Southern Living Magazine.

Left Wings

• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 4 1/2 to 5 lb. chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce

1. Light 1 side of grill, heating to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Combine first 2 ingredients and 1 tsp. salt. Cut off chicken wing tips, and discard; cut wings in half at joint. Toss wings with oil. Sprinkle chicken with pepper mixture, and toss.
2. Arrange wings over unlit side of grill, and grill, covered with grill lid, 18 to 20 minutes on each side or until done.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium. Add vinegar, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 1 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Transfer wings to a clean bowl; add half of butter mixture, reserving remaining mixture. Toss wings gently to coat. Place wings on lit side of grill. Grill, covered with grill lid, 10 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Toss wings with reserved butter mixture. Serve with Blue Cheese Sauce.

Right Wings

• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 4 1/2 to 5 lb. chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce

1. Light 1 side of grill, heating to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Combine first 2 ingredients and 1 tsp. salt. Cut off chicken wing tips, and discard; cut wings in half at joint. Toss wings with oil. Sprinkle chicken with pepper mixture, and toss.
2. Arrange wings over unlit side of grill, and grill, covered with grill lid, 18 to 20 minutes on each side or until done.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium. Add vinegar, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 1 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Transfer wings to a clean bowl; add half of butter mixture, reserving remaining mixture. Toss wings gently to coat. Place wings on lit side of grill. Grill, covered with grill lid, 10 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Toss wings with reserved butter mixture. Serve with Blue Cheese Sauce.

Blue Cheese Sauce

• 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 (3-oz.) wedge blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Stir together sour cream, buttermilk, blue cheese, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.

- See more at: http://theaverageconsumer.com/2012/11/consumer-cafe-election-appetizers/#sthash.FcIImPjk.dpuf

Left Wings

• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 4 1/2 to 5 lb. chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce

1. Light 1 side of grill, heating to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Combine first 2 ingredients and 1 tsp. salt. Cut off chicken wing tips, and discard; cut wings in half at joint. Toss wings with oil. Sprinkle chicken with pepper mixture, and toss.
2. Arrange wings over unlit side of grill, and grill, covered with grill lid, 18 to 20 minutes on each side or until done.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium. Add vinegar, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 1 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Transfer wings to a clean bowl; add half of butter mixture, reserving remaining mixture. Toss wings gently to coat. Place wings on lit side of grill. Grill, covered with grill lid, 10 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Toss wings with reserved butter mixture. Serve with Blue Cheese Sauce.

 

Right Wings

• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 4 1/2 to 5 lb. chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
•  2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• Cook the same as the Left Wings.
• 
  
  Blue Cheese Sauce
  • 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk
  • 1 (3-oz.) wedge blue cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  Stir together sour cream, buttermilk, blue cheese, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.
  
  
  
  

Whether you are a left winger or a right winger – here are some chicken wings for your election party that I found in my Southern Living Magazine.

Left Wings

• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 4 1/2 to 5 lb. chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce

1. Light 1 side of grill, heating to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Combine first 2 ingredients and 1 tsp. salt. Cut off chicken wing tips, and discard; cut wings in half at joint. Toss wings with oil. Sprinkle chicken with pepper mixture, and toss.
2. Arrange wings over unlit side of grill, and grill, covered with grill lid, 18 to 20 minutes on each side or until done.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium. Add vinegar, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 1 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Transfer wings to a clean bowl; add half of butter mixture, reserving remaining mixture. Toss wings gently to coat. Place wings on lit side of grill. Grill, covered with grill lid, 10 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Toss wings with reserved butter mixture. Serve with Blue Cheese Sauce.

Right Wings

• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 4 1/2 to 5 lb. chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce

1. Light 1 side of grill, heating to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Combine first 2 ingredients and 1 tsp. salt. Cut off chicken wing tips, and discard; cut wings in half at joint. Toss wings with oil. Sprinkle chicken with pepper mixture, and toss.
2. Arrange wings over unlit side of grill, and grill, covered with grill lid, 18 to 20 minutes on each side or until done.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium. Add vinegar, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 1 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Transfer wings to a clean bowl; add half of butter mixture, reserving remaining mixture. Toss wings gently to coat. Place wings on lit side of grill. Grill, covered with grill lid, 10 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Toss wings with reserved butter mixture. Serve with Blue Cheese Sauce.

Blue Cheese Sauce

• 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 (3-oz.) wedge blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Stir together sour cream, buttermilk, blue cheese, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.

- See more at: http://theaverageconsumer.com/2012/11/consumer-cafe-election-appetizers/#sthash.FcIImPjk.dpuf

Whether you are a left winger or a right winger – here are some chicken wings for your election party that I found in my Southern Living Magazine.

Left Wings

• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 4 1/2 to 5 lb. chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce

1. Light 1 side of grill, heating to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Combine first 2 ingredients and 1 tsp. salt. Cut off chicken wing tips, and discard; cut wings in half at joint. Toss wings with oil. Sprinkle chicken with pepper mixture, and toss.
2. Arrange wings over unlit side of grill, and grill, covered with grill lid, 18 to 20 minutes on each side or until done.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium. Add vinegar, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 1 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Transfer wings to a clean bowl; add half of butter mixture, reserving remaining mixture. Toss wings gently to coat. Place wings on lit side of grill. Grill, covered with grill lid, 10 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Toss wings with reserved butter mixture. Serve with Blue Cheese Sauce.

Right Wings

• 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 4 1/2 to 5 lb. chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce

1. Light 1 side of grill, heating to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Combine first 2 ingredients and 1 tsp. salt. Cut off chicken wing tips, and discard; cut wings in half at joint. Toss wings with oil. Sprinkle chicken with pepper mixture, and toss.
2. Arrange wings over unlit side of grill, and grill, covered with grill lid, 18 to 20 minutes on each side or until done.
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium. Add vinegar, next 5 ingredients, and remaining 1 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Transfer wings to a clean bowl; add half of butter mixture, reserving remaining mixture. Toss wings gently to coat. Place wings on lit side of grill. Grill, covered with grill lid, 10 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Toss wings with reserved butter mixture. Serve with Blue Cheese Sauce.

Blue Cheese Sauce

• 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 (3-oz.) wedge blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Stir together sour cream, buttermilk, blue cheese, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper.

- See more at: http://theaverageconsumer.com/2012/11/consumer-cafe-election-appetizers/#sthash.FcIImPjk.dpuf

Clean Campaign, Issue Based Run wins in So. Cal. (Not an Onion Story)

Shocking as it may seem, a good guy underdog candidate won a long shot campaign to be Los Angeles' newest City Council member, and this in an off-year special election.

This is not an Onion story, but a case of savvy campaigning, good, selective, fundraising (listen up all you wanna-bes. Money is not all bad; just the "bad" money) and a strong campaign message. Here are some highlights from the Beverly Times story on underdog newcomer David Ryu's surprise victory:
 

 Councilman-elect David Ryu (second from right) was joined by supporters at a victory party on Tuesday, including former L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky (right) and his wife, Barbara. (photo courtesy of the David Ryu Campaign) 

Ryu defeated Carolyn Ramsay Tuesday night in the election to succeed Councilman Tom LaBonge. When the mail-in ballot results were announced shortly after 9 p.m., Ryu took a lead he never relinquished — winning with 53.83 percent of the vote. The final unofficial tally was 11,269 votes for Ryu and 9,657 votes for Ramsay.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Ryu said Wednesday morning. “Even coming up to Election Day, I knew, and my team knew, what an awesome responsibility this would be.”

Ryu was fairly unknown coming into the race. He established himself early on as a master fundraiser and organizer, and his campaign team concentrated on signing up new voters and encouraging mail-in voting.

A son of Korean immigrants, Ryu majored in economics at UCLA and studied public policy and administration at Rutgers University. He is currently the director of development and public affairs at the Kedren Acute Psychiatric Hospital and Community Health Center. His past political experience included working as a senior deputy for former Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Burke.

In the race against Ramsay, who previously worked as LaBonge’s chief of staff and garnered endorsements from the majority of local government officials, Ryu often cited himself as an outsider versus an insider, or as David versus Goliath.

He said the three main issues that dominated the election, and where he resonated with voters, were access to the council office, infrastructure repairs and development (including mansionization and large scale development concerns).

“Residents feel they are never consulted, or consulted after the fact — just show and tell,” Ryu said.

Instead, he ran on a platform of neighborhood inclusion — crediting his one-on-one conversations with voters as a reason he was able to win. Ryu only made it to the runoff election against Ramsay by several hundred votes, and he said he was determined to create more individual connections with voters.

“Literally, this election was going to come down to 50 or 100 people, and the people in those rooms (at forums and meetings) will dictate the office,” Ryu said. “I took my personal friends as a template. When I asked them why they didn’t vote, the reoccurring theme was that, ‘My vote doesn’t count, my vote doesn’t matter and even if I did vote nothing ever changes.’”

Ryu sought to change that perspective, and positioned himself as a real change to LaBonge’s actions and policies.

“It’s not about the big things, I was running to be your neighborhood council member,” Ryu said. “Your little problem isn’t insignificant to me.”

To show that he was serious about change, Ryu announced during the campaign that he would decline any money from developers currently building in the district and throughout his time as a councilman. He also vowed to create a community advisory group to help him properly spend the district’s discretionary funds.

So  no developer money (OK,  maybe it wasn't going to come to him anyway), issues that mattered to the people, respect for the voters and a real effort to include them even to find out why they don't vote. Showing that their vote matters made a difference against strong odds for this candidate, now Councilmember. 

You can do it too. With the right message, enough money to get the message out and a recipe for success.

Democrats Can Cook in California

Your campaign cook is dishing with the politicos at the California state Democratic Convention this weekend in Anaheim, home of Disneyland.  The food is a mixed grill of savories and sweets served with lots of spice. Many events, parties and celebrities are in the house.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren rocked the house; they were eating out of her hand. Gavin Newsom added some herbal touches, along with former Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank at the Brownie Mary Democratic Club.

Brews of all sorts on hand from thirsty delegates. The Party shows progressive taste by dissing the Trans Pacific Partnership. That would not be good food for Democrats and other living things.

S.F. Congresswoman and former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi brought us tasty delights and flavorful news of DC and beyond as she mixed and mingled with all the delegates throughout the day.

And State Attorney General, now candidate for U.S. Senator, Kamela Harris, provided food for the soul at an outdoor rally with hungry Democrats.

And though I missed their party down the street, I am ready to join Close the Gap with some smokin' hot races this fall and next year!

Mmm brownie recipe! (No, not that kind):

Ingredients 

Original recipe makes 16 brownies Change Servings

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs

  Directions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease an 8x8 inch square pan.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and water. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies set up. Do not overbake! Cool in pan and cut into squares.
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Tongue Licking on the Campaign Trail - Inside Rand Paul

And now something completely different, and a word of advice to all campaigns. Don't do what Rand Paul's campaign did when they found a "tracker" from American Bridge , a watchdog group who keeps an eye on Republican shenanigans, in their midst. Now, they're all over the interwebs and it ain't pretty!

Thanks for this sneak peek, Campaign Sick. Recipe for what to do with that tongue below.

Rand Paul's Campaign is Licking the Competition.....Literally

In the video above Rand Paul's New Hampshire Political Director, David Chesley, LICKS the camera of an American Bridge tracker. I don't really know what to say because the absurdity of this story speaks for itself. Here are some thoughts:

1) From a campaign staff perspective, this is pretty funny. Having and being a tracker is an awkward situation, and nothing cuts tension like licking something.

2) If you are the kind of person who thinks Rand Paul is a good decision, I guess it is not that surprising that you also think licking strange recording equipment is.

3) The irony is that without the camera lick, this tracker probably would have gotten nothing from this meeting. As it stands, this video is all over my Facebook feed.

So moral of the story, unlike in real life, as a campaign staffer it's not usually a good idea to do something just because you think it's funny.

 

(Nancy Leeds [Campaign Sick author] is a writer and Democratic Campaign Operative who recently earned her MPA in Social Policy and Management at Columbia University. Sometimes people hire her to work on their non-profits and campaigns. When that happens, these opinions are still hers and do not reflect those of her candidates)

And now, here's what you can do with your  "Tongue". Enjoy.   1 Photo READY IN 3 hr Boiled Tongue Recipe by BLOSSOMFARM  "My Mother use to boil the heck out of it, and then peel the very thick skin, and serve it up on a platter for Sunday dinner - mmmmmm! I can't believe now that all us kids used to fight over the tip, and the next day - tongue sandwich to school with lots of mayonnaise."