Recipegate

Filed under: ABC is a bastion of in depth, real, and hard-hitting news...

A savvy New York Attorney noted and cited a report on the Huffington Post website yesterday that a batch of recipes listed on John McCain's campaign website, under the headline "McCain Family Recipes", were actually taken word for word from the website of the Food Network.

The best part:

"Apparently a web intern of ours appointed an unknowing Rachel Ray to be our Senior Director for recipe policy," said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds in a statement. "The intern was dealt with swiftly and the site has been taken down for revision. Our humble apologies to Food Network."

Apparently, someone over there was never schooled as a lieutennant that as a leader, you are responsible for everything your subordinates do or fail to do.

The worst part of this, IMNSHO, is that they would claim "Ahi Tuna with Napa Cabbage Slaw, Passion Fruit Mousse, and Farfalle Pasta with Turkey Sausage, Peas and Mushrooms" as a family recipe.

C'mon, family recipes are for brownies and pies, casseroles and marinades. maybe even a "secret family recipe" for fried chicken. But Ahi Tuna? I consider myself a pretty average American. I get my tuna from a can, and it either ends up on a tuna melt or or in a casserole. Of course, I only buy tuna that doesn't say ANYTHING about dolphins on the can, because dolphin is yummy.

Here's my favorite tuna noodle casserole recipe, given to me by mom:

• 4 cans of tuna, drained (but save the drainage. Put on noodles later, or on dog/cat food.)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 small jar pimentos
• 1 package Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1 can sliced black olives (The Mrs hates olives, so I usually dispense with these.)
• 16 oz pkg bowtie or other type of egg noodle (doesn't really matter what kind of pasta you use, so whatever is handy.)
• Combine tuna, soup, cream cheese, pimentos, olives in saucepan. Heat on low, until cream cheese is melted.
• Cook noodles per instructions on box, drain.
• Layer noodles in casserole dish, spoon on creamy tuna goodness between layers, make sure you have enough to top the last layer.
• Alternately, dump creamy tuna goodness on noodles while in pot, stir, and dump in casserole.
• Bake (covered) @ 350 for 45 minutes.
• @ 40 minutes, top with breadcrumbs and Parmesan (or mozzarella) cheese and finish baking uncovered.
• Pull from oven, serve. One of the few dishes both kids finish in record time AND ask for seconds.

Now, Asshat, start taking responsibility and pay attention to your interns. Not the kind of attention Uncle Bill did, just take note of what they are up to. When they do screw up (and they will, they're interns, after all) either retrain them (underwriting honest mistakes) or fire them (if they are too stupid to understand plagiarism, they're incorrigible.)

ABC, if it really is THAT slow of a news day, just go to al-reuters and see what Jamil Hussein is up to.

--Chuck