When chef Meherwan Irani, a James Beard Award winner, envisions a White House led by Kamala Harris, he imagines something as distinct as the aroma of spices — cardamom, ginger, and a whisper of clove — drifting from the presidential kitchen. Should Harris be elected, she would be the first South Asian American to reside in the executive mansion, and her intimate understanding of Indian cuisine may well leave a mark on what emerges from its kitchens. “If she’s in the White House, let there be samosas and let the chai flow freely,” Irani mused.
Irani was among more than 60 chefs and culinary luminaries — including Tom Colicchio, Carla Hall, José Andrés, Cat Cora and Gail Simmons — who joined forces in late August for “Cooking for Kamala,” a virtual event organized by California Congressman Eric Swalwell, a close friend of Harris. Billed as an online gathering of “the best chefs in the world,” the livestream aimed to highlight Harris’s campaign while also celebrating food.
Amid lighthearted nods to the culinary moments that have already defined the Harris-Walz campaign — from chef Susan Feniger’s play on Tim Walz’s “white guy tacos” to her “Straight from the Coconut Tree” cookies — the event struck a more serious tone when food writer Ruth Reichl shared her thoughts. “People who care about food have been waiting our whole lives to have someone who is a cook in the White House,” she said.
While chefs, like any professional group, are far from monolithic in their political views, there is a notable resonance between the culinary world and the Harris-Walz ticket. The question is: Why? What has turned this campaign into one that not only courts chefs but seems to capture their enthusiasm in a way that other campaigns have not?
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One of the campaign’s most compelling appeals to the culinary world is its alignment with key issues that resonate deeply within the industry: hunger, immigration, labor rights and food prices.
On the issue of hunger, Harris has long been an advocate for expanding food access. In 2020, as the pandemic upended the economy, Harris, alongside Senators Elizabeth Warren,........