A McCain and Daelemans Family Favorite Dish

By Kathleen Daelemans

What's worse than having it reported in the National news that one of your recipes was allegedly stolen word-for-word by the McCain camp?

Having Keith Olbermann credit the recipe to Rachel Ray during his Worst Person in the World segment on live television.

As it turns out, one of my recipes, Ahi Tuna Salad with Napa Cabbage Salad from my second book, Getting Thin and Loving Food, 200 Easy Recipes to Take You Where You Want to Be, is one Cindy McCain's favorite recipes too.

Well it could be. I found out I might be a genuine "McCain Family Favorite" when I clicked on The Huffington Daily Brief that arrives in my inbox everyday. Naturally my eye went straight to the only food story:

David Weiner: McCain "Family Recipes" Lifted from the Food Network "It seems that Cindy McCain, John McCain's perfect, blonde beer-baroness wife is about to find herself painted as the latest example of plagiarism on the campaign trail."

Several recipes listed on Foodnetwork.com (one of mine) were copied and posted onto John McCain's official website and touted as one of Cindy McCain's family favorite recipes without giving credit to the chefs who developed them. The recipes were made to appear as though they were Cindy's original recipes.

According to a story which was first reported on TMZ.com, “John McCain's campaign tells TMZ that it was a "low-level unpaid staff debacle" that resulted in a bunch of Food Network recipes being fobbed off as Cindy McCain's on the Senator's web page.”

All I know is the first recipe in “farfallegate” is mine. And I couldn’t be prouder! Mrs. McCain chose one of my recipes as something she’d like to serve her family and according to the story; it’s a family favorite! I immediately imagined Mrs. McCain preparing my recipe and wondered if she made it right...

Chefs have a bit of an ego when it comes to their recipes. And this one is very special to me. It's comprised of flavors I’ve been working with since my days as the chef for the premier spa restaurant at "one of the world’s most luxurious resort hotels" on the island of Maui, The Grand Wailea.

I’ve been perfecting it for years. Not consciously. I don’t ever really consciously focus on perfecting a recipe until I’m on deadline. But when I have a recipe I love, it’s an exciting challenge to see just how good it can become.

The version of the Ahi Tuna with Napa Cabbage Salad that made it into the headlines was developed with my sous chef, Miho Mizuno, before she died of colon cancer two springs ago. We were working on my second cookbook, Getting Thin and Loving Food, when she got her diagnosis, stage four colon cancer. Miho knew what the diagnosis meant. She moved to the U.S. from Saporo, Japan immediately after her father lost his battle with colon cancer. Miho’s mother died suddenly in a car accident when she was just 28.

After her father’s burial, Miho packed up her belongings and followed her dream to cook in America. She chose a small town near my home. A twist of fate brought her to my doorstep when I was in desperate need of a culinary assistant. I had 200 recipes due for Getting Thin and another 75 for a season of the show I was working on at the time for the Food Network; Cooking Thin with Kathleen Daelemans.

The work was a godsend, a diversion and Miho's last great culinary adventure. For a while, she was allowed to forget she was dying of a terrible disease. And I was too.

My Fifteen Minutes of Fame...

I’ve been interviewed a bunch since the story first broke. The most common question: Do I mind that one of my recipes was stolen? No and yes. Technically, stealing a recipe from a chef is like stealing a song from a recording artist or an article from a journalist, or a painting from a fine artist. Recipes are how chefs and cookbook authors and publishers make their livings.

Do I really think someone intended to steal my recipe?

Probably not. More likely, it ended up being labeled one of “Cindy’s Favorite Family Recipes” on the McCain’s website as an oversight by a member of a team driven to take their candidate to the White House. I'd like to think it was chosen for its quick factor and healthy virtues. It’s a recipe that helped me lose 75 pounds and keep it off for over 17 years.

Ahi Tuna Salad with Napa Cabbage Salad can be whipped up in ten minutes flat. It can be made with chicken or beef and just about any variety of fish you like. I’d be honored to cook it for the McCain family any time they’re in need of a home cooked meal. And since there’s no reason beef can’t be part of a healthy diet (think portion control) I’d probably make a version of it with beef onglet (hanger steak) or tri tip and grilled chicken kabobs.

Of course I’ll have to think of a fitting dessert for Mr. and Mrs. McCain…maybe Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp with Strawberry Ice Cream (anything in moderation). 

Hey a girl can dream, can’t she? I mean, it could happen. I could be called to the ranch to cook. I can just see it now...Cindy and I in the kitchen trading culinary secrets...the whole McCain clan gathered together for a delicious spring supper...Yep, I think every chef dreams of moments like these.

The journey of a recipe...

I know one thing for sure. Miho sure would have gotten a kick out of all this. Recipes sometimes travel for years in the soul of a chef before they become an actual written recipe to share with others. This one has traveled inside two. To me, each and every recipe I develop is hard won. And every recipe has a story.

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A McCain and Daelemans family favorite recipe...

Ahi tuna with Spicy Napa Cabbage Salad

This is one of my new favorite comfort foods. It goes better with my jeans than mac and cheese. When I can’t afford tuna, I often make the salad with grilled chicken or thinly sliced seared steak. For special occasions and easy entertaining, serve it with shrimp or scallop kabobs.

Shortcut: The dressing can be made ahead of time. Get a jump-start on your next scheduled meal. Prep something!

Up the Good Calories: You can add all sorts of veggies to this salad. I like to keep it slaw-like, so I stick to anything that fits neatly into that realm, but don’t let my food preferences unduly influence you. Try sliced cucumbers, very thinly sliced fennel, chopped lettuces and thinly sliced cooked snap or snow peas.

Serves 4-6 or me

Ingredients

2 tablespoons lime juice

1½ tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 medium Napa cabbage

1 bag shredded carrots

½ cup basil leaves, torn into quarters

½ cup mint leaves, torn

½ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

One pound tuna steaks (or chicken breasts or lean steak)

Coarse-grained salt and cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

    In a large salad bowl, whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and sesame oil. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cut cabbage in half lengthwise. Place cabbage, carrots, basil, mint, and cilantro into the bowl with dressing. Toss to combine.

    Season fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add fish to pan and cook until rare, about 2 minutes per side. Alternatively, cook until done to your likeness. Slice thin and distribute among four serving plates. Serve with a generous portion of Napa Cabbage slaw.

Recipe courtesy of Kathleen Daelemans, Getting Thin and Loving Food, 200 Easy Recipes to Take You Where You Want to Be, Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, 2005

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Resources

Getting Thin and Loving Food on Amazon.com

Kathleen's Website 

McCain "Family Recipes" Lifted from the Food Network on the Huffington Post

McCain Intern--Chef BoyRThief on TMZ

About Cooking Thin with Kathleen Daelemans on Food Network

Episode Descriptions for Cooking Thin with Kathleen Daelemans on Food Network

Kathleen Daelemans as seen on NBC's Today

 

Comments

[Pypebleapse]

Greets, bad news today

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Do any of you have any advice or are you in a similar position?

I know this is a bit off topic for this forum so maybe you can please join me at LayOffRant.com and we can talk through what's going on with me and the economy in the USA.

[Kristine Ferrante]

I recently stayed at the Grand Wailea for my honeymoon. We loved it there and had many great meals. I ran across this site trying to find a recipe similar to a tuna recipe I had at one of the restaurants at the Grand. It was delicious and served with a white truffle sauce. I would love any suggestions on that recipe. Thanks!