According to his wife, Representative Ron Paul (R – Texas) has a secret weapon for his political campaigns: his cookbooks. The cookbooks are more like pamphlets, and supposedly, with the their focus on recipes that “require no excess spending or extraordinary intervention, and just a spoonful of individual determination,” according to the Wall Street Journal, the food mirrors his political attitude.
The book, which centers around dishes that can be made by using what’s available, saves time. It also – perhaps intentionally, perhaps not – provides a way for the Pauls to keep in touch with their political fanbase. “It means an ongoing connection with Carol and Ron,” said Mary Fran Sciulli, a recipe contributor from Columbus, Ohio.
The first cookbook of the series came out in 1995. There are other editions, such as The Ron Paul Family and Friends Cookbook, The Ron Paul Family Holiday Cookbook, and The Ron Paul Family Spring Cookbook
Some of the recipes in this edition of The Ron Paul Family Cookbook include Golfer's Chicken, a dish made of chicken parts coated with powdered onion soup mix, salad dressing and apricot jam. There is also King Ranch Chicken, which is made with Doritos, or Cherry-Pineapple Dump Cake, canned fruit and pie filling topped with dry cake mix and baked. To make Spicy Crackers, simply empty a box of saltine crackers into a jug and combine them with a package of powdered Ranch dressing mix, 1½ cups of oil, and 3 tablespoons of crushed red pepper flakes and a package of dry Ranch dressing mix. Mix the contents well before allowing the crackers to “set for several hours.”
As the International Business Times points out, Paul is not the first politician to put pen to paper. GOP stars like Michelle Bachmann and Newt Gingrich are also authors, but Paul, 76, stands out for putting his name on books about recipes in addition to manifestos on political policy.
First Lady Michelle Obama also wrote a cookbook, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America. Her endeavor is focused around healthy eating. Their cookbooks, like their political beliefs, seem to be at odds, but both have their fans.
