UN Food Summit: What the Leaders Eat

By JULIETTE ROSSANT It is often instructive to examine what politicians eat when they discuss international issues, no more so then when the politicians in question are discussing what the world is eating, or, rather, not eating. The London Times reported this week in an excellent article on what world leaders were eating as they meet at the UN food summit at the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) headquarters in the former Fascist Ministry for the African Empire near the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus in Rome. The article reports what delegates ate at the 2002 meeting: The 2002 menu, published by The Times, began with foie gras on toast with kiwi fruit and lobster in vinaigrette, followed by fillet of goose with olives and seasonal vegetables and ending with a compote of fruit with vanilla, all accompanied by an array of fine wines. The current meeting, the Times reports, is less "lavish": This time the catering was scaled down. Leaders first ate vol au vent stuffed with sweetcorn and mozzarella, followed by a pasta dish with a sauce of pumpkin and shrimps, and then veal meatballs and cherry tomatoes, with a fruit salad and vanilla ice-cream for dessert. Tomorrow the lunch menu features cheese mousse, pasta, green beans and pineapple with ice-cream, all washed down with a Nero d'Avola Cabernet from Sicily. On Thursday, the last day of the summit, delegates will be offered courgette tart, parmesan risotto, ragout of veal with sautee potatoes, and lemon mousse for dessert with a strawberry sauce, with Pino Grigio from Trentino as the wine. None of these menus would necessarily remind anyone eating the dishes of the subject of the meeting. However, it is important to remember that if these officials are going to help tackle the global food crisis, they do need sustenance. The Times reminds its readers that the FAO works with the the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which finances Third World farming projects, and the World Food Program (WFP), which supplies emergency aid. Let us hope that the wines did not go to their heads. Previous articles: [Chefs & Politics - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef