Mario Batali's shoes outdo Moochelles....
Posted on 05/18/2012 2:31:18 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Winding down his media blitz from the Food Stamp Challenge, Mario Batali appeared on last night’s The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell to defend his decision to feed his family of four on a food stamp budget, which is to say: $31 dollars per person per week, which breaks down to $1.48 per meal.
His biggest lesson? “Shopping at more than one store was the key to understanding it,” Batali said to his disciple O’Donnell, live from the kitchen of Babbo (which I am surprised can handle a live media feed, unless there’s also a secret green screen room at Babbo). “Often these restaurants have to manipulate their own supply and demand, and have sales when they’re trying to move something quickly. So we were lucky enough, living in New York, to go to four different stores. But I know that there are food deserts, places where it’s more difficult to find food, that would make this a lot more difficult to achieve.
“So at that point you have to allow the store to dictate what your menu is by buying what’s on special this week. Which may not be chicken breasts, but chicken legs…so it’s understanding it in a different way.”
Batali’s grand experiment, designed to raise awareness to a proposal in Congress to cut food stamp budgets, was greeted by jeers from Fox earlier this week. Was this a rabid publicity stunt, readers, or a celebrity chef using his star power in a good way for a greater purpose? Let’s comment it up.
More idiotic propaganda.
I would bet a lot of the people on food stamps are also getting AFDC cash payments, and some of them even have low-paying jobs - like fast food places where you get a free meal. Plus those kids are getting free meals at school.
I bet he mentioned none of that?
Id have more respect for that fat pig if he ate everyone on MSNBC
A FAMILY OF FOUR gets $200+ a month on SNAP in Indiana. that doesn’t include TANF.
It a lot MORE than that in states with a higher cost of living.
THIS IS ALL BOVINE EXCREMENT.
I agree with Greg Gutfeld, it makes me want to slap him around.
Fat pig?
Mario Batali's shoes outdo Moochelles....
good for him for showing it can be done in many places. i know, his politics stink and the actual dollars he quotes are off, BUT this can be usde to show no increase is needed if food stamp people are there because of specific at the moment situations and want to get off it.
i think we need to go back to shaming them in the grocery line thouugh, given the current osamabama depression, there are many folks who want to work and can’t find jobs and can’t afford to move.
Food stamps are meant to help, not provide a gourmet diet of steak qnd lobster. Of course he was shocked at the quality. Good grief
Of course he didn't mention the free breakfast and lunch at school..so with 2 minor children in his household, that just shot the food budget up by about thirty bucks a week..
Okay, I suck at math, but I think it's about that much..2 kids x 5 days a week, x 2 meals (breakfast and lunch)
A family of 4 in Fl gets 367 cash and 668 in food stamps. They eat better than I do...
Did he lose any - or gain more weight?
I like watching ‘The Chew’. But Mario is getting me weary.
Lately he is showing his liberal side.
Plus almost all of the dishes he prepares don’t do a thing for me.
Lots of pasta and little sauce. I consider the pasta as a vehicle for the sauce.
Symon is my kind of chef, although he puts lemon zest/juice on almost everything.
On the whole an entertaining show.
But I know that there are food deserts, places where it’s more difficult to find food, that would make this a lot more difficult to achieve.
Food deserts? Such a vacuum must surely attract the attention of investers! Why, pray tell, would retailers not flock to an obvious customer pool?
I’m not sure how to make sure everyone knows this is sarcasm.
I think my husband figured we would get something around $900/month in food stamps for our family of six. We don’t spend that much on food, toiletries, cleaning/paper products, and pet food combined!
We eat a lot of chicken, ground beef, and buy pork loin roasts and cut them up for good pork chops. Steak is a rarity in our house. We just put in a huge garden with tomatoes, onions, beans, squash, peppers, cucumbers, watermelons, cantaloupe and corn. After seeing the price for produce lately, it will be a welcome relief, because our four kids love fruits and veggies. Our neighbor keeps threatening to give us a few chickens, lol.
$31 per wk per person is 31x4= $124 per wk x 4 wks in the month = $496 per month.
How much does he think normal people spend to feed their family of four?
$31/person/week! Apparently I feed my family on a food stamp budget!
we eat well on 120 budget a week for 3 adults n 3 kids.
only meat on sale is bought. or we buy our meat in bulk once a month. the rest are buy 1 get one free so we stock up.
produce bought at local market and we buy only what is in season.
i cook most all my meals from scratch.
did i mention i also work 40 hrs a week too?
Good job!! I like farmers markets. Im an apt dweller. I grow potted gardens when I can. I like to eat local veggies and help the community. You’d be surprised. Fl grows everything but supermarket food is from Mexico and s america.. nothing better than a home grown tomato. Supermarkets suck.
I like the meat at the end of the freezer case that is turning brown. It doesn’t look appealing to the ignorant, but is of equal quality.. “aged” if you will..
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.