After a shocking upset in the presidential election on Tuesday night, the smoke has finally cleared and reality is starting to set in. Barring any cataclysmic event, on January 20, 2017, Donald Trump will become the 45th president of the United States. This is a fact. And while in the months leading up to the election, Americans from both sides of the political aisle seemed to speak out against the Republican candidate’s misogynistic and xenophobic rhetoric, the country’s chefs were also incredibly vocal in their support for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
In August, the organization Chefs for Hillary Clinton launched its operations, providing a platform for cooks to support the former secretary of state and create recipes for the campaign. Renowned chefs like Mario Batali, Dominique Ansel, Tom Colicchio, and José Andrés quickly joined the organization’s ranks.
Now, as Democrats continue to mourn the lost possibility of putting the first female president in the White House, chefs have taken to social media to voice their sadness, frustration, and rage.
Following the results, René Redzepi tweeted that he had received a number of applications from American chefs to come work at Noma in Denmark, while Top Chef judge Hugh Acheson shared an emotional note to his children.
Still, much of the chatter from chefs and food writers on Twitter echoed the bewilderment and outrage voiced by other progressive Americans who had their hopes dashed at the polls on Tuesday. David Chang, in particular, seems ready to run for the hills.
Let's just hope all our chefs don't flee the country come January. At least José Andrés, who penned a powerful essay for Eater this week on voting as an immigrant, will be giving away free tacos to Democrats and Republicans alike in Washington, D.C.
[via Grub Street]