I can has ham and cheese.

May 7, 2009 2:34 PM

The Obama administration has reversed the past administration's plan for retaliatory import tarriffs on various luxury commodities, such as Rocquefort cheese and gourmet Spanish hams. The tarriffs were a response to the EU's ban on imports of hormone treated beef from the US.
posted by longsleeves (59 comments total)

Why is this a good post for Metafilter?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:35 PM on May 7

But they haven't reversed their violations of NAFTA.
posted by GuyZero at 2:36 PM on May 7

Not to disparage chocolate pickles, but Rocquefort cheese is bomb.
posted by sarcasman at 2:38 PM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

Does this mean we are getting our precious Testosterbeef back? BOO YEAH! AWESOME!
posted by Elmore at 2:38 PM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

mmmmmm....Roquefort. Thanks, Dad!
posted by Thorzdad at 2:39 PM on May 7

Jesus, dude, it's I can HAZ ham and cheese. Guy spells Roquefort right but can't do lolcats??
posted by spicynuts at 2:40 PM on May 7 [2 favorites has favorites]

What is Obama's policy on Portobello mushrooms?
posted by mattdidthat at 2:40 PM on May 7 [2 favorites has favorites]

Enjoy your fancy mushroom, Mr President.
posted by GuyZero at 2:42 PM on May 7

Why is this a good post for Metafilter?

Wow, Chocolate P, you sure read fast.
posted by longsleeves at 2:42 PM on May 7 [4 favorites has favorites]

No offence to you, it's an automated comment about once a month.
posted by gman at 2:46 PM on May 7 [29 favorites has favorites]

Who the fuck eats Chocolate Pickles?
posted by ericb at 2:46 PM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

Did Somebody Say...Chocolate Pickles?
posted by gman at 2:48 PM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

No offence to you, it's an automated comment about once a month.

Jesus Fucking Christ, so we have a newbie who considers him/herself the arbiter of good posts here on MetaFilter? Sir/madam, we humbly bow to your tastes.
posted by ericb at 2:48 PM on May 7 [5 favorites has favorites]

They're extreme baby!
posted by Elmore at 2:51 PM on May 7

Folks can now look forward to paying $35 a pound for Rocquefort, instead of $40 a pound. The system is finally working for the rest of us.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:53 PM on May 7 [8 favorites has favorites]

So... I come from a world where cheese is critical to a happy life, but my palate isn't much more sophisticated than "Extra sharp cheddar! Gimme!".

Why is this Rocquefort so fantastic?
posted by quin at 2:57 PM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

The Obama administration has reversed the past administration's plan for retaliatory import tarriffs on various luxury commodities, such as Rocquefort cheese and gourmet Spanish hams.

YES WE HAM
posted by mattdidthat at 3:00 PM on May 7 [15 favorites has favorites]

What is Obama's policy on Portobello mushrooms?

Well, he does prefer fancy-dancy, elitist, French Dijon mustard ... and the right-wingers are "up in arms about it."

Mark Steyn on the Rush Limbaugh Show on Obama putting Dijon mustard on his cheeseburger.

Laura Ingraham: "What kind of man orders a cheeseburger without ketchup, but Dijon mustard?"

Hannity attacks Obama for ordering a "fancy" cheeseburger with Dijon mustard.

*Bowing my head, shaking it back-and-forth while biting the first knuckle of my index finger ala Jon Stewart*

Oh, and he didn't order any chocolate pickles!
posted by ericb at 3:00 PM on May 7 [6 favorites has favorites]

Hurrah elitist meats and cheeses!
posted by Artw at 3:01 PM on May 7

Any motherfucker that stands between me and Iberico ham better be backed up by the full might of the American military.
posted by slimepuppy at 3:03 PM on May 7 [5 favorites has favorites]

As a serious question, when tariff decisions like this are made, how long does it take for the consumer to notice the difference? Assuming this goes into effect tomorrow - when does the next shipment of Roquefort arrive? When will I see the "New Lower Prices!" signs taped on the shrink-wrapped wedges in Shaws?
posted by backseatpilot at 3:05 PM on May 7

Why is this Rocquefort so fantastic?

Back in the 1950s my auntie Pat used to work as a cook for a lord and lady that lived on their estate in Wales. She cooked all kinds of stuff: game hens, pheasants, etc. Imagine Two Fat Ladies cooking every day: lots of fresh-off-the-gentleman-farmer's-farm stuff. She'd cook these things that British nobility generally enjoy, and so she'd get to try them out herself. She left some years later, but thereafter described cheeses like Rocquefort as "humming", because of the "hum" or tingle that they leave on the tongue. Add the saltiness, creaminess and the humming, and you have a pretty unique food.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:07 PM on May 7 [4 favorites has favorites]

I like how in the WSJ article, the caption of the photo of Roquefort cheese reads "seen here maturing".

Cheese in action, ladies and gentlemen.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 3:07 PM on May 7 [5 favorites has favorites]

So, can I stop calling them Freedom (cheese) Fries?
posted by Muddler at 3:07 PM on May 7

Well, he does prefer fancy-dancy, elitist, French Dijon mustard ... and the right-wingers are "up in arms about it."

It's a pretty good sign when the best your enemies can do is ridicule your taste in condiments.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 3:09 PM on May 7 [3 favorites has favorites]

Roquefort. NOM.

It is like the uber blue cheese. Try it on a burger or in a salad. A little goes a long way.
posted by By The Grace of God at 3:11 PM on May 7

Hurrah elitist meats and cheeses!

Fuck you, you pinko-faggy-libural! Ever since the "Democrat" takeover, it's been nothing, but elitist cheeses, meats, condiments and gay marriage. Oh, noes!

Pat Robertson: Gay marriage is ‘the beginning in a long downward slide’ to legalized child molestation, polygamy, bestiality and pedophilia!

What's next, discussion/debate of legalizing marijuana for recreational use? Oh, wait, what? Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, (R.-CA) yesterday: It's Time To Debate Legalizing Pot.
posted by ericb at 3:12 PM on May 7 [3 favorites has favorites]

Pat Robertson: Gay marriage is ‘the beginning in a long downward slide’ to legalized child molestation, polygamy, bestiality and pedophilia!

Damnit, somebody squeeled! Looks like we need to make a different secret handshake.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 3:14 PM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

From the Pulitzer-winning Jonathan Gold on Ham Manna

....You may be familiar with the sensations provided by good prosciutto or Kentucky ham, but Ibérico is something else. Slightly chewy, the rude red of a Francis Bacon painting, it dissolves slowly into a rondelay of flavors — hazelnuts, sweat, caramel, smoke, amber, Parmesan cheese — that dance around each other like sunlight reflected off a rippled pond.
posted by lalochezia at 3:14 PM on May 7

Why is this Rocquefort so fantastic?

Dancing about architecture.
posted by mudpuppie at 3:15 PM on May 7 [3 favorites has favorites]

She left some years later, but thereafter described cheeses like Rocquefort as "humming",

Fuck yeah! I want cheese that hums!

Is this like the kind of thing that I can go, hack off a chunk and just nibble on it, or is it something that should be prepared with other foods. (I'm decidedly low-tech when it comes to my cheese consumption. It goes something like; I crave cheese! I open fridge! I stuff cheese into speaking hole! I am sated by my cheese!)
posted by quin at 3:17 PM on May 7 [4 favorites has favorites]

I just bought four cases of San Pellegrino a couple of weeks ago because the tariff on it was due to increase by 100%. Ah, well--it won't go bad.
posted by Prospero at 3:17 PM on May 7

YES WE CAMEMBERT!
posted by kuujjuarapik at 3:22 PM on May 7 [2 favorites has favorites]

Is this like the kind of thing that I can go, hack off a chunk and just nibble on it, or is it something that should be prepared with other foods.

You can make a sauce with it for steak or filet mignon, for example, or enjoy it with a sweet wine, or little bits of it with pear slices and grapes.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:24 PM on May 7

Obama lowered the tariffs because he is a socialist and hates the free market.

Wait, that's what socialists do, right?
posted by qvantamon at 3:26 PM on May 7 [4 favorites has favorites]

The FREEDOM market.
posted by Artw at 3:26 PM on May 7

When they do it, it's socialism.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 3:28 PM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

> When will I see the "New Lower Prices!" signs taped on the shrink-wrapped wedges in Shaws?

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess "never."
posted by Kadin2048 at 3:32 PM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

Roquefort is required for a proper Cobb salad, which everybody knows was invented in Hollyood. So I guess we know who Obama is siding with once again, and it ain't America. Or, at least, it ain't America but for the sliver of unAmerican Americans who live under the Hollywood sign.
posted by Astro Zombie at 4:05 PM on May 7

Roquefort is required for a proper Cobb salad, which everybody knows was invented in Hollyood.

The best of which is served at The French Quarter (West Hollywood). YMMV.
posted by ericb at 4:11 PM on May 7

America truely is a melting pot... of cheese!
posted by Artw at 4:12 PM on May 7

put a jar of hellman's mayo in a bowl, add a cup of crumbled roquefort, the juice of a fresh lemon and some fresh ground pepper. put it in a container in the fridge, but don't use until at least 3 days goes by. after that it is the best dressing/veggie dip on the planet. if you substitute miracle whip for the hellman's, i will hunt you down and kill you.
posted by kitchenrat at 4:25 PM on May 7 [4 favorites has favorites]

mattdidthat, please cite sources. Namely, my mefi user picture. It's been YES WE HAM for months.
posted by boo_radley at 4:26 PM on May 7

so we have a newbie who considers him/herself the arbiter of good posts here on MetaFilter?

The nick is new. The user behind it is not.
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 4:28 PM on May 7

Okay, here's my two cents about why it's good on Metafilter - because for me, I personally love the fact that the President is even working on wonky food stuff like this! I will gladly get behind a leader who sweats this kind of detail (and makes me hungry for new food at the same time!)

So, rock on Obama, rock on BObama for that matter, and let's all gather at the garden on the East Lawn for some delicious meats and cheeses!

this comment was brought to you by the Presidential International Coalition on Neutralizing Ideaological Contraband or, P.I.C.N.I.C

oh, and also by Bobama, who enjoys cheese on the lawn. And frisbee.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 5:02 PM on May 7 [2 favorites has favorites]

What's the beef with growth hormone treated beef? Some argue that the quantity of growth hormones in treated beef is insignificant, expecially when compared with substances with similar effects found in soy and soy derived products (such as tofu). There's a bazillion fuff pieces going around the net and I haven't found time to look for some reputable sources on these topics yet.

The fact that both beef and soy are backed by rather powerful industries dealing with mass quantities and low prices is a cause of concern for me. Obviously none of these industries have any interest in damaging their clients, but they also have no interest in finding out if some particular diet (relatively rich in soy and hormone treated beef) may be dangerous for some subset of consumers, as they focus their actions on promotion of consumption by all possible means, not on identifying and estimating risks.
posted by elpapacito at 5:10 PM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

What is the terrible secret of the chocolate pickle? Is it a bot that keeps changing it's nick?

No offence to you, it's an automated comment about once a month.
posted by gman

so we have a newbie who considers him/herself the arbiter of good posts here on MetaFilter?
posted by ericb

The nick is new. The user behind it is not.
posted by Lentrohamsanin

posted by bhnyc at 5:12 PM on May 7

For various reasons, Jamón ibérico has only become legal to import into Australia in the last few months. Hooray!

My local deli has just started selling it, advertised as 'Spanish Hamon'.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 6:40 PM on May 7

What's the beef with growth hormone treated beef?

One part legitimate worry about the carcinogenic properties of some (but not all) products used; one part "squick factor" on the part of consumers; and one part informal trade barrier.

A once-over-lightly reading of easily googled things suggests that the actual levels present in the meat are low enough to ignore, generally. But there are other issues in play, for example whether farmers exceed the recommended dose, or whether mishandling allows higher concentrations into the environment. (If you read the distressing description of the beef farming family in Ozeki's My Year of Meat, the problem is not eating the meat, the problem is unsafe handling of the hormone in the family's immediate environment.)
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 7:41 PM on May 7 [1 favorite has favorites]

So, does anybody know where (if) I can get Jamón in the US? I just recently went to Spain for vacation, and loved the ham, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere.
posted by inparticularity at 8:02 PM on May 7

Well, he does prefer fancy-dancy, elitist, French Dijon mustard ... and the right-wingers are "up in arms about it."

Hilarious. In The Audacity of Hope, I believe, he's actually got a little story about this. He's at some restaurant during one of his early campaigns with his campaign manager, and he asks the waitress for Dijon mustard. The campaign manager goes into damage control and tries to get him to just use regular mustard. Obama was incredulous that it could possibly be an issue.

It's so refreshing to see the Republican Party imploding lately.
posted by Garak at 8:29 PM on May 7

Jesus, dude, it's I can HAZ ham and cheese. Guy spells Roquefort right but can't do lolcats??

Ahh, but I didn't spell roquefort right. So who is the fool now?

And excuse me for not knowing the finer points of lolspeak, I hardly ever go to that site.

and by that I mean I look at every single one.
posted by longsleeves at 8:36 PM on May 7

'bama also cancelled the White House Day of Prayer or whatever that awful idea was. I've never been able to figure out how the White House thought it was ever okay to mix religion and politics so blatantly.

And he's also gone and done away with abstinance-only sex ed. Hell, it's almost like he studies the facts and makes decisions based on what actually works!

Rather unbelievable. I have to admit, I'm a little jealous. My Prime Minister is a bonehead. Heck, he is insisting on taking a safe injection program to the Supreme Court, despite its rip-roating success in getting junkies off the junk. Stephen Harper, you are such a collosal asshole!
posted by five fresh fish at 9:31 PM on May 7 [3 favorites has favorites]

The punchline is that dijon mustard isn't even really elitist, it's just good marketing. To quote Malcom Gladwell, "... with an enameled label and enough of a whiff of Frenchness to make it seem as if it were still being made in Europe (it was made in Hartford, Connecticut, from Canadian mustard seed and white wine)."

Really makes Hannity and Co. look like fools for falling for that old Grey Poupon ad campaign. I guess the moral of this story is that you shouldn't believe everything you see on tv.
posted by formless at 9:42 PM on May 7

Spanish ham? No, thank you.
Italian ham? No, thank you.
HICKORY RULZE!
that is all.
posted by Goofyy at 4:11 AM on May 8

It's not a sandwich until you Poupon it.
posted by snofoam at 5:25 AM on May 8

My vote has been rewarded
posted by JPD at 7:45 AM on May 8

Pickles - chocolate?
posted by FatherDagon at 8:40 AM on May 8

I prefer Dijon Ketchup. To eat with my Kraft Dinner.
posted by ooga_booga at 2:16 PM on May 8