The Perfect Moment For Jell-Obama Shots?

As the debt "food fight" ends, "His Jello-Ness" is looking less wobbly; gelatin artist Matt Micari has the perfect recipe to calm America after weeks of default hysteria...
The Republican National Committee awarded President Obama the title "His Jello-Ness" during the protracted debt deal drama, after House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) complained that negotiating with the White House was like "dealing with Jell-O." But now that the Washington-created crisis has entered its final hours, with the deal the President announced on Sunday approved by the House on Monday and today heading for the Senate, perhaps Americans will soon be celebrating, rather than tweeting things like #fuckyouwashington. Gelatin artist Matt Micari's recipe for Salted Caramel Jell-Obama shots is a unique if ironic way for citizens to mark the fact that the financial universe has been saved from apocalypse, especially because President Obama used a number of memorable foodisms during the Congressional theatrics. Interestingly, Micari unveiled his recipe in June in New York, before the debt war of words began, to accompany his Jell-Obama bust, above, created for the Gowanus Jell-O Mold Competition. The jiggly art was in homage to the President, unlike the GOP's use of Jell-O.

The debt battle was "not the usual food fight between Democrats and Republicans," the President declared on July 22nd, in a moment of understatement. That came after he'd admonished Congressional leaders to "start talking turkey" on July 19th. Before that, the President announced on July 11th that time was running out, and it was time to "eat our peas" and do the hard work of creating a long-term budget deal. (Above: The President talks turkey)

"Eat your own peas!" was rapidly adopted by Tea Party activists, and became a popular phrase on Twitter and elsewhere. The word "damn" was frequently inserted in front of "peas." The debt deal that Americans will have to live with has now been assailed as "A Sugar-Coated Satan Sandwich," among other unsavory foods.

If celebrating seems like a bit over the top after weeks of Lawmakers Behaving Badly, Micari's Jell-Obama shots, which contain two kinds of liqueur, are at least an easy way to forget the extended nightmare. The Jell-Obama recipe is simple (click the image for a large view):

Perhaps if the shots had been freely available to Congressional Leaders during meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill, the debt negotiations would have been far less tense. That's Micari's theory about Jell-O shots, anyway; they're perfect "ice breakers," he told Obama Foodorama. The final debt deal was actually "forged over" Chinese food, the New York Times claims.

The youth vote loved Jell-Obama...
A resident of Boston, Micari, 39, is a science teacher who worked on President Obama's 2008 Campaign. His Jell-Obama tableau for the Gowanus competition also included mini Jell-O White Houses, stars, and Obama birther mugs. Micari's entry didn't win any prizes, but it was wildly popular with the hipsters who were on hand to view and then eat the dazzling Jell-O art wiggling in Lower Manhattan. That's good news for the President: Those hipsters represent the under-30 youth vote that is crucial for his re-election campaign, which OFA has dubbed "Gen44." It remains to be seen how much Obama disenchantment was caused among voters, young and old, by July's debt hysteria. (Micari, above, during the contest)

The salted caramel flavor was chosen for his gelatin art, Micari said, because he'd read that these are among the President's favorite sweet treats. True: The East Wing still gifts White House guests with boxes of salted chocolate caramels from Fran's Chocolates, an artisan chocolate maker in Seattle, Washington. Micari is now going to work for the President's 2012 re-election campaign, and his next Jell-Obama homage is for First Lady Obama: Micari is planning a replica of Mrs. Obama's White House Kitchen Garden, created from savory, herb-infused Jell-O, he said.

*The photos here are by Raphael Brion, editor in chief of Eater.com, with thanks for bringing the Jell-O competition and Micari to ObFo's attention. Eater covers the entire competition here. Photo of President Obama by Pete Souza/White House.