All’s fair in love and food

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In the world of culinary dreams, I would invite Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to our home for dinner. As in the words of Tevye the milkman in "Fiddler on the Roof," sounds crazy, no?

Not really. Something spirited happens when people sit around a table and enjoy a good meal. Both candidates have lived in several parts of the country. Clinton was born outside of Chicago, attended Wellesley College in Massachusetts, Yale Law School in Connecticut and married a man from Hope, Ark.

Obama was born and raised in Hawaii, lived in Indonesia, went to Columbia University in New York City and graduated from Harvard Law School in Massachusetts. He moved to Chicago, where he met his future wife.

I would have fun arranging a menu with dishes from Hawaii, the American South, New England and Chicago. The City of the Big Shoulders is known for its deep-dish pizza, hot dogs and beef.

I wouldn’t serve the senators pizza or hot dogs, but I know beef would be on the menu. A fish course would be served as well as Steamed New England Clams as a starter.

I would do fish two ways: Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi and Cornmeal Encrusted Trout. Trout is served all through the American South. A simple green salad is a possibility as well with some nice, fresh, spring vegetables.

Clinton lives in New York and Obama went to college in Manhattan. A New York-style cheesecake would be an appropriate dessert.

Ingredients:

• 24 littleneck clams, thoroughly scrubbed
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 shallot, diced
• 4 fat cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• Fresh Italian parsley leaves, minced

Directions:

• Place the clams in a bowl.
• Heat the oil over medium-high in a four-quart pot. Add the shallot and saut� for a few minutes. Add the garlic and saut� just until it turns light tan. Add the clams and wine. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for three to five minutes, or until the clams open.
• Evenly divide among four warm bowls. Top with the parsley and serve with crusty bread.
• Serves four.

Ingredients:

• 2 6-ounce slices of mahi mahi
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Using your hands, rub the oil over the fish. Top with the salt and pepper.
• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the fish and sear three to five minutes on each side, depending on the thickness.
• When done, cut each fillet into two pieces.
• Serves four.

Ingredients:

• 1 large mango, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1 medium-size pineapple, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon of kosher salt

Directions:

• Place the ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Place in the refrigerator. Remove about one hour before serving.
• Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: This is an excellent side for the Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi.

Ingredients:

• 2 whole rainbow trout
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 cup of cornmeal
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Directions:

• Dry the trout well with paper towels.
• Mix the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour onto a large plate or sheet pan. Dredge the trout in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.
• Heat the butter and oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Add the trout and sear for three to five minutes per side. Cut each trout in half lengthwise.
• Serves four.

Ingredients:

• 2 8- to 12-ounce rib-eye steaks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 fat cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 large white mushrooms, wiped cleaned and sliced

Directions:

• Dry the steaks well with paper towels. Using your hands, rub them with the salt and pepper.
• Melt the butter and oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic and mushrooms and saut� for about five minutes or until the mushrooms give up their liquid.
• Remove the garlic and mushrooms using a slotted spoon. Add the steaks to the pan and sear over medium-high for about five minutes per side for rare to medium-rare. Push the steaks to the side of the pan and add the garlic and mushrooms to heat through. Slice each steak in half.
• Serves four.