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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Taylor Swift once raved about the sweet potato casserole served at a New York City restaurant and now that recipe pops up every now and again at Thanksgiving. The holidays encourage many of us to try new recipes. Social media right now is flooded with recipes for appetizers, side dishes and desserts. Anyone making that cornbread casserole from TikTok? While we might not get to share a Thanksgiving feast with Swift — is your name Blake Lively? — or other celebrities beloved by Kansas City, we can eat like them. So here’s the recipe for that casserole Swift loved so much, and favorite family side dish recipes from Donna Kelce and Eric Stonestreet. Enjoy. Travis Kelce's mother, Donna Kelce, seen here last year at her son's music festival, dined on a cheesesteak made by actor Bradley Cooper at QVC festivities in Las Vegas this week. (Emily Curiel/Kansas City Star/TNS) If we tried to guess how many holiday dinner rolls Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce, have scarfed over the years, would it be in the hundreds? Thousands? Their mom has spoken often about the batches of holiday crescent rolls she has baked over the years. Based on the recipe that won the 1969 Pillsbury Bake-Off, Pillsbury’s Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs , they’re now known as Mama Kelce’s Dinner Rolls. They blend the crescent roll pastry with marshmallows, cinnamon and sugar. Dinner roll or dessert? We bet they didn’t last long enough in front of Travis and Jason for that debate. Ingredients Rolls •1/4 cup granulated sugar •2 tablespoons Pillsbury Best all-purpose flour •1 teaspoon ground cinnamon •2 (8-ounce) cans refrigerated Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls (8 Count) •16 large marshmallows •1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted Glaze •1/2 cup powdered sugar •1/2 teaspoon vanilla •2-3 teaspoons milk •1/4 cup chopped nuts Directions Make the rolls 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 16 medium muffin cups with nonstick baking spray. 2. In a small bowl, mix the granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon. 3. Separate the dough into 16 triangles. For each roll, dip 1 marshmallow into melted butter; roll in the sugar mixture. Place marshmallow on the shortest side of a triangle. Roll up, starting at shortest side and rolling to opposite point. Completely cover the marshmallow with the dough; firmly pinch edges to seal. Dip 1 end in remaining butter; place butter side down in muffin cup. 4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. 5. When done, remove from the oven and let the puffs cool in the pan for 1 minute. Remove rolls from muffin cups; place on cooling racks set over waxed paper. Make the glaze and assemble In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle glaze over warm rolls. Sprinkle with nuts. Serve warm. Eric Stonestreet attends 'Eric Stonestreet visits The SiriusXM Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles' at SiriusXM Studios on Oct. 8, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SiriusXM/TNS) Thanksgiving is one of the “Modern Family” star’s favorite holidays. Three years ago, as part of a campaign honoring hometown heroes , he shared one of his favorite recipe with McCormick Spices: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Butternut Squash . This recipe serves eight. Ingredients •1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved •1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes •1 tablespoon olive oil •1/2 teaspoon garlic powder •1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves •1/2 teaspoon salt •1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper •5 slices bacon, chopped •1 shallot, finely chopped •1/2 cup dried cranberries •1/4 cup balsamic vinegar •1 teaspoon whole grain mustard •1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional) •1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese, (optional) Directions 1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Spray large shallow baking pan with no stick cooking spray; set aside. Place Brussels sprouts and squash in large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper; toss to coat evenly. Spread in single layer on prepared pan. 2. Roast 16 to 18 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring halfway through cooking. 3. Meanwhile, cook bacon in medium skillet on medium heat about 6 minutes or until crispy. Remove using slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Add shallot to same skillet; cook and stir 2 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Stir in cranberries, vinegar and mustard until well blended. Transfer mixture to small bowl; set aside. 4. Arrange roasted Brussels sprouts and squash on serving platter. Drizzle with cranberry balsamic glaze and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cooked bacon, toasted pecans, and crumbled blue cheese, if desired. Serve immediately. Donna Kelce, left, mother of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce watched the game with pop superstar Taylor Swift, center, during the first-half on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. (Tammy Ljungblad/Kansas City Star/TNS) Swift gushed about the sweet potato casserole served at Del Frisco’s Grille in New York City, a dish crowned with a crunchy candied pecan and oatmeal crumble. “I’ve never enjoyed anything with the word casserole in it ever before, but it’s basically sweet potatoes with this brown sugary crust,” she told InStyle. ”Oh my God, it’s amazing.” The media rushed to find the recipe, which Parade has published this Thanksgiving season . “Similar to T. Swift herself, we think this recipe is a mastermind, especially if you’ve been asked to bring the sweet potato side dish to this year’s Thanksgiving feast. It seriously begs the question: who needs pumpkin pie?” the magazine writes. Ingredients •4 lbs sweet potatoes •1⁄3 cup oats •12 oz unsalted butter, divided •1⁄2 cup packed brown sugar •1⁄2 cup toasted pecans •1⁄2 cup granulated sugar •1 tsp kosher salt •2 tsp vanilla extract •4 large eggs, beaten Directions Preheat oven to 375°F. 1. Scrub sweet potatoes. Pierce each several times with a fork and wrap tightly in foil. Place on a sheet pan. Bake 90 minutes or until tender. Set aside until cool enough to handle. 2. Meanwhile, place oats in a food processor; process 1 minute. Add 4 oz butter, brown sugar and pecans; pulse five times to combine. Spread mixture on a baking sheet; bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven, crumble. Bake 5 minutes or until golden brown. 3. Melt remaining 8 oz butter. Remove skin from cooled sweet potatoes. In a large bowl, whisk sweet potatoes, melted butter, granulated sugar and remaining ingredients until slightly lumpy. Transfer to a greased baking dish, smoothing surface evenly. Top with oat mixture. Bake 12 minutes or until heated through. Make-ahead tips •Sweet potato filling can be made up to 2 days in advance. Prepare the sweet potato filling, cool, place in a casserole dish and keep refrigerated. •Oat-pecan crust can also be made up to 2 days ahead. Make the crust according to recipe directions, cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Sprinkle over the sweet potato filling just before baking. With our weekly newsletter packed with the latest in everything food.
Washington: In the heat of the 2000 presidential campaign, Democratic candidate vice president Al Gore took a break from barnstorming battleground states to attend a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee in East Hampton, New York. Standing behind Gore onstage was Scott Bessent, a hedge fund manager and — at the time — a major donor to Democrats who cohosted the event at his home. On Saturday AEDT, Bessent was tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to be his Treasury secretary. Having won the trust of Trump and his inner circle, Bessent would lead a Republican economic agenda of cutting taxes, culling federal regulations and enacting sweeping tariffs. As Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent would help Donald Trump as he attempts to remake the US economy. Credit: AP The selection caps an extraordinary career arc for an investor who was once a protege of liberal billionaire philanthropist George Soros and gave money to top Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Barack Obama. “He was very supportive of the causes and the people that we supported,” said Will Trinkle, a Democrat who cohosted the event with Gore. He noted that Bessent, who would be the first openly gay Treasury secretary, was a strong advocate for gay rights and marriage equality. If confirmed by the Senate, Bessent would help Trump as he attempts to remake the US economy. As Treasury secretary, Bessent would work to steer tax cuts through Congress, lead trade negotiations with China and help cull federal regulations that Trump believes are stifling the economy. Bessent, 62, declined to be interviewed. But friends and former colleagues described him as driven by data and as intellectually curious, with an ability to work with people from across the ideological and political spectrum. Raised in a fishing village in South Carolina, Bessent is the son of a real estate developer who experienced several of his own financial booms and busts. He went on to Yale University, where he was class treasurer, wrote for The Yale Daily News and wanted to become a journalist. In college, Bessent reflected on the challenges of being a Southerner in New England, writing in the paper in 1981: “I was the only one in the dorm who was heartbroken when George Wallace decided not to run for president.” Bessent studied political science but ended up working in finance after getting an internship with Jim Rogers, an investor and business partner of Soros’. In the 1990s, he worked as a partner at Soros Fund Management, gaining notoriety by betting against the British pound and earning the firm $US1 billion. After leaving to start his own fund, Bessent returned in 2011 to become Soros’ chief investment officer. By then, Bessent had become a major donor to Republican candidates. According to a summary of his donations provided by his office, Bessent has given about $US15 million ($23 million) to political causes over the years, and all but $US300,000 has gone to Republicans. He gave $US1 million to Trump’s inauguration in 2016. Scott Bessent has described tariffs as a useful tool for achieving foreign policy objectives. Credit: Bloomberg Bessent was not part of Trump’s political orbit during his first campaign or term as president but has known the Trump family for decades and was close friends with the president-elect’s late brother, Robert. This past spring, when many business leaders were hesitant to back Trump publicly as his legal troubles mounted, Bessent took a different view. He saw Trump as a “stock that goes up on bad news”, as he explained it to political analyst Mark Halperin last month, because every apparent setback appeared to strengthen his candidacy. Concerned about the exploding national debt and the need to change the international trading system, Bessent set up a meeting with Trump and started exchanging economic policy ideas. In recent months, Bessent has pitched a “3-3-3” plan that would aim for 3 per cent economic growth, reduce the budget deficit to 3 per cent of gross domestic product and increase domestic oil production by 3 million barrels per day. He also came up with an idea that would allow the president to essentially sideline the chair of the Federal Reserve, although he has backed down from that proposal in the face of opposition. In some policy areas, Bessent has demonstrated an inclination to temper Trump’s economic impulses. He suggested that Trump’s idea of assigning a 15 per cent tax rate to companies that produce their products in the US could run afoul of international trade laws. And he has described Trump’s plan for blanket tariffs as a “maximalist” negotiating strategy, suggesting that tariffs should be phased in to give markets time to adjust. Bessent was chosen after an internal tussle among Trump’s aides over the job. Howard Lutnick, Trump’s transition team co-chair and chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald, made a late pitch to secure the Treasury secretary role for himself. As Trump was deciding, sceptics of Bessent raised concerns about his ties to Soros and suggested he was not a true believer in tariffs. However, he won the public support of key advisers to Trump such as Larry Kudlow and Steve Bannon, who viewed him as the best choice. For Bessent, the challenge now will be remaining in Trump’s good graces as the president-elect once again looks to upend the international trading system and rewrite the tax code. Trump’s first Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, often tried to dissuade Trump from imposing new tariffs and would attempt to calm markets as trade tensions flared. Still, he managed to maintain Trump’s trust. Stanley Druckenmiller, a hedge fund investor who worked with Bessent at Soros Fund Management, said that although Bessent is soft-spoken, he can also be “tough and persuasive” and that he has the right temperament to work for a demanding boss such as Trump. “If anybody can handle it, it’s Scott,” Druckenmiller said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times .
Letter: Selection vs. electionUS President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to demand control of the Panama Canal be returned to Washington, complaining of "unfair" treatment of American ships and hinting at China's growing influence. Here are five things to know about the waterway connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The 80-kilometer (50-mile) interoceanic waterway is operated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous public entity. The Central American nation's constitution describes the canal as an "inalienable heritage of the Panamanian nation" that is open to vessels "of all nations." The United States is its main user, accounting for 74 percent of cargo, followed by China with 21 percent. Panama's government sets the price of tolls based on canal needs and international demand. Rates depends on a vessel's cargo capacity. "The canal has no direct or indirect control from China, nor the European Union, nor the United States or any other power," Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino said Sunday as he dismissed Trump's threat. All vessels, including warships and submarines, are given a Panama Canal pilot. Panama's independence from Colombia in 1903 is linked to the canal. Following the failure of French count Ferdinand de Lesseps to open a channel through the isthmus, the United States promoted the separation of the province of Panama and signed a treaty with the nascent country that ceded land and water in perpetuity to build it. After 10 years of construction and an investment of $380 million, the canal was inaugurated on August 15, 1914 with the transit of the steamer Ancon. Some 25,000 deaths from disease and accidents were recorded during its construction. The canal "is part of our history" and "an irreversible achievement," Mulino said. Washington's establishment of a "Canal Zone" -- an enclave with its own military bases, police and justice system -- gave rise to decades of demands by Panamanians to reunify the country and take control of the waterway. In 1977, Panamanian nationalist leader Omar Torrijos and US president Jimmy Carter signed treaties that allowed the canal to be transferred to Panama on December 31, 1999. "Any attempt to reverse this historic achievement not only dishonors our struggle, but is also an insult to the memory of those who made it possible," former president Martin Torrijos, the general's son, wrote on social media. Under the treaties, supported by more than 40 countries, the canal is deemed neutral and any ship can pass through. The only conditions are that ships must comply with safety regulations and military vessels from countries at war must not pass through at the same time. Unlike Egypt's Suez Canal, the Panama Canal operates using freshwater stored in two reservoirs. A drought led to a reduction in the number of transits in 2023, but the situation has since normalized. The canal, which has a system of locks to raise and lower vessels, transformed global shipping. Crafts can travel between the two oceans in about eight hours without having to sail all the way around Cape Horn, the southern tip of the Americas. The canal allows a ship to shave 20,300 kilometers off a journey from New York to San Francisco. Five percent of world maritime trade passes through the canal, which connects more than 1,900 ports in 170 countries. By the early 21st century, it had become too small, so it was expanded between 2009 and 2016. Today, the canal can accommodate ships up to 366 meters long and 49 meters wide (1,200 feet by 161 feet) -- equivalent to almost four football pitches. It generates six percent of Panama's national economic output and since 2000 has pumped more than $28 billion into state coffers. More than 11,200 ships transited the canal in the last fiscal year carrying 423 million tons of cargo. jjr/fj/dr/mlm
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BRASILIA: Brazil's 2026 presidential election may offer a field of candidates featuring neither incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva nor far-right rival Jair Bolsonaro. That scenario - possible, given Lula's state of health and a ban on Bolsonaro holding public office - would present a novel situation and open the door to possible successors. Lula, 79, is currently in hospital, recovering from emergency surgery on Tuesday to relieve pressure from bleeding under his skull related to a bad fall he had in October. Previously, Lula had treatment in 2011 for throat cancer, and last year a hip replacement operation. The health woes undermine the robust image that the raspy-voiced leftist icon has long projected, and which galvanized voters to have him as their president between 2003 and 2010, and again since 2023. In a CNN interview last month Lula declared himself willing to run again if no other viable left-wing candidate emerged. "I hope it won't be necessary," he said. An ally, Uruguay's ex-president Jose Mujica, recently told AFP: "Lula's nearly 80 and he has no replacement. That is Brazil's misfortune". BOLSONARO'S LEGAL WOES Bolsonaro, 69, faces challenges of a legal nature to try to regain the presidency he lost to Lula in 2022 elections. The former army captain, who relishes being compared to his hero Donald Trump, has been barred from holding public office, or leaving Brazil, because of what police say was a failed 2022 coup plot against Lula. Bolsonaro got his ban on public office by making unsubstantiated claims of fraud in Brazil's electronic voting system in that year's election. Police say he also incited a January 8, 2023 insurrection in which thousands of supporters stormed the presidential palace, the Congress and the Supreme Court, and allege he had a decree written to invoke emergency powers to stay in charge. Bolsonaro denies the accusations - which the attorney general is currently weighing to decide if formal charges will be laid - and has vowed to have the ban set aside so he can run again. "I am Plan A, Plan B and also Plan C" for 2026, he told a radio program last week. "Bolsonaro seeks inspiration from Trump ... but has before him a long battle in the courts," said Roberto Goulart, an international relations professor at Brasilia University. Brazil's political and justice system has thrown up surprises before. Lula himself was barred from running for president in 2018, when he was convicted of corruption, propelling his running mate, former Sao Paulo mayor and current economy minister Fernando Haddad, to the top of the ticket. Haddad lost to Bolsonaro. And Lula's conviction was later overturned when the judge in charge of the case against him was found to be biased. HEIRS APPARENT Lula's ministers voice optimism about the state of the president's health, despite his recent emergency. "President Lula is very well ... He will certainly be our candidate in 2026," Communication Minister Paulo Pimenta told CNN on Thursday. "The person who won't be able to run in that election is Bolsonaro, who is ineligible and will probably be in prison before the vote happens," Pimenta said. According to a survey by MDA Pesquisa last month, six out 10 leftwing voters would prefer to see Lula run in 2026. If that does not happen, analysts and surveys point to Haddad, 61, as his most likely successor. Lula's last choice to succeed him did not end well. Back in 2010, he anointed his chief-of-staff Dilma Rousseff as his replacement when he reached his two-term limit, ensuring she became president. But she ended up being impeached in her second term, and was ousted in 2016 for breaking budget laws. On the right, while Bolsonaro still garners attention, Brazilian media and analysts have advanced several names that could be considered his heir. Among them are Sao Paulo state governor Tarcisio de Freitas, 49 - and Bolsonaro's wife Michelle Bolsonaro, 42. Freitas has publicly expressed loyalty to Bolsonaro, saying that his "leadership is unquestionable and endures".
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