The Six Degrees of Separation Game.

[The Old Foodie]

How about a game for some fun and to get you thinking?

I propose a variation of the Six Degrees of Separation game, that is I propose that there are only six degrees of separation between any specific person and any specific food.

I mentioned this (jokingly) as an aside in <a href= “http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=97452&hl=”>Tim Hayward’s thread ‘That Sweet Enemy’</a> (suggesting only three steps, which is Grand Master Level) and gave the first combination off the top of my head - Adlai Stevenson and rhubarb – which Anne (annecross) solved in two steps! The only easier one might have been <a href = “http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=86785&hl=”>Mayhaw Man and cake</a>

Anne thought you might all enjoy playing it, and suggested a new thread, and also concocted three challenges.

Lets see what you can do with this half-dozen. Two points if you get it in 3 or fewer degrees, one point if you need 4-6 degrees. Feel free to suggest other ideas if you solve one, so we keep about 6 on the go. Unless it all goes chaotic and disorganised and tangential, in which case I'm sure we'll all enjoy it anyway

Winner at the end of the month gets ….. Oh! Probably only the Glory, or maybe an Important Sounding Title.

Here are the challenges:

The Dali Lama and Chateubriand

Francois Mitterand and Mole

Queen Elizabeth II and Nutria

Julius Caesar and potatoes

George Bush and foie-gras

Paris Hilton and botarga

[Nina C.]

How fun! I'll take the easy one and say

Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Australia

Australia is one of only two continents without Nutria. (The other being Antartica)

Wait - do all connections have to be food or people related? In that case I'll need to try again.

[The Old Foodie]

Degrees can be any way you want them - people, food, cars, mathematical equations, insect species - anything.

2 points to you Nina. That one was clearly too easy. Do you have a suggestion for the next challenge, now that you have solved this one?

[annecros]

I'll do one of Old Foodies that intrigued me:

Julius Caeser and Potatoes

Julius Caseser's sister was named Julia

Julia Child's recipe for Vichyssoise (Potato Leek Soup) from "The Way to Cook" is well noted

This Vichyssoise contains 4 cups of diced potatoes

Good job Nina. I used ERII because I wanted to offer a hat tip to the original thread, but hurt my head trying to come up with a food she wouldn't have ever eaten.

Now, how about -

Homer Simpson and Tofu

[Mallet]

The Dalai Lama and Chateaubriand

The Dalai Lama met Jacques Chirac on Dec 8 1998

Jacques Chirac has eaten a lot of Chateaubriand

I suggest:

Escoffier and roadkill

[Mallet]

Homer Simpson and Tofu

Homer's daughter is Lisa Simpson, a vegetarian

Lisa Simpson eats tofu

[Mallet]

Sorry, I'm just having too much fun with these...

George Bush and foie gras:

George Bush ran against John Kerry in 2004 (was it that long ago?)

In August 2004 John Kerry and his wife ate at Marché in Oregon, where he had foie gras

Here's another one:

Augusto Pinochet and yak milk

[annecros]

Sorry, I'm just having too much fun with these...

George Bush and foie gras:

George Bush ran against John Kerry in 2004 (was it that long ago?)

In August 2004 John Kerry and his wife ate at Marché in Oregon, where he had foie gras

Here's another one:

Augusto Pinochet and yak milk

←

Augusto Pinichet in Chile was under seige by Communist subversives

The Communist People's Republic of China lays claim to Tibet

Natives of Tibet drink Yak Milk

How about:

John Lennon and cowpeas

Edit to add: You're kicking butt Mallet

Edited January 11, 2007 by annecros (log)

[Mallet]

John Lennon and cowpeas:

John Lennon was a follower of the Indian guru Mahesh Yogi

India is where cowpeas are thought to have originated

And here's another one (in reference to annecros' last answer):

Karl Marx and parsnips

[annecros]

John Lennon and cowpeas:

John Lennon was a follower of the Indian guru Mahesh Yogi

India is where cowpeas are thought to have originated

And here's another one (in reference to annecros' last answer):

Karl Marx and parsnips

←

Hehe, I'm costing myself some points on this one and could do it shorter, but I cannot resist:

Karl Marx was said to be "The funniest of the Marx brothers." in a Groucho Marx one liner

Groucho Marx and John Lennon were featured together on a postage stamp issued by the Republic of Abkhazia

John Lennon touted the macrobiotic diet

The macrobiotic diet features parsnips

How about:

Vladimir Lenin and Pemmican

Edited January 11, 2007 by annecros (log)

[Mallet]

Pemmican is a staple for sled dogs

Sled dogs include russian breeds like the siberian husky

Russia was formerly known as the Soviet Union

Lenin was the first head of the Soviet Union

[annecros]

The Dalai Lama and Chateaubriand

The Dalai Lama met Jacques Chirac on Dec 8 1998

Jacques Chirac has eaten a lot of Chateaubriand

I suggest:

Escoffier and roadkill

←

Auguste Escoffier served frogs legs to the Prince of Wales

Frogs are common roadkill

Manachem Begin and Whale Blubber

[insomniac]

Menachem Begin won the 1978 Nobel Peace prize awarded in Norway, Norway exports whale blubber

Hugo Chavez and jellied eel

[The Old Foodie]

What an amazing contest (or should that be what amazing contestants)!!. Three degrees only in most of them. Keep it up. Where are the rest of you? Lurking in admiration I suspect.

Remaining Challenges:

Francois Mitterand and Mole

Paris Hilton and botarga

Hugo Chavez and jellied eel

So to keep up the numbers, here are three more:

Samuel Pepys and Hamburgers.

Bob Dylan and caviar

Rembrandt and chutney (any flavour!)

[edited to add the challenges]

Edited January 11, 2007 by The Old Foodie (log)

[MarketStEl]

Francois Mitterand and mole:

Mitterand was the president of France

The French installed Maximilian as emperor of Mexico in the 19th century

Mole is a common sauce in many fine Mexican dishes

Charlie Parker and borscht

[annecros]

Charlie Parker and borscht

←

Charlie Parker moved to New York City in the 1930s to further his Jazz career

New York City is in New York State

New York State is the home of The Catskills

The Catskills are commonly referred to as the "Borscht Belt" and they serve a great deal of it in the resorts there

Emperor Hirohito and grits

[Mallet]

Chavez and jellied eels:

In February 2006, Hugo Chavez told Tony Blair to "go to hell"

Tony Blair's office is in London

Jellied eels are an East London delicacy

Charles Darwin and tourtiere

[Daniel]

Francois Mitterand and mole:

Mitterand was the president of France

The French installed Maximilian as emperor of Mexico in the 19th century

Mole is a common sauce in many fine Mexican dishes

Charlie Parker and borscht

←

Charlie Parker and Dizzy played in Havannah.. And Castro I am sure has shared a bowl of borscht with the Russians..

Edited January 11, 2007 by Daniel (log)

[Toliver]

How about:

John Dillinger and a glass of milk

[Daniel]

John Dillingers father owned a grocery store in Indiana.. So, I am sure he can be connected to several glasses of milk..

Edited January 11, 2007 by Daniel (log)

[Daniel]

David Bowie and Feta Cheese..

[MarketStEl]

Charlie Parker and borscht

←

Charlie Parker moved to New York City in the 1930s to further his Jazz career

New York City is in New York State

New York State is the home of The Catskills

The Catskills are commonly referred to as the "Borscht Belt" and they serve a great deal of it in the resorts there

←

There's a path that's one degree shorter:

Charlie Parker was interested in the music of Igor Stravinsky

Stravinsky was Russian born

Borscht is a staple of Russian (and many other Eastern European) diets

Still, good alternate route.

Now I'll try yours:

Emperor Hirohito and grits

Emperor Hirohito visited Colonial Williamsburg on his one trip to the United States

Colonial Williamsburg is in Virginia

Virginia is part of the Southern United States

Grits are a breakfast (but not only breakfast) staple in the South

Martin Luther King, Jr., and lutefisk

Edited to add: Grits is a breakfast staple. Grits is a breakfast staple...

Edited January 11, 2007 by MarketStEl (log)

[Toliver]

John Dillingers father owned a grocery store in Indiana.. So, I am sure he can be connected to several glasses of milk..

←

It's a little more involved...

[The Old Foodie]

I think I'm going to have to take the day off work to keep track of this. I guess if someone else comes up with a path of fewer degrees, you gotta give up your points to them?

[Daniel]

John Dillingers father owned a grocery store in Indiana.. So, I am sure he can be connected to several glasses of milk..

←

It's a little more involved...

←

I was wondering.. I will take it back.. For some reason I just think of an Indiana boy growing up with a daddy owning a grocery store as living off of milk..

Edited January 11, 2007 by Daniel (log)