Dinner with the President
A wonderfully entertaining, often surprising history of presidential taste, from the grim meals eaten by Washington and his starving troops at Valley Forge to Trumps fast-food burgers and Bidens ice creamwhat they ate, why they ate it, and what it tells us about the state of the nationfrom the coauthor of Julia Childs best-selling memoir My Life in France
"[A] beautifully written book about how the presidential palate has helped shape America...Fascinating."Stanley Tucci
Some of the most significant moments in American history have occurred over meals, as U.S. presidents broke bread with friends or foe: Thomas Jeffersons nationbuilding receptions in the new capital, Washington, D.C.; Ulysses S. Grants state dinner for the king of Hawaii; Teddy Roosevelts groundbreaking supper with Booker T. Washington; Richard Nixons practiced use of chopsticks to pry open China; Jimmy Carters cakes and pies that fueled a détente between Israel and Egypt at Camp David.
Here Alex Prudhomme invites readers into the White House kitchen to reveal the sometimes curious tastes of twenty-six of Americas most influential presidents, how their meals were prepared and by whom, and the ways their choices affected food policy around the world. And the White House menu grew over time from simple eggs and black coffee for Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and celebratory turtle soup after and squirrel stew for Dwight Eisenhower, to jelly beans and enchiladas for Ronald Reagan and arugula for Barack Obama. What our leaders say about food touches on everything from our nations shifting diet and local politics to global trade, science, religion, war, class, gender, race, and so much more.
Prudhomme also details overlooked figures, like George Washingtons enslaved chef, Hercules Posey, whose meals burnished the presidents reputation before the cook narrowly escaped to freedom, and pioneering First Ladies, such as Dolley Madison and Jackie Kennedy, who used food and entertaining to build political and social relationships. As he weaves these stories together, Prudhomme shows that food is not just fuel when it is served to the most powerful people in the world. It is a tool of communication, a lever of power and persuasion, a form of entertainment, and a symbol of the nation.
Included are ten authentic recipes for favorite presidential dishes, such as:
"[A] beautifully written book about how the presidential palate has helped shape America...Fascinating."Stanley Tucci
Some of the most significant moments in American history have occurred over meals, as U.S. presidents broke bread with friends or foe: Thomas Jeffersons nationbuilding receptions in the new capital, Washington, D.C.; Ulysses S. Grants state dinner for the king of Hawaii; Teddy Roosevelts groundbreaking supper with Booker T. Washington; Richard Nixons practiced use of chopsticks to pry open China; Jimmy Carters cakes and pies that fueled a détente between Israel and Egypt at Camp David.
Here Alex Prudhomme invites readers into the White House kitchen to reveal the sometimes curious tastes of twenty-six of Americas most influential presidents, how their meals were prepared and by whom, and the ways their choices affected food policy around the world. And the White House menu grew over time from simple eggs and black coffee for Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and celebratory turtle soup after and squirrel stew for Dwight Eisenhower, to jelly beans and enchiladas for Ronald Reagan and arugula for Barack Obama. What our leaders say about food touches on everything from our nations shifting diet and local politics to global trade, science, religion, war, class, gender, race, and so much more.
Prudhomme also details overlooked figures, like George Washingtons enslaved chef, Hercules Posey, whose meals burnished the presidents reputation before the cook narrowly escaped to freedom, and pioneering First Ladies, such as Dolley Madison and Jackie Kennedy, who used food and entertaining to build political and social relationships. As he weaves these stories together, Prudhomme shows that food is not just fuel when it is served to the most powerful people in the world. It is a tool of communication, a lever of power and persuasion, a form of entertainment, and a symbol of the nation.
Included are ten authentic recipes for favorite presidential dishes, such as:
- Martha Washingtons Preserved Cherries
- Abraham Lincolns Gingerbread Men
- William H. Tafts Billy Bi Mussel Soup
- Franklin D. Roosevelts Reverse Martini
- Lady Bird Johnsons Pedernales River Chili
Auteur | | Alex Prud'Homme |
Taal | | Engels |
Type | | Hardcover |
Categorie | | Kookboeken |