What presidential candidate doesn't play up a love of a hometown favorite, from pancakes at a diner, to a cheeseburger? While these details can seem trivial, food has played a significant role in the White House throughout history. Just take First Lady Dolly Madison's famous layer cake from 1809. She used egg whites to lighten the batter, a pretty novel concept at the time. Read on for more presidential foods and even recipes.
Looking through the food of each administration gives insight to the era as well. Harry S. Truman and his wife Bess made famous a recipe for Ozark Pudding, a somewhat humble apple and walnut pudding cake, while Kennedy and Regan brought about more glamourous tastes. President Bill Clinton had a reputation for downing doughnuts in his heyday, but these days he's making just as much news with his strict vegan diet. Michelle Obama made waves with her White House garden and devotion to vegetables, and her cauliflower mac and cheese conveyed those ideals as well. Now the question is what will the next administration bring to the table?
Read more and get the recipes: Presidential Foods And What They Say About Our Leaders at NPR's The Salt
(Images: Jim Young for Reuters)
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the link is broken
Here's the correct link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/08/08/158219217/presidential-foods-and-what-they-say-about-our-leaders
Also, Reagan is misspelled.
Is that the question now? Because I didn't think there was a "next administration" yet. Might still be Obama for another four years.
"Next administration" doesn't necessarily refer to THIS next administration. Goodness.
George H. W. Bush was so right to hate broccoli, well at least the cooked stuff. No vegetable turns from simple green to disgusting mush more than broccoli. Cooked broccoli is the only vegetable outside of peas that makes me want to vomit.
U.S. Grant required his meat cooked dry as the slightest thought of blood on his plate made him sick. I guess experiencing battles like Shiloh, Cold Harbor and especially The Wilderness would do well to sicken any man.
Rutherford Hayes's wife Lucy was famous for being part of the temperance movement and thus Hayes, being disgusted with the drunken behavior of his first state dinner had all further dinners served alcohol free. How I would love to see that again!
I think we should see more frugality from up top, something like the economy of Calvin Coolidge. With so much of the country in poverty it'd be nice to see some frugality and economy from up top.
Having raised and canned our own vegetables as a kid growing up, I'd say planting a veggie garden at the White House is a nice nod to frugality. Don't get me wrong, i know it's not an option for everyone, but you can save a decent amount of money - and put better food on your table - with even a small garden.
Clinton's a vegan!?!
@BATTRA92
Steamed broccoli actually remains perfectly green and intact, you know? Stir-fried or sautéed is the same. I don't understand. :|
cooked broccoli is fine if you don't cook it too long.