Two of my great obsessions, cooking and presidential history, collide in the remarkable The First Ladies Cook Book: Favorite Recipes of All the Presidents of the United States, which was published in 1969. A wedding gift from a dear friend of mine, the book is satisfying in so many ways. The aesthetic is very much a product of the era: saturated color prints amp the surreal kitsch of White House interiors, and the photographs of food are reminiscent of old Betty Crocker cookbooks: lurid, glistening roasts flanked by sinister jell-o molds. Nonetheless, the historical research is sound and the book is reasonably well-written. Though as far as I can tell, the most interesting thing about Rutherford and Lucy Hayes was their taste in china patterns (amazing paintings of American flora and fauna, particularly the excellent plates featuring bucks poised in a majestic tableau). But then there's juicier fare: Theodore Roosevelt, for example, was fond of whole suckling pigs. Are you surprised? Perusing the volume is a pleasure and offers piquant lines: "for the stuffing, simmer heart and liver together";"Mrs. (John Quincey) Adams received her guests resplendent in a gown of steel-colored llama cloth with cut steel ornamentation"; "these feet must be well boiled the day before they are wanted"; and the following quote from poor, doomed James Garfield, "It was a pleasant relief from the monotony of the White House to get out for an evening."
Today I will be attempting my first recipe from the book. I would, of course, gravitate toward Abigail Adams, but the main recipe in her chapter is salmon stuffed with oysters, which seems a bit fancy for a Tuesday night with no guests, and also requires you to 'lard the fish with skinned eel', whatever that means. I happen to have a roast on hand, so it's either Jefferson's Boeuf a la Mode (Jefferson is, of course, one of my presidential obsessions, and the recipe involves bacon) or Hayes' Roast Beef with Potato Puffs (the roast recipe sounds easy and the potato puffs sound delicious). Updates pending.
Today I will be attempting my first recipe from the book. I would, of course, gravitate toward Abigail Adams, but the main recipe in her chapter is salmon stuffed with oysters, which seems a bit fancy for a Tuesday night with no guests, and also requires you to 'lard the fish with skinned eel', whatever that means. I happen to have a roast on hand, so it's either Jefferson's Boeuf a la Mode (Jefferson is, of course, one of my presidential obsessions, and the recipe involves bacon) or Hayes' Roast Beef with Potato Puffs (the roast recipe sounds easy and the potato puffs sound delicious). Updates pending.
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