
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.