Or whatever and ever amen.
On Fourth of July Eve (hang up a bouquet of bottle rockets like mistletoe, folks), instead let's talk about food. Let's talk about the Presidents' favorite foods.
On The Awl, Sarah Marshall did some research and listed the favorite dishes/foodstuffs of US Presidents in her article "All the President's Menus." Check it out.
After looking over the list, here are my cursory observations:
- Obviously, I need to get my hands on some Madeira wine. Never had it. Washington and Jefferson approve this message.
- Oysters are on many of the lists. At one time they were thought to be an aphrodisiac. Hmmmm...
- Turtle soup was a big favorite at one time. I can't say I blame them. I like that stuff a lot but have only had it two or three times from what I recall. That stands to reason since you can't go into your local megamart and say, "Hey, how's your turtle today?"
- I'm intrigued about Madison's "chicken and okra soup."
- I'd like to try some squirrel stew/soup.
- It's clear why Taft was our first obese President.
- It's also clear that Clinton didn't grow up in a well-to-do-household and why he had heart surgery.
- The lack of vegetables and fruit on this list is alarming.
This list got me thinking about if I were President [NASTY in 2012!] and I had my druthers what people would make for my meals -- quite a food fantasy.
Here's what I've come up with for my Nasty Presidential culinary dream team: gumbo; jambalaya; fried chicken livers; spinach, wilted or in salads; various types of lettuce for salads, especially for Cobb salads; cornbread; fried okra; collard, turnip, and mustard greens; kale; pot roast; broccoli; pulled pork; pork chops; roasted chicken; roast duck; lamb; northern pike, walleye, crappie, and freshwater perch; blackberries, blueberries, mulberries, and strawberries; apricots and peaches; all kinds of apples; green beans; sweet corn; bratwurst, knockwurst, weiswurst, and Braunschweiger from K&W Sausage company; head cheese and hot souse; cucumber soup; raw oysters, specifically ones from New Orleans/Gulf and the Chesapeake Bay; crawfish; all manner of Thai food, notably the noodle dishes and the soups with coconut milk; and various American beers and wines.
4 comments:
You had me at gumbo, and by the time I got to the berries I was ready to make you Supreme Dictator for Life. I would like to lobby for at least one additional carb, however: fresh, crusty baguette, still warm from the oven. Dang, if this was really the focus of politics I would definitely vote early and often...or at least attend as many campaign dinners as I could.
Yes, we definitely need good bread such as baguettes, and I'd also add pumpernickel. The former goes well with tapenades and sopping up stuff, and the latter I just like. Also, I propose French/Italian style breads (in rounds) infused with rosemary.
Yes to all that. I also like pumpernickel, in part because it's such a fun word to say. Rosemary-infused bread is da bomb, though it disturbs me that this is the second time you've talked about food infusion. At least that's better than "essence."
Yes, I will trowel tapenade on a slice of rosemary-infused French bread. Foodies like to trowel stuff and make compotes and chutneys, whatever those things are.
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