What's cookin' at the White House?
Heavy garlic, flaming desserts among no-no's
Dinner at the White House means guests in black tie; an invitation-only, A-list crowd; and a four-course meal, elaborate in preparation and elegant in presentation. Those are the do's.
But there are also don'ts. No heavy garlic. Scant gravy. Absolutely no flaming desserts.
"On one Christmas a lady caught on fire," said Roland Mesnier, a former White House pastry chef who banned such fiery confections after the 2002 incident. "She was wearing a fox shawl around her neck, she leaned over on the dessert table and, whoops, she was on fire.
"So no flambé at the White House," he said. The guest came to no harm.
Like any good host or hostess, the White House takes note of the cultural, dietary and religious sensibilities of its guests and serves accordingly. Beyond that, White House chefs past and present avoid dishes that, while fine in other settings, could offend a packed dining room.
Strong-smelling fish is out. Serving bread at all is debatable.
"You also don't want to serve food that is dripping with sauces" to guests "dressed to the nines," Mesnier said. "You want to think about any possible accident that could happen."
External Source - For the complete article click here
Source - CNN
But there are also don'ts. No heavy garlic. Scant gravy. Absolutely no flaming desserts.
"On one Christmas a lady caught on fire," said Roland Mesnier, a former White House pastry chef who banned such fiery confections after the 2002 incident. "She was wearing a fox shawl around her neck, she leaned over on the dessert table and, whoops, she was on fire.
"So no flambé at the White House," he said. The guest came to no harm.
Like any good host or hostess, the White House takes note of the cultural, dietary and religious sensibilities of its guests and serves accordingly. Beyond that, White House chefs past and present avoid dishes that, while fine in other settings, could offend a packed dining room.
Strong-smelling fish is out. Serving bread at all is debatable.
"You also don't want to serve food that is dripping with sauces" to guests "dressed to the nines," Mesnier said. "You want to think about any possible accident that could happen."
External Source - For the complete article click here
Source - CNN
