Nancy Reagan whined bitterly about this. It was just awful. :rolleyes:
Well then she should have hired a better chef.
That note reminds of when Humphrey Bogart calls the senior staff for missing strawberries in The Caine Mutiny.
Whitehousemuseum.org is a great source for questions like these. The family kitchen is on the second floor residence, and there are lots of pictures available on that site.
Speaking of Reagans, their daughter Patti was on a talk show recently, complaining about not having a regular childhood: "We couldn’t even get a late night snack! We’d sneak into the kitchen looking for leftovers… nope, suddenly there’d be a chef asking “May I make you an omelette, miss?”
Though, that would have been while her father was Governor of California, not President. Patti was 28 when Reagan was elected president.
Also, zombie presidential families just eat the staff’s brains.
With some fava beans and a nice chianti?
Why would I bother with poison? You’re already eating kale…
I once read a good book about the history of the white house.
One problem with state dinners is the fact the dishes and cutlery are all stamped with the presidential seal and thus, expensive and rare. Making them a perfect target for guests to swipe. Yes I mean people going to a state dinner at the White House often steal the fine china.
Now if your the president you cant ask the ambassador from say Hungary to please return the forks he just stole can you? So the first family has to cover the cost of new cutlery.
Well actually they can ask for donations or ask congress to budget for this.
No, that would be if they ate the staff’s livers.
Brains would pair better with something white; a Chardonnay, perhaps, or a nice crisp chenin blanc.
Why am I picturing these? To go with the undead and all.
I never really learned to cook for myself until I went off to college. Probably similar for any kids residing in the White House.
There’s something special about a night in with the family. Fix a simple one skillet meal. Comfort food. Watch some tv.
I can see the first family doing that. Most recent Presidents had homes without servants. They’re accustomed to taking care of their families. A small kitchen in the living quarters would get used.
The current one is the notable rich exception.
Stewards with carts and covered serving trays would ruin the family vibe.
This applies to the groceries that are purchased for the President & his family, for their personal use.
For the large state dinners, lunches with hundreds of people. and all the many events at the White House, the food is supplied by commercial distributors. The same companies that supply hotels & restaurants. Pretty much required when cooking for that size crowds.
As for the random times & places, that doesn’t seem unreasonable. I get groceries at several different stores – whichever one is handy when I’m coming home from some event, for example.
First of all, if Michelle Obama wanted kale she just went out to her garden and picked it.
However, they do pay not only for their meals but all their other groceries. White House staff have to be notoriously discreet but they definitely know what brand of tampons all the first ladies used, since they had to go buy them (and yes, the First Family had to pay).
Wasnt there a recording of JFK ordering up a pizza delivery?
:dubious: This doesn’t sound plausible. I can see the POTUS being held to account for the behavior of personal guests at a private function held at the white house. But a state dinner is not a private function.
I just read last month that President Trump locks himself in his room (by himself) after 9pm and enjoys a cheese burger before he retires for the evening. I do not know if he cooked himself, but I seriously doubt it.