White House recipes, from ale to woodcock (roasted)

September 27, 2012 4:55 PM

We know the Obamas planted a vegetable garden in 2009, bringing back the tradition of a White House Vegetable Garden (7:44 YT video), and Barack has home-brewed beer. The White House then released the recipes for their honey ale and honey porter, but what of the other White House recipes? Here are some modern Thanksgiving recipes, but what about the rest of the year? Our White House provides a glimpse into past White House kitchens, menus, and recipes, but that's still too thin. More than 50 White House recipes? Still not enough! OK, how about the complete White House Cookbook from 1887 (on Archive.org, also on Project Gutenberg and Google books). Vintage Recipes has kindly provided a tidied up table of contents and recipes for quicker browsing, but be warned, the techniques are dated, and some of the household tips are a bit questionable. More on presidential gastronomy, previously.
posted by filthy light thief (18 comments total)

Yes but are Obama's recipes ... halal?
posted by slater at 5:21 PM on September 27, 2012 [9 favorites]

Just to tie in to the next FPP, Reagan's Mac&Cheese is a personal favorite (LiveJournal link since the link from the 50 Recipes page above is broken).
posted by maryr at 5:25 PM on September 27, 2012

'scuse me while I throw a handful of coffee grounds into the fire. Mmm...burning coffee freshness!
posted by xingcat at 5:27 PM on September 27, 2012

Somewhat related, the story behind FDR & ER's terrible chef.
posted by troika at 5:38 PM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

We need a constitutional amendmentthat the president live off of Ramen only while in office.
posted by I love you more when I eat paint chips at 5:40 PM on September 27, 2012

WHY WON'T OBAMA RELEASE HIS RECIPES?
posted by eustacescrubb at 5:54 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

Girlscape and I are having broccoli soup made following (so I'm told, anyway) Michelle Obama's recipe this week. It's pretty awesome, even days-old and reheated. So there's that.
posted by Alterscape at 6:11 PM on September 27, 2012

aw squeee they're real people like you and me
posted by dunkadunc at 6:38 PM on September 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

"11. Zounds! --a terribly soiled floor. Such a tragedy may be remedied with one-half hogshead of bleach with one-half hogshead of ammonia, and though noxious it may be, it promises to whisk one away to a state of highest divinity."
    -- Really Great White House Cleaning Ideas, Addendum to Whitehouse Cookbook, 1887, special edition for Otto von Bismarck & delegation
posted by crapmatic at 7:08 PM on September 27, 2012 [7 favorites]

aw squeee they're real people like you and me

I know, I thought the president wouldn't indulge in multiple catsups like I do, but lo, they too once ate apple catsup, oyster catsup, and walnut catsup.
posted by filthy light thief at 8:52 PM on September 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

I nominate filthy light thief for Secretary of Beer.
posted by homunculus at 10:59 PM on September 27, 2012

I am slightly annoyed that The White House doesn't buy locally made beer from any of DC's excellent local breweries. Chocolate City Beer and DC Brau both make great tasting, fresh beer right here in The District.
posted by Thistledown at 5:10 AM on September 28, 2012

I've got a few old, old cookbooks (plus all the gutenberg.org ones on my nookie wook), and I'm always amused by how many recipes call for pounds of suet. Desserts, even. Suet.
posted by sonascope at 5:41 AM on September 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Walnut catsup is an excellent sauce, though its consistency is nothing like tomato ketchup and it's of course not as flexible. Good as a sauce base though. But it's a huge pain in the ass to make (if you can even find green walnuts, and good luck with that). I wonder if anyone still manufactures a prepared walnut catsup?

From the "techniques are dated" link, I'm not sure you get to call anyone a gourmet cook if he uses Pillsbury prepared pie crusts. I had to go have a seat on the floor and breathe deeply for a while when I read that one.
posted by 1adam12 at 5:48 AM on September 28, 2012

1adam12: From the "techniques are dated" link, I'm not sure you get to call anyone a gourmet cook if he uses Pillsbury prepared pie crusts.

I actually had the mods patch that link in, as the first site I found that discussed the old methods described in the 1887 cookbook was kind of a scammy site. Still, the blog mentions the odd measurements (teacup and wine glass) and lack of temperature settings.

And I'm not sure why people find pie crusts so daunting. Perhaps most folks have less than great pie crust recipes.
posted by filthy light thief at 5:54 AM on September 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

the Obamas also have a beehive!!!
posted by supermedusa at 9:04 AM on September 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Indeed they do, and it's because there aren't enough bees in DC to pollinate the White House garden.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:42 AM on September 28, 2012

About a year ago I downloaded from Gutenburg the Kindle version of The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) by F. L. Gillette and Hugo Ziemann a book covering both recipes and technique. It has since become my go-to source to create such delicacies as Scotch Mutton Broth, Mock Turtle Soup of Calf's Head, Stewed Terrapins and Tripe Lyonnaise.

I have also learned that "Mutton drippings impart an unpleasant flavor to anything cooked outside of its kind."
posted by bz at 3:08 PM on September 28, 2012