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Alex Prud’homme, "Dinner with the President" in conversation with Jacques Pépin

The Presidential Palate:

Alex Prud'homme in conversation with Jacques Pépin

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Dinner with the President

Some of the most significant moments in American history have occurred over meals, as U.S. presidents broke bread with friends or foe: Thomas Jefferson’s nationbuilding receptions in the new capital, Washington, D.C.; Ulysses S. Grant’s state dinner for the king of Hawaii; Teddy Roosevelt’s groundbreaking supper with Booker T. Washington; Richard Nixon’s practiced use of chopsticks to pry open China; Jimmy Carter’s cakes and pies that fueled a détente between Israel and Egypt at Camp David.

Here Alex Prud’homme invites readers into the White House kitchen to reveal the sometimes curious tastes of twenty-six of America’s most influential presidents, how their meals were prepared and by whom, and the ways their choices affected food policy around the world. And the White House menu grew over time— from simple eggs and black coffee for Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and celebratory turtle soup after and squirrel stew for Dwight Eisenhower, to jelly beans and enchiladas for Ronald Reagan and arugula for Barack Obama. What our leaders say about food touches on everything from our nation’s shifting diet and local politics to global trade, science, religion, war, class, gender, race, and so much more.

Prud’homme also details overlooked figures, like George Washington’s enslaved chef, Hercules Posey, whose meals burnished the president’s reputation before the cook narrowly escaped to freedom, and pioneering First Ladies, such as Dolley Madison and Jackie Kennedy, who used food and entertaining to build political and social relationships. As he weaves these stories together, Prud’homme shows that food is not just fuel when it is served to the most powerful people in the world. It is a tool of communication, a lever of power and persuasion, a form of entertainment, and a symbol of the nation.

Included are ten authentic recipes for favorite presidential dishes, such as:

  • Martha Washington’s Preserved Cherries
  • Abraham Lincoln’s Gingerbread Men
  • William H. Taft’s Billy Bi Mussel Soup
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Reverse Martini
  • Lady Bird Johnson’s Pedernales River Chili
Alex Prud'homme

ALEX PRUD’HOMME is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and other publications. He is the coauthor of Julia Child's memoir, My Life in France, and has authored or coauthored The French Chef in America, France is a Feast, Born Hungry, The Ripple Effect, Hydrofracking, The Cell Game, and Forewarned. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.

Jaques Pepin

The winner of sixteen James Beard Awards and author of over 30 cookbooks, including The Apprentice, Essential Pépin, and Jacques Pépin Quick & Simple, JACQUES PÉPIN is a chef, author, television personality, educator, and artist, and has starred in 12 acclaimed PBS cooking series. His dedication to culinary education led to the creation of the Jacques Pépin Foundation in 2016.

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Can't make it to the event? You can still purchase a signed copy of Dinner with the President.

Event Date: 
Thursday, March 30, 2023 - 7:00pm EDT
Event address: 
RJ Julia Booksellers
768 Boston Post Road
Madison, CT 06443
Dinner with the President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House By Alex Prud'homme Cover Image
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Published: Knopf - February 7th, 2023

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Born Hungry: Julia Child Becomes
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Published: Calkins Creek - February 8th, 2022

The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act By Alex Prud'homme Cover Image
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Published: Anchor - October 31st, 2017

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Jacques Pépin Art Of The Chicken: A Master Chef's Paintings, Stories, and Recipes of the Humble Bird By Jacques Pépin Cover Image
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ISBN: 9780358654513
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Published: Harvest - September 27th, 2022

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