President Obama's First Supper

Over the last 200 years food has played a big role in the transition of one presidential administration to another. Sometimes fancy, sometimes plain, presidential first suppers can reflect the economic times or the personal preferences of the new president. Suppers might even recall former great presidents and American history. At his inauguration in 1797, John Adams decided to forgo a celebratory meal altogether and, after being sworn into office, went back to his boardinghouse and ate alone. That is perfectly in keeping with his reputation as a no-nonsense kind of gentlemen who really thought of himself as a farmer, more than a lawyer or president. James Madison, however, loved parties and his inaugural ball in 1809 included over 400 people for dinner. We don't know exactly what they ate, but we do know that ice cream was served, a very fancy dessert to make for such a large crowd.

President Franklin Roosevelt decided to keep things simple during his inaugural lunch in 1937. The country was in the grips of the Great Depression. Unemployment was at record levels and hunger was a real fact of life for millions of Americans. A lavish party would have been seen as uncaring. So, Mrs. Roosevelt came up with an economical lunch of sliced ham and sliced beef tongue, rolls, and her favorite sweet potato casserole with tiny marshmallows on top. One guest, surprised by the frugality of the meal, was heard to remark that "it filled you up, but that was about all it did".

We are getting ready to inaugurate a new president on January 20th. What will his menu say about him or our country? Well, President elect Barack Obama is a big fan of the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. He has decided to be sworn into office by placing his hand on Lincoln's own bible and to reference Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in his own inaugural speech. The china on which guests will be served is a replica of that used in the Lincoln White House and the menu is based on some of President Lincoln's favorites. There will three courses. First a seafood stew, followed by "a brace of American birds" -- pheasant and duck served with sour cherry chutney and molasses sweet potatoes, inspired by Lincoln's childhood on the Kentucky- Indiana frontier. Dessert will be apple-cinnamon sponge cake and sweet cream glacé. It's an American menu with true homegrown ingredients and one that reaffirms the great bounty of the American landscape. By focusing on the life of Abraham Lincoln, President-elect Obama subtly communicates, even with food, that we are a resourceful and intelligent people whose land gives us the strength to perservere through difficult times.