Presidential Influences

Do our leaders influence the way we eat? Have they always? The answer is probably yes. US presidents and their First Ladies give us ideas and inspiration about cooking and eating. Many home chefs have imitated and copied cooking styles and recipes from the White House.

Most of our presidents had simple tastes. George Washington was a man of his times, preferring a dinner of mutton washed down with Madeira wine. Did that influence his countrymen? Maybe. Maybe not. Many wealthy landowners enjoyed what he did. There was roast beef and ale along with tables laden with cakes, pies and early forms of cookies. Perhaps some housewives imitated Martha Washington who seemed to love baking, She was known for her Great Cake, a brandy and Madeira soaked fruit cake topped with a rich fondant icing. Surely she also created steamed fig puddings, a nod towards her and her husband's English heritage. It was Thomas Jefferson who made a big impact on the way wealthy 18th Century Americans ate. The third president was a gourmet and world traveler. The upper classes got to enjoy ice cream as it became the dessert of the moment.It could have been served with waffles, a treat Jefferson discovered  on a trip to Brussels where he bought a waffle iron to take home.His guests probably swooned over the Parmesan he brought back from Rozzano Italy.Jefferson also loved pasta and also had a pasta machine. Dinner guests may have even brought home  homemade spaghetti and linguine to enjoy and share.

Dolley Madison, James Madison's wife was also another culinary force in the White House. She ,more than her husband, James was known for her layer cake with caramel icing. It was probably the talk of D.C. with many a home chef trying her hand at this new idea. Most presidents until the Gilded Age were more influenced by fellow Americans. Teddy Roosevelt may have been a Rough Rider but he was from a family that ate elegantly simple  meals . It was a time for rich sauces and expensive cuts of meat.He was one of the first presidents that ate fried chicken and  snacked on cookies. He enjoyed bacon for breakfast - a taste that definitely had an impact on American breakfasts.As the Twentieth Century progressed, the century itself influenced the way the White House ate. The Great Depression of the Thirties brought about a frugality to the White House kitchen, Eleanor Roosevelt made sure American favorites such as doughnuts and bread pudding were served during the spartan times.. Jackie Kennedy reintroduced French cuisine which many home chefs snapped up, thanks to her and Julia Child. The last influential presidential couple were Barack and Michelle Obama. They both introduced healthy but delicious eating to Americans and made us fall in love with .veggies again.

Presidents and Americans have influenced each other's eating habits for two  and a half centuries.Is there an impact? Probably yes, depending on the president.